Territorial Branding as an Instrument for Competitiveness of Rural Development

Abstract

The conceptual foundations, principles and mechanisms of territorial branding concerning the prospects of rural development in different countries are the subject of the study. The systematization and study of territorial branding problems and experience of the rural areas in Ukraine is the purpose of the paper. The main method of research was the study of the unique experience of individual rural communities. The methodology of the study foresaw the study of the prospects of rural development through the determining the role of territorial branding. Monitoring the potential of territorial branding for rural areas in Ukraine with using SWOT-analysis has shown the uniqueness of risks, limitations and prospects. It had been established that the conditions of neutralization of weaknesses and risks mean the combination of economic (primarily investment), cultural and political initiatives, where a significant role belongs to the effects of community self-organization. At the same time, the prospects are formed from the presence of unique institutional assets, natural, climatic and economic conditions, possible perception of this idea by ​​the rural population which does not contradict the basic cultural values. The emphasis is placed on the fact that the realization of rural development in Ukraine as a national policy should take into account that Ukrainian rural communities remain "difficult", mostly depressed economies, where the level of economic activity is traditionally low and unemployment is high. At the same time, studying the experience of the effectiveness of territorial branding had allowed to generalize and to classify the factors of brand-forming idea in Ukraine. These factors are: 1) a unique institutional history; 2) landscape and recreational potential; 3) special economic behavior of local inhabitants; 4) investment attractiveness of the territory; 5) unique economic specialization of the territory; 6) tourism activity; 7) the role of local government. Significant socio-economic effect of these examples is fixed. The area of ​​application of these results is the activity of local authorities at rural communities, non-governmental organizations and universities, regulatory policy in terms of decentralization.