Returning back to our old friend, Hotel Jen, for an industry visit was a great way to finish the Hong Kong leg of our QUT advertising and public relations study tour. Marisa Aranha, Vice President Sales and Marketing for Hotel Jen, provided a detailed insight into the creative branding of Hotel Jen (a rebrand for many of the Traders hotels) in 2014, and the subsequent launch of the new brand into the global market.
After experiencing #thatjenfeeling during the beginning days of our study tour, we were able to view the key objectives set out for Hotel Jen’s brand through our own experience. The objectives of the brand were met, and exceeded all our expectations spectacularly.
Hello, I’m Jen!
The driving element behind the Hotel Jen brand is to create a personal connection with their target audience, reaching beyond the standard expectations of a mid-range hotel service. The personality of “Jen” emulates a love of life, desire to be adventurous, and a thirst for discovery and travel. The virtual persona of “Jen” underpinned the entire rebrand, and continues to be a pillar of stability behind Hotel Jen’s business operations
Getting to know Jen
It was important for the new brand of Hotel Jen to distinguish itself from the parent company of the renowned Shangri-La Group. A key point of difference emphasised the targeting of new millennials as an audience, providing a simplistic hotel service for social media dependent travellers.
Marisa’s presentation on the Hotel Jen brand was pegged by these key considerations for the brand and the group:
- Revenue
- Brand value
- Communication
- Footprint
- Recognition
- The way forward
The lovely staff at Hotel Jen Hong Kong…hello Iris and crew!
Introducing Jen to your other friends
The digital and social media strategies to communicate the Hotel Jen brand were implemented on global, regional, and local scales to accommodate the target audience. The results from the launch of the Hotel Jen brand in Hong Kong and Singapore in 2014 included more than 200 press clippings, a 310-page report, and over 80 articles.
Hotel Jen social media properties were important, with a focus on acquisition of followeres during the launch period. Social media proved to be an enormous impact on their immediate popularity as a brand, with over 89,000 Facebook fans within the first six months of launch. The end of 2014 saw this figure rise to more than 100,000 Facebook fans, a key indicator of the effectiveness of the brand launch campaign.
Your new best friend, Jen
The #inJenius tactics delivered through hotel service was a key differentiating factor, with the hotel providing local fresh fruit for all guests every day of their stay, as well as the affordable laundry “wash and fold” service.The integration of brand strategy and business operations are synonymous at Hotel Jen. Consumers are comforted with knowledge from staff members, while experiencing a customarily tailored hotel experience to their preferences and desires.
Jen will be there…forever
The way forward for Hotel Jen as a brand is indicative of their motto, “leave boring behind”. The brand is adaptive and responsive to new emerging social trends, capturing the perfect hotel escape for millennials travelling through the Asia-Pacific. There is opportunity for travellers to be connected and responsive to their visiting environment. Social media is the fuel behind their successful rebrand, capturing the needs of the new age generation of travellers with smart phones and technology to communicate their impression of ‘Jen’ across all platforms.
A key insight into the successful Hotel Jen brand is to never underestimate the power of social media, and the ability to capture and keep attention through owned social channels. The brand of Hotel Jen presents a vibrant atmosphere of comfort, support, and fun – the perfect ingredients for an everlasting friendship.
