Presenting the »I feel Slovenia« brand

Slovenia presents itself at home and abroad with its national brand »I feel Slovenia«, which goes beyond the realm of tourism attributes and natural beauty. It tells the story of Slovenia and Slovenians, our DNA, Slovenian ground-breaking solutions, our concern for the environment and coexistence with nature, our desire to overcome the impossible. The guests presented some good practices and explained why Slovenia should be (also) felt and not just experienced.

»The story of the I feel Slovenia brand goes beyond the mere promotion of tourism and its natural beauties. It is also the story of Slovenians and includes our sport, culture, art, science and way of life,« said the acting director of the Government Communication Office, Petra Bezjak Cirman.

»In the past, Slovenia had problems with its visibility abroad, it was often confused with Slovakia, and the lack of easily recognisable symbols was also a problem, but with the ‘I feel Slovenia’ brand, Slovenia has gained all of this and has positioned itself on the world map,« said the head of the Government Communication Office, which is also the guardian of the brand, about the importance of the brand for our country.

The story of the »I feel Slovenia« brand has been increasingly associated with Slovenian sport in recent years, because it is our athletes who are the first to carry the name of Slovenia out into the wider world. Their successes are highly visible, which is why athletes (and their fans) are one of the country’s best ambassadors in the international arena. »The connection is quite natural, because the emphasis on love expresses passion, and sport often evokes a lot of passion,« said Maša Puklavec, the head of the Digital Content Marketing Department at the Slovenian Tourist Board (STO), summarising the link between sport and the brand.

The public agency SPIRIT Slovenia uses the brand exhaustively in its business contacts, especially in creating business opportunities.

»We want to present ourselves as green, creative and smart, which is why we have launched the campaign ‘I feel Slovenia. Green. Creative. Smart.’, which we use when performing on foreign markets. Our ambassadors in this case are not athletes but companies that are highly technological and innovative in the sports sector and without which we cannot imagine certain sports industries,” said Rok Capl, the acting director of SPIRIT Slovenia.

When asked by the press about the recipe for Slovenia’s outstanding international sporting success in relation to the size of its population, Petra Bezjak Cirman replied, »We do sport from a very young age, sport is widespread in schools and easily accessible to all. The results are the fruit of good work and a good way of life.«