This paper proposes ‘Brandscaping’ as a design methodology to differentiate boutique hotels, which have achieved a recent quantitative growth due to modern industries that require meaningful values, from the existing large hotels and foreign brand...
This paper proposes ‘Brandscaping’ as a design methodology to differentiate boutique hotels, which have achieved a recent quantitative growth due to modern industries that require meaningful values, from the existing large hotels and foreign brand hotels.
To date, the research cases which adopt brandscaping strategies are limited to architectural engineering and industrial spatial design, and there are few studies in the field of visual brand design. For boutique hotels, in particular, where space itself is a commodity and at the same time people can directly experience its brand value, a strategic and aesthetic brand marketing for brand space is needed.
Accordingly, a study on strategic space branding for enhancing the brand identity of boutique hotels is conducted as a follow-up to 「A Study on the Boutique Hotel Characteristic according to the Brandscaping」, published in ‘A Journal of Brand Design Association of Korea’.
Thus, the concept and theory of brandscaping are firstly studied, and different types of boutique hotels, where aesthetic space and sentimental experience are significant, are analyzed. Based on this, brandscaping is re-established into five categories by reviewing foreign boutique hotels: ‘Brand Identity’, ‘Place Branding, ‘Brand Formation’, ‘Brand Traditionality’ and ‘Brand Enjoyment’. Consequently, domestic boutique hotels were analyzed with two surveys: an expert survey and a customer survey. This is a space branding strategy to bridge the difference between the boutique hotel’s brand image and its customers’ perception, demonstrating the purpose of this paper: brandscaping.
As a result, among the brandscaping elements for the domestic boutique hotels, the characteristic of brand enjoyment is found to be the most influential. Additionally, more than three brandscaping elements were clearly presented in the boutique hotels that received strong brand trust and brand selection from consumers.
In conclusion, the domestic boutique hotels showed a tendency to seek brand enjoyment which induces consumers' pleasure through its differentiated brand experience. Secondly, when more than three brandscaping elements were applied to a boutique hotel, consumers firmly formed a positive brand image for the hotel, developing strong consumer brand trust and brand choice. Lastly, through the cases in which the expert survey and the consumer survey show a large difference, it is found that the role of brand communication media via brandscaping has a strong influence on consumer evaluations.
Accordingly, this study is further investigated and expanded to a re-branding dissertation by selecting the podo hotel where the brandscaping surveys show a large difference to achieve higher brand trust and stronger brand choice. By enhancing the characteristics of brandscaping and bridging the difference between the experts and consumers’ perceptions of the brand image, it is demonstrated the brandscaping can be reliably and consistently maintained as an effective space branding strategy.
For the Podo hotel, the characteristics of the brand formation and brand enjoyment are found to be the most influential with the weakest being the brand identity. Therefore, to supplement the weakest characteristic, re-branding is carried out, consequently establishing a differentiated brand image. The methodology of brandscaping is practically proposed by presenting Brand Identity Manual System.
This paper is of great significance in analyzing the actual branding through the cooperation of experts in space, architecture and visual design, demonstrating the brand space marketing strategy, brandscaping.