Insight:
Preferred Hotels is more than a brand, it is a global collection of independent, premium hotels and resorts. There are no cookie cutter lobbies or commercialized tourist traps. Instead there is a commitment to creating authentic travel experiences that are distinctive across every single destination and property. An offering this broad can be difficult to distill into a singular message, which limited loyalty program participation among travelers as well as independent hoteliers.
The I PREFER Hotel Rewards program differs greatly from typical big brand hotel programs. They needed to develop a brand which clearly communicated a unique value that goes beyond points, and which highlighted the very real benefits of traveling differently, seeking authentic experiences, and fully immersing yourself in someplace new.
CLIENT
Preferred Hotels
SERVICES
Market Research
Brand Positioning Strategy
Brand Identity & Design
Customer Journey Mapping
Creative Strategy
Website UI/UX Design
Idea:
Although the I PREFER Hotel Rewards program does allow members to collect points and redeem them for upgrades, discounts and free experiences, there is much more to the story for this global brand. The redeemable benefits varied greatly depending on which property a guest was visiting, partly because independently-owned hotel participation varied greatly around the world. This meant that the program needed to be sold not only to guests, but to hotel owners and managers as well.
After thorough research of the competitive offerings, as well as speaking with several stakeholders and independent hoteliers, Gigasavvy built a new brand identity for the loyalty program that centered around believing in the benefits of travel. The updated brand messaging and visual system celebrated the independent hotels’ unique offerings and experiences, and encouraged hotel owners to engage with guests in unexpected ways, highlighting the most highly-prized attributes of their individual properties. In turn, The updated brand messaging pulled travelers into these authentic travel experiences, shedding positive light on the differences between the rewards I PREFER had to offer versus the typical simplistic point systems.
Impact:
The loyalty program team loved the new approach to the brand. The updated positioning and messaging framework brought a sense of clarity to the I PREFER Hotel Rewards program, making it easier to communicate the value and invite participation for hoteliers and guests alike. By highlighting experiences as the most positive attribute of the program, the updated branding provided a clear point of differentiation that had been lacking.
The brand was also visually brought to life with a much richer and more immersive website experience that takes into account every stage of the travelers’ journey. The new visual system is designed to inspire travelers to plan more trips, and lent itself to being translated into a mobile app which makes it even easier to engage with the brand from anywhere in the world.
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