Which destination brands among nation, city, and event brands benefit from hosting mega-events? Before-after comparison of three destination brands for the PyeongChang Winter Olympics.

This article empirically investigates the concurrent brand effects of hosting the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics on the host city (PyeongChang), host nation (South Korea), and the Olympic Games brand using a multidimensional consumer-based brand equity (CBBE) framework. Employing a longitudinal design with surveys conducted before, immediately after, and two months post-event, the study measured four key brand equity dimensions: awareness, image, perceived quality, and loyalty. Findings reveal that while the Olympic Games brand consistently scored highest, PyeongChang—initially the least known—experienced significant increases across all brand equity dimensions over time, indicating the largest relative benefit from the mega-event. The study highlights the importance of examining brand effects at multiple spatial levels and over time, suggesting that host cities may gain the most from mega-events, though sustaining these effects requires strategic post-event branding efforts by destination marketing organizations.