Analysis of factors affecting brand strengthening drivers in e-commerce: a study of the Iranian tourism industry

In the last decade, Information and Communication Technology (ICT) was used as the most effective tool to help businesses gain a competitive advantage by attracting customers. Thus, ICT has significantly contributed to the growth of e-commerce. Internet access allows e-commerce to spread globally and cheaply. However, many organizations did not realize the potential value created by e-commerce. Since the provision of information and branding at the destination necessarily involves the focused attention of all tourism companies in the destination, e-commerce can lead to the development of a new distribution channel in a virtual network and connects the producer with the customer. To this end, the present study analyzed the factors affecting brand strengthening drivers in e-commerce in the Iranian tourism industry. Brand strengthening drivers were ranked using Shannon’s entropy method. The results indicated that advertising and brand communication are the most effective brand strengthening drivers.