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Explores the main issues within hotel chain branding, focusing particularly on the problems of branding heterogeneous hotel portfolios. Relates the theory of branding to hotel chains, and outlines the difficulties of bringing consistency to hotel brands. Reviews the development of branding within the US and UK and identifies some of the features associated with hard and soft brands. Examines Forte Hotels′ 1991 rebranding exercise, the implications of which are considered in a wider context.

This study aims to examine the effectiveness of branding through franchising and hotel membership affiliations in Europe, where the chain penetration rate is still relatively low, albeit growing slowly, and where hotels are limited by historical preservation codes and building restrictions.

Although branding through affiliations has been a successful strategy in North America for decades, little is known of this strategy in Europe, where the fragmented hospitality industry comprises small and medium‐sized independent enterprises which are being subjected to increasing competitive pressure from large global chains. This exploratory study, using a purposive sample, examines the factors that European independent hotels consider before committing to a third‐party brand and whether they perceive their decision to have improved their overall performance.

It is revealed that these hoteliers perceive that they had significantly improved their overall market position situation without losing a large part of their uniqueness, independence and management control. Notwithstanding, some of the hoteliers were not satisfied with every aspect of their brand selection and it was concluded that the degree of success would be highly contingent on careful selection of the appropriate kind of branding tool option for each situation.

The main issues have been identified for hoteliers to consider when selecting a brand affiliation as well as the key components for the branding companies to include in their offers. Recommendations are provided for both.

Decision‐making criteria are provided for hoteliers in the form of a checklist to use including benefits and risks and other considerations, as well as a checklist of key success factors of leading hotel branding companies.

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the theory and implementation of dual branding. The authors explore whether dual branding is a positive choice for two hotel brands belonging to the same firm and operating under the same roof, in this case, a Wyndham and a Wyndham Garden branded property.

A case study methodology was employed. In-depth interviews were conducted with managers regarding their decisions and implementation of a dual branding strategy.

The authors reveal the organizational, operational, technical, marketing, financial, economic and technological challenges experienced before, during and after the dual branding transition. Moreover, they reveal the results of the implementation and its consequences to the hotel and its customers. A conceptual model is presented with the goal of assisting and facilitating the investigation, analysis, choice and implementation of dual branding by hoteliers.

The present research expands the existing body of knowledge, bridges the theory and practice of branding in the lodging sector, advances dual branding theory and provides insightful implications for scholars and managers alike.

The study aims to assess how corporate branding affects firm performance in the context of the Oman hotel industry, listed on the Muscat Stock Exchange (MSX).

This study approach was made by way of a mixed method. First, it examines qualitative and exploratory information collected from companies’ internet sites, audited annual reports (the financial year 2019) published in MSX, web searches and websites of companies and travel agencies from all the eight listed hotel companies in the MSX to examine the impact of corporate branding on firm performance proxied by return of assets (ROA) and return of equity (ROE) and secondly, it assesses the measurement and structural models by applying partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM).

The findings recommend that well-thought-out web marketing on corporate branding by hotel companies leads to firm performance. The findings indicate that corporate branding on travel agency websites and a company’s own website can help businesses become more profitable. In addition, there is a synergistic connection on corporate branding of the hotel industry, including the presentation of a novel hotel narrative, the conception of a cornerstone loyalty program, the demonstration of excellence in hospitality and service, information on timely amenities like Covid-19 safety measures and the use of technology and experiential elements through platforms like the company website or the website of the travel agent all essential to achieve firm financial performance. As per the importance–performance matrix map, websites of travel agents (agoda.com, booking.com and hotels.com) had the importance (agoda.com 0.616, booking.com 0.959 and hotels.com 1.036) to impact companies’ corporate branding and firm performance, whereas Google search shows a value of −1.954, which has no impact on companies’ corporate branding.

The study considered only one hotel/tourism industry to know the effect of corporate branding on firm performance. Further studies may be chosen on other industries needed to allow for generalization.

This study aims to provide insights into how the hotel industry can make use of corporate branding through the company website, Google sites and websites of companies’ travel agency by providing timely updated promotion, facilities, quality services and hygiene matters to enhance firm performance.

This study provides empirical evidence to find various factors of corporate branding of the hotel industry’s firm performance. In addition, the study offers valuable insight into the nonmonetary measures of achievements.

This paper aims to understand employees’ perceptions of human resources management functions and how these affect brand performance, and the indirect influence of human resources management functions when mediated by job satisfaction in branded hotels in China. Hotel human resources functions, specifically organizational career management, and internal branding in hotels in mainland China were examined. The mediating effect of job satisfaction on the relationship between organizational career management and internal branding on brand performance was also examined.

A survey of hotel supervisors and middle managers in mainland China yielded 510 valid questionnaires for data analysis. Structural equation modeling was used to empirically test the relationships between human resources management functions (organizational career management, internal branding and job satisfaction) and brand performance in four- and five-star hotels in China.

