Banyan Tree Branding the Intangible

Abstract

Banyan Tree Hotels and Resorts had become a leading player in the luxury resorts and spa market in
Asia. As part of its growth strategy, Banyan Tree had launched new brands and brand extensions that included resorts, spas, retail outlets, and even museum shops. Now, the company had to contemplate how to manage its brand portfolio and expand its business while preserving the distinctive identity and strong brand image of Banyan Tree, its flagship brand.

Case Questions

1.
What are the main factors that contributed to
Banyan Tree’s success?
2.
Evaluate Banyan Tree’s brand positioning and communications strategies. Can Banyan Tree maintain its unique positioning in an …show more content…

Winning the support of local communities andpublic interest groups

The company’s considerable investments in conserving/preserving/promoting the social/cultural/natural environment beyond what was required of the company (without sacrificing on service quality) showed proof of corporate ethics that were driven by the management’s personal values.
Such acts projected the Banyan Tree brand as being caring and sincere, consistent with its positioning of a romantic brand. Overall, Banyan Tree was viewed by guests, staff, local communities, and public interest groups as a warm, sincere, caring, ethical, and responsible company.

Even when guests wander beyond the resorts’ compounds, the genuine feelings of hospitality and appreciation showed by the local communities at the villages made guests felt welcome and at home, making the entire stay pleasant and memorable. Such service capabilities were extremely difficult for competitors to imitate, requiring lots of investments in time, effort, and money by the firm to gain the trust and respect of both staff and the local community alike. Pioneer status: first mover advantage

At a time when clinical spas were the norm,
Banyan Tree invested in tropical garden spa pavilions, pioneering the concept of tropical spas and Asian therapeutic massages, a novelty which proved to be popular. Being the first in the market gave them a head start in