Fortune Big Business
February 2004

RUSSIA'S
TRADEMARKS

"BB" submits for your attention a joint project launched together with MAGRAM MARKET RESEARCH specializing in both market and sociological researches: "Russia's image: What does Motherland start from?". On the first stage we tried to single out a set of key Russia's trademarks characteristics of the XIX-th, XX-th and XXI-st centuries. The research was carried out through expert interviews including 45 representatives of the Russia's establishment which falls into three groups: BUSINESS, AUTHORITY AND SOCIETY. Those surveyed were to answer the following open question (no answer variants were available): "What used to, can be and will be regarded as Russia's trademark of a worldwide scale, either of intellectual or material nature?" According to the research results, "natural resources" proved to be the only trademark which came out on top in all three centuries. Nevertheless, if in the XIX-th century it largely stood for wood and furs and in the XX-th - for oil, gas and metals, the XXI-st century saw it boiling down entirely to energy supply. But for all that, those surveyed expect "intellect" to become Russia's trademark in the XXI-th century. A representative of the SOCIETY group thinks that "the woman" can be regarded as Russia's trademark for both XX-th and XXI-st centuries. Full results of the first research stage are reflected by diagrams.

 
Marina Malykhina, MAGRAM MARKET RESEARCH president
WHAT DOES MOTHERLAND START FROM:
CAVIAR, BALLET OR ENERGY?
The image of any country is built up by a great number of elements and features. It is worth to be regarded from the point of view of both, its citizens and foreigners. The survey conducted among top Russia's experts - opinion leaders allowed to sketch Russia's image. In fact, it revealed our general opinion about ourselves. A country's image-building characteristics may include nation's cultural achievements and values along with its industrial and scientific achievements. Thus, Germany is associated with beer and cars, France - with wine-making and perfume industry, Japan - with high-tech, Saudi Arabia - with oil and Switzerland - with clocks and cheese; but what associations does Russia evoke? The survey allowed to analyze Russia's trademarks - the image-building elements considered of key importance for any state.
The way our image is perceived by foreign business partners along with the products we are represented by on the worldwide market determine the country's international position, investment climate and the way we are treated by everyone - from diplomats and state leaders to tourists. The project provides chronological insight into the prospected change of Russia's key outer image constituents. The research methodology was, in the first place, determined by the fact that goods and industry fields associated with Russia varied at different stages of the country's development, and in the second place - by the trademarks - "national brands" mentioned by Russians, which can be regarded as a full socio-cultural reflection of images and impressions evoked in other people's mind by our country and us.

XIX century

The following Russia's trademarks characteristics of the XIX-th century were mentioned most often: "wheat" (grain, vodka), "natural resources" (wood, furs, gold) and "culture" (literature). Representatives of the BUSINESS group ranked "wheat" first, while "natural resourses" and "caviar" held the second and the third positions correspondingly. According to the AUTHORITY group, "wheat" enjoys the leading position, "culture" - the second and the third one is shared by "caviar" and "natural resources". The SOCIETY group considered "natural resourses" to be of top priority, while "wheat" was ranked second and "culture" - third.
   

XX century

In the XX-th century Russia retained only "raw materials" (oil, gas, metals) out of its symbolic natural resources, which enjoy the first position. The second one is occupied by "weapons" associated with the "Kalashnikov" brand and "the Russian tank". The third position is held by "communism". At this point, the BUSINESS group rated "raw materials" first. The second highest rating is shared by "weapons", "space" and "vodka" (the latter issue originated from "wheat", the symbol characteristic of the XIX-th century). "Raw materials" come first with representatives of the AUTHOTRITY group, "weapons" come in a distant second and "culture" was not mentioned at all. The SOCIETY mentioned "communism" most often (matreshka, GULAG, revolution). The second position is occupied by "raw materials" and the third - by "literature" which goes with "ballet" this time.
   

XXI century

Unquestioned leaders of Russia's current trademark symbols are "intellect" and "energy supply" (oil, gas). Thus, the symbol "natural resources" characteristic of the XIX-th century which turned into "raw materials" in XX-th excluded metals and currently limited to "energy supply". In the XXI-st century the term "Russia's intellect" boils down to technology and science. It is worth mentioning, that leadership of the aforesaid symbols is secured due to the SOCIETY group. Other Russia's symbolic trademarks characteristic of the XXI-st century - "culture", "weapons", a "spaceship", "ecology" were rated five times as lower as compared with the leaders. It is noteworthy that representatives of the SOCIETY group did not mention such points as a "spaceship" and "ecology", while BUSINESS tended to disregard "culture".

For Print   

1