Building and promoting a government-supported national brand would help stimulate the country’s non-commodity exports and, consequently, spur its economic growth. The national brand would also help Russian companies better market their products overseas.
A focus on non-commodity exports is key to the diversification of the Russian economy, improving its competitive position and spurring growth.
- In his address to the Federal Assembly in December 2016, President Vladimir Putin said that Russia has a good potential for boosting non‑commodity exports by strengthening the competitive advantage of domestic manufacturing and fighting for broader access to international markets.
- At the economic forum in Sochi in September 2016, Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev mentioned the doubling of non-commodity exports among the country’s medium-term objectives.
- According to Aleksey Kudrin, Head of the Centre for Strategic Research, to achieve an annual GDP growth rate of 4%, Russia’s non‑commodity and non-energy exports would need to increase at a rate of ca. 6.8% a year over quite a long time.
The share of the national non-commodity exports in 2016 increased to 38% (in 2015: 34%), which came as a result of falling oil prices and sliding commodity export revenues. According to the Russian Export Center, in 2016 non-commodity exports shrank by 7.3% in monetary terms.
The Made in Russia brand is designed to drive non-commodity export sales. Launched in 2014, the brand development project seeks to extend information and communication support to domestic producers, raise awareness and help promote Russian products, along with the country’s business and culture, both domestically and overseas.
- Communication tools to be designed as part of the project will ensure a consistent information policy across the foreign media space and high-potential sales markets. International positioning of Russian goods will be underpinned by dedicated market research.
- The www.madeinrussia.ru website is already up and running as a media platform to promote Russian export sales, with a number of specialised lists of Russian exporters compiled.
- The project participants will use the national brand logo based on a combination of a barcode image associated with trade, and a birch bark texture representing a traditional Russian craft material and a symbol of the Russian nature.
- The Made in Russia brand is a part of the visual identity of export trade missions organised by the Russian Ministry of Economic Development.
National brands are promoted by quite a number of countries, including the US, Canada, Germany, India, Switzerland, France, etc.
- While the Made in component is an integral part of the national brand, the latter is based on the perception of the country as a whole, rather than its products alone. Yet, it is strongly aligned with the country’s image as a producer of high-quality goods.
- To ensure success of the Made in Russia brand, the country is to get rid of its image as a petrostate and also to break the negative perceptions that have been cultivated abroad in recent years.
The Made in Russia project enjoys support from the national Government.
- The Ministry of Industry and Trade proposes to allocate RUB 370 million for development of the Russian export brand and its promotion in overseas markets in 2017.
- The Federal Technical Regulation and Metrology Agency renders the required support in compiling catalogues of the Russian companies and their products, while also assisting with product certification and testing.
- The Roscongress Foundation, which became a general partner of the project in February 2017, will help produce a national brand strategy and promote the brand at key events in Russia and internationally.
- In February 2017, Vnesheconombank signed a cooperation agreement with the Roscognress Foundation to promote Russian exports and the Made in Russia brand.
- In April 2017, the Agency for Strategic Initiatives and the Roscognress Foundation signed a cooperation agreement for advertising, branding and information support of Russian exports.