Case Study: Family Hotel

An existing international media brand was interested in developing a family hotel extension of its brand.  The company wanted to learn:

 

• How decision makers choose a hotel for their family vacations

• Which amenities would appeal to its existing audience as well as a broader audience

• Which amenities represent meaningful points of differentiation from the competition.

 

Strategy: Focus groups with decision-makers (typically moms) from 6 regions in the USA were incorporated, delivering a broad representation of existing and potential customers.

Four rounds of research were conducted over a two-year period, addressing varied topics including:

 

• Concept: Interest in and expectations for a hotel from this brand

• Architecture: Room size and layout, in-room amenity expectations

• Advertising: How best to market the hotel and its experience

• Future steps: Addition of adult-oriented amenities, such as a spa

Outcome: The resulting research was highly illuminating and led the company to move forward with success.  The report highlighted room sizing, privacy, and interaction with brand characters as important factors. The research also helped answer questions on how to satisfy kids of dramatically different ages in one setting. These confidential results revealed essential points of differentiation that have been valuable tools for branding purposes. The success has led to plans to expand.