Place branding as an approach to the development of rural areas: A case study of the brand “Babica in Dedek” from the Škofja Loka Hills, Slovenia

Erik Logar

doi:10.3986/AGS.10883

Authors

Erik Logar Research Centre of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts, Anton Melik Geographical Institute, Ljubljana, Slovenia https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9403-2270

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.3986/AGS.10883

Keywords:

rural geography, place branding, territorial development, network, local producers, bottom-up approach, Škofja Loka Hills

Abstract

Place branding is an approach to stimulating territorial development. From the theoretical point of view, place branding in rural areas should be an inclusive and participatory process. Applications and outcomes of the process have been insufficiently investigated so far in rural areas. The oldest place brand in Slovenia, “Babica in Dedek”, is analyzed to present its socioeconomic circumstances, impacts, and challenges from the perspective of local producers. Three qualitative methods are thus applied: analysis of documents, semi-structured interviews, and a focus group. This case study has revealed factors that contribute to new marketing opportunities, product packaging, holding seminars, and advertising local products in the area. On the other hand, the empirical findings are only partly aligned with the theoretical implications: the impacts of place branding are “sectorally limited” instead of being inclusive and participative.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

Andersson, I. 2014: Placing place branding: An analysis of an emerging research field in human geography. Geografisk Tidsskrift-Danish Journal of Geography 114-2. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/00167223.2014.895954

Anholt, S. 2011: Beyond the nation brand: The role of image and identity in international relations. Brands and Branding Geographies. Cheltenham.

Berg, P. O., Sevón, G. 2015: Food-branding places – A sensory perspective. Place Branding and Public Diplomacy 10. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/pb.2014.29

Blichfeldt, B. S., Halkier, H. 2014: Mussels, tourism and community development: A case study of place branding through food festivals in rural North Jutland, Denmark. European Planning Studies 22-8. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/09654313.2013.784594

Bowen, G. A. 2009: Document analysis as a qualitative research method. Qualitative Research Journal 9-2. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3316/QRJ0902027

Campelo, A., Aitken, R., Thyne, M., Gnoth, J. 2013: Sense of place: The importance for destination branding. Journal of Travel Research 53-2. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/0047287513496474

Crick, J. M. 2020: Qualitative research in marketing: What can academics do better? I: https://dJournal of Strategic Marketing 29-5. DOoi.org/10.1080/0965254X.2020.1743738

Cunder, T., Lampič, B. 2013: Strukturne spremembe in trajnostna naravnanost kmetijstva na Gorenjskem. Gorenjska v obdobju glokalizacije. Ljubljana. Internet: http://zgs.zrc-sazu.si/portals/8/Zborniki_zborovanj/Gorenjska_v_obdobju_glokalizacije.pdf (3. 10. 2022).

de San Eugenio Vela, J. 2013: Place branding: A conceptual and theoretical framework. Boletín de la Asociación de Geógrafos Españoles 62.

de San Eugenio Vela, J., Barniol-Carcasona, M. 2015: The relationship between rural branding and local development: A case study in the Catalonia’s Countryside, Territoris Serens (El Lluçanès). Journal of Rural Studies 37. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrurstud.2015.01.001

Domínguez García, M. D., Horlings, L., Swagemakers P., Fernández, X. S. 2013: Place branding and endogenous rural development. Departure points for developing an inner brand of the river Minho estuary. Place Branding and Public Diplomacy 9. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/pb.2013.10

Donner, M. I. M. 2016: Understanding place brands as collective and territorial development processes. Ph.D. thesis, Montpellier SupAgro, Montpellier and Wageningen University, Wageningen. DOI: https://doi.org/10.18174/379598

Esparcia, J., Escribano, J., Serrano, J. J. 2015: From development to power relations and territorial governance: Increasing the leadership role of LEADER local action groups in Spain. Journal of Rural Studies 42. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrurstud.2015.09.005

Fernandes, C., Richards, G. 2021: Developing gastronomic practices in the Minho region of Portugal. Acta geographica Slovenica 61-1. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3986/AGS.9370

Friese, S. 2019: Qualitative data analysis with ATLAS.ti. London.

Goodsell, T. L., Ward, C. J., Stovall, M. J. 2009: Adapting focus groups to a rural context: Challenges and strategies. Community Development 40-1. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/15575330902924731

Gulisova, B. 2021: Rural place branding processes: A meta-synthesis. Place Branding and Public Diplomacy 17. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/s41254-020-00187-y

Gyimóthy, S. 2017: The reinvention of terroir in Danish food place promotion. European Planning Studies 25-7. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/09654313.2017.1281229

Káposzta, J., Ritter, K., Kassai Z. 2015: Hungarikumok területi jelentőségének vizsgálata, különös tekintettel a pálinkára = Examination of the territorial significance of Pálinka as a Hungaricum. Tér és Társadalom 29-4. DOI: https://doi.org/10.17649/TET.29.4.2707

Karachyna, N., Vakar, T., Moroz, Y., Semtsov, V., Vitiuk, A. 2020: Territorial branding as an instrument for competitiveness of rural development. Applications of Management Science 20. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/S0276-897620200000020021

Kavaratzis, M. 2005: Place branding: A review of trends and conceptual models. Marketing Review 5-4. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1362/146934705775186854

Kozina, J., Bole, D., Tiran, J. 2021: Forgotten values of industrial city still alive: What can the creative city learn from its industrial counterpart? City, Culture and Society 25. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ccs.2021.100395

