Marketing and cultural components of the image of the city (on the basis of Tomsk)

An image is a multi-faceted term which is used in different humanitarian sciences. If we generalize definitions, which are in economic and cultural literature, we can see that the image is described as a purposefully created type of a men, object, organization for definite society. This image is created for a rising of economic efficiency of activity of an image's subject with the help of ordered behavioral model. These definitions don't take into consideration the fact that nowadays marketing of a territory develops rapidly. Such section of image studies as the image of a territory is widespread now. In our study we create a semiotic model of the image of the town. This model represents a semio-sphere, core of which are different concepts: the name of the town as a symbol (with different meanings for different segments), town symbols; formation of symbolic spatial and architecture concepts (which are marked in different figurative and geographic maps and based on interests of each segment); topical for specific target audience culture concepts (e.g. memorable places of outstanding personalities). These concepts will be transmitted to the target audience with the help of intentional communication (image advertising, image events of territorial marketing). The periphery of the model consists of sings and symbols of mass culture and marginal counterculture (legends of the town, myths, archetype, gossip), which will be transmitted to the target audience with the help of unintentional communication. In the context of our research of humanitarian geography we create approximate sample of figurative and geographic map on the base of which we can work out tourist and pilgrimage image of Tomsk. The image's model of the town should have different content for different target audience obligatorily. In this case it could be an effective tool of promotion of the town for investor, international community and tourists.

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