Cut Through The Noise
When looking at hospitality, if you can’t keep up, there will always be a contender that will happily come and take your place.
The consumer of today is more empowered than ever (and boy don’t they know it), unafraid putting up their dukes with a devastating Tripadvisor review.
Fortunately, brands have a number of different strategies that help serve the tide of demanding customers. The first, and arguably most important, is branding. Branding is the very first impression of your business - it gives your audience a reason to sit down and order something from your menu, spend a night in one of your guest rooms.
However in this ever changing landscape, it is incredibly simple to get lost in the crowd.
Keep It Fresh!
It’s okay to rely on your loyal regulars that have been enriching your businesses for countless years, but you still need to be dynamic and unique in your brand voice. Unfortunately, your clientele isn’t immortal, so you will need to ensure that you are always attempting to attract new guests, branding is a key part of this. It could be injecting colour or new typography into an old menu, or considering a new approach when it comes to photography. Whatever it is, it should showcase your brand and tell a story.
Make A Stand
Consumers today are hyper-connected and acutely aware of social responsibility; they’re looking to connect more than consume! They’re becoming more conscious about the brands they choose to support, it isn’t always about the most convenient or cost effective. If you don’t stand for something, you have no purpose.
Define your purpose as a brand and ensure that reflects in your branding. If you’re a carbon zero steak restaurant (bravo Hakwsmoor, bravo), you stand for the ethics and the environment. If you’re a vegan restaurant, you stand for the planet and the environment. Whatever you stand for, make sure it is echoed throughout your branding.
If you’re unsure what your brand stands for, or haven’t really given it much thought, take some time to stand back and reflect on it. Once you discover what your business means to you, this will help in creating a base from which you can build every other strategy on. Branding, when done well, ensures a consistent experience throughout, giving your guests a chance to emotionally connect, increasing the chance of repeat visits.
Once Upon A Time
Truffle Burger does one thing, but they do it incredibly well. Biryani does one thing, but they do it well! They only offer burgers (with truffle of course) but their branding is top notch. Incredibly enticing visuals of juicy burgers interlaced with compelling narrative coaxers consumers to want their project. Everything about the brand, from its simple website with its mouthwatering imagery to its laid back approach to packaging, tells a story. The story is about delivering truffle to the masses in an unconventional and more accessible way, whilst elevating the humble burger from quick fix to something so much more.
So if you’re looking to brand or rebrand, your first step is finding your inner voice as a brand and telling a story to represent this.
Don’t Discount!
When footfall is down, or you are looking to ramp up interest in your new brand, it is very tempting to offer a discount. If you don’t want to attract bargain hunters, stop thinking like one. Your branding should never be focused on discounts and bargains because you will only attract the kind of customer who prefers quantity over quality, not somebody that we are going to convert into a regular and loyal guest.
Instead, try highlighting what is unique about your brand in order to attract guests, you’re more likely to convert the type of demographic that you really want.
If you really do need to offer incentive to convert bookings, try value added rather than a discount - it has different connotations surrounding it and won’t come off as cheap; book 4 nights, enjoy the 5th night on us, enjoy a two courses and receive a complimentary glass of wine, etc.
Is Bigger Really Better?
A huge billboard with ‘best burgers in town’, isn’t going to do much to set you apart from your competition, nor define you as a brand. Consumers are very savvy when it comes to tuning out genuine messaging from ‘marketing’, and the last thing you want is to be perceived as a desperate. What you want is to create a long lasting impression. Focus on what you offer that evidence based and that are key USPs for your brand; London’s most centrally located hotel, London’s highest rooftop bar, free-range and ethically sourced beef, etc.
Theory Of Colour
Ever thought about why some of the biggest players in the food industry use so much red and yellow in their branding? From KFC to Mc Donald’s and even Subway, these are meticulously planned choices and by no means coincidence. The colours we choose impact our subconscious, where some can create warmth, others power, some can stimulate an appetite while others a sense of comfort.
When selecting your brand colours, you need to think about what it is that you want to project and ensure they are inline with what your brand stands for.
Final Thoughts
Much like the rest of the world, the hospitality industry is having to adapt to social media, millennial preferences, economic challenges and the ongoing pace of technological innovation across the industry.
Take your brand seriously. Taking the time to build it and bring it to life can grow your revenue, attract top talent, increase guest retention rates and grow your media presence. It might be the most important thing you can do for your business.
Wanting to build a strong brand that stands out and engages with your audience?
