Is your hotel distinguishable enough? Does it stand out from your competitors? If these are some of the questions running through your mind, you’re onto something.
It’s not a secret that the hospitality industry is full of rivalry and competition. That’s one of the main reasons why you need to work on your branding.
Employing an effective branding strategy for your hotel will set you apart from everyone else, establish an identity for your hotel and ultimately attract more customers.
Let’s see which branding strategies are the most effective ones in 2023.
1.Use a logo to make a great first impression
In many industries, first impressions are important. But when it comes to the competitive hospitality industry, first impressions are crucial. This is one of the reasons why you need to work on visual elements such as logos, names, colors, websites, and so on.
In most cases, it’s these visual elements that attract guests the most. How memorable is your name and logo, what colors do you use and how easy to use is your website? You need to work on all of this if you want to make a great first impression.
2. Good storytelling that evokes emotions
In addition to visual elements, guests also rely on good storytelling that evokes emotions. You need to ensure that your hotel is associated with positive experiences and good and memorable times. For guests, their vacations are these special times.
So, capitalize on that. Use testimonials, reviews, and comments to build your brand.
When advertising your hotel, tell your guests how important they are to you and work on creating an emotional connection with them. Get them excited about spending time in your hotel.
Build a powerful narrative that will clearly communicate your hotel’s purpose and vision.
3. Be careful with aesthetics
Another important element in the hospitality industry is aesthetics. It’s so easy to make a mistake when it comes to this part. That’s why you need to be careful. If you’ve already chosen the name and logo of your hotel, now you need to create a look and feel that matches.
Consistency is vital when it comes to brand identity. Do your logo and name match the rustic hotel look? Do they match a luxury hotel more? Make sure that you create a matching look and feel for your hotel.
To achieve this, you can also use colors. If your goal is to create a luxury hotel brand, stay away from kitschy colors. Instead, use white, black gold, or silver. These are the colors that should also be a part of your logo and name.
4. Invest in a branded gift shop
Having a good branding strategy can also give you a chance to generate revenue in different places. If you want to grow your business, you need to generate more sales. To be able to increase your bottom line, think about investing in a branded gift shop.
Gift shops are places where guests come looking for souvenirs and other similar items that will help them remember their time on vacation and thus your hotel.
To make sure that your brand is getting enough exposure, you can go one step further and sell custom clothing. Custom clothing with your brand’s logo – caps, t-shirts, and similar apparel that will remind the guests of your hotel.
5. Work on employee and customer loyalty and retention
Your brand is a success only when you have loyal employees and customers. Fostering relationships both with your employees and customers is a great way to build a brand. So, why not work on that a little more?
Create a hotel brand whose employees and guests are ambassadors. There’s no better marketing than when your own employees and guests recommend you.
How to achieve that? Simply ensure everyone in your hotel feels welcome, heard, and cared for. Even when your guests are a bit difficult, do your best to be pleasant and serviceable
Creating a great atmosphere in your hotel will also help you retain your employees. This is only a plus because happy employees equal satisfied customers.
If you’re on a mission of creating and building a brand for your hotel, these are some of the strategies you should employ. Remember that building a brand is not easy and that it will take time. But if you start now and if you do it properly by investing both time and money, you’ll reap the benefits pretty soon.
