Formation and Promotion of the Territory Brand as an Instrument of Its Development on the Example of the Arkhangelsk Oblast

DOI:

Territorial brand is defined as a “unique identity of a territory” based on its history, culture, values, lifestyle, features of socio-economic development, innovations, and other special characteristics of a territorial object: a country, a region, a separate settlement [1, p. 3].

In the world management and research practice, there is no unambiguous definition of a territorial brand. Thus, F. Kotler initially defined a territorial brand as the perception of a territory by the population [2], and then as a specific product that allows increasing the value of a territory, developing business ties, attracting investments and tourists [3]. M. Kavaratzis integrated approaches to understanding a territorial brand as a socio-cultural, political and marketing entity and proposed to consider a territorial brand as a type of corporate brand that unites residents of a territory, government bodies, social and economic institutions [4]. Alan Malcolm considered a territorial brand as an object of management and a way of effectively using the socio-economic potential of a territory [5]. E. Lonardo suggests studying territorial brands in order to predict the development prospects of cities [6]. Besides, a territorial brand can become a tool for renovating a territory, preventing population outflow, preserving cultural and social identity, especially in sparsely populated areas [7]. The lack of a unified understanding of a territorial brand does not reduce the attractiveness and practical value of this phenomenon for territorial development. The issue of the necessity of branding for small towns as a process of creating a commercial product through the development of the value and quality of the territory and its entire infrastructure is an opportunity to remain relevant and prosperous settlements on the modern map of Russia [8, p. 27].

The formed brand of the territory allows solving a wide range of problems in the economy, politics, the socio-cultural sphere and in the territorial management system as a whole. The importance of a territorial brand for the regional economy is determined by the ability to attract additional financial resources for the implementation of production, social, and infrastructure projects [9].

An attractive territorial brand activates the inbound tourist flow, which in turn activates the work of hospitality, catering, social and cultural services enterprises, ensures the growth of income and tax revenues to the budget [10]. The development of production and commercial sphere contributes to the retention and attraction of labor resources, which positively affects social stability, budget replenishment, and stability of enterprises [11].

The influence of a territorial brand on the political sphere consists in increasing the attractiveness of the territory for interregional and international cooperation, expanding ties, constructive relationships that allow solving urgent problems of territorial development. This is especially relevant in modern conditions, when there are fundamental changes in foreign policy, priorities and areas of cooperation are changing. Responding to the introduction of political and economic sanctions by Western countries, Russia has reoriented itself to the countries of the Asia-Pacific region, strengthening its image as a reliable partner open to interaction. At the same time, the issue of recognizing the tasks of forming and managing the territorial brand as the area of responsibility of territorial authorities remains relevant [12].

The use of territorial image in the socio-cultural sphere ensures the preservation of traditions, culture, national characteristics, and respect for the historical memory of indigenous peoples. The cultural component of the territorial image increases its significance among residents of the territory and tourists, promotes the development of national identity, respect for the culture and history of the country and a particular region [13]. In general, the relevance of the formation and promotion of a territorial brand is determined by the need to effectively use territorial resources to improve the quality of life of the population, attract investment, and comprehensively develop the territory.

The aim of the study of the territorial brand as a tool for territorial development on the example of the Arkhangelsk Oblast is to develop directions for improving the brand of the Arkhangelsk Oblast, based on the results of the analysis of the current state of the brand and the prospects for the development of the region. Within the framework of the study, the tasks related to the systematization of approaches to defining a territorial brand, developing an algorithm for the formation and patterns of promoting a territorial brand, analyzing existing brands of the Arkhangelsk Oblast, identifying problems of territorial branding and determining ways to overcome them were set and solved. The research hypothesis is that regional authorities do not approach the issues of forming and promoting the territorial brand systematically enough, missing the socio-psychological component and the involvement of the population in territorial development processes.

Materials and methods

The methods of analyzing scientific literature, monographs, articles, electronic resources covering issues of territorial branding were used in the study. The systematization method was applied to identify and describe the approaches to understanding the territorial brand and the possibilities of its use for the territory development.

In order to study the brand of the Arkhangelsk Oblast, the methods of description, comparison, generalization, the method of content analysis of reviews of residents of the Arkhangelsk Oblast about their region, as well as the SWOT analysis method, which allows comparing the characteristics of the territory with the possibilities of socio-economic development, were used.

Results

As a result of studying and systematizing the scientific literature on the topic of the research, three main approaches to the structure of the territorial brand were identified.

