Whistling marmots or the capital of the United Kingdom. Which one has a better brand association for a travel destination? Interestingly enough the Garibaldi Lift Company (GLC) decided, in what could be described as a heck of a branding decision (not saying good or bad, but a big one), that having a mountain named after the rainy capital of the Commonwealth would not bode well for the newly created ski-hill. Hence, in their infinite wisdom the company decided to take a more nature driven approach in their naming, by naming the mountain after the cute little rascals who run around the hills, marmots and moreover after their nickname “the whistlers”, which they get from their way of communicating. The Mountain becoming “Whistler” in 1965.
I have to say, this would be an interesting case study for any marketing class. Would you have the courage to re-brand a whole mountain after marmots? I’d like to have been there to hear that pitch. Would you have said yes?
