Erik Saelens, Brandhome's executive strategic director, spoke at the Arabian Hotel Investment Conference 2017. Do we still need hotel brands? Players such as Google, Booking.com and Airbnb have turned the market upside down. And customer’s expectations are changing as well. People want more unique and personalized experiences. Is the hotel industry capable to adapt? Can hotel brands become meaningful brands? Check it out!

1. DO WE STILL NEED
HOTEL BRANDS?

2. ERIK SAELENS
FOUNDER & EXECUTIVE STRATEGIC DIRECTOR BRANDHOME
42 YEARS
LIVE IN ANTWERP, BELGIUM
MARRIED, 2 DAUGHTERS
WWW.ERIKSAELENS.COM
WWW.BRANDHOME.COM

4. 1. WHAT IS A BRAND
2. DO WE STILL NEED (HOTEL) BRANDS?
3. CHANGE IS THE ONLY CONSTANT
4. THE MARKETING OF MEANING
5. HOW TO BECOME MEANINGFUL
6. STORYTELLING
7. TAKEAWAYS
TOPICS

5. 1. WHAT IS A BRAND

6. A SMALL ELEMENT CAN SAY A LOT
ABOUT A PERSON

7. ANGELINA JOLIE &
BRAD PITT

8. BOB MARLEY

9. LADY DI

10. BRUCE WILLIS ;-)

11. BUT THE SAME CAN BE SAID
FOR BRANDS

16. GREEN & COFFEE BAR

18. RED & SPORTS CAR

20. COLOUR

21. AROMA

22. PACKAGING

23. SOUND

24. SOUND

25. SOUND

26. SOUND

27. PLACE

28. MUCH MORE THAN A NAME
MUCH MORE THAN A LOGO
MUCH MORE THAN AN ADVERT
A BRAND IS

29. A BRAND CAN BE ANYTHING

30. A BRAND IS
A BELIEF SYSTEM
WHERE PEOPLE
REWARD YOU WITH
LOYALTY

31. IF
A BRAND IS
A BELIEF SYSTEM
WHERE PEOPLE
REWARD YOU WITH
LOYALTY

32. A BRAND IS
A BELIEF SYSTEM
WHERE PEOPLE
REWARD YOU WITH
LOYALTY IF
YOU KNOW HOW TO OFFER A
PREMIUM EXPERIENCE

33. A BRAND IS
A BELIEF SYSTEM
WHERE PEOPLE
REWARD YOU WITH
LOYALTY IF
YOU KNOW HOW TO OFFER A
PREMIUM EXPERIENCE
THAT CREATES
IN-ELASTICTY

34. BRANDING
= CREATING IN-ELASTICITY

35. IN-ELASTICITYA STRONG BRAND MAKES YOUR CUSTOMERS
LESS PRICE-ELASTIC
LESS SERVICE-ELASTIC
LESS DISTRIBUTION ELASTIC
LESS LOYALTY ELASTIC

36. 2. DO WE STILL NEED (HOTEL) BRANDS?

