All hospitality brands have quiet spells but why do some always seem to capture the hearts and minds of their guests time and time again? The difference is all about the brand experience.
It's not just about what you offer as a hospitality brand, it's about who you are.
The difference between a hospitality brand using their in-house team or a logo designer for their branding and an agency specialising in branding, is the discovery phase that's performed prior to any creative work commencing. In branding terms, we call this the brand audit, I like to call it brand alchemy as this is the moment that all the magical ingredients of your brand's essence comes together to give your brand life.
The purpose of the brand audit is to reveal your hospitality brand's personality, the values and mission statement as well any key attributes that you wish to be remembered for by your guests.
With this information a brand alchemist can interpret the results into the perfect choices for colour palette, fonts and marketing communications, the overall design style, the tone of voice and the guest experience.
How does the brand audit make a difference?
An audit provides the branding agency with all the information they need to use brand psychology techniques that reformulate the identity so that it connects with intended audiences through the subconscious mind. The difference is an end-to-end experience that consistently reinforces the values and qualities of the brand, versus a nice meal at a nice restaurant that you may not remember later.
What difference does colour make?
Colour has very strong psychological connections to the subconscious, particularly with regards to food - red for example increases appetite, where blue suppresses it. There is a reason so many fast food chains use bright red. Branding experts can be better interpreted for hospitality brands that are not in the fast food market and that comes in the form of seasonal colour palettes.
A brand's seasonal palette will depend entirely on their values and attributes. A branding agency will be able to interpret these subtleties to formulate the ideal colour palette that will subconsciously reinforce the tone of voice which is also shaped by these characteristics.
How deep does guest experience go?
The user experience begins the moment your brand first interacts with a guest. If the message and tone of voice align with the logo and design of your communications, it will capture their interest. When the guest clicks to learn more and finds that the website and content are in harmony with what they have already encountered, their perception of your brand will be strengthened. This sentiment is further reinforced when they visit your establishment and encounter a consistent experience, from well-trained staff to interior ambiance designed to subtly emphasise key attributes. This continuity in messaging across various channels and touch-points ensures that customers feel reassured and develop trust in your brand. It is not just about delivering a consistent visual identity, but also about experiential consistency.
If you would like to discover more about the magic of brand alchemy and how it can shape the guest experience or to work with me direct on your hospitality branding, please get in touch.
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