The first approach is based on the concept of Simon Anholt and consists of identifying six elements of the territorial brand, such as [ Ошибка! Источник ссылки не найден. ]:

• •    national and ethnic characteristics of the population of the territory or the reputation of ethnic groups, demographic indicators;

• •    cultural component, including language, beliefs, literature, art;

• •    economic system and investment attractiveness of the territory;

• •    political reputation of the region, its foreign and domestic policy;

• •    trademarks of the region, known beyond its borders;

• •    tourist infrastructure and potential for tourism development.

The model proposed by Anholt covers key areas and allows for a comprehensive presentation of the image of the region. This model is effective at the stage of initial description of the image of the territory and the development of the ideal, desired image, the image to which one should strive [15].

The practical application of the Anholt’s model creates a number of directions of territorial marketing, such as [ Ошибка! Источник ссылки не найден. ]:

• •    socio-demographic marketing aimed at attracting and retaining the population, creating comfortable living conditions;

• •    event marketing based on the cultural component of the Anholt’s model;

• •    infrastructure marketing that promotes the development of production and service infrastructure and increases investment attractiveness;

• •    product marketing that allows creating attractive trade brands and bringing them to the external market;

• •    marketing of attractions that activates the flow of tourists to the region.

The content of the Anholt’s model will differ depending on the target audience which is to be attracted by the territorial brand. Most often, the scientific literature distinguishes the following types of brands by target audience [ Ошибка! Источник ссылки не найден. ]:

• •    tourist brand focused on individual and group tourists and based on historical, cultural, natural attractions, developed infrastructure, transport accessibility of a region or settlement;

• •    investment brand aimed at attracting financial institutions, private investors, and entrepreneurs to participate in the implementation of infrastructure and commercial projects that improve the quality of life of the region’s residents and generate profits for investors;

• •    lifestyle brand or socially oriented brand based on the development of the living environment, social infrastructure, and increasing the attractiveness of the region or locality for living.

Another component of the Anholt’s model characterizes product brands produced in the region. There is a relationship between the regional brand and the product brand. On the one hand, the geographical location of the region can become the basis for a product brand, and on the other hand, goods produced in the region will contribute to the growth of recognition and attractiveness of the region’s brand [17]. For example, fish production and processing in the Arkhangelsk and Murmansk Oblasts contributes to the development of gastronomic tourism.

The second approach to understanding the structure of a territorial brand is based on the concept of the Russian scientist M.S. Kagan. The basis of a territorial brand is formed by a system of three components: material, spiritual and artistic culture. The formation and development of the image of the territory is influenced by natural-geographical, spatial-plastic, artistic and status factors. Spatial-plastic factors were understood by M.S. Kagan as architecture and features of the urban (public) space formation. Artistic factors combined the results of spiritual culture: literature, music, painting, as well as the spiritual way of life of citizens. Status factors characterized the perception of the territory, its status, attractiveness [18].

The concept of M.S. Kagan is actively used in modern studies to identify and analyze the practical role of the territorial brand. For example, D.S. Glotov defines the territorial brand as the result of the interaction of material, spiritual and artistic culture. The territorial brand implements certain functions, such as [19, p. 212]:

• •    identification function, forming the uniqueness of the territory, attractiveness for residents, tourists coming to the region for business, study or business development;

• •    emotional function, reflecting the attachment of residents to the region, common interests, and for tourists — the opportunity to feel the atmosphere of the region, its history, culture, identity;

• •    self-organization and self-government, or civic function, which establishes internal rules of interaction, legal culture of citizens, activities of local authorities, increases the loyalty of the local population, as it creates a sense of involvement of residents in the territory;

• •    advertising and information function — organizes information flows from the brand carrier (territory) to the potential target audience, transfers the values, mission, slogan of the territory;

• •    geo-cultural — serves to preserve and enhance cultural values, the history of the region, increases the attractiveness of the region for tourists, creates conditions for the development of creativity, regional, ethnic culture;

• •    urban function is aimed at improving the quality of life, developing infrastructure, designing and implementing urban development plans that take into account the needs of residents and the strategy of socio-economic development of the territory;

• •    economic function is associated with an increase in the value of the territorial brand through the implementation of commercial projects, tourism development, creation of new jobs, and increasing the investment attractiveness of the region.

