В статье рассматривается реклама локальных брендов как инструмент продвижения не только отдельных товаров и услуг, но и социально-экономического развития территорий. Показано, что локальный бренд способен связывать продукт, место его происхождения, культурную память и туристический образ территории. В этом случае рекламная коммуникация становится частью более широкой системы территориального маркетинга: она формирует узнаваемость региона, поддерживает малый и средний бизнес, создает поводы для поездок и способствует сохранению локальных традиций. Особое внимание уделено гастрономическим брендам и их роли в туристическом продвижении. Рассмотрены кейсы Коломны, Луха и национального конкурса региональных брендов продуктов питания «Вкусы России». Отдельно проанализирована социальная функция локальных брендов. Результаты показывают, что рекламная коммуникация локальных брендов эффективна тогда, когда она встроена в более широкую систему территориального маркетинга: она формирует узнаваемость региона, поддерживает малый и средний бизнес и одновременно стимулирует спрос на местную продукцию. В исследовании подчёркивается необходимость перехода от узкокоммерческого продвижения к модели, при которой реклама локального продукта продвигает территорию, а продвижение территории создаёт спрос на локальный продукт.

Ключевые слова: локальные бренды, региональная реклама, территориальный брендинг, туризм, гастрономический туризм, малый и средний бизнес, региональная экономика, социальный эффект, продвижение территории.

Regional specificity in Russian advertising is increasingly coming to the forefront, no longer serving as a secondary adjustment but rather becoming an independent tool of influence. Brands can significantly increase the effectiveness of their campaigns by taking into account local characteristics: from mentality and language to standard of living and media habits. A targeted approach to residents of specific regions works considerably better than addressing an abstract mass audience [1].

While a national brand can exist independently of its place of production, a local brand, by contrast, derives a significant share of its value precisely from its connection to a particular territory. Vologda butter, Tula gingerbread, Altai honey, Ossetian pies, Kamchatka products, and Kolomna pastila are perceived not merely as goods. They become symbols of place through which consumers learn about the culture, history, and way of life of a particular region. Studies of territorial branding demonstrate that such a connection can be used to enhance the tourist appeal and recognition of a territory [1; 2].

Local marketing works in two directions: it promotes a product and at the same time popularizes the territory of its origin. A mutually beneficial connection arises between them: the success of a brand increases the attractiveness of the place, and the recognition of the location is converted into growth in sales of the local product.

The connection between advertising and the regional economy.

Local advertising acts as a driver of the regional economy:

— Increased demand supports not only the brand itself but also the entire ecosystem surrounding it.

— The promotion of local goods contributes to keeping capital within the region.

— The success of a local producer stimulates the development of suppliers, logistics, the food service industry, and other service sectors.

This characteristic is particularly important for small businesses. For a small-scale producer, advertising often performs several functions simultaneously: it helps build brand awareness, explains the origin of the product, establishes a reputation, and facilitates access to new sales channels. According to the SME Corporation, in 2025, entrepreneurs attracted more than 40 billion rubles through the services of the digital platform SME.RF; the platform itself brings together support measures provided by federal authorities, regions, and partners [3]. At the same time, a separate study published by the SME Corporation in 2026 shows that 83 % of small and medium-sized businesses had already used interactive advertising, with the most common tools being social media advertising, SMM, and advertising in messaging platforms [4]. These figures are important not so much as a characterization of the advertising market itself, but rather as evidence of a changing environment in which local brands have an opportunity to communicate directly with consumers.

However, advertising begins to function as a factor of territorial development only when it explains why a product is unique to a particular place. When an advertisement refers to local traditions, family history, nature, or distinctive recipes, the product becomes a story about the region. In this way, an ordinary purchase becomes a means of experiencing the culture and distinctive features of a particular territory.

The proposed approach is based on the theory of geobranding, in which a regional brand is regarded as a system of unique values that shape long-term consumer loyalty [2]. Consequently, a local product can serve as a kind of “carrier” of the territorial brand. It materializes the image of the region: tourists can not only see a place but also take it home with them in the form of a product, package, souvenir, or experience.

