Four Seasons Hotel Des Bergues Geneva Branding Evaluation

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Table of Contents

Essential Characteristics
Positioning
Brand Identity Visual Representations
Promise and Persona Analysis
Self-Image and Reflected Image
Brand Dream
Marketing Channels
Dream Equation
Marketing Strategy Improvement Recommendations
References

Essential Characteristics

Hotel des Bergues Geneva, located in the city by the same name, is part of the Four Seasons luxury hotel chain. As with all Four Seasons hotels, it is owned by a private entity, and the company provides its brand and management expertise for a portion of the profits (Watts & Parks, 2018). It is a high-end hotel, featuring a range of spacious and attractive accommodations as well as extensive services. Four Seasons Hotel des Bergues (n.d.) lists attractions such as a rooftop spa and a Michelin Star-awarded Italian restaurant and positioning benefits such as an excellent view of the Alps, the lake after which it is named, and the Old Town of Geneva. The hotel adheres to Four Seasons’ principle of offering luxury and comfort to travelers throughout the world. It does so not through the usage of overly expensive design but rather through tasteful applications of style and an emphasis on friendly and outstanding personnel interactions.

Positioning

Current Standing: luxury hotel with an emphasis on service and style
Direct Competition: Ritz-Carlton, Hotel d’Angleterre, Hotel Beau-Rivage Geneva. Offer a variety of design styles to suit different tastes, often more luxurious than that of Four Seasons. The service quality is also high, but not necessarily as high as at Hotel des Bergues Geneva.
Competitor Standing: there are both individual and chain hotels using different approaches to luxury service. Some offer individually designed rooms, while others propose simplified styles. A variety of additional amenities, such as spas, pools, and high-quality restaurants and bars, are available at different venues.
Company Uniqueness: Four Seasons focuses on discreet and personal service, using its information-sharing to welcome guests home wherever they are and treat them like family. It is highly suited for business travelers, helping them travel while taking care of work.
Unique Selling Proposition: a hotel with superb comfort and a luxurious style yet unassuming and designed for the visitor’s convenience, adjustable for their needs.

Brand Identity Visual Representations

Four Seasons tends not to emphasize its brand, putting its name above the entrance but preferring to let the quality of its services speak for itself. To that end, every part of the hotel is designed to convey style and luxury without appearing gaudy or overbearing. The shared corridors and rooms of the location are maintained in a classical manner, albeit with some modern modifications. However, while exhibiting a similar aesthetic in individual furniture designs, the private guest rooms are carefully crafted to be comfortable and match the contemporary traveler’s needs.

Figure 1. Identity prism (adapted from Kapferer and Bastien, 2012).

Promise and Persona Analysis

The promise of Four Seasons in general, and Hotel des Bergues Geneva in particular, is one of a perfectly comfortable stay where all of one’s needs are taken care of without excessive invasions of privacy. As mentioned above, the location emphasizes staff quality over expensive furnishings to achieve this purpose, hiring the best workers and training them to serve the guests in the most excellent manner possible. Kopelman (2019) lists notions such as a shared database of regular customer preferences and describes several scenarios where the workers went above the call of duty to ensure that the guests’ problems were resolved. In one case, an employee found a tuxedo for a guest who needed it on short notice, while in the other, a receptionist helped a guest via the phone for half an hour to ensure that they would arrive at a meeting on time. Brookes, Mariussen, Bowie, and Buttle (2016) list another case where employees who found a child’s lost bear after their departure photographed it enjoying city sights to show that it has been cared for when it was returned. Customers expect and appreciate this degree of warmth and personal care, which draws them to visit Four Seasons hotels and return there.

The persona of the people expected to visit Hotel des Bergues Geneva is that of a couple of young, wealthy entrepreneurs. They travel a lot, both on business trips and vacations, and need comfortable yet practical accommodations. Moreover, they use luxury products in many aspects of their lives, expecting a high degree of care, style, and comfort from their purchases. Deluxe room (n.d.) provides an example of such for Hotel des Bergues Geneva, offering a massive double bed, a coffee table with two cushioned chairs by its side, a desk with another chair in front of a mirror, and a balcony that opens out onto a view of the water as well as the city. Visitors can use the room to relax or perform work on a laptop without needing to leave the room other than to eat. They can also experience beautiful views and take in fresh air while staying in the comfort of the suite.