The third approach to structuring a territorial brand is based on the work of the British researcher K. Denny. The territorial brand is considered as a set of four components, namely [ Ошибка! Источник ссылки не найден. ]:

• •    identity: perception and self-determination of the region’s residents;

• •    goal-setting: what image of the territory do we strive for, what do we want to achieve, what standard of living would be attractive to us;

• •    communications: what information about our territory do we plan to disseminate, how;

• •    consistency: how to ensure effective interaction of all participants in events to develop the territory brand.

This approach is characterized by practicality and allows moving from the description of the current state of the territory to the achievement of the desired state [15].

After reviewing theoretical approaches to understanding territorial branding as part of the marketing policy, a structural diagram of the key characteristics of the territory brand was compiled (Fig. 1).

The functions are aimed at forming a holistic, recognizable, emotionally attractive image of the territory, establishing and maintaining marketing communications with representatives of target groups, developing the territory and culture, economy and infrastructure.

Types of territorial brand are classified depending on the target audience and the scale of production of the regional product. According to the target audience, a distinction is made between tourist, investment and socially oriented brand. Tourist and investment brands are aimed at attracting an external target audience, while socially oriented brand is based on creating comfortable living conditions for the population in the territory, increasing the attractiveness of the region and the loyalty of the population to the place of residence. The classification of the territorial brand allows analyzing the brand components, identifying promising areas of development, and formulating the brand content attractive to the target audience.

Fig. 1. Characteristics of a territorial brand 1.

The formation and promotion of a territorial brand involves a comprehensive analysis of the current state of the territory, the development and implementation of measures aimed at increasing the attractiveness of the territory among a potential target audience, which can be local

• ¹    Source: authors’ version.

2. Positioning

Target groups

Value proposition

3. Visual and verbal representation

Logo, color scheme

Slogan, motto, anthem, ideas, meanings

residents and tourists, as well as investors and entrepreneurs [1, p. 10]. The process of forming a territorial brand is presented in Fig. 2.

The first stage of the process of forming a territorial brand is the analysis of the territory. Here, tools for collecting, systematizing and analyzing data are used, such as working with archives, interviews with residents of the territory who have special knowledge, for example, local historians. It is important to systematize and analyze the cultural and historical attractions of the territory, to identify significant objects on the basis of which an attractive and recognizable brand will be created [ Ошибка! Источник ссылки не найден. ].

1. Territory analysis
History, culture, sights	Economy, innovation potential

Fig. 2. The process of forming a territorial brand. Source: [21, с. 11].

Most often, such significant objects are:

• •    special geographic location (on the border between Europe and Asia, beyond the Arctic Circle, etc.);

• •    unique natural objects (mountains, sea, lakes, waterfalls);

• •    historical events that took place on the territory or are connected with it (liberation of the territory, military actions, cultural, sporting events);

• •    outstanding people: writers, artists, politicians;

• •    industrial and scientific infrastructure: large factories, unique production, research centers, universities;

• •    socio-cultural systems: theaters, museums, festivals, mass cultural events, holidays.

The second stage of brand formation characterizes the positioning of the territory. At this stage, it is necessary to specify the target groups that will be attracted by the territorial brand. Tourists will be attracted by sightseeing and unique natural objects, as well as transport provision and development of tourist infrastructure. Investors need information about the economic potential of the region, the possibilities of implementing large infrastructure, production, commercial projects.

The description of the target group allows formulating a value proposition, which is an integral part of the territorial brand. The value proposition combines the characteristics of the territory that are attractive to representatives of the target audience and encourages a certain action, for example, to visit this region or invest in its economy. The main tools of this stage are the design and testing of working hypotheses that allow assessing the reactions of representatives of the target group to the formulations of value propositions.

At the positioning stage, such a marketing tool as 4P is effective. This tool allows specifying the characteristics of the territorial brand according to such parameters as product, place of sale, product price and promotion (product, price, promotion, place). The product is considered to be the brand carrier — city, town, region, country. The place of sale characterizes the methods and forms of communication with potential consumers of the brand: residents of the territory, tourists and investors. The price of the product includes the tangible and intangible value of the brand, its socio-economic and political value for the region and representatives of the target groups that the brand development work is aimed at attracting. Promotion is associated with specific activities to create an attractive image of the territory [16].

The third stage of territorial brand formation is aimed at creating a visual and verbal presentation of the brand. The visual presentation includes a logo, symbols, coat of arms, flag, a certain color scheme used to design messages, documents, and other forms of marketing communication. The verbal presentation is characterized by texts: slogan, ideas, anthem of the territory. The verbal presentation is based on the selected values, significant images of the living space and is aimed at creating a holistic and attractive image of the territory. At this stage, brainstorming tools, semantic analysis (analysis of texts, keywords, meanings), and graphic methods of conveying information are used [11].