Lai, M. Y., Khoo-Lattimore, C., Wang, Y. 2017: Food and cuisine image in destination branding: Toward a conceptual model. Tourism and Hospitality Research 19-2. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/1467358417740763

Ledinek Lozej, Š. 2021: Labelling, certification and branding of cheeses in the southeastern Alps (Italy, Slovenia): Montasio, Bovec, Tolminc and Mohant cheese. Acta geographica Slovenica 61-1. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3986/AGS.8746

Lee, A. H. J., Wall, G., Kovacs, J. F. 2015: Creative food clusters and rural development through place branding: Culinary tourism initiatives in Stratford and Muskoka, Ontario, Canada. Journal of Rural Studies 39. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrurstud.2015.05.001

Lešnik Štuhec, T. (ed.) 2021: Podeželje in razvoj gastronomije v Sloveniji: Teritorialne kolektivne blagovne znamke po modelu »Izvorno slovensko« v letu 2020. Maribor. DOI: https://doi.org/10.18690/978-961-286-431-6

Lin, Y.-C. J., Bestor, T. C. 2020: Embedding food in place and rural development: Insights from the Bluefin Tuna Cultural Festival in Donggang, Taiwan. Journal of Rural Studies 79. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrurstud.2020.08.030

Lorenzini, E., Calzati, V., Giudici, P. 2011: Territorial brands for tourism development: A statistical analysis on the Marche region. Annals of Tourism Research 38-2. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.annals.2010.10.008

Mann, C., Plieninger, T. 2017: The potential of landscape labelling approaches for integrated landscape management in Europe. Landscape Research 42-8. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/01426397.2017.1335863

Marsden, T., Smith, E. 2005: Ecological entrepreneurship: Sustainable development in local communities through quality food production and local branding. Geoforum 36-4. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geoforum.2004.07.008

Nared, J., Bole, D. (eds.) 2020. Participatory research and planning in practice. Cham. Internet: https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-030-28014-7 (3. 10. 2022). DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-28014-7

Pintar, M., Udovč, A., Černič Istenič, M., Glavan, M., Potočnik Slavič, I. 2010: Goriška Brda (Slovenia) – Sustainable natural resource management for the prosperity of a rural area. Innovations in European Rural Landscapes. Berlin. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-04172-3_4

Potočnik Slavič, I. 2002: Geografski vidik dopolnilnih dejavnosti na slovenskih kmetijah. Sodobno kmetijstvo 35-2.

Potočnik Slavič, I. 2010. Endogeni razvojni potenciali slovenskega podeželja. Ljubljana. Internet: https://ebooks.uni-lj.si/ZalozbaUL/catalog/view/57/123/2608 (3. 10. 2022). DOI: https://doi.org/10.4312/9789610600381

Razpotnik Visković, N. 2021: Gastronomy as a social catalyst in the creative place-making process. Acta geographica Slovenica 61-1. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3986/AGS.9409

Rinaldi, C. 2017: Food and gastronomy for sustainable place development: A multidisciplinary analysis of different theoretical approaches. Sustainability 9-10. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/su9101748

Secor, A. J. 2009: Focus groups. International Encyclopedia of Human Geography. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-008044910-4.00439-9

Skowronek, E., Brzezińska-Wójcik, T., Stasiak, A., Tucki, A. 2020: The role of regional products in preserving traditional farming landscapes in the context of development of peripheral regions – Lubelskie Province, Eastern Poland. AUC GEOGRAPHICA 55-1. DOI: https://doi.org/10.14712/23361980.2020.1

Therkelsen, A., Halkier, H. 2011: Branding provincial cities: The politics of inclusion, strategy and commitment. Brands and Branding Geographies. Cheltenham.

Topole, M., Pipan, P., Gašperič, P., Geršič, M., Kumer, P. 2021: Culinary events in the Slovenian countryside: Visitors’ motives, satisfaction, and views on sustainability. Acta geographica Slovenica 61-1. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3986/AGS.7617

Tregear, A., Arfini, F., Belletti, G., Marescotti, A. 2007: Regional foods and rural development. The role of product qualification. Journal of Rural Studies 23-1. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrurstud.2006.09.010

Uhan, S. 2018: Geografski vidik prehranske enačbe na primeru Škofjeloškega hribovja. M.Sc. thesis, University of Ljubljana. Ljubljana.

Uhan, S., Potočnik Slavič, I. 2019: Prehranska pokrajina v Škofjeloškem hribovju. Dela 50. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4312/dela.50.81-102

Urbanc, M. 2008: Raba utemeljevalne teorije in programa Atlas.ti v geografiji. Geografski vestnik 80-1.

Urquhart, J., Acott, T. G. 2013: Re-connecting and embedding food in place: Rural development and inshore fisheries in Cornwall, UK. Journal of Rural Studies 32. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrurstud.2013.09.004

Vik, J., Villa, M. 2010: Books, branding and boundary objects: On the use of image in rural development. Sociologia Ruralis 50-2. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9523.2010.00506.x

Vogt, L., Mergenthaler, M. 2015: A typification of short food supply chains and first insights into respective success factors and bottlenecks in North Rhine-Westphalia. Economic Development in Rural Areas. London.

Vuorinen, M., Vos, M. 2013: Challenges in joint place branding in rural regions. Place Branding and Public Diplomacy 9. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/pb.2013.18

Wilson, G. A., Whitehead, I. 2012: Local rural product as a ‘relic’ spatial strategy in globalised rural spaces: Evidence from county Clare (Ireland). Journal of Rural Studies 28-3. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrurstud.2012.01.003