The structural equation modeling results showed strong support for the mediating effect of job satisfaction on the relationships between organizational career management, internal branding and brand performance. Interestingly, although internal branding significantly affected brand performance, organizational career management alone did not.

The main limitation was the use of a convenience sampling method, which means respondents may not represent a sufficiently broad sample of hotel employees. Future studies are encouraged to explore internal branding and hotel career management using a probability sampling method.

The findings offer new insights and directions for hotel human resources managers to improve brand performance, either through promoting internal branding itself, or by enhancing organizational career management, internal branding and employees’ job satisfaction to achieve brand performance.

This is the first empirical study to analyze hotel management employees’ perceptions of the relationships between hotel human resources management, employees’ job satisfaction and hotel brand performance in China. The findings demonstrate the usefulness of applying human resources management functions to hotel branding.

Purpose: The purpose of this chapter is to explore the use of employer branding as a key strategy in talent management, in an effort to retain employees in the context of the Irish hotel industry.

Methodology/Approach: This chapter was part of a wider body of research, and combines this discussion with a sequential mixed-method approach. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 18 hotel general managers in Cork City/County, and these were combined with 417 employee questionnaires conducted in the same hotels.

Findings: This chapter finds that hoteliers in Ireland are aware of the necessity to tackle the area of employee retention, are conscious of the importance of positive employer branding to aid in decreasing employee turnover, but that many are just at the genesis of their journey in the area of talent management. Indeed, many hotels have not yet implemented a talent management plan into their organisation and need to be more innovative in their approach to talent management through positive employer branding.

Practical implications: Employees strongly believe that those hotels which possess a positive employer brand have more committed employees, while those with negative reputations in terms of their employment affect an employee’s intentions to leave the business. Therefore, employers must put strategies in place to enhance their employer brand if they are to attract and retain employees.

Social implications: The chapter makes recommendations to hotel managers as to how employer branding can be utilised as part of their overall talent management strategy to increase employee retention in a challenging employment market, improving overall performance, and leading to sustained competitiveness. The areas of talent management, employer branding, and employee retention are interlinked, and it is imperative that hotels implement strategic initiatives in these key areas.

Originality/value of paper: This chapter contributes to the overall talent management area, offering further guidance to operators who are embarking on this strategic direction. It supports the link between talent management and employer branding.

This paper aims to explore Chinese hoteliers' perspectives on co‐branding between hotels and products of other industries or sectors.

A survey with both structured and open‐ended questions was distributed to 300 Chinese hotel executive level hoteliers attending the 2009 International Forum on China Hotel Brand Development.

The results of the 72 surveys indicate benefits as well as drawbacks for both hotels and their potential co‐branding partners in the Chinese hospitality industry, the most important being the lack of brand awareness for both Chinese and Western brands.

The paper contributes to the existing literature by adding the Chinese hospitality industry context into the much studied Western industry context: the research is timely given the position and significance of the Chinese market in the world tourism arena.

This paper aims to investigate how brand identity is co-created, with a specific focus on how employees contributed to the process in a five-star hotel setting. The focus of this study is on understanding how two hotels planned and executed their brand identity strategy simultaneously, differentiating one from the other and how employees actively participated in this process.

A longitudinal case study approach was adopted, centred on building the identity of two luxury hotels owned by a single company in Seoul, Korea. Various organizational documents were collected and analyzed to understand the brand identity of the hotels and how brand co-creation has been implemented. In addition, semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted with 42 employees to understand the brand co-creation process from their perspective.

The brand co-creation process of the hotels was conducted simultaneously and evolved over the following four phases, with employees’ roles varying in each phase, namely, establishing a clear brand identity strategy; designing and selecting sensory identity; aligning organizational identity; and delivering brand identity through external communication. Employees that participated in brand co-creation enhanced their brand knowledge, developed emotional bonds with the brand and were motivated to deliver the brand identity. Furthermore, those that immersed themselves in the new brand identities were able to enable positive guest perceptions towards the brand image, which consequently enhanced employees’ pride in their work.

This research advances the brand management literature in defining branding and brand identity elements, as well as emphasizing the importance of consistent branding. In addition, the current study expands the scope of internal branding, highlighting the process of brand co-creation and the role of employees as active participants. Moreover, it reveals that employees’ participation enhances not only their brand knowledge but also their emotional bonds with the brand. The proposed conceptual framework demonstrates the flow of branding elements, brand identity elements and the “infinite loop” of employee participation in brand co-creation.

The case study approach adopted here enables an in-depth investigation of employee participation in brand co-creation, including their different roles and activities in the process; a phenomenon that has not been adequately explored in previous research.

The purpose of this paper is to examine the effects of brand familiarity and brand fit on purchase intention towards the offerings of co‐branded hotels.

Data were gathered from 198 respondents and two co‐branded hotels in Taiwan were assessed.

