Graubünden Brand Day 2023: The "avant-garde region for progress"

This year marks the 20th anniversary of the launch of the Graubünden regional brand. Graubünden was one of the first regions in the Alps to enter the competition as a brand. The path from that pioneering project to the present day is lined with numerous milestones and milestones. The umbrella organization of the Graubünden forestry and timber industry created the first product brand, Graubünden Holz, and in 2006 Lenzerheide became the first destination to adopt the Graubünden brand image - a dozen other Graubünden vacation regions were to follow suit.

From 2004, the uniform tourist signage along the main traffic routes ensured visibility within the canton, and in 2008 the advertising ambassadors Gian and Giachen began their triumphal march into the heart of a steadily growing fan base in German-speaking Switzerland. Ten years after their launch, the positioning of the brand was sharpened in 2013 with the brand idea "NaturMetropole Graubünden", which highlights the many contrasts between nature, culture and progress.

Past versus future

To mark its 20th anniversary, the Graubünden brand office dedicated its Brand Day to the tension between the past and the future. Philosopher Yves Bossart received great applause for his philosophical reflections on the phenomenon of time with its dimensions of past, present and future.

An illustrious panel discussion with Urs Wohler, Andreas Rotzler and Hans-Peter Rest looked back on the birth of the regional brand. In conversation with host Gieri Spescha, Managing Director of the Graubünden brand, Brand Council President Andrea Frei emphasized the quality of the broad network of brand partners and licensees. The German futurologist and trend researcher Marcel Aberle presented theses on the Graubünden brand and a "future image for the Graubünden nature metropolis" as the result of a broad trend research. Aberle attests that the Graubünden regional brand has the potential to develop into an "avant-garde region for progress" and a "laboratory region for the future".

In his presentation, cantonal councillor Marcus Caduff used various examples to express his confidence that Graubünden could successfully embark on this path of the future. AI expert and digital entrepreneur Roger Basler de Roca immersed the audience in the current and future possibilities of artificial intelligence and ended his presentation with an urgent appeal: "We need AI ambassadors in companies, schools and administration". Wirz advertising man Livio Dainese gave a tongue-in-cheek account of the success story of the two Graubünden cult bucks Gian and Giachen, while the impressed audience gave stage poet and comedian Patti Basler a long round of applause at the end for her witty and profound Instant Protocol with pianist Philippe Kuhn. An anniversary aperitif with Grisons snacks rounded off Brand Day 2023. A record number of around 200 people from the worlds of business, culture, the environment, politics and society had registered for the event.

The Graubünden brand office with Managing Director Gieri Spescha is managed by Quant on behalf of the Graubünden government. In its anniversary year, the Graubünden brand has over one hundred licensees.