Orlando Florida | This year saw the world’s largest vacation ownership business rebrand its timeshare properties while new hospitality brands popped up overnight with compelling names like Aloft, Cambria, Indigo, ME, NYLO, Viceroy, Capella and “1”. In their top ten issues and challenges for 2007, the International Society of Hospitality Consultants lists Branding as “mitigating consumer confusion over brand proliferation and investor concerns over cross-brand impact.” The ISHC goes on to report that there are an estimated 140 + hotel “brands, up from approximately 80 in 1995 and estimated 110 brands in 2000. This begs the question, how do resorts developers communicate and gain recognition for their brand in an increasingly cluttered marketplace?

“A shared ownership brand, whether it’s a timeshare or a condo-hotel, needs to tell a story explaining who they are and what they stand for in the hearts and minds of consumers. These stories provide a competitive advantage, as they translate information to consumers into accessible emotional terms that ensure a confident purchase.” states Lawrence Hefler, marketing and branding consultant, and president of Hefler International. The established vacation ownership brands such as Disney, which has the ‘story-telling’ idea down pat, Marriott, Hilton, Four Seasons and others offer a branded name that certainly establishes credibility. However, with or without a branded name, resort developers need a “big picture” plan for their brand strategy. Hefler advocates for developers the following 11 branding tools:

1. Brand Association – What are the facts, feelings, and beliefs that consumers have about your brand?
2. Brand Communications – Do the tangible materials: collateral, advertising, e-mail campaigns, preview centers, trade shows, photography reflect the brand association?
3. Brand Essence – What is the positioning expressed in a few core words: e.g. Disney -- Magic, American Express -- Service
4. Brand Equity –What is the perceived brand value? How much is a customer aware of the brand? Are your products, services, and features brand named?
5. Brand Protection – The transparent implementation of customer-centric marketing strategies to comply with individual state laws governing the sale of deeded real estate interests.
6. Brand Extension --- A strong brand name invites leveraging for possible expansion of products and services into new markets
7. Brand Identity – The outward visual expression of the brand; logo, colors, typeface, imagery, Web sites, – consumer recognition
8. Brand Personality – The attributes of human personality traits; such as warm, imaginative, hip…great example is Mac vs. PC commercial
9. Brand Standards – A consistent representation of the brand via guest services, room amenities, uniforms, on hold messages and more.
10. Brand Voice – How the brand speaks to its audience using advertising, customer service, sales presentations, localized messages, languages,
11. Brand Values – The code by which the brand lives, how internal branding is driven via recruitment collateral, HR / benefits, training, product manuals and call center scripting.

“Marketers know that the establishment of a brand identity is done through a process of brand messaging, creative development, and collateral planning. More importantly, the brand message needs to be clear and consistent across all communications and touch points. Particularly critical for developers is online branding as the Web is the immediate and continual brand face to the world; and where a brand identity can grow and spread globally,” adds Hefler.