We've all heard the phrase "niche marketing" and what that means in terms of narrowing the focus of both your communications and business model. Most consumer-based industries have slowly migrated from micro-segmentation down to the individual consumer. But is that enough?
The challenge most organizations face is, How deep is your relationship with current and potential customers? Not unlike most valued relationships, you must anticipate their wants, behavior, thought process, and future needs. These desires are expressed through a variety of sensory activities and will be unveiled throughout this article. Let's use the hotel industry as a model to evaluate these issues through a concept I call "Nano Branding."

To set the stage, we first need to understand the context of this "hotel-consumer" relationship. At first blush, any current or potential customer would discern hotel brands through a variety of venues: an advertisement, signage, travel agent suggestion, Internet (and Internet portals), recommendation from a colleague, and general word-of-mouth. In some cases, you only have one opportunity to introduce your value proposition, and first impressions are critical (like a first date).

One question remains: how engaging and innovative is this hotel-consumer relationship?

Initial Search
In the 21st century, current and potential consumers will most likely use your site when they begin the price/availability search. The discount shopper will typically seek third-party sites (hotels.com, Expedia, Priceline, etc.), but highly valued consumers are generally business travelers and prefer a direct connection with a brand. (We'll refer to business travelers as "clients" henceforth.)

To assure consistency, I viewed five commonly known hotel sites and followed their respective processes from the home page to check out. The brands considered included Marriott, Westin, Hyatt, Hilton, and Crowne Plaza. To evaluate each brand, I sought accommodations in a progressive city (Irvine, California) and used each site to secure a reservation.

In each case, all hotel companies offered nearly the same experience. They allowed the client to search city, state, and dates of travel. In addition, they all offered various rates based on type of room and other accommodations. The number of "clicks" to achieve a valid reservation ranged from three to five web pages. Marriott had a few extra settings such as choice of pillow (foam or regular), but on the whole, the experience was similar.

Let's assume a match occurred between a client and a desired room rate. At this juncture, all hotel brands usher you off to check out and miss a huge opportunity. From the hotel management's point of view, the job is done. From the client's experience, it's good enough, but no better than any other offering. The following prescribes an alternate approach to relationship and brand enhancement.

Nano Branding Applied
What is a Nano Brand anyway? It simply means moving a brand into the deepest level imaginable within the mind's eye of the client. You achieve this by creating a new value that's not currently available and executing it in such a way that's hard to follow. Starbucks took generic coffee drinkers, and by changing the rules of the game, turned them into committed brand patriots. Joggers invest in shoe technology and will only consider the Nike brand to other competing offerings. If you need a package sent overnight and demand assurance that it will get there, your only consideration would be FedEx. In the same respect, understanding the value required in a given setting drives brand commitment. This changes the client's view from casual user to a committed brand owner. Let's apply Nano Branding to the hotel industry and consider the possibilities.

Dare to Dream
Imagine if clients were treated differently. In addition to selecting criteria such as a non-smoking/king, consider the unveiling of offerings that would enhance their experience and build brand loyalty at the same time. After a client completes the reservation essentials, gently draw them to a world where they can customize their experience. Using current IT technology and infrastructure most hotel companies employ, let's imagine a full-service hotel chain which seeks to "change the rules of the game." How could this be done? Let's break the hotel experience into fragments and address each component.

Room Ambience. When a client walks into your hotel room, what is her first impression? Is the room pitch black? Does she fumble to find the light switch? Once the light is turned on, what does she see? Is the room silent and uninviting? If a client stayed one night in each of the hotels mentioned above, would the experience differ?

Now imagine a world where valued clients can specify their preferences. Consider a web page on your site, which graphically depicts a standard room. A "pop-up" invites the client to explore this interactive site and the many surprises to be discovered. By running the mouse (arrow) over various objects, the client can now set the tone of the experience, from lighting to genre of music (through the TV, a CD player, or other satellite music devices). After each "click" by your captivated client, the visual and audio elements on the web page change to reflect the expected brand promise (lighting in the room changes and a sample music clip plays). To fully engage your client, you must attend to all of her senses.