37. OF PEOPLE
DON’T TRUST
BRANDS54%

38. PEOPLE WOULD NOT
CARE IF 75% OF THE
BRANDS THEY USE
DISAPPEARED75%

39. WORLD’S MOST POPULAR HOTEL 2016?

40. WORLD’S MOST POPULAR HOTEL 2016

41. PROMOTIONPLATFORM PERCEPTION
WORLD’S MOST POPULAR HOTEL

42. 85% OF PEOPLE
DO NOT LOOK AT
THE BRAND WHEN
BOOKING A HOTEL85%
BRANDHOME RESEARCH

43. DO WE STILL NEED HOTEL BRANDS?

44. HOW CAN A BRAND BE
CONSISTENT AND UNIQUE?

45. 3. CHANGE IS THE ONLY CONSTANT

46. 4 BILLION PEOPLE
USE A MOBILE PHONE*
*ONLY 3,5 BILLION USE A TOOTHBRUSH

47. WE SEE CHANGES IN
MARKET
CUSTOMER
BEHAVIOR
EXPECTATIONS

48. WE SEE CHANGES IN
MARKET
CUSTOMER
BEHAVIOR
EXPECTATIONS

49. GOOGLE
CHANGED THE
WAY PEOPLE
FIND THEIR HOTEL

50. BOOKING.COM CHANGED
PRICING AND MARGINS

51. AIRBNB CHANGED
WHAT AND WHERE
A HOTEL CAN BE

52. 60% OF PEOPLE
GO LESS OFTEN TO
HOTELS DUE TO
NEW ALTERNATIVES60%
BRANDHOME RESEARCH

53. WE SEE CHANGES IN
MARKET
CUSTOMER
BEHAVIOR
EXPECTATIONS

54. COMMUNITIES ARE
THE NEW
TRAVEL AGENCIES

55. WE SEE CHANGES IN
MARKET
CUSTOMER
BEHAVIOR
EXPECTATIONS

56. EXPECTATIONS
HAVE INCREASED

58. 4. THE MARKETING OF MEANING

59. OF MILLENNIALS
WOULD TAKE A PAY
CUT TO WORK FOR A
SOCIALLY RESPONSIBLE
COMPANY
75%

60. WORLD’S BIGGEST HOTEL?

61. WORLD’S BIGGEST HOTEL: 329,811 refugees

62. OF TRADITIONAL MARKETING
OF TRADITIONAL CONSUMERISM
CONSUMERS ARE TIRED…

64. IF €100.000 IS SPENT…
HOW WOULD YOU
SPEND IT?

65. WOULD YOU SPEND THE
MONEY ON ONLINE BANNERS…
OR BUILD 10 WATER WELLS IN
POOR AFRICAN VILLAGES?

66. WOULD YOU SPEND IT ON
PRINT ADS IN MAGAZINES…
OR ORGANISE FREE COURSES
TO EDUCATE PEOPLE ON
HOW TO RUN HEALTHY?

67. WOULD YOU SPEND IT ON A
PROMO ON BOOKING.COM…
OR GIVE A REFUGEE A WARM
BED FOR ONE NIGHT?

68. OR GIVE A REFUGEE A WARM
BED FOR ONE NIGHT?
WOULD YOU SPEND IT ON A
PROMO ON BOOKING.COM…

69. OR GIVE A REGUGEE A WARM
BED FOR ONE NIGHT?
WOULD YOU SPEND IT ON A
PROMA ON BOOKING.COM…

71. OF PEOPLE PREFER A
HOTEL THAT INVESTS
IN PEOPLE INSTEAD OF
A SWIMMING POOL82%
BRANDHOME RESEARCH

72. 5. HOW TO BECOME MEANINGFUL

73. PUT THE CUSTOMER FIRST AND
OFFER THE BEST EXPERIENCE
POSSIBLE

74. #1
LOCAL EXPERIENCES

75. MILLENNIALS WANT
UNIQUE AND
SHARED EXPERIENCES
THEY WILL OUTSPEND
BABYBOOMERS ON
“HOTELS” BY 2020
(OR SOONER)

76. #2
SHARING ECONOMY

77. EXISTING PLAYERS
RETHINK THEIR
HOTEL EXPERIENCE

78. MARRIOTT HOTELS
JO&JOE BY ACCORHOTELS
DESIGN HOTELS BY SPG
TRU BY HILTON

79. FREDRIK KORALLUS - CEO GENERATOR
‘THE BEDROOM IS THE
LEAST IMPORTANT PART
OF THE EXPERIENCE’

81. NEW PLAYERS
RETHINK THEIR
BUSINESS MODEL

82. HOTEL

83. #3
PURPOSE

84. SUSTAINABILITY IS NOT
A DIFFERENTIATOR
IT IS A REQUIREMENT

85. CSR IS NOT ABOUT
YOUR BRAND
IT IS ABOUT PEOPLE

86. #4
PERSONALIZATION

87. GET TO KNOW YOUR
CUSTOMERS
TECHNOLOGIES CAN HELP
TO PERSONALISE AN
EXPERIENCE

88. HUMAN INTERACTIONS
WILL BECOME EVEN
MORE IMPORTANT

89. #5
ADD VALUE

90. TURN YOUR HOTEL INTO
A PLATFORM AND
ADD VALUE TO THE
ENTIRE HOLIDAY
EXPERIENCE

91. EXTEND YOUR HOTEL
SERVICE
BEYOND THE DOORS
OF YOUR HOTEL

92. HOTELS ARE FULL OF STORIES

93. 6. STORYTELLING

94. PEOPLE FIRST TRUST PEOPLE
THEN THEY TRUST STORIES
THEN THEY TRUST BRANDS

95. CONTENT
TELLING
STORIES!
IS ABOUT
DISTRIBUTING
CONTENT
IS ABOUT
MEANING-
FULNESS

96. MAKE SENSE OF THE WORLD
UNDERSTAND LIFE'S EXPERIENCES
DEAL WITH DILEMMAS
OVERCOME HARDSHIPS
STORIES HELP PEOPLE TO

97. STORIES ARE BELIEF SYSTEMS
THAT FUNCTION AS A REFERENCE FRAME
TO FACILITATE THE CHOICES WE MAKE

98. …AND THAT IS EXACTLY
WHAT BRANDS DO TOO

108. 7. TAKEAWAYS

109. OF US EXPECT
BRANDS TO
CONTRIBUTE TO OUR
QUALITY OF LIFE
75%

110. 1MEANING IS THE
ORGANIC CONSEQUENCE
OF WILLINGNESS

111. 2MEANINGFUL
MARKETING MAKES FOR
BETTER ROI

112. 3BIG DATA CAN MAKE
IT PERSONAL

113. 4AIM TO BECOME A
MEANINGFUL PREMIUM
BRAND

114. 5FIND YOUR OWN
BRAND OF MEANING

115. BRANDHOME’S KNOW-HOW IS NOW AVAILABLE ON
WWW.BRANDHOME.COM/BOOKS

116. DONATE NOW
www.brandhomefoundation.com