CASE STUDY:

Shangri-La Hotels

Hong Kong-based Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts is Asia Pacific’s leading luxury hotel group. Inspired by James Hilton’s 1933 novel Lost Horizon, the name Shangri-La encapsulates the serenity and service for which their hotels are renowned. Shangri-La owns or manages over 95 hotels worldwide.

THE CHALLENGE

Shangri-La was a highly admired brand which had become a little ‘tired’ and inconsistent.

OUR GOAL:

To help freshen up the brand image. To then determine the optimal Brand Architecture in order to reposition the hotels in the existing portfolio and plan for regional and global expansion.

THE SOLUTION

• Brand DNA development process encouraged Shangri-La to retain the core promise of ‘Traditional Asian values in a contemporary way’

• A brand architecture for defining brand stretch and brand borders in the portfolio

• Naming recommendations

• Refreshed, consistent visual identity and 'Look Book'

THE RESULTS

• Abandoned plans to ‘Westernise’ their offerings

• Major review of 3, 4, and 5 star portfolio

• Commitment to ‘nothing less than 5 star’ consistency for all Shangri-La operations

• Brand family architecture with clear delineation of offerings (Traders vs Shangri-La)

• Refined, consistent visual identity

• Shangri-La continues to be the #1 luxury hotel brand in Greater China