The Role of Souvenirs in the Product Positioning of the Tourist Region

Introduction. The relevance of the considered scientific problem is that souvenir products are a component of the communicative paradigm of territorial branding, and a souvenir itself acts as a visual carrier of identification of a tourist region. A regional souvenir product has the following specific features: geographical reference to the territory reflecting its peculiarities, cultural and historical traditions in manufacturing and positioning. Consumers' perception of souvenirs plays an important role in forming impressions about the region. Despite the availability of researches on this topic, the question remains unexplored to what extent the perception of souvenir products forms the basis for their choice. At the same time, to find answers it is essential to use an integrated approach to obtaining the information of interest to us for a comprehensive objective coverage of the issues of territorial branding and the elements of its components, based on the use of both verbal and experimental methods. Thus, the purpose of this article was to study the verbal and non-verbal consumer perception of regional souvenir products to assess the possibilities of its use in the process of commodity positioning and promotion of the Republic of Crimea. Materials and Methods. To examine the visual perception of autochthonous souvenirs, an experimental study of consumer perception based on neuromarketing methods was conducted. The work was carried out on the materials of the Republic of Crimea. The research data were an array of biometric data obtained during experiments, proprietary algorithms and analysis models were applied. Results. The verbal and nonverbal consumer perceptions of souvenir products have been studied. It is shown that the most popular souvenirs are sweets, cosmetics, essential oils and wine. These products emphasize the authenticity of origin and contribute to the commodity positioning of administrative-territorial units. There is an unevenness in the development of souvenir production in the Republic of Crimea. The classification of districts has been carried out, administrative-territorial units with high and medium levels of diversification of goods have been identified, as well as depressed territories that are poorly positioned. Promising models of promotion of regional souvenir products are shown. Discussion and Conclusion. The theoretical and applied aspects of the study of the visual attractiveness asymmetry of souvenirs have been improved. The paper also presents the author's position on the relevance of the promotion of souvenir branding in regional tourist destinations. As a result of a comprehensive neuromarketing experiment, the most attractive Crimean souvenir products from the consumers' point of view were determined based on the assessment of the figurative identification of territories by respondents and the correlation of gender characteristics with the choice of souvenirs offered. The results of the study can be used to improve and adjust the process of cooperation between souvenir producers, tourism entities and the state, as the most interested entity in the development of tourist destinations.