DEMYSTIFYING EXCLUSION FROM AN INCLUSIVE LIFESTYLE THE CASE OF SURF INDUSTRY BRANDING Department of service management and service studies Author: Amber Esseline Dors Master thesis (30ECTS) Supervisor: Hervé Corvellec SMMM20, Spring 2020 SMMM20, Spring 2020 | Amber Esseline Dors “Sharing. Because two people can have fun in the waves and smile” -Ruben- 2 SMMM20, Spring 2020 | Amber Esseline Dors Abstract Purpose: This thesis seeks to understand how branding by actors affiliated with a particular industry, i.e. surfing, enact social inclusion or exclusion. Methodology: Empirical data is based on qualitative methods, entailing a triangulation of semiotic analysis of the World Surf League website, World Surf League original series, and semi-structured interviews with surf athletes. A conceptual model is designed based on two emerging concepts about subjective social inclusion and industry branding, which is used as a guiding principal to collect and analyse the data. Results: This thesis answers to the research question: How does branding by actors affiliated with the surfing community enact social inclusion or exclusion? Empirical data demonstrates that branding does not play an essential role in the social inclusiveness of local surfing communities. Not least, marketing communication executed by the biggest representative actors (e.g. WSL), does enact social exclusion and reduces feelings of responsibility among the surf athletes in the institutional context of the surf industry’s brand. Value: The empirical data should be valuable for anyone interested in, or focusing on, sociology or marketing in the leisure or tourism sector. It greatly emphasises the importance and awareness of social inclusion among all actors affiliated with a particular industry for the individuals’ and societal well-being. In this manner, branding is considered as a primary mediator to illustrate its relevance. Keywords: Social inclusion, Social exclusion, Industry branding, Customer relations, Responsibility, Sport, Surfing Acknowledgement I would like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude to my supervisor Hervé Corvellec for all his valuable comments, continuous support, and beautiful experience! Thanks, are also extended to all those who participated in an interview and provided helpful insights. Lastly, I want to thank my family and friends for the great encouragement, love and empowerment given throughout the entire master programme. 3 SMMM20, Spring 2020 | Amber Esseline Dors Table of Contents Abstract ...................................................................................................................................... 3 Acknowledgement ..................................................................................................................... 3 List of figures ............................................................................................................................. 6 List of tables ............................................................................................................................... 6 1.0 Introduction .......................................................................................................................... 7 1.1 The social context of consumption .................................................................................. 7 1.1.1 The social context of surfing..................................................................................... 8 1.2 Problematization ............................................................................................................ 10 1.2.1 Research aim and questions .................................................................................... 11 1.3 Surfing as a case............................................................................................................. 12 1.4 Purpose and delimitation................................................................................................ 13 2.0 Theoretical framework ....................................................................................................... 14 2.1 Industry branding characteristics ................................................................................... 14 2.1.1 Industry branding challenges .................................................................................. 16 2.1.2 Online marketing communication........................................................................... 17 2.1.3 Offline marketing communication .......................................................................... 18 2.2 The missing consensus of inclusion ............................................................................... 19 2.3 Conceptual framework ................................................................................................... 22 3.0 Methodology ...................................................................................................................... 26 3.1 Research approach ......................................................................................................... 26 3.2 Research design ............................................................................................................. 27 3.3 Data collection and sampling ......................................................................................... 29 3.4 Data analysis .................................................................................................................. 32 3.5 Ethical considerations .................................................................................................... 33 3.6 Limitations ..................................................................................................................... 33 4.0 Empirical data: Inclusive industry marketing .................................................................... 35 4 SMMM20, Spring 2020 | Amber Esseline Dors 4.1 Market actors ................................................................................................................. 35 4.2 Marketing communication ............................................................................................. 37 4.2.1 General media ......................................................................................................... 37 4.2.2 Inside-surf media .................................................................................................... 39 4.3 Self-awareness, self-identification, and self-referencing ............................................... 40 4.4 Subjective social inclusion / exclusion .......................................................................... 41 4.5 Marketing effectiveness ................................................................................................. 44 5.0 Discussion .......................................................................................................................... 47 5.1 Market actors and their communication ........................................................................ 47 5.2 The need to self-reference and belong to a community ................................................. 50 5.3 The necessity for social inclusion .................................................................................. 53 6.0 Conclusion ......................................................................................................................... 55 7.0 Theoretical implications and contributions ........................................................................ 57 8.0 Further research recommendations .................................................................................... 58 Reference list ........................................................................................................................... 60 Appendices ............................................................................................................................... 68 Appendix 1.0 – WSL starting page and web-articles .......................................................... 69 Appendix 2.0 - WSL Original Series links .......................................................................... 76 2.1 WSL Original series: Transformed ............................................................................ 76 2.2 WSL Original series: Brilliant Corners...................................................................... 77 Appendix 3.0 - Interview guide ........................................................................................... 79 5 SMMM20, Spring 2020 | Amber Esseline Dors List of figures Figure 1. Theoretical model of inclusive marketing …………………………...…………... 20 Figure 2. Conceptual model of inclusive industry marketing …………………...…………. 23 List of tables Table 1. Overview of empirical data ……………………………………………………….. 26 Table 2. Summary of interview respondents ……………………………………………….. 32 6 SMMM20, Spring 2020 | Amber Esseline Dors 1.0 Introduction For clarification of the chosen case in this empirical research, the following chapter starts with the provision of essential background information regarding the appearance of social needs through consumption and its connection to sports. It continues with the research problem, research aim, and research questions of this thesis. The introduction ends with a brief description of the analysed material and delimitation concerning the adopted theories, method and empirical data. 1.1 The social context of consumption In the understanding of Washington (2015), our world is revolving