On the heels of the debut of its “Change Your View” ad campaign a couple months ago and several years after its broader brand relaunch, Holiday Inn is focused on building on what it sees as a strong foundation as well as continuous improvement.
During the IHG Americas Investors & Leadership Conference in Las Vegas this week, Holiday Inn brand leaders talked about the brand’s power, but acknowledged there is more work to be done and more changes to be made.
“‘Change Your View’ is more than a tagline,” said Maurice Cooper, vice president, Americas, for Holiday Inn. “It is a call to action for all of us. Now is our time to change our view about what our brand can accomplish.”
Cooper outlined five main areas that will be most important for Holiday Inn going forward:
1. High-impact marketing
Cooper highlighted Holiday Inn’s target guest — the “contemporary traveler,” who is driven by relationships and wants a good work/life balance — and reiterated the brand’s central promise of “innovative comfort.”
However, Cooper noted that only 40% of guests who stayed at Holiday Inn realized the brand had gone through an extensive relaunch, which helped lead to the Change Your View campaign. According to Cooper, nearly three out of four U.S. adults under age 55 have been exposed to the new ad thus far, and in the first quarter of next year, the brand is planning to debut another TV ad centered on the idea of “defying expectations.” Holiday Inn also is testing localized marketing at five hotels that involves activities such as targeted PR events and outreach to bloggers.
“The Change Your View concept is flexible and can run for a long time,” Cooper said. “What you’ve seen this year is just the beginning.”
2. A focus on quality
Cooper noted that 30% of guests who have a negative experience at Holiday Inn will never stay at one of the brand’s hotels again, so Holiday Inn is promising to raise the minimum quality threshold at its properties by requiring a two-point increase in its minimum guest-satisfaction score by January 2015.
Holiday Inn also is working to improve F&B and design. Cooper said the brand must embrace the power of full-service restaurants, and added that in January 50 hotels in the United States and Canada will test a turnkey evening F&B solution that will include menus, recipes, back-of-house training and service behaviors.
Cooper also highlighted the need for a more standardized way to roll out the brand’s The Hub lobby concept, which emphasizes making the space more modern and engaging.
“Guests expect good design, but it’s not ‘one size fits all’ in this area,” Cooper said. “We need a modular, standardized way to make renovations.”
3. Building the ideal guest experience
In this area, Cooper outlined three areas of emphasis:
- Service
- A superior value equation
- A formalized innovation pipeline
“Holiday Inn must once again be a brand of firsts,” Cooper said.
4. Achieving more profitable revenue
Cooper noted the importance of a brand-centric channel- and revenue-management strategy.
5. Where the brand will grow
The right density of development in the right locations is the key to successful growth for Holiday Inn, Cooper said. He said there is an opportunity for the brand to leverage the power of Holiday Inn Resorts to expand guests’ concept of what defines Holiday Inn.
The brand also will accelerate its growth pace, Cooper added, focusing on top markets where it needs billboard assets. “We need to focus on development where it matters most,” he said.