renovate a budget chain into a more elevated experience to demand a higher room rate , or refreshing a tired property to keep up with the competition , it ’ s imperative that you do your due diligence to guarantee that the brand you cultivate is the correct brand for the market . Here ' s how to do that :
➊ UNDERSTAND THE SANDBOX YOU ’ RE PLAYING IN Knowledge is power . Gather all available data on your marketplace , customer base , competition and if you ’ re an existing hotel , your own history of successes and failures . What is your guest looking for ? What are your competitors providing ? What is the market demanding and missing ? Conducting extensive discovery and market research will allow you to make more informed and better decisions as you craft your own brand . Nothing happens in a vacuum and ignoring external factors as you craft your own image is a recipe for failure .
➋ BEWARE THE LURE OF TRENDS Trends come and go , so while you can ride the trend train in some of your marketing efforts , it ’ s best to ignore that tempting , low-hanging fruit as you develop your property ' s core identity . If what is popular in the moment is fundamentally tied into the foundation of your brand , the minute those trends go out of fashion , your brand will feel old and outdated . Brands that last feel timeless .
➌ STRIKE THE RIGHT BALANCE . BE DIFFERENT . FEEL FAMILIAR . Your brand needs to stand out from the crowd , but it should also feel like it belongs . Be new and fresh and different , but not to the point that it feels completely out of place . Strong brands differentiate themselves from the competition but also evoke a sense of familiarity and connectedness .
➍ DON ’ T TRY AND BE EVERYTHING TO EVERYONE Know who you are and connect with your target guests where they live through shared values and common sensibilities . While you want to cast the widest net possible to maximize revenue and bookings , you also need to drive in the appropriate lane and take the right route to get where you want to go . Sometimes , trying to create a ubiquitous brand that is everything to everyone makes you nothing to no one .
➎ VERBALIZE AND AGREE UPON YOUR COMPANY GOALS
It is essential that you and your branding team are on the same page . Work together to ensure a mutual understanding of your short and long-term goals . Do you want to create a brand for a single location ? Do you have lofty goals of eventually replicating the concept in new markets ? While this may not necessarily influence your brand narrative , it ’ s important to fully understand the factors that require consideration .
➏ SET BRAND BOUNDARIES To guarantee that the brand remains consistent over time , it is important to develop strong brand guidelines that will ensure proper representation of the brand through the various channels of execution over the life of the property , such as advertising , public relations , digital , signage , etc . If these brand boundaries are not firmly established , the brand can easily veer off course as you implement new campaigns and diversify amenities .
➐ DON ' T LET YOUR F & B BRANDING BE AN AFTERTHOUGHT During the pandemic , on-site restaurants and bars that were a draw for the local community and had a strong , independent brand that extended beyond the walls of the hotels fared far better than those that simply catered to guests . Make sure that your F & B brands complement the brand of the hotel , but when possible , also stand firm on their own to maximize patronage from your neighbors , giving the always important gathering spot a more authentic and vibrant vibe .
Launching a successful brand requires the same level of care and attention to detail as making a guest feel at home for the duration of their stay . It also requires slight adjustments throughout the branding process to ensure that the end result is what you want and need . So assemble the right team and develop a property that will be the place to stay for years to come .
June 2023 hotelsmag . com 61