An important economic consequence is an increase in the duration of consumers’ interaction with the territory. Advertising local products can encourage tourists to stay in a destination longer: what begins with purchasing food can gradually lead to visits to museums, excursions, and hotels. Gastronomic tourism plays a key role in this process, transforming a product into an integral part of the overall tourist experience. According to experts from the National Research University Higher School of Economics, gastronomic brands are an effective way to make the region more attractive to travelers [5].

Tourism as part of a regional advertising strategy

Domestic tourism creates favorable conditions for promoting local brands. Tourists seek unique experiences and are therefore more likely to respond to offers that cannot be replaced by standardized national alternatives, such as local cuisine, traditional crafts, and local festivals. These elements become powerful tools of regional marketing.

The importance of tourism for the Russian economy is also reflected at the state level. The Tourism Development Strategy through 2035 provides for the comprehensive development of domestic and inbound tourism, the creation and promotion of a competitive tourism product, as well as strengthening the social role of tourism [6]. According to the Government of Russia, the number of tourist trips within the country reached approximately 90 million in 2024 and 82.9 million during the first 11 months of 2025 [7; 8]. In this article, these figures are used solely as a general indicator of the market's scale, without attempting to directly associate overall tourist flows with any individual advertising project.

The economic value of tourism lies in its multiplier effect: a tourist's spending supports several sectors of the economy at once. In this regard, the promotion of a local brand goes beyond a single product category, stimulating the development of the entire territory.

Key principles of effective territorial marketing:

1. Integration into experience: A brand must be part of the tourist scenario (excursions, tastings, festivals), not merely an object of advertising;

2. Synergy of efforts: Territorial marketing is the result of joint work

— Region: infrastructure and route logistics;

— Municipalities: event agenda and a comfortable urban environment;

— Business: quality service and a unique product.

3. A unified image: Advertising acts as the connecting link that turns disparate services into a coherent offering for tourists.

Tourism and local brands: Russian сases

1. A product becomes part of a city's image

One of the most illustrative Russian examples is Kolomna pastila. The Kolomna tourism portal describes it as a gastronomic brand of the Moscow Region and a symbol of the city [9]. In this case, product promotion is not limited to selling the confectionery itself. A system of museum and excursion formats has been developed around it, with the historical recipe serving as the basis for the tourist experience.

The distinctive feature of this case lies in the combination of three levels of communication. The first is the product level, where visitors are offered the product itself. The second is the cultural level, which tells the story of traditional production and the city's historical environment. The third is touristic: the visit is connected to an excursion, a theatrical program, and other formats.

The Kolomensky Posad website emphasizes that the development of projects centered around pastila has contributed to the creation of new jobs and opportunities for the professional development of its team; approximately 200 people work across the organization's divisions [10]. This makes it possible to view the socio-economic effect not as an abstract increase in brand awareness, but as the emergence of sustainable employment infrastructure built around a local brand.

2. A local product as the basis for event tourism

Another example is Lukh onion from the Ivanovo Region. Materials from the development project for the Lukh Municipal District identify the development of event tourism through the creation and promotion of local brands as one of its objectives. In particular, the “Luk-Luchok” brand is promoted as a basis for creating festivals, museum exhibitions, and themed tourist routes [11].

The essence of this strategy is not to present onion as a unique product in itself. Its advertising appeal is created through the history of the place, local traditions, and an emotional image.

The “Luk-Luchok” Festival is described as an event that brings together residents and visitors, while the “Onion Tower” serves as a space where history, cuisine, and folklore are combined into a tourist experience [11].

For a small settlement, this is particularly important. When a local brand becomes an event, it creates additional opportunities for cafés, guesthouses, shops, artisans, and event organizers.

“Tastes of Russia”: a promotion system

At the national level, the “Tastes of Russia” competition has become an important tool for promoting local products. It is organized by the Ministry of Agriculture of the Russian Federation. Its catalog includes hundreds of brands distributed across categories according to their contribution to territorial development. Of particular interest is the “Drop in for a taste” category, which includes products that contribute to the growth of tourist flows, ranging from Karelian trout to Ossetian pies [12]. This project clearly demonstrates how local gastronomic brands can become an important tool for tourism development.

