Your property’s brand goes beyond your logo, your fonts, your colors: It’s the story you tell potential customers, the experience you promise. It encompasses just about everything, from your services to your reputation and personality, and even some things you might not realize—like the music that plays in the lobby, the artwork on the walls, the fixtures in the bathrooms.

A compelling brand story isn’t merely important; it is the foundation of your marketing. This is the key to engaging with the audiences you want, differentiating your property from your competitors, and winning in the marketplace.

So how do you craft that story? At Brown Marketing, we’ve been developing and refining brands in the luxury space for years. Here’s a brief primer on how we do it for our clients.

Research

To truly get a feel for a property, we ask a lot of questions—and do a lot of poking around.

• From a branding perspective, where is the property today, and where does it want to be? What is the objective?
• What is unique about the property and the destination? Are amenities and services on par with current and future competitors? How can they be enhanced? And what isn’t working?
• Are there other key differentiators to consider?
• What is the property’s desired personality—fun and playful, casual yet luxurious, elegant and sophisticated? Does that personality match what guests experience currently?
• How do competing properties market themselves?
• Do the property’s aesthetics—interiors, photography, art, etc.—complement the brand story we want to tell?

Logos and names

Not every property needs a new logo or to change the names of dining outlets, etc. But for new properties, or existing hotels and resorts that want to pursue a significant refresh, new logos and/or names can play a vital role in establishing or revitalizing a brand.

• Logo development: While a new logo is obviously a necessity for new brands, it isn’t always needed if we are refining an existing brand. However, a different logo can send a powerful message of change and improvement.
• Naming: Similar to a logo, new naming—whether for the property itself or for outlets such as restaurants or the spa—can signify a fresh new approach.

Define and refine

Once our initial work is complete, our experts distill everything into a useful guide that informs all brand efforts going forward, defining the brand story and ensuring consistency and quality.

• Brand pillars: These key terms and phrases (such as “Approachable,” “Inclusive,” “Inspiring”) help define your property—and our descriptions provide language to help your people talk about it.
• Competitor set review: Details on the competition, and how your property compares.
• Positioning statements: Brief descriptions that begin to tell the story of the overall brand, along with language for key categories such as culinary, wellness, etc.
• Positioning narratives: Longer-form pieces for the property as a whole, key categories, and key audiences (business, weddings, families, and others). These are designed to set the scene and bring people more deeply into the experience.
• Visual style guidelines: From your logo and fonts to the types of photos you choose for your website, your visuals all must reinforce the brand story.

Putting your new brand into action

Crafting your brand story is one thing—but how do you get it to the right audiences? It starts with a strong marketing plan. Stay tuned!

Ready to supercharge your brand? Contact us today at 949.310.8662 or hbrown@brown-marketing.com.