This paper aims to further enhance the understanding of elements relevant to creating affection for a country’s identity, culture and values.
An overview of theoretical contributions is followed by a description of exploratory research on the overall image of Turkey. Survey-based empirical data (a convenience sample consisting of 838 Croatian citizens) are analysed using Statistica v7; mean values and a t-test are applied. The importance-performance Analysis (IPA) is also performed. The level of the respondent’s actual knowledge of Turkey is analysed by examining the content of their associations.
Research findings support a proven multidimensionality of the country/destination image construct. Turkey has become an appealing tourist destination; its image consists of positive associations that point to the effectiveness of soap operas broadcast abroad and promotional investments into the creation of the country image in foreign markets. Negative perceptions are related to human rights and gender inequalities.
The use of a convenience sample (with predominantly female respondents) places a clear constraint on generalising the findings. Consequently, the results should be treated only as indicative. Furthermore, the one-country nature of the study limits the implications to theory.
Findings that soap operas might be a valuable source for Turkey’s image formation, and as such affect subsequent consumer behaviour, provide valuable insights for tourism and international marketing professionals who are either already in business or who are planning to internationalise future activities.
The study adds to the existing knowledge suggesting that popular culture, i.e. soap operas, is an interesting dimension of country/destination image deserving of further research.
