Role of Branding in Hospitality and Tourism

A brand is an identity to a certain product, service or business offered by a certain company or organization. A brand can take any symbol to put across its information. It can take colour combination, name, sign or slogan. In the hospitality and tourism industry, branding has become a major drift to both the industry and consumers.

The tourism consumer is the decisive judge of triumphant marketing and public association’s activities. There has been a change from transactional to affiliation management over the last fifty five years (Simon, 2004). This has been due to the rising competition in the marketing environment. A shift from the traditional marketing to ways more aggressive and varied has been emphasized to marketing and communication.

In the twenty first century where the clients dictate on the brand on its coherent to the recognition by the company is a basic requirement (Metin, 2006). The power of the brand and its image is a pillar to contextualise the activity of marketing. Most of the brands today are built in reference to PR campaigns and then they are maintained through unifying of selling and PR tactics (Raza & Ivo, 2005).

The tourism industry through branding of its services the customers are able to identify them quickly enough. The branding of the services and other products results to the recognition without suspicion of making a wrong identity. Branding done on services generates more revenue compared to other products that lack trademark mystique. Branding done right delivers a healthy return to the organizations` investment (Davidson, 2006).

The brand is a communication element to the customers. The branded products form the basis of identification for the consumer. The consumer can easily differentiate the products he wants from the company that are similar to other products. In recent years the tourism industry has drastically declined due to decrease in tourism awareness. The carefully considered way in which locals deal with tourism is perceived as a whole to its benefits and drawbacks. This has to be corrected through branding (Beech & Chadwick, 2006).

Branding brings about the effectiveness in running the hospitality and tourism industry. By the industry identifying its brand it can make progress knowing that consumers are readily available. The industry works hard to defend its brand and to keep high quality standards of the services they offer. When the industry offers a low quality of services it readily meets the consumers for critique (Cooper, 2006).

Through branding in the tourism industry, it creates and develops loyalty to the customer. The consumers are able to trust the industry since they are aware of the services that it lenders. These become an advantage to the tourism industry as it is assured of a ready market for its services (Aaker & David, 1991). It is important to note that for the tourism industry to prosper, it requires relevant marketing strategies. By coming up with a brand for the industry is one of those ways in which the industry can be guided through and grow larger (Page, 2009).

Through the introduction of a brand the industry gains loyalty from even other industries since it is able to stand independently. The industry is at the same time able to enjoy a strong brand royalty. This would reduce marketing expenses because the customers have been attracted and retained and will even go ahead to tell their friends on the services (Bowen & Clarke, 2009).

There is reduced pressure in the form of competition from other industries. This is because the industry experiences ready market. Consumers are aware about the services the services the industry offers and so gives it the first priority. Trademarks and ironclad distribution channel can all protect and preserve brand and build it.