The role of brands in the sustainable development of the region was discussed on the sidelines of the International Arctic Forum "The Arctic – the Territory of Dialogue".
Marta Govor, the Commissioner for the Protection of Entrepreneurs' Rights, spoke about the regional brands of the Murmansk Region. The commissioner began her speech with the presentation of the brand "Live in the North!", developed on the initiative of the Governor of the Murmansk region Andrey Chibis. Marta Govor noted that this is not just a slogan or a brand, it is a strategic development plan implemented in almost all areas of activity in order to improve the quality of life of Northerners. Recall that in 2024, as part of the Know Our Growing Russian Brands competition, organized on behalf of the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin by the Agency for Strategic Initiatives and the Roscongress Foundation, the brand "Live in the North!" was awarded in the special Region category by the decision of the organizers of the competition.
Marta Govor noted the branding of the Festival of the North, which this year celebrates its 90th anniversary, the Teriberka Festival, and SOPKI modern spaces as successful examples. The commissioner paid special attention to the gastro brand "Arctic cuisine".
"The brands of the Murmansk region are unique and diverse: cosmetic products with gifts from the Barents Sea, food with a northern flavor, designer clothing appropriate to the climate, Sami-style fish skin products, outlandish Arctic souvenirs that can compete with foreign brands. We can say with confidence that the entrepreneurs of the region are developing, growing and scaling their business. In turn, we are constantly trying to improve our business support measures. Today, the region offers a number of programs for entrepreneurs, from financial ones, such as the Governor's Start, a grant for the purchase of a franchise, preferential loans, to various trainings and master classes. One of the main changes in the business support system will be the creation of the Governor's Grant Center, thanks to which all types of grant support will be accumulated in one place, which will significantly save time for entrepreneurs who no longer need to contact various departments," Marta Govor emphasized.
During the meeting, the launch of the third season of the Know Our Growing Russian Brands competition was announced. In 2025, applications will be accepted until May 15, and the award ceremony will take place within the framework of the forum "Strong Ideas for a New Time" in July this year.
The session also launched the Platform for Growth program for comprehensive support and development of Russian entrepreneurs on marketplaces. This is a project launched in early 2025 by the combined company Wildberries and Russ, with the support of the Agency for Strategic Initiatives.
"It is not the first year that we have been helping sellers and manufacturers from the regions of the Arctic zone to conduct business and develop on our site. The number of active Wildberries sellers exceeds 21 thousand people. More than 5,5 thousand order pick-up points have been opened, even in the most remote places with difficult logistics. Thanks to the "Growth Platform", even small brands from the region will be able to increase consumer awareness and increase sales. We will provide them with access to knowledge, advertising channels, analytics, and promotion tools. I am sure this will give a good impetus to the development of each seller and the Arctic as a whole," said Tatiana Kim, founder of Wildberries and head of RVB LLC.
At the end of the meeting, Maxim Oreshkin, Deputy Head of the Presidential Administration of the Russian Federation, noted that in recent years there has been a good dynamic in the development of local brands in the Arctic zone and the main task of the state, marketplaces, banks and other support institutions is to ensure that such projects realize themselves in the Arctic and enter the national and international markets.
/ Ministry of Information Policy of the Murmansk Region /