Methodological approaches to the development of territory marketing: evolution, contradictions, and development vectors

The subject of the research is the methodology of territory marketing in its historical evolution, theoretical contradictions, and contemporary development vectors. The author views territory marketing not merely as a set of promotion tools but as a complex interdisciplinary concept that includes economic-geographical, managerial, communicative, and socio-cultural aspects. The article analyzes the transformation of the understanding of territory: from the geographical background of economic activity to a specific "product" and "living space" oriented towards target groups (residents, businesses, investors, tourists). Special attention is paid to identifying methodological inconsistencies between different scientific schools, particularly between the economic-geographical approach, which emphasizes resource bases, and the communicative approach, which focuses on image. The author also investigates the problem of conflating the concepts of "place marketing" and "place branding," as well as the relationship between territory marketing and socio-economic development. A key subject becomes the necessity for a synthesis of approaches to form a comprehensive management system that accounts for the authenticity and uniqueness of each territory. The methodological basis consists of historical-retrospective analysis of the genesis of theories, comparative analysis of Western and Russian approaches, as well as the systematization of definitions and criteria. The scientific novelty of the research lies in three main results. First, the author systematically synthesized the evolution of views on territory marketing in the form of a consolidated table encompassing works from F. Kotler to domestic scholars from 2023 to 2025, which allowed for the identification of the semantic cores of each definition. Second, an original comprehensive concept of territory marketing is proposed, which shifts the focus from market competition to the sustainability of the local ecosystem and quality of life as the main intangible asset. Third, an original "3I" model (Identification – Integration – Iteration) is developed, synthesizing geographical, sociological, and digital methods. The conclusions of the article emphasize that modern territory marketing should be woven into the fabric of socio-economic development of regions rather than being reduced to image administration by officials. The practical significance is confirmed by the case of Almetyevsk (Republic of Tatarstan). The author sees the prospects for further research in developing a unified systemic methodology to eliminate disproportionate inequalities between regions based on their uniqueness and authenticity.