#BrandManagerMonth: What is your brand's personality?

Henri-Basil Hearne

What does brand management mean to you?

A brand represents who your company is, what it stands for and how it is perceived in the marketplace. Brand management encompasses defining, positioning and delivering on values and maintaining and managing these elements constantly. When discussing Brand Management I always consider the following: If your brand was a person walking into a bar, what would he/she look like? What would they be wearing? What personality would they have? What type of person would they be?

Accepting that the brand you manage has a personality or an image in the eyes of the consumer should be your starting point. Just as humans evoke emotions, so do the brands we manage and interact with. In our service-driven industry, a person’s relationship with a brand can be strengthened by a single consumer touch point.

Tell us about a day in your work life.

There is rarely such a thing as an average day in the hospitality industry and there is always a new challenge waiting in the wings. Each day brings a fresh learning curve with variety of meetings, strategy and planning sessions, conference calls with colleagues around the world, functions, events, e-mails, admin and reports, research, agency briefings and rolling out campaigns are just some of the day-to-day activities of a person working in this industry. As a brand and PR manager, I am always excited to get to meet different people from different walks of life when I extend a friendly greeting to a hotel guest or conference delegate.

What inspires you, personally?

Knowing that every day I have an opportunity to make a difference in the lives of all guests who visit our hotel is very inspiring. It is a privilege to work with a great brand, and with great people that value the power of exceptional service and how it can shape and transform the way we see the world.

What's on your wishlist for brand objectives for 2016?

Part of the IHG global portfolio, the Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts brand is a dynamic upscale hotel brand located in nearly 65 countries around the world in major urban centres, gateway cities and resort destinations. As the fourth largest upscale full-service hotel brand in the world and one of the fastest growing, Crowne Plaza assists in making business travel work for its guests.

My wish for 2016 is for Crowne Plaza to continue differentiating itself amongst its competitors as the business hotel in South Africa and a reference for meetings. My team at Crowne Plaza will continue to ensure consistent and seamless service, business productivity, restoration, and ensure our guests remain loyal to Crowne Plaza.

Is your brand using content as part of your marketing strategy?

Yes, content is one of the most important pillars of our strategy. Great emphasis is being placed on creating rich content that does not simply talk about the brand, but also creates a deeper understanding of the brand by the consumer. Communicating the advantages of hosting an event or conference at Crowne Plaza with our dedicated meetings director as a positioning factor is a good example of this.

Considering our vast offerings of conferencing facilities, health and wellness spa, fully-equipped rooms designed for comfort and restoration, and connectivity throughout the hotel, we as a brand need to continue to generate content that is not only fresh and relevant, but more importantly content that resonates with our consumers.

Crowne Plaza lobby

What do you love most about your brand?

Crowne Plaza has a very unique value proposition designed for today’s modern business traveller. One innovation I particularly like is that we do not only focus on our guests’ day while on meetings, we also help them recharge with a good night’s sleep. The Crowne Plaza Sleep Advantage programme, developed with a world-renowned sleep expert, Dr Michael Breus, Ph.D. of Sound Sleep, LLC, is a unique programme that takes a holistic approach to sleep and features a complex solution for complete rest, great night’s sleep and pleasant awakening.

Our Sleep Advantage programme includes premium bedding, aromatherapy, Quiet Zone floors and a guaranteed wake-up call, helping guests to unwind and rest easier, ensuring a productive day ahead. This is something that I really love about the brand - we add to the overall guest experience with a guaranteed good night’s sleep.

What do you love most about the South African consumer?

South African consumers are authentic in their decision-making, consistent in their values, and diverse in their culture, history and personal backgrounds. However, through all of this, the South African consumer is also often unified in their support of brands that they love, great brands.

Which creative/digital agencies are you currently working with?

Our regional offices in Dubai and Singapore guide the brand creative and digital activities and when needed we work with local agencies, Creating Solutions among others.

What brand marketing campaign have you noticed and been impressed by recently/ever?

Red Bull uses brilliant sports action YouTube videos as one of its great marketing strategies. While most of its customers do not participate in extreme sports, it utilises YouTube to provide exciting, action-packed videos to over their three million subscribers using various adventure series from racing to extreme individual sports such as parachute jumps and mountain biking.