Hotel chains push branding

THERE is the power of a brand to engageusers emotionally, and the service industryis impacted by this hard-to-gauge affinity.When a brand is perceived as an experience,it becomes very simple for the customer toknow whether or not they would want toselect that brand again and if they wouldrecommend it to their family and friends.This is where the brand experience inthe hotel business is a clear competitiveadvantage.“For Hilton Hotels Corporation, withnine brands across the price points, multibrandmanagement is a crucial factor in thecompany’s reputation value and revenue.It’s our goal to ensure our guests have agreat experience at all our Hilton Familybranded hotels, so that we can attract ourguests to stay at our properties, whateverthe stage of their life they are at. For example,a young entrepreneur may start out usingour economy brand, Hampton by Hilton,but they are also a potential future luxuryConrad Hotel guest,” said Andrew Flack, vicepresident, sales and marketing, Asia Pacific,Hilton Hotels.“Hilton is fortunate to have the mostfamous hotel brand in the industry. Thechallenge is to maintain that position byremaining relevant to evolving guest needsand to create loyalty,” said Flack.Innovation in brandingInnovation is the key in staying fresh andbold.“The InterContinental brand is dedicatedto providing local, authentic and enrichingtravel experiences. We know from consumerresearch that today’s business and leisuretravellers seek out new discoveries and oftengo out of their way to make the most of theirdestinations. They want to try the local barsand cafés to uncover the hidden treasuresand differentiating experiences that helpthem feel more worldly, sophisticated and“in-the-know,” said Gary Rosen, senior vicepresident, sales and marketing, IHG AsiaPacific. “With this as the brand platform,InterContinental Hotels & Resorts haselevated its 1,000 concierges globally toserve as “in-the-know” brand ambassadors.As part of this initiative, many steps havebeen taken to ensure guests have the chanceto enjoy the authentic and unexpected in over100 destinations.”Other hotel chains such as Marriott havelaunched a brand campaign to entrench theirproduct.Marriott recently launched a dynamic,integrated global advertising campaign forits Marriott brand that uses internationaldance forms as the metaphor for howMarriott hotels meets the needs of theachievement-driven business travellers itattracts. As a contrast, the Renaissance hotelbrand occupies the same demographic spaceas our Marriott brand. It is reinventing itselfwith a US$2-billion global makeover infusingthe brand with imaginative lobby and roomdesigns plus new Savvy Signature services,including the Renaissance Cocktail CultureExperience.Measuring a brand’s successHow does one measure a brand’ssuccess?“Our full year results show that IHGdelivered a strong performance in 2007 withall our brands out-performing in their majormarkets across the world.“Our hotel brands are successful and wecontinue to expand their presence across theregion, further strengthening our leadershipposition in key markets such as China andJapan. At IHG, we strategically put the righthotel brands in the right locations and workhard to make our brands the first choice forguests. Our guests and hotel owners haveshown increasing preference for our brands,which continue to generate solid returns forour owners,” said RosenThere are rules to follow in the brandinggame, it’s not just based on gut feel buton insight. Added Rosen, “IHG leads theindustry as a customer expert. Wecommissioned the industry’s largest hotelcustomer research, surveying 18,000customers in major markets worldwide.The research knowledge gained is used todifferentiate IHG brands through continuousproduct innovation, communications andimproved booking experience.“IHG has a core purpose of building greathotels that guests love, through our people.We believe that our people are key to thesuccess of each brand. We also believe thatgiving our people room to be themselves isvital to ensuring that they enjoy their workand that we retain the very best talent. Weemploy talented people who bring theirpersonalities to work and give them thefreedom to make a difference.”