Branding South and South West Serbia
18 January 2012, Sjenica, VranjeThe pristine nature of Mt. Golija, the nature resort Uvac and the Pešter plateau, the spas, the rich cultural and historical heritage, diverse farm produce (paprikas, sour cherries, plums and cheese) and health food, high quality water, winter sports, the trumpet, warm and congenial people living in multicultural communities – these are just some of South and South West Serbia' potential brands. This conclusion was reached at two seminars on branding organised in Sjenica and Vranje by the European Partnership with Municipalities Programme – EU PROGRES.
Around sixty representatives of 20 municipalities included in the implementation of EU PROGRES, as well the local tourist organisations agencies and regional development agencies, had the opportunity to acquaint themselves with the basic principles of branding and analyse the potentials and assets of their areas, as well as their advantages compared to other areas.
“The most important thing when creating a brand is that you understand your customers and how what you offer would appeal to them. It is also essential to understand how you stand out from your competitors and what makes you truly different. It is important to act local by presenting what you have that is authentic and you are proud of, but think global and market it in a way that would appeal to customers from beyond your region,“ said Tom Buncle, the Managing Director of the UK company Yellow Railroad specialising in branding and providing consultancy support to EU PROGRES.
Once the municipalities, development agencies and tourist organisations prepare their proposals, EU PROGRES will select a number of destinations for which branding plans will be designed and will then support the implementation of the most relevant projects. The European Union and the Government of Switzerland have earmarked around 300,000 EUR to support branding-related activities in South and South West Serbia.
The seminars were held within the EU PROGRES activities geared at helping the municipalities promote their identity and improve the image of their areas, in view of the fact that these efforts also contribute to attracting more tourists, more new investments and the marketing of local products.