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News • Bled • Slovenia • 2012-05-09

How business and general public recognise I Feel Slovenia

After five years of using the umbrella national trademark I Feel Slovenia, through a research study of the domestic business public, Slovenia verified what the importance of the I Feel Slovenia trademark is and the effect of Slovenia as a source country of products. For the foreign general public, it measured the perception of Slovenia through the eyes of the I Feel Slovenia trademark.

Among other things, the study has indicated that when thinking about Slovenia, Austrians primarily think of the sea, Italians of the nature, British and Germans of the mountains and Japanese of the Lake Bled.

As an introduction, we would like to remind you that Slovenia introduced the I Feel Slovenia trademark in 2007 – the trademark did not represent the first try for marketing Slovenia at home and abroad, but represented the first systematic step towards the development of a national trademark, which, this time, incorporates all the significant areas of the country.

In the period from 2007 to 2010, the I Feel Slovenia trademark was primarily used in tourism, as the trademark was used consistently visually and substantively, while in 2010, the trademark was used primarily in visual elements and in other areas. Sports is an example for such use, where the trademark was included in the most important sports events, including the Football World Cup and Basketball World Championship.

A recent study by the Slovenian Tourist Board has indicated that the tourist economy has also become more identified with the trademark. Directors, board members or business heads responsible for sales and marketing area of the Slovenian export economy (103 participants) and the Slovenian tourist economy (194 participants) were invited to participate in the study.

People who had shown interest in Slovenia or Slovenian tourist offer in the past in the representative offices of the Slovenian Tourist Board (in Italy, Austria, Germany), its information offices (in Great Britain, Japan) or the official Slovenian tourist information portal, www.slovenia.info, were invited to take part in the study, intended for the general foreign public – in total, 1492 respondents. The method of obtaining data was through a web questionnaire that the respondents accessed through a link in an email.

What are the key conclusions of the research:

The characteristics of Slovenia most frequently mentioned by foreign respondents are primarily the natural features of Slovenia and its inhabitants. When thinking about Slovenia, most Austrians think of the sea, Italians of the nature, British and Germans of the mountains and Japanese of Lake Bled.

The average assessment of the image elements of Slovenia rank between 4.35 (has friendly and hospitable inhabitants) and 3.41 (inhabitants have a strong influence on political decisions). More than with statements in connection to economy, science and state, foreign respondents agree with statements referring to Slovenia`s inhabitants, cultural and natural features as well as its tourist destinations.

Among Slovenian export companies, less than one fifth of respondents used the trademark slogan, and two thirds among the respondents of the Slovenian tourist economy.

The majority of respondents from the export economy sector believe that the indication of Slovenia as a source country in market positioning on foreign markets is significant; however, the opinion is divided when it comes to the importance of the use of the I Feel Slovenia trademark slogan.

In comparison with the respondents from the export companies, the respondents of the Slovenian tourist economy believe that the use of the I Feel Slovenia trademark slogan is important in market positioning on foreign markets; organisations operating in the area of destinations and products, especially, share this opinion.

Both target groups know the trademark well; however, they are less convinced of the advantages and benefits of its use, especially respondents from the export economy. The majority of the latter also believe that the trademark is not appropriate for the presentation of their activities. On the contrary, the majority of respondents of the Slovenian tourist economy do not have a problem with this.

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