The system of graphic forms, visual way of presenting information is defined as identity. Identity researcher E.B. Gladkikh noticed an interesting feature in the visual presentation of brands of cities in the Russian North, such as Arkhangelsk, Murmansk, Vologda. The further the city was from the coast of the northern seas; the warmer colors were used in the visual component. For example, the coat of arms of Vologda is dominated by red, and the coat of arms of the seaside Murmansk is designed in blue tones. Such color features are perceived at a subconscious level, forming an emotional perception and attitude towards the territorial brand [22].

The next stage of forming a territorial brand is the development of a marketing plan and marketing communications. Here it is necessary to determine the channels through which information about the brand will be distributed to representatives of the target audience. The marketing communications plan also includes events that will develop an attractive image of the territory, for example, festivals, exhibitions, business forums, sports competitions, etc. The main tool of this stage is the marketing plan [Ошибка! Источник ссылки не найден.].

An obligatory stage of forming a territorial brand is regular monitoring, analysis of results and adjustment of actions. At this stage, the following control tools are used: reporting, target indicators, percentage of plan fulfillment, as well as tools for collecting and systematizing feedback in the form of reviews, number of participants, results of events held.

The process of forming a territorial brand is implemented according to certain patterns. Thus, branding is considered as part of marketing, therefore it is focused primarily on promoting the brand carrier. This can be a territory, a separate locality, a city, a product, an event. The result of the formed brand should be a stable relationship between the brand carrier and representatives of target segments. Therefore, in the process of creating and developing a brand, it is necessary to constantly study how the brand is perceived by residents of the territory, tourists, investors. This will allow identifying and adjusting problematic aspects in the perception of the brand [23].

Another pattern of forming a territorial brand is determined by the marketing complex. A brand as an element of marketing has objective and subjective characteristics that have different impacts on the attractiveness of the brand. A comprehensive marketing mix, including an accurate description of the territory, its resources, history and culture, values, and promotion channels, increases the efficiency of developing and implementing a territorial brand and contributes to the competitiveness of the territory as a tourist and investment site [9].

A territorial brand is not a stable entity; it is constantly changing and developing. The foundation of the brand, formed by the values, ideas, and meanings that brand developers strive to convey to representatives of the target audience, remains stable. The use of universal values, including historical memory, cultural diversity, production and labor potential, ensures the holistic development of the territorial brand [24].

The main tools of territorial branding, such as an analysis of the current state of the territory, visual image, and positioning, were used to analyze the brand of the Arkhangelsk Oblast.

Arkhangelsk Oblast is a constituent entity of the Russian Federation located in the Northwestern Federal District. Arkhangelsk Oblast includes the Nenets Autonomous Okrug, the islands of Novaya Zemlya and Franz Josef Land. On the mainland, the Arkhangelsk Oblast borders Karelia, the Vologda and Kirov Oblasts, the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug, and the Komi Republic. The region has maritime borders with the Murmansk Oblast (via the White Sea) and Krasnoyarsk Krai (via the Kara Sea). In addition to the White and Kara Seas, the territory of the Arkhangelsk Oblast is washed by the Barents Sea. The proximity of the northern seas is reflected in the unofficial name of the region — Pomorye. The geographical location of the Arkhangelsk region allows including a significant part of its territory into the Arctic zone. The total area of the region is 589.9 thousand km2, including 222.9 thousand km2 of Arctic territories. The administrative center of the region is the city of Arkhangelsk. There are 67 municipalities on the territory of the region, including 7 urban okrugs, 15 municipal okrugs, 4 municipal districts, 6 urban settlements and 35 rural settlements.

The economy of the Arkhangelsk Oblast is diversified and involves manufacturing enterprises, including enterprises of timber processing complex and shipbuilding, service, transport, education, health care. A number of large-scale infrastructure projects related to the development of Arctic shipping and ship repair are being implemented in the region [25].

Based on the analysis of the indicators of socio-economic development of the region, a SWOT matrix has been compiled, which allows identifying the grounds for brand development 2.

The results of the SWOT analysis will help to determine the priority areas for the development of the territory’s brand and ways to increase the attractiveness of the region among residents, tourists, and investors.

