The development of a people–centred place branding model requires an understanding of the
attributes that people attach to their place. This attachment is perceived and expressed throughthe sense of place. The research problem is to identify the attributes that determine the sense
of place to the community.
The site selected to conduct this research is the Chatham Islands, an archipelago with ten
islands and an area of 966 km2, and a population of 609 inhabitants (NZ Census 2006),
located 800 km east of New Zealand. The small isolated community with a diverse and rich
culture faces the dilemma of how to market and position itself to generate economic
development, but at the same time, preserve their cultural identity and lifestyle.
The research involved multiple methods of data collection in three field trips including
participant observation with tourists and with residents during the first one week field trip
(Nov 2007), thirty seven in-depth interviews and five group interviews (3 to 6 participants)
with resident, and participant observation and informal (not recorder) interviews with tourists
during the second three weeks trip (Jan 2008). The data was registered through field notes,
researcher’s diary and recorded interviews. Validity was addressed through within-method
triangulation (Denzin, 1970). To aid data analysis the Nvivo data management program was
used. The third trip was in February 2009 for a period of two weeks when researchers
presented the interviewees with the findings from the previous stages of the research and
validated the attributes presented in this article.