Banyan Tree Branding the Intangible

Strategic Drift in RIM Research In Motion (RIM) is a attach to that has suffered from strategic drift. The essential problem created by RIM only centre upon their current technology, without evaluating the fast changing among the competitors Apple and mechanical man were using. RIM has simply made incremental changes to the comparable crossroad which has non met the change in clients needs (Dwyer and Edwards, 2008). The leaders at RIM atomic number 18 overestimated the BlackBerrys advantages, term Apple and Android roducts developed the use of apps, better operating systems, hardware and usability.The RIM BlackBerry phones look at seemingly locomote behind this environmental change (Guman, 2012). It had caused shareholders angry and 11% shared drop as a older RIM employee wrote an open letter to the Co-CEOs urging them for citing the partnership lacked of focusing the market change and fail to ameliorate the bloodline. It is evident that the leaders are entirely respon sible for revolutionary change in RIM. In 2012, the revolutionary changing in the two dual CEOs Mike Lazard and Jim Balsillie had been stepped down and replaced by Thorsten Heins.Heins made a certain changes to the companys leadership team. John & Katulis (2007) suggest that in that respect are many fallings that could cause business decline or strategic drift and one of the main points they highlight is a lack of trade skill, which could attributed to the leaders. Eden (1998) offers the thought process that a loss of external confidence and reputation could be caused by strategic drift and in the case of RIM these trade errors have certainly affected their reputation. banyan direct Branding the impalpable banyan tree manoeuvre Branding the In real(a) Abstract banian tree corner Hotels and Resorts had become a conduct player in the luxury resorts and spa market in Asia. As part of its growth strategy, banyan tree steer had launched new strike outs and dirt extensions that included resorts, spas, retail wall plugs, and even museum shops. Now, the company had to contemplate how to manage its brand portfolio and expand its business while preserving the clear-cutive identity and strong brand image of Banyan shoetree, its flagship brand. nerve Questions 1. What are the main factors that contributed to Banyan manoeuvers success? 2.Evaluate Banyan Trees brand rangeing and communications strategies. Can Banyan Tree maintain its extraordinary locating in an increasingly overcrowded resorts market? 3. Discuss whether the brand portfolio of Banyan Tree, Angsana, Colours of Angsana, and Allamanda, as advantageously as the product portfolio of beach resorts and city hotels, spas, galleries, and museum shops fit as a family. What are your recommendations to Banyan Tree for managing these brands and products in incoming? Discussion of Case Questions 1. What are the main factors that contributed to Banyan Trees success? Banyan Trees success might be attributed to an verall well designed and executed external and internal marketing program, and in particular Choice of target segment Positioning and branding strategy Product/ serve up design and delivery Aggressive internal marketing Winning the support of local communities and public engross groups groundbreaker status first mover advantage Pro-environmental business practices Choice of target segment The sizeable price gap in the luxury resorts market meant that middle upper class consumers must all stretch to pay for ultra luxurious resorts much(prenominal) as Aman, or settle for resorts, though luxurious, are catered to he push-down storagees. Ho recognized the business opportunity presented by the gap in the resorts market there was room for something pricier and more unshared that would better cater to these middle upper class consumers, who had better outlay power than had the average consumer in the mass market, and would be able to afford and willing to pa y for a more exclusive superior operate offer. Moreover, as a result of todays more often than non more hectic and nerve-racking lifestyles, many well-to-do couples would appreciate Banyan Trees take account proposition of a memorable, romantic holiday experience that would oth provide relaxation and create quality clip for them to spend quiet moments together. Positioning and branding strategy Although Banyan Trees help offering was alone(p) when it was first launched, this would non be a sustainable competitive advantage, as most tangible products could be easily copied by competitors. Establishing a strong service brand, however, would serve to distinguish Banyan Tree from competitors when they do jump on the bandwagon. Positioning as a mental family line for romance and closeness was well thought out, these creation timeless attributes entertaind by many couples.A clear brand bargain of romance and intimacy, which the company consistently delivered, besides help ed it achieve a clear and translucentive market position. That the company consistently delivered on its promise further beef upd what Banyan Tree stood for in the minds of its clients, thereby twist both brand loyalty and emotional bonds. Product/service design and delivery The luxurious villas and distinctive native settings provided an excellent backdrop for guests to create memorable holiday experiences. Service employees were warm, sincere, and respectful knew guests by their label and emembered their preferences. Such personalized service delivery warmed guests, and helped them feel comfortable and relaxed, contributing to the entire customer experience. This was further enhanced by the feel-good factor that guests patronage helped to contribute to unlike social and environmental causes. repetition patronage was overly encouraged by the different services offered at different locations, which gave satisfied guests an added inducing to visit Banyan Tree resorts around t he world, to experience authentic flavors and practices of various local communities. As employees were inclined freedom to decorate the illas and in serving guests, even rhythmical guests