Table 1

SWOT analysis of the Arkhangelsk Oblast 3

		External environment
		Opportunities	Threats
		1.     Development     of interregional cooperation 2.  Development of the Northern Arctic route 3.    Development of domestic tourism	1.    Reduction   of   export revenues due to sanctions 2.    Lack of labor resources 3.    Decrease in the standard of living, increase in the need for social support of the population
с 0) Е с о с 0) 75 с CD С	Strengths
	1.    Access to the sea, the northern Arctic route 2.    Forest reserves 3.Natural  resources (oil, gas, diamonds) 4.    Culture    and traditions   of   the Northern peoples 5.    Construction of innovation centers	1.    Implementation of joint projects with neighboring and metropolitan regions on the development of the Northern Arctic route 2.    Development of internal processing of wood and natural resources in order to increase sales revenues 3.    Using local traditions, history and culture to attract tourists 4.    Development of new technologies and innovative solutions for industry and shipbuilding	1.    Reorientation to the domestic market 2.    Development of the processing industry 3.    Development and implementation of new technologies, automation and mechanization to reduce the need for labor resources 4.    Preservation of national culture and culture of the small peoples of the North 5.    Creating conditions for the development of entrepreneurship, including innovative one
	Weaknesses
	1.    Population decline 2.    Presence    of dilapidated housing 3.    Dependence on exports to European countries 4.    Poor condition of roads	1.    Increasing the attractiveness of the region for residents of neighboring regions by providing benefits for the purchase and rental of housing 2.    Strengthening control measures for the implementation of targeted programs in the field of housing and communal	1.    Reorientation to the domestic market 2.    Development of the processing industry 3.    Creating conditions for the development of entrepreneurship and the implementation of social initiatives in the region

REVIEWS AND REPORTS
Kristina V. Zavetskas, Marina V. Minina. Formation and Promotion …	171

services and road construction 3. Development and implementation of modern housing construction technologies

The main development opportunities for the Arkhangelsk Oblast are associated with the expansion of interregional cooperation. This will make it possible to implement large-scale infrastructure, innovation, educational and cultural projects, to increase the attractiveness of the Arkhangelsk Oblast among the residents of neighboring regions. Taking into account the threat caused by the lack of labor resources and population decline in the Arkhangelsk Oblast, it is necessary to create such living and working conditions in order to attract qualified personnel from other regions. The strengths of the Arkhangelsk Oblast are: access to the northern Arctic route, natural resources, including forests, an interesting history and culture, as well as a vector for innovative development. The use of these strengths in combination with the opportunities of the external environment opens up such development areas for the region as the implementation of joint projects for the development of the Northern Sea Route, the development of new technologies for the construction of roads and housing, shipbuilding and ship repair. It is also important to ensure the preservation of national culture and history, including the culture of small peoples of the North, which contributes to the growth of the attractiveness of the region for tourists [26].

The most problematic areas of the Arkhangelsk Oblast are the demographic situation, the need to resettle dilapidated and hazardous housing, dependence on the export of resources, in particular timber and sawn timber, to European countries, as well as the unsatisfactory condition of roads. The above-mentioned problems not only reduce the standard of living in the region, but also negatively affect its attractiveness for investors and tourists. The solution to these problems is related to the reorientation to the domestic market, development of the processing industry, creation of conditions for the development of entrepreneurship and implementation of social initiatives in the region.

As a result of the analysis of the socio-economic situation of the Arkhangelsk Oblast, the strengths and weaknesses of the region, affecting its brand and perception among residents, tourists and investors, were identified. The Arkhangelsk Oblast has extensive potential in terms of natural resources and minerals, developed material and production base in the field of shipbuilding and ship repair, as well as access to the Northern Sea Route, which makes the region attractive to investors.

The features of the region, its strengths were used in the development of the brand. The formation of the new brand began in 2015 at the discussion platform of the International Tourism Forum in Arkhangelsk. Then 5 strategic sessions were held with representatives of municipalities of the Arkhangelsk Oblast, namely: Onezhskiy and Konoshskiy districts, the city of Kargopol, representatives of the tourism industry and higher professional education. More than 15

REVIEWS AND REPORTS

Kristina V. Zavetskas, Marina V. Minina. Formation and Promotion … interviews with representatives of the administration and entrepreneurs of the Arkhangelsk Oblast were conducted for a more detailed study of the current situation in the region.