One important caveat to consider: Ask the client during her first visit if she would like to save her settings before checking out. In this manner, the client "wins" because this hotel took the time to ask and remember her preferences, and in turn, the hotel also "wins" by deepening the relationship and achieving personal desires. This simple interaction will pay enormous dividends in the form of future revenue streams.

Amenities. This particular client has now experienced something new and inviting and returns to your site to book her next visit. After completing her reservation, she runs the mouse around the room graphic and comes across a menu perched on the desk. How about a fruit plate or her favorite bottled water, in addition to the proper room ambience? These amenities can be "ordered" through this same venue and delivered by room service.

What's happening here? Two distinct and simultaneous events are occurring that generate real value. The client is empowered to "customize" her experience and begin to trust the brand to deliver the kind of relationship she desires. The hotel builds a deeper relationship in addition to a greater "share-of-wallet." As you can see, this forum moves the client from Price to Experience Offered and Casual to Preferred User.

Food and Beverage. As your client becomes (and now prefers this type of treatment) more familiar with her profile on your website, she begins to seek new venues of gratification. Does your client enjoy a cup of coffee and toast at 6:25 am sharp each morning? Why do you make her call room service? Would she prefer the Wall Street Journal or USA Today? How about dining facilities? If you have the best shrimp Creole in town, ask if she would like a reservation during her stay. If your client enjoys a martini after work, have one waiting for her. You can now visualize the deepening of the brand-client relationship from casual usage to a "must have." Can you hear the cash register ringing yet?

Services. Does your client golf or play tennis after work? Does she enjoy theatre or a movie? Whatever her pleasure, you need to know these things. Sites like Barnes & Noble and Amazon use software to track reading preferences and actually recommend newly published books along the same genre. Why not employ intelligence gathering and use software to gently push specific venues? Even if your client doesn't use these "recommendations," she will certainly appreciate the offer.

S2E. Now that you've captivated these clients with the front-end website, delivering the brand promise is critical. The essence of a brand promise contains three constituents: it's consistent, timely, and a perception of continued, future excellence. However you execute this process, the procured resources and logistics already exist and only require S2E (steps-to-execution). Conversely, miss any one of these components (however small), and the brand promise begins to unravel.

You can equate S2E to your next visit to Starbucks. You briskly walk in the door with a pre-conceived notion (brand promise): a Venti Sumatra which is both steaming hot and possesses a clean, yet flavorful taste that lingers on your palate. Imagine if the S2E disintegrated for just one day. Was the coffee cold or too bitter? Was the music a local hard rock station versus the usual relaxing jazz? Were the uniforms dirty or wrinkled?

To assure S2E, Starbucks provides its employees with a small manual called the "Green Apron Book," which details every nuance, including values, daily mission, and attire. Both the work area and equipment are arranged to effectively deliver the brand promise despite the traffic flow or time of day. In short, an intelligently designed process and communication system will ensure the brand promise will be executed each and every time.

Conclusion
In many ways, "points" of differentiation in the hotel industry become elusive since most competitors can quickly replicate these short-term advantages. A recent article in one hotel magazine ran a story about kiosks as a preferred method for check-in/out by their patrons. Not unlike the airline industry, the ability to copy this capability equalizes any advantage and simply raises the standards (and associated costs) of doing business.

The key to "changing the rules of the game" comes down to execution (S2E). Simply look to market leaders in varying industries. Dell offers the same computer hardware as does Gateway and HP, but the market valuation resides in how Dell executes its strategy. The same holds true for Southwest Airlines. While many major carriers wallow in Chapter 11, Southwest just announced its 32nd (consecutive) profitable year. You decide.

The ability to create a disruption in any given market space comes down to two points: did you change the rules of the game and use S2E? Dell and Southwest took rather mundane industries and turned their brands into profitable, market leaders. They, in effect, applied Nano Branding by identifying what people really value and created business models to serve those needs. They took casual users and turned them into brand patriots. In short, the hotel industry is just waiting for someone to do the same.

Bill Nissim can be reached at www.ibranz.com



Publicado originalmente en www.brandchannel.com