Boston Pizza
WHAT ARE THE BIGGEST MISTAKES BRANDS
MAKE WHEN TRYING TO DEFINE THEIR FUTURE? HOW DO THEY STAY IN TOUCH WITH WHO THEIR
GUEST IS AND HOW THEY CAN REACH THEM?
The biggest challenge is brands do not have a long view as
part of their strategic plan. Often, they are so focused on
their quarterly targets and yearly goals overlooking potential
trends, ideas, events in the farther horizon that will disrupt
their business or more importantly will become missed
opportunities capitalized by longer viewing competitors.
The luxury hotel industry is not immune to disruptive
changes with online start-ups such as Airbnb changing the
definition of travel while the subscription economy is also
transforming how consumers define experiences. Mass personalization has now become the norm in how
consumers want to be engaged by brands. As such, the
industry must understand the emotional and unmet needs
of their customer base supporting well-defined consumer
personas. Defining the various key personas of a given
establishment will help define, engage and retain customers
by providing them with curated services delivered through
well trained front-line staff. The use of personas started
as a platform to identify the different types of consumers
visiting websites and has evolved to reflect these customers
as part of the entire journey from how they select a hotel to
how they create desire and repeat visits.
The second mistake or missed opportunity is to understand
the luxury hotel industry is part of a bigger trend towards
the experience economy where storytelling and selfie
moments play a pivotal role in how consumers define value.
The hotel industry should understand they are part of a
discovery ecosystem where guests are looking for unique
and memorable experiences well beyond the confines of
their premises. Luxury hotels play a critical role in being the
hub for these experiences.
32 ILHA
Most customers first make a decision through an online
search, exploring the amenities of given hotels in addition
to proximity to key areas they wish to discover. It includes
third party reviews, great story telling content in addition
to easy to navigate websites and apps. With Instagram and
YouTube now becoming dominant search platforms, it is also
important to romance and create desire through the use of
great photography and videos.