The final version of the visual component of the Arkhangelsk Oblast brand was developed by the Moscow company “Point. Tochka razvitiya”. The image of a wooden bird of happiness, a traditional for the Arkhangelsk Oblast craft made of wood chips, was taken as the basis for the visual component of the brand. The developers of the brand combined the image of the bird of happiness with symbols associated with the Arkhangelsk Oblast, such as a snowflake, a star, a church vault, a rocket and the sky. The full-color brand of the Arkhangelsk Oblast is presented on the website 4.

Fig. 3. Tourist brand of the Arkhangelsk Oblast 5.

Additionally, pictograms reflecting the main tourist attractions of the region’s districts have been developed. For example, the Plesetsk Cosmodrome is depicted as a schematic rocket, the city of Severodvinsk, where shipbuilding and ship repair enterprises are located, is presented in the form of a submarine. A popular tourist destination, the Malye Korely Museum of Wooden Architecture, is depicted as a windmill.

Natural-geographical and cultural-historical motifs can be traced in the corporate font developed as part of the Arkhangelsk Oblast brand concept. Visually, it seems that the letters of the corporate font are carved out of wood. Emotionally, this font reflects severity, northern character and man-made nature 6.

In addition to the main brand of the Arkhangelsk Oblast, there are also brands of individual territories that are part of it. For example, in 2017–2018, the Severnoe Trekhrechye brand was developed, uniting six municipalities in the south of the Arkhangelsk Oblast. The territory of Severnoe Trekhrechye includes Kotlas and the Kotlasskiy district, Koryazhma, Lenskiy, Vilegodskiy,

Krasnoborskiy districts. The idea to unite these municipalities into the brand “Severnoe Trekhrechye” is based on the territorial location between three rivers of the Arkhangelsk Oblast: Viled, Vychegda and Malaya Severnaya Dvina. The concept of “Severnoe Trekhrechye” was invented by the residents of this territory, so it organically integrated into the concept of the brand. The visual representation of the brand — three rivers in the form of a tree (a symbol of the region as a whole) with cranberries — is a reference to the northern territory. Figure 4 shows the brand of Severnoe Trekhrechye.

Fig. 4. Brand of individual municipalities of the Arkhangelsk Oblast, united by the name “Severnoe Trekhrechye” 7.

While maintaining the key idea —location between three rivers — the brand “Severnoe Trekhrechye” has been used for branding individual territories. For example, the brand of the city of Krasnoborsk is an image of the bird of paradise Sirin, made in the style typical of northern peoples (Fig. 5).

Fig. 5. Brand of the municipality of Krasnoborsk in the Arkhangelsk Oblast 8.

Employees of the local museum and residents of the municipality were involved in the development of the Krasnoborsk brand, which helped to reduce resistance to the introduction of a new image of the territory.

In 2020–2021, an attempt was made to develop the brand of Solvychegodsk, also part of

• ⁷    Source: Severnoe Trekhrechye Brand. URL: https://asmysl.com/arkh-trioriver (accessed 04 April 2024).

• ⁸    Source: Krasnoborsk Brand. URL: https://asmysl.com/arkh-trioriver-krasnoborsk (accessed 04 April 2024).

the “Severnoe Trekhrechye”. The city is known for its architecture, including religious worship, as well as for the extraction of natural mineral water and balneotherapy (treatment with mineral water and mud) 9.

Another striking example of branding a municipality in the Arkhangelsk Oblast is the development of the Pinega brand — the territory united by the Pinega River, namely: the village of Pinega and the village of Karpogory (Fig. 6). Despite the fact that the settlements are located in the same municipality, there is no direct connection between them, and the road across the Pinega River is accessible only in winter.

Fig. 6. The brand of the Pinega territory, uniting Pinega and Karpogory 10.

The developers of the Pinega brand faced cultural, social and economic contradictions of the two settlements included in the territory of Pinega. The village of Karpogory is an example of traditionally provincial rural life focused on spirituality. Pinega used to be a district town. Old brick buildings have been preserved here, forming the historical “Volodinskiy quarter”. The road to the White Sea and the Mezen River passes through Pinega, so trade has always developed here. Despite significant differences, the settlements of Pinega have much in common. For example, a special Pinega dialect, the Pinega River, traditional knitted crafts. The dissemination of folk crafts is used in the slogan of the Pinega brand: “Everything will be tied” — this is not only about knitted things, but also about the opportunity to connect with each other, be closer, create a common present and future.