of a particular resort would have a different experience and may be pleasantly surprised every time they look into in. Such practices, together with continual service innovations, kept the Banyan Tree experience fresh and eliciting. The unit of measurement Banyan Tree experience was engineered to appeal to ones champions, giving guests a unique value proposition unlike the regular room stays offered by competitors then such a service feature was also difficult to imitate, and successfully set Banyan Tree apart from other(a) resorts in the market. Satisfied guests not only became loyal customers but lso helped spread positivistic word-of-mouth, which in turn gained the company new customers. Aggressive internal marketing Generous staff welfare policies created a strong brain of brand owner ship among employees, which motivated them to achieve service excellence. Service staff served guests with passion and sincerity that could not be bought or easily copied by competitors. employees may not always provide the standard service crossways all the resorts nor always similar to that commonly found in five-star establishments in developed countries, their affable and respectful attitudes towards guests more than made up for it and ctually provide an element of surprise even to the most regular guests. Winning the support of local communities andpublic interest groups The companys considerable investments in conserving/preserving/promoting the social/ heathenish/ indispensable environment beyond what was required of the company (without sacrificing on service quality) showed proof of corporate morals that were driven by the managements personal values. Such acts projected the Banyan Tree brand as being caring and sincere, consistent with its positioning of a romantic bran d. Overall, Banyan Tree was viewed by guests, staff, local communities, and public interest roups as a warm, sincere, caring, ethical, and responsible company. Even when guests wander beyond the resorts compounds, the certain feelings of hospitality and appreciation showed by the local communities at the villages made guests felt welcome and at home, reservation the entire stay pleasant and memorable. Such service capabilities were extremely difficult for competitors to imitate, requiring lots of investments in time, effort, and capital by the firm to gain the trust and respect of both staff and the local community alike. Pioneer status first mover advantage At a time when clinical spas were the norm,Banyan Tree invested in tropical garden spa pavilions, pioneering the imagination of tropical spas and Asian therapeutic massages, a insolence which proved to be popular. cosmos the first in the market gave them a head start in penetrating the market. The lack of competition in th e beginning also helped in consolidating the companys position in the spa and resorts market. Establishments that were interested in providing similar spa services naturally approached them to establish an outlet in their premises, which helped further promote the concept of tropical garden spas beyond the regional markets.Pro-environment business practices Although being environmentally conscious sometimes resulted in costlier business decisions, for Banyan Tree, a major part of the resorts tenderness was in the natural dish antenna of the location in which the villas were located. So, it made economic sense to protect and stay the resorts surrounding environment to ensure that it remained an attractive tourist destination in the long run, or as Banyan Tree put it, to prevent todays darling from becoming tomorrows has-been. Such pro-environmental business practices also generated a lot of positive publicity and won the ompany several awards, and these not only helped increase t he brand awareness of Banyan Tree but also generated much interest among potential customers. At the same time, the company got the support of various public interest groups, such as environmentalists, and this saved the company from having to deal with any potential trouble that might have arisen from their development of the natural habitats of various flora and fauna for business purposes. 2. Evaluate Banyan Trees brand positioning andcommunications strategies. Can Banyan Treemaintain its unique positioning in an increasinglyovercrowded resorts market?Brand positioning is timely and remove in todays hectic and stressful lifestyles Banyan Tree was positioned as a sanctuary that offered couples an exclusive romantic and intimate holiday experience. Positioned on such timeless attributes as romance and intimacy between couples, the positioning is timely and appropriate in todays increasingly hectic and stressful lifestyle, where many couples are busy with their careers and have lit tle time to spend together. Banyan Trees offering of an avenue to get away from it all and spend quality time together while relaxing and de-stressing would appear to be valued enefits sought by todays busy couples. Being the first and only resort to be positioned as such, Banyan Tree occupied a unique position in the luxury resorts market when it first started. Focused promotion efforts with minimum wastage Banyan Trees communications program focused mainly on public relations and publicity, and direct marketing through its web site and sales offices that targeted wealthy consumers, with little emphasis on advertise. As advertisements were selectively placed in only high-end travel magazines that targeted the higher income and more sophisticated segment of the market, astage in advertising exposure is minimized. Showcasing the awards and accolades won credibly enhanced the brands reputation. Promotion through agents specializing in exclusive holidays adequately exposed Banyan Tre e to its target segment of wealthy consumers. Efforts at obtaining and increasing column coverage on Banyan Tree both increased brand awareness in the persistence and helped to sell the Banyan Tree experience credibly, coming from a neutral third party. Much positive publicity and public interest was generated as a result of the companys investment in