The findings showed that the fit between co‐brands mediate the relationship between brand familiarity and purchase intention. In particular, a well‐known co‐branded hotel with a high level of brand fit could directly or indirectly affect consumer decision‐making processes regarding purchase intention towards the co‐brand. Conversely, a less familiar co‐branded hotel had a positive effect on purchase intention only if respondents perceived a good fit between allied brands.

Brand fit could be a more important factor than brand familiarity in influencing the success of hotel co‐branding strategies. Future research to examine the co‐branding concept in different social and cultural contexts and also from different perspectives, such as owners or managers, is recommended.

Most hospitality studies focus on co‐branding between hotels and restaurants. This study empirically investigated the effects of co‐branding on consumer behavior in the hotel sector.

Music and sound have been used pervasively to enhance the tourism and hospitality experience. Incorporating music into a brand’s identity has the potential to influence consumer perceptions and decision-making. This study aims to identify how sonic branding influences consumer attitudes and engagement patterns with hotel brands by using feelings as information theory and applying the effects of music on neurochemical phenomena in the brain. It also explores how sonic branding differentially influences the decision-making of consumer segments.

Experimental studies are used to examine how sonic brands influence consumer perceptions and engagement tendencies. Study 1 (n = 92) adopts a single-factor experimental design to investigate the main effects of sonic branding (presence vs absence) on customers’ responses. Study 2 (n = 204) uses a 2 (sonic branding: present vs. absent) × 2 (purpose of travel: leisure vs business) design to examine the interaction effects. Participants were recruited through Prolific.

Results indicate that the use of sonic branding increases engagement tendencies for a hotel brand. In addition, sonic branding interacted with the purpose of travel such that business travelers exhibited more favorable attitudes and higher engagement tendencies toward a hotel brand than leisure travelers when a sonic brand was used.

Given the proliferation of audio-centric environments, this research provides insight into how tourism and hospitality brands can engage and connect with customers by developing sonic brands that can be used throughout the customer journey.

音乐和声音被广泛用于提升旅游和酒店体验。将音乐融入品牌的身份有可能影响消费者的感知和决策。本研究旨在通过使用感觉作为信息理论和应用音乐对大脑神经化学现象的影响, 识别声音品牌如何影响消费者对酒店品牌的态度和参与模式。它还探讨了声音品牌如何对不同消费者群体的决策产生差异化影响。

采用实验研究来检验声音品牌如何影响消费者的感知和参与倾向。研究1（n = 92）采用单因素实验设计, 调查声音品牌（有 vs. 无）对客户反应的主要影响。研究2（n = 204）采用2（声音品牌：有 vs. 无）× 2（旅行目的：休闲 vs. 商务）设计, 检验交互效应。参与者通过Prolific平台招募。

结果表明, 使用声音品牌会增加消费者对酒店品牌的参与倾向。此外, 声音品牌与旅行目的的交互作用表明, 当使用声音品牌时, 商务旅行者比休闲旅行者对酒店品牌表现出更有利的态度和更高的参与倾向。

鉴于音频中心环境的普及, 本研究提供了旅游和酒店品牌如何通过开发声音品牌在整个客户旅程中与客户互动和联系的见解。

La música y el sonido se han utilizado de forma generalizada para mejorar la experiencia del turismo y la hostelería. La incorporación de la música a la identidad de una marca tiene el potencial de influir en las percepciones y la toma de decisiones de los consumidores. Este estudio pretende identificar cómo influye la marca sonora (o audio branding) en las actitudes de los consumidores y en sus patrones de compromiso con las marcas hoteleras utilizando los sentimientos como teoría de la información y aplicando los efectos de la música en los fenómenos neuroquímicos del cerebro. También explora cómo influye diferencialmente la marca sonora en la toma de decisiones de los segmentos de consumidores.

Se emplean estudios experimentales para examinar cómo influyen las marcas sónicas en las percepciones y las tendencias de compromiso de los consumidores. El estudio 1 (N = 92) adopta un diseño experimental de factor único para investigar los efectos principales de la marca sonora (presencia frente a ausencia) en las respuestas de los clientes. El estudio 2 (N = 204) utiliza un diseño 2 (marca sonora: presente frente a ausente) × 2 (Objetivo del viaje: ocio frente a negocios) para examinar los efectos de interacción. Los participantes fueron reclutados a través de Prolific.

Los resultados indican que el uso de la marca sonora aumenta las tendencias de compromiso con una marca hotelera. Además, la marca sonora interactuó con el objetivo del viaje de forma que los viajeros de negocios mostraron actitudes más favorables y mayores tendencias de compromiso hacia una marca hotelera que los viajeros de ocio cuando se utilizó una marca sonora.

Dada la proliferación de entornos audiocéntricos, esta investigación ofrece una visión de cómo las marcas turísticas y de hostelería pueden captar la atención de los clientes y conectar con ellos desarrollando marcas sonoras que puedan utilizarse a lo largo de todo el viaje del cliente.