The given examples confirm the interest of the local community in the formation and promotion of the territory brand, which will activate the tourist flow and increase the loyalty of the region’s residents, reduce the outflow of population. At the same time, the presence of the developed visual brand does not guarantee the effectiveness of its use in the form of socioeconomic changes. Therefore, the brands of the Arkhangelsk Oblast need further promotion and development.

Discussion

During the discussion of the research results, it was revealed that in the process of formation and development of territorial brand there are problems of socio-psychological, administrative, financial nature that reduce the effectiveness of brand development activities (Fig. 7).

Fig. 7. Problems of branding the territory of the Arkhangelsk Oblast 11.

Socio-psychological problems of territorial branding are associated with the peculiarities of perception of the territorial brand by individual social groups (population, tourists, investors). The specialists of the marketing agency “Asmysl”, who took part in the development of the tourist brand of the Arkhangelsk Oblast, identified a number of socio-psychological problems of the internal and external perception of the region, which hinder the creation of a holistic and attractive image. The main problem of the internal perception of the brand was that the residents of the Arkhangelsk Oblast do not feel proud of their region, they are aware of the problems and difficulties that prevent them from seeing the positive and attractive characteristics of the region 12. At the same time, the visual representation of the Arkhangelsk Oblast brand, developed by representatives of the Moscow organization, caused an extremely negative reaction. Residents cited primitivism, superficiality, and discrepancy between the cost of developing the brand and its value and significance for the region as arguments for negative brand assessments 13.

• ¹¹    Source: developed by the authors.

• ¹²    Arkhangelsk Oblast. Corporate identity of the Arkhangelsk Oblast. URL: https://asmysl.com/arkh-brand (accessed 04 April 2024).

• ¹³    Sokolov V. The new symbol of the Arkhangelsk Oblast was perceived quite ambiguously by the public. URL: https://arh.mk.ru/articles/2016/02/24/novyy-simvol-arkhangelskoy-oblasti-vosprinyalsya-obshhestvennostyu-krayne- neodnoznachno.html (accessed 04 April 2024).

In support of the position on the low level of involvement and loyalty of the Arkhangelsk Oblast population both to the territory of residence and to the territorial brand, a content analysis of the residents’ reviews was conducted. The content analysis used reviews presented on the “Where to Move” website 14. The content analysis method for studying public opinion seems to be more reliable than a survey and questionnaire, since it is difficult to exclude the emergence of socially desirable or neutral responses when conducting a survey. Content analysis examines materials already written by users, and when users shared their opinions, they did not know that their opinion would be analyzed.

For the convenience of the analysis, emotional evaluation was taken into account: “positive”, “negative” and “neutral” as well as the number of opinions on socially significant aspects of life in the region. A total of 93 reviews were analyzed.

Most of the socially significant aspects of life in the region are assessed negatively and neutrally by residents of the Arkhangelsk Oblast. Thus, 74.8% of reviewers (69 people) negatively assessed the standard of living in the region, 61.3% of reviewers (57 people) are dissatisfied with the state of roads, 58.4% (55 people) noted the unfavorable climate, insufficient level of wages and lack of recommendations for moving. At the same time, 47.2% of reviewers (43 people) positively assessed the availability of recreation areas: parks, squares, sports and cultural institutions. 51.6% of reviewers (48 people) noted interesting history and culture of the region, work of public transport. 44 people (47.2%) neutrally assessed the territorial position of the region, its environmental situation. 58 people (62.3%) did not note interest in history and culture of the region. The presented results of the analysis of the feedback from residents of the Arkhangelsk Oblast confirm the lack of pride in their region, which affects the outflow of population, and indirectly — the perception of the region by residents of other regions, including tourists.

The problems of the external perception of the Arkhangelsk Oblast brand by residents of other regions of Russia include 15:

• •    lack of a single, recognizable idea, image of the territory;

• •    lack of information and low level of knowledge of the region, lack of understanding of the scale of the Arkhangelsk Oblast as the largest region of the European part of Russia;

• •    diversity of municipalities included in the Arkhangelsk Oblast and having their own culture, history, attractions;

• •    consonant confusion of the names of the Arkhangelsk and Astrakhan Oblasts, lack of a clear understanding of where the region is located, what it is famous for.

The low level of awareness of residents of other regions about the advantages of the Arkhangelsk Oblast negatively affects the tourist flow, which in turn hinders the growth of income and budget revenues from tourism development.

