Innovative channels of place brand promotion

Competition is one of the most important factors stimulating the economic efficiency of the country as a whole and its regions in particular. Competition between territories is the rivalry of territories with each other in order to attract the attention of consumers of the territorial product, which is expressed in the inflow of human, financial, material, innovative and other resources to the territory. One of the instruments for increasing the attractiveness of the territory is the creation and promotion of a strong place brand. The place brand becomes the most important competitive resource for establishing partnerships with various interested parties (stakeholders). At present it is obvious that any territory needs to create a favorable image in the external and internal environment, which encourages attracting new partners, tourists, and increasing business activity. This article is dedicated to new, non-traditional channels for promoting the brand of the territory. The paper proposes the most comprehensive list of possible stakeholders of place branding, with particular attention paid to the media, whose importance is great, since it is both a means and a goal of the communication process. We have analyzed the existing and proposed the most promising channels for promoting the place brand. We have developed recommendations for using these channels, namely the social media, to form the desired image of the region, with the example of St. Petersburg. Unlike other promotion channels, social media make it possible to build continuous communication with the target audience. After all, once users subscribe to a social media, they can be interacted with through the news feed and informed on events; brand recognition can be created and the client's loyalty can be managed at no cost by constant contact. In addition, the article analyzes the current position on the promotion of St. Petersburg in the most popular social media, discusses the main problems and the possibilities for changing this situation for the better.