Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
workers could be living must exist as a viable option in their minds and is a dominant theme in
these accounts. The only reference to management practice as having a strong infl uence on the
brand culture was related to work practice. This research modifi es Holt's (2004) brand meaning
model by concluding that the brand authors are not separate entities as his model indicates but
can be blended seamlessly into a single group of seasonal workers who draw upon popular
culture of the living the dream lifestyle, comparisons against 'other' life working practices and
almost obligatory community membership to create brand meaning.
Finally this research does recognize that this methodology captured Cardrona's brand culture
at a single moment in time and subsequently investigation may exhibit different fi ndings. This
research does not aim to represent a comprehensive picture of all seasonal ski workers or be
generalisable in any way but to understand in depth a contested and commonly misrepresented
phenomenon; seasonal snowsport workers as key meaning creators for destination brands
and passionate enthusiasts for their lifestyle. This research is an exemplar of interpretive pre
understanding that should underpin strategic analysis informing enlightened business strategy.
This work moves beyond descriptive qualitative accounts by digging through the layers of
meaning to show how cultural experience is both personally and socio-historically located. It
shows how these cultural practices work in complicated and unintended ways to both re-create
and maintain a brand culture in a dynamic process.
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