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Survive Or Die – The Dos And Don’ts Of Rebranding Hospitality Businesses

Aspire Executive Lounges, Swissport's global airport hospitality brand, has joined the British Institute of Hospitality, the world’s leading and award-winning membership body for hospitality professionals. Aspire Executive Lounges becomes the first business partner from the airport lounge hospitality sector to join the Institute of Hospitality. Aspire Executive Lounges, the fast-growing Swiss brand in the airport hospitality business, has joined the British Institute of Hospitality (IoH), the world’s leading membership body for professionals working and studying in the hospitality leisure and tourism industry. Aspire Executive Lounges is the first business from the airport lounge sector to become a member of IoH. The collaboration will foster an exchange of expertise and insights: IoH will benefit from Aspire's expertise in airport hospitality, while Aspire, by sharing its wealth of experience with IoH members, can extend its professional network to the hotel and catering sectors and hospitality management schools. “Our vision for Aspire Executive Lounges is clear and simple: We want to deliver a guest experience that is similar to what our guests are used to from their preferred hotels, meeting the needs and exceeding the expectations of today’s travelers,” says David Collyer, Global Vice President of Executive Lounges at Swissport International AG. “We strive to deliver an unparalleled experience and set a benchmark that transcends our industry, redefining excellence across the hospitality sector. The Institute of Hospitality is a great network to exchange insights and experiences, and to learn from others in the hospitality sector, which will help us bring our vision to life.” Robert Richardson, CEO of the Institute of Hospitality: “Our aspiration at the Institute of Hospitality has been to develop and grow our membership, the number of countries we operate in, and the number of hospitality sectors represented within our organization. With that in mind, it is a natural partnership for us to welcome Aspire into our family, and to learn from their teams, who serve travelers with passion and dedication. As two organizations with similar values, we look forward to collaborating in promoting high levels of excellence within our profession.” With over 30 years of experience, Aspire Executive Lounges is Europe’s largest brand in the airport lounges sector. In 2023, Swissport welcomed more than five million customers worldwide at over 69 lounges in 20 countries. The airport hospitality brand recently opened new lounges at Toronto City Airport in Canada, and Helsinki-Vantaa Airport in Finland. Aspire Executive Lounges recently created a new lounge concept in partnership with the airline alliance oneworld. The first oneworld branded lounge was launched at Incheon Airport in Seoul, Korea, in December 2023. Aspire Executive Lounges is owned by Swissport International AG, the global leader in aviation services, serving airlines at 286 airports in 44 countries across 6 continents
Written by Amy

By Philip Harrison, President and Managing Director of Harrison, one of the leading hospitality concept creation consultancies globally

The world moves on quickly, particularly in the hospitality sector. For example, in 2015, the appetite for burgers was growing with restaurants clamouring for a bite of the Artisan bun, today it appears the burger bubble could soon burst as chains, such as Byron, scale back[1]. As trends and consumer needs evolve, we recommend restaurants, bars, and hotels assess their brand and whether it meets market needs annually. Every two years, businesses should make changes, however small, to remain relevant, for example updating products and services.

Businesses operating in the hospitality sector need to be constantly alert to shifts in the market and respond quickly. The industry is extremely competitive – the hospitality sector contributes over £140bn to the UK Gross Domestic Product (GDP)[2], while British households spend approximately £45.10 on restaurants and hotels per week[3]. To survive, restaurants, bars, and hotels need strong branding that has the stamina, flexibility, and creative flair to stand out, remain relevant, and take advantage of growth in the hospitality sector – this is going to become more challenging as change accelerates.

Rebranding vs brand evolution

Rebranding is a marketing strategy usually used in response to long-term substantial changes in consumer habits to create a fresh identity in consumers’ minds and key business stakeholders, including investors, suppliers, and employees.

Brand evolution is usually about smaller changes through incremental innovations that reflect evolving market conditions, and changing customer needs – for example, updating your menu so it is line with food and drink trends.

Having recently rebranded Harrison to reflect its new direction and business strategy, we’ve provided our top tips on the dos and don’ts of rebranding and brand evolution:

  1. Do build a strong foundation – You should always remain true to what your business stands for, and update your branding around these core values. However, company codes should not be buzzwords, but principles you follow and reminders about why your business was born, what it offers, and what makes it stand out. Starbucks, for example, is a global phenomenon yet remains anchored to creating a warm culture where everyone is welcome[4]. Your core values should be constant but flexible within certain brand guardrails, so your business can grow and adapt to market conditions whist staying true to its essence.
  2. Do look at customer aspirations – When refreshing your business, look at how your consumers see the world and how can you best meet these visions, creating something just for them. For example, more people are eating out as they want experiences and to socialise with friends and family, equally more people than ever are eating out for fuel – as a hospitality enterprise, your brand should reflect these aspirations, so you can continue attracting customers and remain relevant.
  3. Do consider all customer touchpoints – Branding should seep through all areas of a business that a consumer encounters. For example, offering a quality menu means nothing if your customers are sat on chairs that are too low, in a dark room with mismatched or disconnected interiors, being served by unfriendly staff. Examine the consumer’s journey – from the moment they open the door, walk to their table, and even visit the toilets, and ensure your branding carries through – from the design, the menu, customer service, and even recruitment and training.
  4. Do mature with your customers – Consumers don’t always remain loyal to one brand and can be unpredictable. Growing with your current customer base can add to your business’ competitive edge and help it to endure. A good example of this, is the changing demand of millennials, the generation born between 1981 and 1997. This demographic has experienced a more sophisticated range of food service concepts, with emphasis on authenticity, quality, healthier choices, and greater food credibility, and will likely continue to demand these values as they grow into a family market. If your business doesn’t meet their changing needs, you’re in danger of appearing unattractive to the next generation of young families.
  5. Don’t use unnecessary technology – While the digital revolution has evolved business’ relationships with consumers, customer service front of house remains critical. For some hospitality businesses the interaction between the server and guest is part of the whole experience, and for these brands, technology can have its limitations and could in fact alienate your customers.
  6. Don’t forget about your employees – The key to any company surviving is employing talented individuals, who can provide a fresh outlook and inject innovation. When rebranding you should also appeal to current and future employees, emphasising who you are, the direction the business is heading in and its future prospects.
  7. Don’t rebrand for the sake of it – When reviewing your brand, ask yourself whether it is still relevant and fits the market and consumer’s needs. Don’t follow your competition and copy what they are doing, this can confuse consumers and create a brand identity crisis.

Eating, drinking out, short break hotel visits are increasingly becoming part of everyday life, not just for special occasions, which is fuelling growth across the hospitality sector. To navigate changing consumer mindsets, your business’ branding needs to be evolve with them, while remaining loyal to its core values so it endures. By evaluating your brand every year and making incremental changes every two years, it signals to customers and stakeholders that your business is moving forward as well as communicating both visually and verbally the right information to stand out from its competitors.

 

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Amy