The competition also performs an advertising function. It creates a media opportunity, gives small producers the chance to gain exposure at the federal level, and provides a unified catalog through which consumers can learn about local products. According to the official catalog of the first competition, more than 1,000 producers participated in 2020, while more than one million people took part in the public voting [12]. At the same time, the competition does not replace commercial advertising but lowers the entry barrier for small businesses seeking visibility in the public sphere. Thus, a national platform can serve as a connecting link between a local product and territorial branding.

The social mission of local brands

The economic effect of local branding becomes sustainable only when it is supported by a strong social dimension.

The first social function is the preservation of cultural memory. If a traditional product is used in modern advertising not as a decorative symbol but as a real part of production and the tourist experience, the tradition gains an economic incentive to continue.

The second function is support for employment. A local brand can create jobs not only directly in production but also through the service infrastructure that develops around it: retail, food services, excursion services, event projects, design, transportation, and hospitality. The experience of Kolomensky Posad, where the development of tourism projects centered around local products has been accompanied by the creation of new jobs, demonstrates this relationship in practice [10].

The third function is strengthening the identity of a territory. A local brand makes it possible to make a territory meaningfully recognizable. Residents gain an opportunity to perceive their city not as a peripheral part of the national market, but as a source of a product and history that are interesting to other people.

A practical model for promoting a local brand

Based on the cases examined, a step-by-step model can be proposed in which advertising for a local brand simultaneously benefits both the business and the territory.

1. Identifying local value.

It is necessary to determine what specifically connects the product to the place: raw materials, production technology, history, craft, natural conditions, or cultural tradition.

2. Developing a narrative.

The advertising message should explain not only the product's characteristics but also the origin of its uniqueness. Real people, places, and practices are important, rather than a collection of abstract regional symbols.

3. Linking the product to the tourist experience.

Production facilities, shops, museums, workshops, tastings, and festivals should become parts of a unified tourist route.

4. Joint promotion.

Businesses, municipalities, tourism organizations, and cultural venues can use a shared set of meanings and visual references without erasing the individuality of individual brands.

5. Digital distribution.

For local businesses, social media, maps, messaging platforms, tourism portals, and video content are especially important. Advertising should allow a person not only to learn about the product but also to immediately understand where it can be bought or tried.

6. Measuring the impact.

It is important to measure not only sales but also visitor numbers at tourist attractions, repeat visits, participation in events, accommodation occupancy, and the emergence of new partnership projects. Only such a comprehensive set of indicators makes it possible to identify the territorial impact of advertising.

Conclusion

The promotion of local brands today addresses objectives that extend far beyond simply increasing sales. In the context of domestic tourism development, such brands become a link between the economy, culture, and distinctive identity of a region.

The examples of Kolomna pastila, festivals in Lukh, and the “Tastes of Russia” project demonstrate that a product can become a driver of tourism by transforming into a museum experience, an event-based attraction, or part of a nationwide strategy for promoting territories. However, it is important to recognize that advertising is only one factor contributing to success. Tourist flows are shaped by a combination of factors, including infrastructure, service quality, and logistics.

The most promising model is one in which the promotion of a local product and the promotion of the territory take place simultaneously. The product serves as an “entry point” for the tourist, while the territory creates an emotional connection. Thus, a local brand becomes a strategic asset that contributes to the sustainable development of the region.

References:

1. Marmilova E. P., Sizova I. A. Lokal'nye kul'turno-istoricheskie brendy sub»ektov Rossiyskoy Federatsii kak faktor razvitiya vnutrennego turizma [Local Cultural and Historical Brands of the Constituent Entities of the Russian Federation as a Factor in the Development of Domestic Tourism] [Electronic resource] // Pskovskiy regionologicheskiy zhurnal. — 2023. — Vol. 19. — No. 3. — P. 108–122. — URL: https://publications.hse.ru/articles/865598331 (accessed: 11.09.2026).
2. Timofeev M. Yu. Turisticheskiy brending regionov Rossii. Dal'niy Vostok [Tourism Branding of Russian Regions: The Russian Far East] 2024. — № 3. pp.23–31. DOI: 10.70202/2949–074X-2024–3-3–23–31 (accessed: 11.09.2026).
3. Korporatsiya MSP. V 2025 godu predprinimateli privlekli bolee 40 mlrd rubley s pomoshch'yu platformy MSP.RF [In 2025, Entrepreneurs Attracted More Than 40 Billion Rubles Through the MSP.RF Platform] [Electronic resource] // Korporatsiya MSP. — Moscow, 2026. — February 27. — URL: https://corpmsp.ru/about/press/news/novosti-korporatsii/v-2025-godu-predprinimateli-privlekli-bolee-40-mlrd-rubley-s-pomoshchyu-platformy-msp-rf-/ (accessed: 14.09.2026).
4. Korporatsiya MSP. Issledovanie ARIR: 66 % kompaniy MSB uvelichili raskhody na interaktivnuyu reklamu v 2025 godu [ARIR Study: 66 % of SME Companies Increased Spending on Interactive Advertising in 2025] [Electronic resource] // Korporatsiya MSP. — Moscow, 2026. — April 3. — URL: https://www.corpmsp.ru/about/press/news/novosti-msp/issledovanie-arir-66-kompaniy-msb-uvelichili-raskhody-na-interaktivnuyu-reklamu-v-2025-godu-chitayte/ (accessed: 12.09.2026).
5. Gordin V. E., Trabskaya Yu. G. Rol' gastronomicheskikh brendov v prodvizhenii turistskikh destinatsiy [The Role of Gastronomic Brands in Promoting Tourist Destinations] [Electronic resource] // Kul'turnoe nasledie i tvorcheskie industrii: vremya, mesto, deystvie. — St. Petersburg: Levsha, 2012. — P. 109–140. — URL: https://publications.hse.ru/chapters/76943090 (accessed: 19.09.2026).
6. Pravitel'stvo Rossii. Strategiya razvitiya turizma v Rossiyskoy Federatsii na period do 2035 goda. V redaktsii ot 29.05.2025 [Tourism Development Strategy of the Russian Federation for the Period Until 2035. As Amended on May 29, 2025] [Electronic resource]. — Moscow, 2025. — URL: https://government.ru/docs/all/123838/ (accessed: 12.09.2026).
7. Pravitel'stvo Rossii. Dmitriy Chernishenko: 2024 god — rekordnyy po chislu turisticheskikh poezdok po Rossii [Dmitry Chernyshenko: 2024 Was a Record Year in Terms of the Number of Tourist Trips Across Russia] [Electronic resource] // Pravitel'stvo Rossii. — Moscow, 2025. — January 8. — URL: https://government.ru/news/53924/ (accessed: 19.09.2026).
8. Pravitel'stvo Rossii. Dmitriy Chernishenko: za 11 mesyatsev chislo turisticheskikh poezdok po strane dostiglo 82,9 mln [Dmitry Chernyshenko: The Number of Tourist Trips Across the Country Reached 82.9 Million in 11 Months] [Electronic resource] // Pravitel'stvo Rossii. — Moscow, 2025. — December 30. — URL: https://government.ru/news/57463/ (accessed: 16.09.2026).
9. Turistsko-informatsionnyy portal gorodskogo okruga Kolomna. Kolomenskaya pastila [Kolomna Pastila] [Electronic resource]. — URL: https://kolomnavisit.ru/ru/guide-block/kolomna-local-food/pastila/ (accessed: 16.09.2026).
10. Kolomenskiy Posad. Tsentr poznavatel'nogo turizma [Kolomensky Posad: Educational Tourism Center] [Electronic resource]. — URL: https://kolomnaposad.ru/?ysclid=mucxo58uct577644878#smi (accessed: 14.09.2026).
11. Luk-Luchok [Electronic resource] // visitivanovo.ru: [website]. — URL: https://visitivanovo.ru/luk-luchok (accessed: 20.09.2026).
12. Ob’yavleny pobediteli pervogo natsional’nogo konkursa regional’nykh brendov produktov pitaniya «Vkusy Rossii» [Winners of the first national competition of regional food brands “Tastes of Russia” announced] [Electronic resource]. mcx.gov.ru: [website]. — Moscow, [2020]. — URL: https://mcx.gov.ru/press-service/news/obyavleny-pobediteli-pervogo-natsionalnogo-konkursa-regionalnykh-brendov-produktov-pitaniya-vkusy-ro/ (accessed: 21.09.2026)