Self-Image and Reflected Image

Unlike much of its hotel competition, which can trace its roots for centuries in the past, Four Seasons opened its first hotel in 1961. Other high-end facilities were focused on people who tended to have the time to travel and were used to luxury, which were mostly nobles and similar people who inherited wealth. Four Seasons’ founders recognized the changing trends that were created by the increased prevalence of air travel. A new category of wealthy people, business executives, became able to travel without taking up too much of their time. As Kowalski (2016) notes, these people define luxury as less so surroundings and meals and more time expressed as more opportunities to enjoy a vacation or ability to be more productive. Uncomfortable with being treated like royalty, they prefer to be served competently and efficiently, as they see themselves as not having enough time.

Recognizing this need, Four Seasons decided to focus on its workers to ensure that they could deliver the speed expected by prospective visitors without compromising on quality. Per Reiche, Stahl, Mendenhall, and Oddou (2016), the hotel’s goal is to provide personalized service that maximizes the customer’s time, however they define it. The workers will minimize interference while facilitating every aspect of the customer’s life while they are at the hotel. Per Jones, George, and Barrett (2016), the chain was among the first to provide services such as bathrobes, shampoo, large desks, two-line phones, and secretarial assistance at all times. All of these measures are intended to make it easier for the visitor to work from the hotel and reduce the time they spend on activities they see as meaningless.

As can be seen from these efforts, Four Seasons in general and Hotel des Bergues Geneva in particular aim to improve the efficiency of their guests. As such, the self-image that it aims to reflect is that of a successful businessperson who can take care of their work anywhere quickly and efficiently and have time to enjoy themselves left over. They are used to receiving service that perfectly suits their needs and find themselves thoroughly satisfied by Four Seasons. With that said, the ideal business traveler does not see themselves solely as a worker for a company. Kimmel (2018) lists a type of marketing appeal to this variety of customer as a family member, as well. While executing their duties to the organization flawlessly, the customer’s ideal self-image also has time for their friends and family.

To provide customers with the time and opportunities that they need to enjoy themselves, Four Seasons integrates a variety of services that help with planning and performing leisure activities. Each hotel, including Hotel des Bergues Geneva, offers a variety of tours for customers that are managed by it, rather than partners, and adhere to the chain’s standards. At the upper end of such endeavors are the chain’s private jet tours, which potentially integrate all of the visitors’ traveling needs and let them stay at a variety of Four Seasons facilities between trips seamlessly (Kimmel, Weygandt, Aly, & Kieso, 2018). As a result, the customers can avoid the difficulties and worries of planning and relax on the trip along with their family.

Brand Dream

The dream of Four Seasons is to be a second home for the guest, one they can visit comfortably at any time. It is a location where one can relax and be at peace, regardless of where on the planet they are currently. When a traveler arrives at the reception, they are served quickly and efficiently by warm and friendly staff who ensure that they have their needs addressed. Whatever they require, they only need to request, and the workers will try to help them to the best of their ability. Moreover, the hotel will replicate the culture of the location where it is located but retain the same essential aesthetic and set of comforts that the visitor is used to. As a result, free from the stress of adjustment, they are free to concentrate on their work or immerse themselves in relaxation and exploration.

This degree of comfort and personal service is aimed to establish a personal relationship between the hotel and its customers. They will choose its locations wherever one is available, expecting the highest degree of service quality, and the hotel employees will know their preferences and adjust the environment to perfection. As a result, business-minded customers will be able to maximize the efficiency at which they use their time. They will have more time to relax, in which the hotel will help them using its excellent facilities and the various tours and services that it provides. Free of much of their worries, the visitors will be able to devote time to themselves and their families and enjoy their business trips and holidays to the utmost.

Marketing Channels

Four Seasons, and its Geneva hotel, in particular, employ a number of different channels to connect with their customer personas. First, traditional media, such as print and television, should be mentioned. As Tybout and Velander (2019) demonstrate, the brand employs print ads in various luxury magazines. The target demographic who read these publications can then see that there is a Four Seasons hotel in a particular destination and consider it for a visit. With that said, Tybout and Calkins (2017) note that this style of ad tends to build demand for luxury hotels in general rather than any specific one. As such, they may not be a particularly effective marketing channel, though they are not entirely without merit, either.

