The chapter aims at the identification of existing natural, environmental, and rural resources that have worked together to promote the individual brand of Stavropol Region as a producer of green agricultural commodities and food, as well as a resort area, attractive by its unique environmental conditions. The perspectives of the development of green production are accessed in order to exploit existing regional resources in the long term, encourage local/regional producers and stimulate their economies, which is vital to quality of life in the countryside and a balanced development of rural and urban areas. Special attention is paid to the elaboration of possible ways to increase effectiveness of natural management as an approach to improve the competitiveness and sustainability of rural economies whilst at the same time opening up alternative employment opportunities for rural people.
TopIntroduction
In the modern conditions development and promotion of a brand are predetermined by an understanding, that brand, being intangible, is in the same time an extremely important characteristic of product, company, area, region, or even a whole country. The quality or attribute, symbolized by a brand, are associated with stability, trust and a certain range of expectations.
When determining regional brand, we proceed from the premise of a brand as a positive sort of advanced, demonstrated image. The approach, presented in the chapter, constituents regional brand as a projection of unique qualities and universal human values on sustainable regional development through utilization of inimitable original consumer properties of the certain territory, which are widely famous, recognized and demanded by consumers inside and outside the region.
Regional branding is closely corresponded with natural, environmental, historic and cultural peculiarities of a territory. Being based on such an approach, regional branding promotes cooperation and networks between various actors of regional economics, thanks to which they develop, improve their products and services, and introduce more environmentally friendly processes.
Regional branding as a process of development and management of a brand includes its creation, enhancement, promotion, updating, repositioning and rebranding. It assumes implementation of new approaches to regional image and specific relations of target groups. Branding is a preferable way of regional identification, separation from other regions, attraction of consumers’ attention, and, finally, effective utilization of regional competitive advantages.
Research is completed on the case of Stavropol Region, the rural area in the southern part of Russia, famous for its unique agricultural, environmental and resort potentials. However, utilization of those resources is not very effective. There is a range of problems on the way of sustainable rural development and rational natural management. Enhancement of regional branding through development of green production and effective utilization of existing natural advantages of a region can contribute to the resilience and development of territorial economies, particularly in such rural regions, as Stavropol, by coordinating sets of high-quality agricultural commodities and food which are inextricably interlinked and which embody the specific characteristics of Stavropol Region and in particular its heritage (historical, cultural, geographical, environmental, resort, etc.).
Being assembled together green agricultural products are unique and generate revenue at regional level through opening up new opportunities on local and international markets. Green production may also act as an ‘umbrella’ for promoting Stavropol region as a resort and tourist destination.