A look at Starwood’s ‘Sheraton 2020’

No doubt, the Sheraton hotel brand is Starwood Group’s largest and most global brand.  With nearly 80 years history, the Sheraton brand has made remarkable impacts on global hospitality offerings and business. In Nigeria, Sheraton Abuja and Lagos are among pioneer hotels in world-class facility and service offerings in the country

Yet, there is need to push the brand further to global guests, especially in the face of current stiff competition among global hotel brands and hospitality management groups. And in Nigeria, there is also need to expand the brand beyond Lagos and Abuja.

Probably, these are factors that warranted the announcement of the introduction of ‘Sheraton 2020’ by Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc., during the recently concluded 37th Annual NYU International Hospitality Industry Investment Conference in the United States of America.

The new offering, ‘Sheraton 2020’, is a comprehensive 10-point plan designed to put Sheraton hotels and resorts firmly back into the global spotlight. A nod to the plan’s five years vision includes a new $100 million Sheraton-focused marketing campaign; the launch of the new premier tier, Sheraton Grand; continuous innovation of the Sheraton guest experience; an unwavering commitment to service excellence; the implementation of revenue and profit-driving initiatives to benefit owners and developers; and a goal of opening more than 150 new Sheraton hotels worldwide by 2020.

Hopefully some projects in the pipeline in Nigeria are among the 150 new Sheraton hotels that will be opening worldwide by 2020.

But, why focus on the Sheraton brand?

Adam Aron, CEO, Starwood, on an interim basis, explained:  “With Sheraton 2020, we are marshalling the formidable might, muscle and creativity of our organisation, which has famously distinguished itself as the industry’s premier brand builder and innovator.  This is a top priority and we will act boldly to put Sheraton back on its rightful pedestal as a global hotel brand of choice, everywhere.”

Of course, work is underway on Sheraton 2020 with initiatives scheduled to roll out this month and a new brand positioning and global advertising campaign launching in September this year. As well, the hotel’s teams around the world are already working hard to swiftly and consistently execute the plan.

“Sheraton 2020 was created with an eye toward maximizing value for owners’ assets, and we thought it was important to share our plans first with them while at the NYU Hospitality Conference”, Dave Marr, Global Brand Leader for Sheraton, said.

Explaining further, Marr said the 10 points of ‘Sheraton 2020’ include: the introduction of new Sheraton brand positioning, which among other things reinvigorate Sheraton with a new vision to define and crystallize what Sheraton stands for as a brand.

Second among the 10 points is the $100 million Sheraton marketing campaign aimed at turning heads, changing minds, and delivering guests. It will witness a roll out of a multichannel global advertising campaign, beginning in 2015 through 2017, and at the same time, executing the richest Sheraton-focused SPG promotions in Starwood’s history.

The points include the launch of Sheraton Grand, which hopes to elevate 100+ premier Sheraton hotels to new Sheraton Grand tier to better match guests’ expectations, showcase Sheraton’s best properties and create a halo effect across the portfolio.

Other objectives of the 10 points of ‘Sheraton 2020’ include:  to earn owners’ confidence in Sheraton,      ignite associates’ passion for Sheraton, get service right at Sheraton, push for every day-every time-everywhere quality service delivery, reclaim Sheraton’s status as the ‘meetings brand’, innovate the Sheraton guest experience, continuously, differentiate Sheraton through design, and finally, to strengthen Sheraton by opening 150+ new hotels by 2020.

Going by the plan, if well-executed, the Sheraton brand will soon regain all its status, become guests’ number one brand and the meeting brand for corporate organizations worldwide.

OBINNA EMELIKE