Island brands and ‘the Island’ as a brand : insights from immigrant entrepreneurs on Prince Edward Island

Abstract

How well do the brands and branding exercises of specific ‘island products’ connect with the brand of ‘the Island’ on which they are based? This paper adopts a sweeping ‘island studies’ global perspective in addressing this question. Given that they are already heavily themed places, we should not be surprised to find that islands typically brand themselves with a view to appeal to actual and potential visitors; in so doing, they invariably neglect, render indistinct or discount the appeal of the quality of their island life. Data sets from a 2004 survey of locally owned European small island businesses, as well as from a 2008 study of immigrant entrepreneurs on Prince Edward Island (PEI), Canada, suggest that quality of life features are a key component of the island allure – rather than a concoction tailored for alien consumption. Such features are more likely to attract and retain ‘lifestyle entrepreneurs’, are more likely to fit comfortably with the vision that the islanders may have about themselves, but will become increasingly problematic in the long term if they are successful in attracting many more immigrants to ‘the Island’.