I am currently doing my masters in International Marketing and have been reading a large bit of material on rebranding and relaunching an existent product or service.. I was particularly looking at the hospitality industry – hotel for instance. If a hotel (say for instance a budget hotel ) were to rebrand to create some sort of differentiation for instance if a premier travel inn were to change to premier inn in the hope to differentiate from travel inns while still retain its promise of ‘premier’ service ..how would it go about relaunching itself to the value conscious customers. What kind of marketing tools could be used at this stage. From what I have read – the first step is to have an internal exercise of sorts to ensure that staff and employees comprehend and reflect the new brand promise that the hotel/organization has to offer. Now for external communication- what would you consider to be a categorical and more over logical step by step campaign and how much would one spend on each exercise given say a budget of x and pertaining to the hospitality industry?

###

Jay’s Answer: Contrast this problem with a new hotel that’s launching. What steps would they use to attract guests?

The rebranding has the benefit/burden of an existing name, but the same needs. A press release describing the new hotel’s focus is a great first step – it’ll get the word out to travel media.

If the target market is value-conscious consumers, then price is #1. Have a low-price guarantee (not ideal long-term, though). Alternatively, offer a package price that’s cheaper than the a la carte options: room + meals, room + tours, room + spa, room + car, etc.

What you ultimately want is a great published review (both by independent reviewers and guests). Create a (moderated) blog for the hotel – allow guest comments to comment on what they loved and didn’t. The goal is to create a fanatic fan base, which is ultimately what will get people to visit.