SPECIAL REPORT
Accor made football superstar Kylian Mbappé the face of its global campaign:“ Don’ t Be A Guest, Be A Guest Star”
WE’ RE NOT TRYING TO INFLUENCE OR [ DO IT ] FOR THE CELEBRITY ASPECT, BUT RATHER FOR A DEEPER MEANING BEHIND THE BRAND OF WHAT WE REPRESENT
– ANDREW BARNARD, CEO, SUNSWEPT RESORTS spanning more than 45 brands, from Sofitel and Fairmont to ibis and Novotel, across more than 110 countries, having a figure who can fuse performance culture and emotional balance across that range is a strategic asset that goes well beyond the campaign.
MEASURING WORTH Ask any of these brands about ROI and the answers share a common shape. Yes, they track the hard numbers, but the most important outcomes are harder to quantify.
Mandarin Oriental’ s Schellenberger outlined the brand’ s approach.“ We look at this through several lenses simultaneously, and we are deliberate about not reducing it to a single metric,” he said.“ Brand sentiment and cultural positioning are foundational. We also look at direct commercial indicators, such as engagement with ambassadorlinked content, uptake of the bespoke in-hotel experiences and the quality of earned media coverage.”
At Accor, the numbers are more concrete. Hemici reported that the brand grew awareness by eight points in a single year, a figure drawn from surveys of more than 35,000 international travelers, and, which Hemici said, reached parity with Marriott Bonvoy in brand recognition outside the U. S.
“ These campaigns really help cut across today and tomorrow’ s travelers,” he said.
Outside looking into the hotel industry, Sara Cemin, head of customer relations at wellness brand Helio Cure and a nineyear veteran of healthcare
A BRAND’ S JOB ISN’ T TO CREATE NEW FANDOM. IT’ S TO SHOW UP AUTHENTICALLY WITHIN THE FANDOMS THAT ALREADY EXIST AND DEMONSTRATE THAT YOU’ RE THE BRAND FOR THEM
– DAN REYNOLDS, SVP OF GLOBAL MARKETING, HILTON
marketing, offered a take that cuts through brand speak.“ Most hotel brands gauge success through impressions and press mentions. It is the repeat bookings that reveal the real return,” she said, pointing to research by Frederick Reichheld of Bain & Company, and cited in the Harvard Business Review, which found that a 5 % increase in customer retention can grow profits by 25 % to 95 %.
WHAT AMBASSADORS DO Compensation terms are confidential across the board. Time commitments are discussed in terms of philosophy instead of hours. What brands will say is that the best partnerships have moved well beyond a face on a billboard.
Biles actively collaborates with Mandarin Oriental’ s wellness board, composed
16 hotelsmag. com May / June 2026