Another method for Hotel des Bergues Geneva to connect with its potential visitors is through celebrity, particularly that of chefs. As Hudson and Hudson (2017) highlight, a prominent chef with an innovative approach has been used to position Four Seasons’ Carlsbad hotel at the forefront of the local culinary scene, drawing customers who enjoy fine cuisine. As highlighted in the persona, the prospective visitor for the Geneva location also has a similar preference. Per Four Seasons Hotel des Bergues (n.d.), it can advertise a similar advantage in the form of its Michelin-starred restaurant. People who want to try the food at the location will presumably also consider staying at the hotel for purposes of convenience.

The last channel that will be discussed is that of social media, which is a relatively new but highly popular approach to advertising. Katsoni and Velander (2017) list Four Seasons as one of the hotel brands most successful in promoting their brands through this new channel. Social media amplify word-of-mouth marketing, and happy guests share their experiences with their friends and acquaintances, leading them to consider a stay as well. Four Seasons Hotel des Bergues (n.d.) incorporates a number of Instagram posts made by guests, as opposed to professional photography, to create an additional appearance of authenticity. By doing so, the hotel presents it as actively engaging with the visitors and recognizing them as persons, building strong and friendly relationships.

Dream Equation

Hotel des Bergues Geneva engages in marketing and improvements extensively to ensure that its clients receive the highest standard of service and are satisfied to the utmost by their stay. Of the 7 Ps of marketing as described by Philips, Pickton, and Masterson (2017), it relies most heavily on people and the process. As mentioned several times before, the company strives to achieve perfection in the training of its employees. Per Aydin, Dedeoglu, and Coban (2019), they are given autonomy so that they may do what they believe to be appropriate in any situation without being constrained by bureaucratic regulation. With that said, Four Seasons also has a variety of requirements that have to be fulfilled for the client’s comfort. Ranging from substantial adjustments to minor changes, the entire process from booking to departure is carefully designed to evoke positivity and satisfaction.

There are also two anti-laws of marketing that Four Seasons follows particularly closely, which may explain its worldwide success. The first is to disregard positioning and stop comparing itself to other companies. Per Kapferer, Brexendorf, Kernstock, and Powell (2017), the purpose of this law is to avoid commoditization, where different luxury products can be directly compared using a set of metrics to determine which is superior. Instead, Four Seasons relies on a storytelling about its history of excellence and outstanding staff feats to appeal to potential customers. Other brands, either luxury or otherwise, cannot or do not provide the same promise, and staff altruism is not a measurable characteristic, regardless. As a result, Hotel des Bergues Geneva can stay distinct from its competition and incomparable to it, retaining its luxury status as opposed to that of a premium good.

The second essential law that Four Seasons follows is that of isolation, the protection of clients from non-clients. There is a certain standard of behavior that is expected of a client of Four Seasons, even if it is a more welcoming and homely environment than that of many other luxury hotels. Per Aydin et al. (2019), employees are authorized to refuse customers who refuse to adhere to this standard service to avoid damaging the hotel’s reputation through association with them. As such, guests can be assured that everyone else at the hotel is friendly and well-behaved. Moreover, the practice of the hotel providing tours and experiences itself instead of through contractors also ties into the same concept. Guests do not have to meet and mingle with non-guests, enjoying luxurious experiences in comfort.

Marketing Strategy Improvement Recommendations

The first improvement recommendation would be for Four Seasons to address its print advertising and its flaws. Rather than advertising luxury hotels in general, Hotel des Bergues Geneva can find some distinguishing features that can be expressed on paper and use them as a basis for the ads. While finding these qualities can be challenging, Landa (2016) recommends collecting experiences from employees and visitors regarding what they found the most attractive aspect of the hotel. By collecting, processing, and refining ideas, it should become possible to isolate a concept that will result in an effective advertisement. Its effects on visitor numbers and occupancy can then be studied in detail, and the results may be used to refine the marketing.

