The dissertation deals with the research of geobranding as a social- communicative technology within the context of the development and promotion of territories in modern and historical measurements, with defining the tendencies and principal directions of its usage.
The theoretical basis of the dissertation includes the researches of branding and geobranding, done by D. Aaker, S. Anholt, K. Asplund, T. Gad, P. Kotler,
L. Lindstrom, J. Torres, M. Arpenfieva, D. Vizgalov, M. Godin, V. Domnin,
M. Kavaratsis, O. Pankrukhin and others; Ukrainian scientists-economists T. Vakar,
L. Panasenko, H. Polishko, A. Romanova, O. Soskin, H. Studinska and others. The contestant takes into account the approaches to the analysis of geobranding concept, proposed by the representatives of other scientific directions. Notwithstanding the attention to general problems of communicative processes, close to geobranding (V. Ivanov, V. Ilganaieva, V. Kornieiev, H. Pocheptsov, V. Rizun, L. Khavkina,
O. Kholod), separate peculiarities of geobranding communications (V. Berezenko,
N. Bilan, H. Zykun, O. Lazorenko, I. Melnyk, G. Sukharevska), this phenomenon as a social-communicative technology did not get complex scientific exploration.
The results of the research include the systematization of geobranding historic prerequisits; reasons and preconditions of its actualization; definition of geobranding praform as a special stage of its development, as a complex of preconditions, in which certain branding technologies were traced, their peculiarities were characterized. The connection of geobranding evolution with main stages of the development of market and communication technologies is proved. Four stages in its development with different levels of geobranding formation were singled out.
The author has formulated methodological grounds of geobranding studies, which are based on acknowledgement: polydisciplinary nature, its multilevel
perception as a scientific direction, process, concept, technology, strategy, instrument, philosophy; integrating function of the communicative component; anti- crises and pro-active character of geobranding communications; strategic planning; system and procedural character; expediency of territory identity reflection in geobranding events, verbalization (verbal representation) of its advantages (uniqueness), minimization, levelling of weak points, formation of information- communicative structure.
There was offered author’s definition of geobranding as a system of information-communicative efforts with the usage of a complex of integrated communicative instruments (tools), aimed at system strategic informing the widest possible audience (real and potential) about the advantages of territorial formation, the formation of its positive image with stakeholders, improvement of mutual understanding and cooperation among all the members of united communicative space. The peculiarities of geobranding communications are defined: strategic character; long duration and repeatedness; system and multichannel character; dialogue and polylogue representation; applied character; determination by geopolitical processes, conditions and tendencies of social-economic development of a territory; communicative policy targeting; convincing and motivating aspiration/purposefulness; integrity.
The active development of geobranding theory conceptual apparatus is ascertained, the understanding of key-concepts – branding and geobranding is specified. The structure hierarchy of special geobranding concepts, their fully developed gender-type connections are proved. The term “geobranding” is offered as the most optimal in the function of principal nomination because of a number of essential qualities both intra- and extralinguistic.
The classification of geobranding communicative instruments (tools), offered by O. Kobiakina, was improved on the basis of geobranding information transmitting channels – on-line, off-line, syncretic.
Geobranding institualization is admitted to be an important precondition of its positive results. The necessity of measures to be taken for its completeness is proved: reglamentation on the legislative level (working out a Law of Ukraine draft “About geobranding activities”); formation of geobranding vertical line of regional local bodies; development of geobrand communicative infrastructure; training specialists in higher educational institutions. The author suggests the formation of geobranding paradigme as a system of concepts and elements, which facilitate the geobrand perception, deepen both its understanding and changes in the process of region development.
Key words: communicative technologies, social-communicative technology, brand, territory branding (branding of territories), geobrand, geobranding.
