NEWH - April 2005 - (Page 34)

everybody’s talking about it – brand perception by Cynthia Tripp-Kampf The almighty first impression is something that is top of mind these days. More than ever, companies in the hospitality and real estate markets are scrutinizing their brand images—their names, their logos, their marketing campaigns. Looking to innovate a successful brand, they’re plunging beneath the promotional visuals to locate psychological factors that will help them achieve their goal. Brands help us make both simple and complex decisions. They guide us toward where we want to eat, to sleep, to lounge and to drink. Yet while a brand connects with us on multiple tiers, it must first capture our attention. It will use sounds, symbols, colors and textures to evoke and categorize our deepseated perceptions and personal associations. The brand will also trigger memories—good, bad and indifferent—of how we connect with people, places and things. In his new book, Blink, Malcolm Gladwell refers to the unconscious as the adaptive unconscious; like a big computer, it helps us make quick decisions by crunching and condensing massive amounts of data that we simply could not process in our conscious minds. The adaptive unconscious is our “gut instinct,” and it is often right. tion to attract customers. It now focuses on the experience. Consumers expect more than practical benefits from their purchases: they also want emotional brand payoffs such as convenience, pampering and rewarding themselves vs. simply style and status. In the past, some resorts, cruise ships or restaurants could get away with simply marketing “world-class golf” or “fine dining” to attract customers. Current issues of Travel & Leisure magazine still feature ads using this message strategy. But beyond the resorts and cruise lines touting celebrity guests who have stayed at their establishments, you will notice that the most arresting ads promote a new kind of “celebrity” that “lives” at their establishments—“celebrities” such as “Frette bathrobes” and cuisine by “Nobu.” Complementary brands team up in those ads to offer experiences consumers desire. Winning Brands Take It To Another Level Authenticity, Appropriateness and the Brand Today’s brand development has surpassed old brand basics such as establishing points of differentia- Financial considerations are often a catalyst in choosing to 34 create partner brands. Partner brands can embellish the brand image without the spend and help leapfrog the competition. What also comes into play is the question of an “appropriate” fit. Before a partnership decision is made, each brand’s equities must be analyzed. What are the brand’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities or threats? The perception of a brand can be enhanced by a partner brand or sub-brand, but it can

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of NEWH - April 2005

NEWH - April 2005
Letter From the President
Upfront
Contents
Hospitality News
Lessons From Retail
Conrad’s First Ground-Up Hotel
2005 Leadership Conference
Remember Me? Using Video to Have Your Message Remembered
Woman of the Year
Design Showcase … Under the Tuscan Sun
Spa and Wellness Trends
Brand Perception
NEWH Icon Awards – Anna Perryman
First Canadian NEWH Chapter Chartered
Coming Events
HD at a Glance
HD Plantinum Circle Inductees
Contributors

NEWH - April 2005