Local Identity Beyond Borders: Opportunities and Potential of Linguistic Strategies in Management and Branding. An Interregional Mobility Project

Coordinator: Katharina Zipser – uibk, Partner: Günter Schamel - unibz

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The LocId project focuses on joint learning, critical thinking, and reflection of students from UIBK (linguistics) and UNIBZ (tourism). It concentrates on current issues concerning inter-regional strategic management in product branding and marketing from an interdisciplinary perspective.

Joint teaching units (lectures, workshops, presentations, expert talks, and company visits) will take place in North and South Tyrol. We address the following questions:

• What do North and South Tyrolean brand portfolios have in common and what characterizes both umbrella brands? What are the consequences for companies from a strategic management perspective?
• How do regionally important companies present their brands?
• What strategies do companies use to effectively market their products? In particular, how are regionality, locality, quality and sustainability emphasized? What is the role of language in general, German, Italian, Ladin and dialects in particular? How important is the choice of brand name and what determines product communication and advertising communication?
• How are products from companies in South Tyrol marketed in North Tyrol and vice versa? What country-specific and/or language-specific similarities and differences can be identified? How does regional product marketing differ from interregional marketing?

The project makes a significant contribution in raising awareness of the importance of regional identity among future business leaders, entrepreneurs, managers, copywriters among others. It can be expanded towards joint courses on other aspects (e.g. sustainability and health).