The second recommendation would be to continue embracing social media and seek innovative uses of it. People are starting to consume an ever-increasing stream of information regarding luxury brands as a result of the emergence of popular social media accounts that engage with these products and share their experiences. Per Azemi (2017), it is now necessary to begin engaging with these accounts and begin generating increasingly numerous and diverse pieces of content to retain customer attention. Organic user-driven production is particularly relevant in this regard, as it has the potential to match demand without incurring excessive effort on the part of the hotel. To secure it, it is necessary to actively and creatively engage with customers on social media, which is a challenge that companies are still trying to overcome.

The final recommendation would be to consider the changing traveler demographics and their needs. The increasing propensity of younger people to travel, and their use of social media that has driven a substantial change in how luxury hotels market themselves, is an excellent example. However, Lashley (2016) highlights another emerging category of the business traveler: women. They have different priorities than men, perceiving the hotel experience more holistically and requiring the presence of a gym on the premises for comfort. While Hotel des Bergues Geneva does not appear to have the latter, it has extensive experience with the former and can substantially appeal to the customer category. As such, it should consider increasing its marketing targeted toward businesswomen and making changes to serve their needs better.

References

Aydin, S., Dedeoglu, B. B., & Coban, O. (2019). Organizational behavior challenges in the tourism industry. Hershey, PA: IGI Global.

Azemi, Y. (2017). Digital marketing strategies for fashion and luxury brands. Hershey, PA: IGI Global.

Brookes, M., Mariussen, A., Bowie, D., & Buttle, F. (2016). Hospitality marketing (3rd ed.). Abingdon, United Kingdom: Taylor & Francis.

Deluxe room [Image]. (n.d.).

Four Seasons Hotel des Bergues. (n.d.).

Four Seasons Hotels [@FourSeasons]. (2020). The perfect work-life balance is yours to choose [Image attached] [Tweet]. Twitter.

Hudson, S., & Hudson, L. (2017). Marketing for tourism, hospitality & events: A global & digital approach. London, United Kingdom: SAGE Publications.

Jones, G. R., George, J. M., & Barrett, M. (2016). Contemporary management (4th ed.). Melbourne, Australia: McGraw-Hill Education.

Kapferer, J. N., Brexendorf, T. O., Kernstock, J., & Powell, S. M. (Eds.) (2017). Advances in luxury brand management. Cham, Switzerland: Springer International Publishing.

Kapferer, J.-V., & Bastien, V. (2012). The luxury brand strategy. London, United Kingdom: Kogan Page.

Katsoni, V., & Velander, K. (Eds.). (2017). Innovative approaches to tourism and leisure. Cham, Switzerland: Springer International Publishing.

Kimmel, A. J. (2018). Psychological foundations of marketing: The keys to consumer behavior (2nd ed.). Abingdon, United Kingdom: Taylor & Francis.

Kimmel, P. D., Weygandt, J. J., Aly, I. M., & Kieso, D. E. (2018). Managerial accounting: Tools for business decision-making (5th ed.). Toronto, Canada: Wiley.

Kopelman, R. E. (2019). Improving organizational performance: The Cube One framework. Abingdon, United Kingdom: Taylor & Francis.

Kowalski, M. (2016). Avoiding extinction: Reimagining legal services for the 21st century. Bloomington, IN: iUniverse.

Landa, R. (2016). Advertising by design: Generating and designing creative ideas across media (3rd ed.). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.

Lashley, C. (Ed.). (2016). The Routledge handbook of hospitality studies. Abingdon, United Kingdom: Taylor & Francis.

Phillips, N., Pickton, D., & Masterson, R. (2017). Marketing: An introduction (4th ed.). London, United Kingdom: SAGE Publications.

Reiche, B. S., Stahl, G. K., Mendenhall, M. E., & Oddou, G. R. (Eds.). (2016). Readings and cases in international human resource management (6th ed.). Abingdon, United Kingdom: Taylor & Francis.

Tybout, A. M., & Calkins, T. (Eds.). (2019). Kellogg on branding in a hyper-connected world. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.

Watts, R., & Parks, Z. (2018). Development of tourism and travel industry. Waltham Abbey, United Kingdom: ED-Tech.

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