pro-environmental business practices, such as ponsoring various environmental conservation programs and community outreach programs. Besides being viewed as a caring and pro- environmental company, such publicity also drew attention to the natural beauty of the resorts and their environments, which helped the company to advertise its villas. Unique positioning sustainable? Whether Banyan Tree faeces maintain its unique positioning in the market would depend on how well it can keep its identity distinct and prevent competitors from encroaching into its turf. Generally, the positioning of providing romantic and intimate holiday experi ences is not difficult to mitate so is the concept of individual villas and any tangible offering. But, the overall service experience at Banyan Tree can still be unique, given its location specific service offerings and the uniqueness of the natural environment that Banyan Tree resorts are located. Although service innovations can be copied easily, the personality of a brand is less so, and the same can be said of the attitudes of staff and the local community at the resort destination, as well as the genuine feelings of hospitality shown towards guests. Banyan Tree had tried to appeal to the senses, ocusing on the overall customer experience and working on what the customer will ultimately bring homememories. Judging from its success so far, it appears that even if competitors come up with similar lower-priced service products, it is unlikely that they would be able to repeat the total Banyan Tree experience so quickly. Perceptual mappingping could be used to imagine the market positions of Banyan Tree and its sister brands relative to competitors in the industry. An example of a positioning map with the attributes price level and romantic versus sporty image is shown below 4.Discuss whether the brand portfolio of BanyanTree, Angsana, and Colours of Angsana, as well asthe product portfolio of beach resorts and city hotels, spas, galleries, and museum shops fit as a family. What are your recommendations to Banyan Tree formanaging these brands and products in future? From luxurious six-star Banyan Tree resorts to small, individual Colours of Angsana branded hotels in raise locations, these properties were bound together by one central theme the romance of travel and the beauty of discovering the world. Banyan Tree targeted the higher end of the luxury resorts marketAngsana was more mainstream and contemporary, targeting the wider market The Colours of Angsana range of dress shop hotels catered specifically to the soft adventure tourism segment, locating in remote and exotic places that cannot justify the premium prices charged by Banyan Tree villas The various brands thus served to cater to different segments of the hotels and resorts industry, made distinct by price and benefits offered. The city hotel was also positioned similarly on romance and intimacy although it additionally catered to business travelers. There is a heavy emphasis on spa, designed to rovide an escape from the hustle and bustle of the city. It also offered various getaway/wedding packages for couples to indulge in romance and intimacy. The various facilities, such as spas and retail outlets, found across Banyan Tree resorts, were also available at Banyan Tree Bangkok. In particular, the hotel had an open-air rooftop lounge, Vertigo, at the top of the building, where guests could get a good view of the city the lounge could also be used to host wedding receptions and other parties. Four broad product lines accommodation, clubs, spas, and retail outlets Banyan Tree s products and services could be lassified into essentially four product lines hotels and resorts, clubs, spas, and retail shops, under various brands and sub-brands. Banyan Trees properties and spas could be classified under the business of travel and leisure. The retail shops augment and helped to extend the overall service experience through the sale of products that consumers might use at home to replicate and remind them of the Banyan Tree experience. Also, the arts and crafts sold at the shops not only served to reinforce Banyan Trees brand personality, but also fitted in the travel industry, with the sales of native products that tourists could buy s souvenirs. Achieving branding consistency through management by brand Management of the portfolio by brand would achieve more consistency in branding and positioning, and also make it easier to cross-sell and bundle products, although such an arrangement would require duplication in resources for various functions. Target custom er Banyan Tree focused on its target customer segment which was high-end wealthy customers looking for exclusive luxury holidays. Banyan Tree knew exactly which customers they wanted to target and carried out its brand positioning accordingly. Advertisement The advertising was very minimal to maintain exclusivity and it was carried out in top-of-the-line travel magazines that targeted its preferred customer segment. It never went in for a mass market strategy by selling through wholesale and retail agents. It became so successful and advantageous owing to the fact that it ended up knowing its target customers so well, it met their needs better than other giant chains such as Hilton and Shangri-La. Brand Identity -Brand value / ethics / CSR Environmental friendly, preservation of eco system, bio- degradable products, customer focus, -Brand Associations / Personality Caring, Romance and intimacy, social and sensitive, rivate, cultural and authentic, -Brand Vision sanctuary for the senses, building a necklace across the world -Brand Positioning (Category, POD, POPs, Value Prop) -POD Pricing, experience intimate moments, private pools, spas and art gallery, building memories, romance, CSR, customer involvement(environmental preservation), sense of place (different place - different experience) -POPS all attribute of luxury resorts(high service standard, 5 star reproduction -Value Proposition is ideal for .. provide target market segment because they provide.. better than their competition