City of Murmansk Will Employ Its Unique Position in Arctic Region With New City Brand

MOSCOW, RUSSIA, February 26, 2014 (Press-News.org) Stas Marketing and LINII have developed brand of Murmansk city in Russia and its strategy till 2016. Team of consultants was commissioned by Economic Development Committee of Murmansk City Administration.

Murmansk is unique. It is largest city in the world located within Polar Circle. It is last city founded in 1916 under Russian Empire by Emperor Nikolay II. It is the city that was final frontier in the North during WWII. It is starting point for Arctic exploration by the USSR and by Russia nowadays. Murmansk combines natural features like polar lights, polar day and night with port city pulse and proximity of Russian Northern Navy base.

As many of Russian cities Murmansk today faces necessity of investment attraction, tourism development and recovery of demographics and migration. In 2016 Murmansk will celebrate its centenary that is good point to overview its capital and to plan its future. According to Economic Development Committee of Murmansk City Administration city brand is the tool that allows do it better and achieve city social and economic goals more efficiently. Mrs. Irina Kanash, Chairman of Committee, says: We have developed city development strategy that requires contemporary implementation tools and we believe that city brand will helps us to tell our story about Murmansk advantages, investment attractiveness, way of living and Arctic tourism as wider as possible.

Stas Marketing Group has been working on Murmansk city brand and its strategy in June-December 2013. At the first stage comprehensive analysis of existing city brand assets was conducted through dozens of expert interview, public surveys in Murmansk and throughout of Russia, desk research. As a result consultants uncovered sustainable opinion about Murmansk and used them to elaborate five options of brand essence. These options were discussed by Project Steering Committee at City Administration and that suggested for public discussion in social media. More than 3000 social media users have voted for those options.

Final brand essence reflect strategic role of Murmansk in modern policy of Russia in Arctic region: Murmansk is a Russia's Outpost in Arctic. Andrei Stas, Managing Partner of Stas Marketing, comments: Unlike other cities and regions where we have used to work Murmansk is perceived by its people in very holistic way through its key icons (like Lenin Nuclear Icebreaker, polar lights, sea fish and Northern Navy) and its historic role as starting point for Arctic exploration. This perception is so visible even statistically that we have decided to use it directly as brand platform foundation.

LINII design agency worked on visual identity of polar city based on brand platform. Mikhail Gubergrits, Creative Director, says: We were inspired by rigorous image of outpost city that suddenly becomes unusually bright and colorful in the evening lights.

Brand logo is a heart of new Murmansk identity. It is built of tightly clasped letters composing word "Murmansk" in brand colors. Missing ninth cell is filled with an icon that symbolize one of the important features of the city. Thick masonry, colorful containers in a port, men standing shoulder to shoulder are the top images related to the new logo.

Brand colors were prompted by the city itself. After city visit and discussions with its inhabitants creative team focused on several colors that are typical for Murmansk - unusual warm and light green, sunny yellow, blue of sky and sea and light rose of fish. Set of icons include key attractions (Lenin Icebreaker, Alesha Memorial for WWII heroes, Oceanarium), transportation, culture and nature symbols, local cuisine.

Typography concept is developed off the logo: same colorful elements tightly clasped to each other allow easily brand any communication in the city. City also got wide range of gifts and premiums as well as concept for outdoors and media communication. One chapter of the brand book is dedicated to city environment branding.

Stas Marketing has also developed brand strategy till 2016. It comprises of event calendar, management solutions and media plan. Strategy is integrated with other city programs as well as with program of centenary celebration. Some of the actions are already included in 2014 City Administration operation plan.

Stas Marketing Group (www.stasmarketing.com) is a leading Russian place marketing and branding consultancy. It has developed brands for Ulyanovsk and Omsk regions, Murmansk City, tourism marketing strategy for City of Moscow and investment marketing strategy for City of St. Petersburg.

Andrei Stas and his partners founded the company in 1999. Today company's offices are located in Moscow, London and Kyiv. During 15 years more than 300 projects were conducted for business and government authorities in Russia, CIS and CEE. The part of group is also Institute of Place Marketing and Branding (www.placebrands.ru).

LINII Design Studio was founded in 2012 by ex-BBDO creative director Mikhail Gubergrits on the basis of http://www.linii.ru project. LINII is quality-focused studio specializing in place branding, retail branding and brand identity development. LINII is a part of the bigger project that also includes LEXICA naming agency.

At the OPEN Fest 2013 International Place Branding Festival LINII was awarded with Gran Prix for Kirovograd (Ukraine) city brand and 3rd place for Trojan (Bulgaria) city brand identity.