A transformative experience (Starwood Hotels)

Citation

Hosford, C. (2006), "A transformative experience (Starwood Hotels)", Strategic Direction, Vol. 22 No. 11. https://doi.org/10.1108/sd.2006.05622kad.006

A transformative experience (Starwood Hotels)

A transformative experience (Starwood Hotels)

Hosford C.SMM – Sales & Marketing Management June 2006, Vol. 158 No. 5, Start page: 32, No. of pages: 4

Purpose – to show how Starwood Hotels’ dramatic rebranding campaign corrals business-to-business partnerships and promotes experiential loyalty. Design/methodology/approach – interviews Javier Benito, chief marketing officer for Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide. Findings – Benito is positioning Starwood’s hotels, led by Westin and Sheraton, no longer as places to sleep as cheaply and conveniently as possible but as a total experience for the weary traveler. States that the plan was prompted by the new CEO who assembled Starwood in 1995 from a nearly bankrupt real estate investment trust and built it into one of the world’s largest hotel companies. Reveals that the conglomerate gained a temporary advantage over its competitors in 1999 with the introduction of Westin’s Heavenly Bed luxury furnishings but then sought to transform the brand along emotional, experiential lines, the key definition for Westin being renewal while for Sheraton, the core value centered on connections. Explains that Starwood’s sales channel and lifestyle partners are essential to its rebranding efforts. Originality/value – Remarks that the numbers are encouragingly supportive of the rebranding effort to date and so the shift towards experiential marketing and branding partnerships has been worth the attempt.ISSN: 0163-7517Reference: 35AR844

Keywords: Brand image, Business-to-business marketing, Marketing strategy