Geography as a brand; An introduction to what geographical branding is and why it is important; Case Study of Swiss Nation Brand

Abstract

Different communities and regions, whether they are a vast country or a small village, basically find themselves facing the concept of "geographic brand" in order to develop and become a productive origin as well as a reliable destination. In fact, this novel concept refers to one of the types of brands that recognizes geographical regions as a brand, and as a result, it opens new horizons in recognition and use of branding capacities to transform a geographical region into a geographic brand.  As an introduction to the recognition of geographic brands, this study presents a general but clear perspective of this subject. This research uses a descriptive method along with a developmental approach. Also, in order to further validate the research content and help to understand the capacities hidden in the subject, a real example is presented in the form of a case study. This research accompanies us in the journey of exploring the realm of geographic brands, and in its initial steps, it describes the term "geography as a brand" and defines its main components. Afterwards, by revealing how geographic brands can contribute the realization of a history-making discourse beyond the material goals of its stakeholders, this study makes wider horizons of this realm visible. The results of this study lead us to consider the category of geographic branding as a soft power making effective contributions to public diplomacy, and attempt to exploit its innovative capacities in various fields.