IHG opens a new brand called Avid, how does that stack up?
Yesterday it was announced that IHG has opened a new brand called Avid. Immediately it came to me my concern of how many brands do we need in today hotel world? With Wyndham’s 33, Marriott’s 30, Hiltons 14, IHG 13, Hyatt’s 13 or so, and so forth, how many brands are too many? Just with the big 5 hotel chains we have 105 brands!
What could be the enticement of another brand? What could be the differentiation between this brand and so many of the others? Is it confusing to the clients? Is it confusing to the people who run the company? I certainly think so.
It has been my experience that many of the brands are just another name on the wall and don’t have their own unique feel or amenities. Wouldn’t the public, not to mention meeting planners, rather have just a few brands available per company to choose from? Does Marriott really need 30 different brands…? And is there someone inside Marriott that can tell the difference between each of them with accuracy and consistency?
I have asked many questions in this blog, and unfortunately, I could certainly ask so many more. However, I believe that unless a chain can show why a new brand is needed for the industry then maybe they should focus on what they have currently and improve the offerings there. I understand that each brand brings new customers that may not particularly like the main brands, and the at the millennials see these brands as pointed to their needs and desires… However, if they really feel that a new brand is needed, then possibly they should consider the removal of a brand that may need a complete facelift. As a 44-year industry professional there are many brands that come to mind in considering this option.
I admit that some of this is tongue and cheek, but with new brands popping up more and more, we will need a scorecard to keep them all straight. I am sure that the experts in each brand have very specific and thoughtful discussions on the positives and negatives of these additions, however all I ask is that they continue to improve the products they have currently. Otherwise, in the near future we will have 200 brands between the big 5 chains….