The next block of problems in developing the territorial brand is of an administrative nature and consists of the absence of a single concept or strategy for developing the brand adopted at the level of regional authorities. Despite the resistance and misunderstanding on the part of the public, the Arkhangelsk Oblast brand, developed by the company “Point. Tochka razvitiya”, is used to design information and presentation materials, booklets, advertising brochures, tourism industry materials, as well as to design exhibitions in which enterprises and authorities of the Arkhangelsk Oblast participate.

The second problem of administrative nature is related to the lack of analysis of the territorial brand effectiveness. Seven years have passed since the updated brand was used (since 2016), but there is no understanding of how it affected the development of tourism, attracting investment, and increasing the loyalty of the population to the territory. Some facts indicate that the brand has not had a significant impact on the socio-economic development of the territory, since the outflow of population continues, and the growth in tourism income is most likely due to restrictions on foreign tourism and the need to travel around the country [25, p. 13].

The third block of problems in the formation and development of the Arkhangelsk Oblast brand relates to the efficiency of using financial resources to develop and promote the brand. Thus, one of the main reasons for the dissatisfaction of citizens with the new visual component of the Arkhangelsk Oblast brand was the amount of money spent on its production. Residents of the region believe that 250 thousand rubles allocated from the regional budget to pay for services for the development of the territorial brand in 2016 could have been used more effectively 16. Examples of municipalities’ brand development, when more interesting brands reflecting regional specifics were created for a smaller amount of money, are cited as evidence 17.

There is also no confirmation of the direct impact of the brand on the financial indicators of the socio-economic development of the region. This is due to the limited use of the visual image of the territorial brand in the commercial sphere. Thus, in 2021, the logo of the project “Made in Arkhangelsk Oblast” was launched, aimed at supporting locally produced products 18. The logo was developed taking into account the visual component of the Arkhangelsk Oblast brand — the image of the “bird of happiness”. The use of a single symbol in the regional brand and to designate products manufactured in the region will strengthen the idea of Arkhangelsk, its products, and services in the minds of the region’s residents. At the same time, there is no clear action plan for the im-

REVIEWS AND REPORTS

Kristina V. Zavetskas, Marina V. Minina. Formation and Promotion … plementation and use of the “Made in Arkhangelsk Oblast” logo, as well as the Arkhangelsk Oblast brand at the regional level.

In order to overcome the above-mentioned problems, it is necessary to carry out comprehensive work to increase the attractiveness of the territorial brand of the Arkhangelsk Oblast, primarily among the region’s residents, since it is the population that forms and ensures the development of the territory. Therefore, it is proposed to develop and implement a target regional program aimed at increasing the recognition and loyalty of the population to the Arkhangelsk Oblast brand. The main event of the target program is the use of the visual image of the territorial brand in the design of buildings and presentation materials of government bodies, educational, cultural and healthcare institutions. It is equally important to broadcast the main idea of the territorial brand aimed at creating maximum positive impressions among the participants of tourist activity.

Conclusions

As a result of the study, the author’s definition was developed, according to which the territorial brand is a holistic, unique image of the territory, based on history, culture, natural and climatic conditions, peculiarities of the socio-economic and political system. For the effective formation and development of the territorial brand, a comprehensive marketing policy is necessary, including the analysis of the current image of the territory, the definition and implementation of the territorial brand development strategy.

The review of existing brands of the Arkhangelsk Oblast showed that territorial-geographical and cultural-historical grounds associated with the Russian North, rivers, and natural resources are used in brand development. The main brand is stylized as a “bird of happiness” and is based on the association of the most striking images of the Arkhangelsk Oblast, such as a rocket (Plesetsk Cosmodrome), a wooden sculpture (Malye Korely Museum), and a snowflake. The practical use of the developed brands is complicated by the lack of a unified strategy for promoting territorial brands.

The analysis of the Arkhangelsk Oblast brand formation process revealed the problems of socio-psychological, administrative, and financial nature. The socio-psychological problems include the low degree of involvement and loyalty of the Arkhangelsk Oblast population to the region of residence, as well as the low level of awareness of residents of other regions about the Arkhangelsk Oblast. Administrative problems are associated with the lack of a unified strategy for promoting the brand and a systematic analysis of the effectiveness of its use for the socio-economic development of the region. Financial problems are caused by local budget restrictions and lack of funds for the implementation of activities to promote both the brand of the region as a whole and of individual municipalities. The solution to these problems lies in the development and implementation of a regional target program aimed at increasing the recognition and loyalty of the population to the territorial brand, which in turn can positively influence the sustainable development of the region and improve the quality of life of its population.