Marketing Review - Spring 2008 - (Page 48)

The Power of Brand Stories “Brands are the stories that unite us all in a common purpose within an enterprise, and connect us with the people we serve on the outside,” says marketing consultant Mark Thomson. Based in Manhattan and Miami, the ThomsonBrands principal helps clients use brand stories to propel awareness, consideration, trial, and buying. Far from window dressing, he explains, a compelling brand story brings a business to life at an emotional level. “It’s what makes people want to connect with you.” This insight is key to hospitality. Guests, says Thomson, give you “shared authorship over a very personal part of their life—the experience of relaxation, reconnection, and exploration.” The allure of lore can captivate the community as well, making a property a point of interest—even pride. To illustrate, here are the tales of five places that have cultivated compelling stories. “A Living Corporate Symbol” Amid “oooohs,” “aaaahs,” and camerasnapping, Withrow recounted the Peabody ducks’ history: In the 1930s, the Memphis flagship’s general manager returned from a weekend hunting/drinking trip with live duck decoys, which he placed in the hotel fountain for a lark. After regaining sobriety, he prepared to remove the ducks—and guests balked. Thus began the Peabody tradition of live-in mascots, extended to sister properties in Orlando and Little Rock. Twice a day, the Duck Master orchestrates the Duck March between the lobby fountain and rooftop Duck Palace. While not as famous as the nearby Presidential Library, the ducks have captivated travelers since the hotel opened in 2002 as part of Little Rock’s revitalization. “We’re the only business with a living corporate symbol,” says Withrow, while supplying several conventioneers with entertainment recommendations. The ducks are rotated every few months into the Peabody’s private bird preserve a half-hour away. Photographs of winsome ducks grace labels on hotel toiletries, mallards adorn gift shop apparel, and the word “duck” is in the names of the hotel’s signature dessert, cocktails, and event packages. Web pages and collateral tout the proper48 PEABODY DUCKS ty as “The Only Five-Duck Little Rock Hotel.” An online gift catalog enables everyone to dip into the Peabody duck experience at home. Clearly, the distinctive story imprints memories that prompt returns to the fourdiamond, 418-room property. Branding that’s more than skin- and slogan-deep makes a lasting impression on guests—and neighbors. Indeed, locals dining along the Arkansas Riverfront spoke fondly, even proudly, of the Peabody’s indoor waterfowl. Mining an Urban Legend Hot-air balloons have lifted Albuquerque’s fortunes, but Hacienda Antigua’s success is rooted in a romantic past. Tucked behind walls of sun-dried mud brick in a workingclass neighborhood is an oasis that transports guests back to 1790. Here, sounds from nearby railroad tracks comfort instead of disturb; it’s a reminder of efforts to tame the wild West. Guest books brim over with passages about serenity and renewal experienced during stays and kept promises about return visits. Terrone walls, ponderosa pine ceiling beams, Mexican tiles, pedestal baths, and other functional artifacts revive a lost age. Stacks of pinon wood are ready to burn in each room’s kiva fireplace. This Native American fireplace is an arched, white beehive-shaped structure made from the adobe used for the dwelling. Red ristras—bunches of dried chile pepper pods, New Mexico’s signature decorative element—hang from Dutch doors that open from guest rooms into the lush garden courtyard. Brilliant flowers, cottonwood, and vining plants are tended to each day by a groundskeeper. Generations of landscaping secrets enabled him to restore an outer wall, toppled last year by a delivery truck, in the authentic terrone layered-mud tradition. HSMAI MARKETING REVIEW • SPRING 2008

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Marketing Review - Spring 2008

HSMAI Marketing Review - Spring 2008 Contents COLUMN: The Online Marketer COLUMN: Success Stories COLUMN: Guest Column Ten Trends Now Shaping the Future of Hospitality Turning the 2008 Consumer Tax Rebates into Hospitality and Travel Sales 25 Extraordinary Minds in Hospitality and Travel Sales and Marketing The Lure of Lore: Connecting with Customers Through a Unique Brand Story A Careful Balancing Act A Meaningful Relationship: How Technology Affects the Connection Between Hospitality Marketers and Meeting Planners SPECIAL SECTION: The 2007 HSMAI Adrian Awards Building Five Star Imagery

Marketing Review - Spring 2008

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