Romanian Tourism Brand – “genuine and unique” and promoted on Facebook

Cristina Blanaru Comm & Politics, Creativity, Digital & Media, Marketing, Media

After Elena Udrea, Romanian Regional Development and Tourism minister, said that the fake problem of the leaf in Romania’s touristic brand was solved by the disappearance of the foreign site that included a similar element, in October, The Office of Harmonization for the Internal Market (Trade Marks and Designs) and the State Office for Inventions and Trademarks (OSIM) have declared Romania’s tourist brand “genuine and unique” on October 2nd.

Also, the minister said the brand will be used in all international campaigns meant to promote Romania as a tourist destination. Elena Udrea also said Romania’s tourist brand is deemed genuine on the local market and worldwide, adding it will be used in all future campaigns, including a campaign to be run on the social networking website Facebook.

Romania’s tourist brand, under the slogan “Explore the Carpathian garden”, was launched on July 29, at the 2010 World Expo in Shanghai. The slogan will be used to promote Romania as a tourist destination in the upcoming years.

Also Tuesday, Romania’s Tourism Ministry announced it will collaborate with social networking website Facebook to promote the country as a tourist destination.

“We’ve talked to Facebook officials and decided, at the recommendation of experts who created the country’s tourist brand, to promote Romania on Facebook, which is the world’s biggest and most popular social networking website,” said Elena Udrea, in a press conference. She added talks with Facebook are at an early stage of setting goals and planning strategies and budgets have not yet been discussed.

According to the minister, the strategy to promote Romania as a tourist destination will be ready by early December and the first promotion campaign is expected to be implemented early march next year at the latest.

According to Mediafax, Facebook vice-president Blake Chandlee said this is the first time the social network has collaborated with international government authorities at such an early stage in the development of a tourist strategy.

The Romania’s brand story started a few years ago, with a bunch of different ideas and a lot of different people assuming the responsibility over the time. From the 13 pitch offers for Romania’s tourist brand, Romanian Ministry selected 3 for the last stage of the pitch: TBWA Bucharest – GfK Romania, Saffron Brand Consultants – Brandient Consult – Acacia Avenue and THR- Taylor Nelson Sofres. Five months later, the winner was announced, the criteria of selection – the lowest price – being fulfilled by THR.