Region image: communicative aspects of the definition, structuring and promotion

The communicative nature of the region image as the deliberately created image of the territory is revealed in the article based on analysis of the theoretical approaches to determination of the region image, its structure, and typology. The most important characteristic of the region image is evaluative and semantic loading that influences consciousness and behavior of internal (inhabitants of the region) and external (other regions, investors, country and world population) target groups. The main subjects of creating and promoting the region image (the authority, mass media, business, and inhabitants of the region), factors influencing the region image; characteristics of the region image as a multi-component communicative construction considered the quintessence of mission and strategy of development of Russian territories are revealed on the basis of conducted sociological research within the grant of the Russian Humanitarian Scientific Foundation 13-13-34009 «Region image as a communicative strategy of the authority and mass media» (July — September 2013, N=1000).

region image, communication strategies of power, subjects of image formation, brand of the territory, reputation, structure image of the region, objective/subjective factors of image, investment attractiveness of the region, repositioning of the territory, regional identity