The brands of Slovenia – from the linden leaf to ‘I feel Slovenia’
Countries around the world are recognised by their typical features. When we think of Germany, we think of quality, attention to detail and the flawless precision of their products. We associate Italy with fashion, France with anything related to the enjoyment of life, Switzerland with watches, cheese, and chocolate, etc. Nowadays, the competition between countries is severe and only a handful of them are successful in multiple areas. In practice, we see that even small countries, such as Slovenia, are also competitors in the global arena, as they appeal to the emotions of their visitors. When creating this emotional appeal and the reputation of a country, the importance of its brand, presenting it to the outside world, cannot be denied.
Slovenia also has its own national brand, by means of which it wishes, like other countries, to solidify its position in the global arena and go beyond mere tourist promotion. Since 2007, Slovenia has been represented and promoted through the use of the ‘I feel Slovenia’ brand. Prior to this, it strengthened the national consciousness of its own people by means of the linden leaf; however, it failed to take a final, decisive step in the area of uniform branding. It used various brands and position statements with a focus mainly on tourism. Can you list them? Let's see.
Slovenia, my homeland
It was the turbulent time at the end of the 1980's. Slovenia was still a part of the former Yugoslavia, but its aspirations for independence were becoming increasingly evident. Slovenia had become aware of the importance of its national promotion and of the value of the establishment of independent recognisability. In more ways than one, the ‘Slovenia, my homeland’ campaign was exceptional and unrivalled, mainly due to the social and political context. It set the foundation for a uniform national brand.
The campaign enjoyed significant political support. Years later, the main promoters of the brand said that it was entirely inward-focused and much less recognisable beyond the borders of the then new country.
Reminiscing about this period, Slovenians still remember the linden leaf, which was a symbol of Slovenian tourism at the time. The tourist slogans ‘Slovenia, my homeland’ and ‘Tourism is People’ marked the manner in which Slovenians viewed themselves. They strengthened national identity and self-confidence, thus transcending tourism.
A bouquet of colourful flowers
When the first tourism forum was hosted in Bled in 1995, a bouquet of colourful flowers was selected as a symbol of Slovenian tourism for this occasion. It was accompanied by the slogan ‘The Green Piece of Europe.’ The Centre for the Promotion of Tourism was founded. Slovenian tourism policy was defined and a basic marketing strategy was devised; the key advantages of the Slovenian tourist offer were based on the properties of the small, green, cultivated, and diverse country that has excellent tourist infrastructure, is hospitable, kind, and dynamic. In December 2002, following a discussion focusing on the country as a brand, experts in tourism revealed that, as a country, Slovenia was not yet a brand. Furthermore, marketing experts discovered that it had the potential to become one. A year later, the Slovenian Tourist Board, issued a call for tender to obtain offers for creative marketing communication concepts for increasing Slovenia’s recognisability.
Slovenia invigorates
The result of the tender was a comprehensive communication campaign entitled ‘Slovenia invigorates.’ This also marked the beginning of the first large-scale promotional campaign. Abroad, Slovenia wished to position itself as a country that surprises, invigorates, and enriches the European Union. The message and the slogan assumed the role of a position statement for tourism and the country: Slovenija poživlja/invigorates/belebt.
The campaign’s objective was to enhance the positive attitude towards Slovenia. In addition to enhancing tourism, the campaign also attempted to raise the level of interest in Slovenia, its brand in the field of tourism, its culture, economy, and politics. ‘Slovenia invigorates’ was the first attempt to use a uniform slogan in all fields, not just in tourism. In 2006, this slogan made way for the brand and slogan ‘I feel Slovenia,’ which is still in use.
I feel Slovenia
It became evident that the presentation of Slovenia was missing an emotional component of the country's appeal that would add value to Slovenia as a brand. For this reason, the Communication Office of the Government of the Republic of Slovenia (GCO) issued an anonymous call for tenders in July 2006 to obtain designs for Slovenia’s new logo and slogan. From among the received suggestions, a panel of experts selected the slogan ‘I feel Slovenia’ that then served as the basis for its graphic image and the creation of the identity of the Slovenia Brand.
Between 2006 and 2010, the brand was systematically introduced in the field of tourism, both visually and contextually. After 2010, the brand custodian, the GCO, in cooperation with other partners, began introducing the brand in the field of sports – and in recent years also in the fields of economy and culture. The brand became a part of the visual elements in major sporting events; the national team’s sports outfits carry the colours of the graphic design logo of the ‘I feel Slovenia’ brand, etc. The ‘I feel Slovenia’ brand is no longer only linked to tourism, but is becoming recognisable as a designating form of anything originating from Slovenia. It speaks of the green, sustainable policies of Slovenia, its niche economy, innovations, creativity, and exceptional individuals.
The brand may be used for promotional purposes by anyone. In the future, the custodian will be focusing on introducing the brand in the sphere of the economy and enhancing its presence in the field of sports. Ultimately, the Slovenian brand will also become more recognisable globally if it is consistently used by all those who love Slovenia.