GOOD PRACTICES IN HOTEL BRANDING – SUSTAINABILITY TRENDS OF INTERCONTINENTAL HOTEL GROUP

Veselin Stoimenov

Abstract

The branding strategy has been used by hospitality companies for many years. Recently, the positioning of a hotel or hotel chain as a company that follows an active sustainable development policy has been particularly successful. One of the reasons behind branding is to reach different segments and create customer loyalty. Branding plays a crucial role in maintaining a long-term relationship with the guest. Guest loyalty is very important for hospitality companies because loyal guests are more profitable and less price sensitive. The firm commitments of a company that has already created loyalty among its customers make demand even more inelastic. This study makes a review and analyses good practices in hotel branding. The subject of the study is sustainable development in hotel branding. The object of discussion are the good practices of IHG in this area. The strategy of the Intercontinental Hotel Group has been analysed based on its sustainable development program. The company is investing colossal sums to improve its digital presence and to make the general public aware of its sustainable commitments and good practices. Few hotel chains, even of IHG's stature, publish so much information about these commitments and actual progress of their implementation.

Keywords: hotel branding; sustainable development; good practices 

JEL Codes: Q01, Q56, Z32

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To cite this article: Stoimenov V. (2023). Good practices in hotel branding – sustainability trends of intercontinental hotel group. Entrepreneurship, 11 (1), 108-131 DOI: 10.37708/ep.swu.v11i1.9