Features of national and regional branding in Switzerland

The article examines the features of territorial branding of Switzerland at the national and regional levels. The characteristics of the system of formation and management of Swiss branding through the division of the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) Switzerland Tourism (ST) carrying out marketing activities related to Swiss tourism are given. The features of building the national brand "Switzerland" through the corporate design system are determined. The main mechanisms of formation of territorial brands of Switzerland and branding tools are revealed. It is concluded that the features of national and regional branding of Switzerland are a symbiosis of natural, gastronomic (primarily cheese and chocolate), cultural and high-tech (watches) components, reflecting the connection between history and modernity. Examples are given of how the most important components of the brand became the basis for attracting tourists through the formation of territorial identity, implemented in special tourist routes (the "Grand Tour", including UNESCO World Heritage sites throughout Switzerland, the "cheese train" in the canton of Vaud, "chocolate tourism" routes, etc.). A comprehensive assessment was conducted using the scoring method of brand formation of Swiss cantons. Based on the scoring results, cantons with a strong territorial brand, a territorial brand that is in the process of formation were identified, as well as cantons where the territorial brand is insufficiently developed. The effectiveness of cantonal branding is assessed through changes in the volume of tourist flows and conclusions are made about the success of Swiss branding, since the relationship between the growth in the number of tourist arrivals and the formation of a strong territorial brand is clearly traced. At the end of the article, recommendations are given on the possibility of using the experience of Switzerland for territorial branding of the Russian Federation.