SO/ BANGKOK and Brand Development
2011 — 2013
PURPOSE
To launch the global luxury lifestyle brand through the opening of its flagship property. To build the brand with content and creative ideas for fast expansion.
SO/ Hotels and Resorts is the first luxury lifestyle brand by Accor, created from the ground up to serve a new generation of luxury travellers who appreciate design, the vibe of a destination and socialising experiences. The urban hotel, SO/ BANGKOK, served as a platform for the brand’s global launch.
HOW
An ideal strategy to launch the brand through the flagship opening to illustrate the concepts and engage with the audience through the first-hand experiences.
Creative and interactive guest experiences, social scenes, social media strategy, brand voice and opening offers.
Strategic partnerships to reinforce a brand positioning that capitalises on design and lifestyle. Highlights included:
Famed fashion designer Christian Lacroix designed the hotel’s emblem, fashion collection for the hotel team, iconic art pieces in the lobby and interior design of the executive lounge.
Famous disc jockey and producer DJ Ravin – one of the creators of the Buddha Bar – composed an exclusive music album, Urban by Nature. The album is available on the iTunes store.
Local partnerships for targeted reach.
Designed brand signatures for guest experience, storytelling, social media opportunities and buzz.
Defined social media and content strategy, brand voice, persona and campaigns. The account grew due to high engagement.
Activated media relations, influencers and word-of-mouth strategies with lined-up stories.
Created tailored content suitable for each channel, including social media, EDM, traditional media, out-of-home media, guest rooms and internal communication.
Scope included brand philosophy, visual identity, tone of voice, entertainment programmes, service-culture training, and grooming and fashion guide for employees.
RESULTS
High volume and value of qualitative publicity around the globe for over 3 years.
High perceived value of the brand and the hotel, resulting in a high rate positioning amongst competitors.
Rapid growth of SO/ Hotels and Resorts network, starting from Asia-Pacific (Singapore, Hua Hin, Auckland, Samui, Kuala Lumpur) and expanding to Europe (Paris, St. Petersburg, Berlin, Vienna).
SO/ “Brand Philosophy” as an industry-leading brand book that articulates the brand integrity and guidelines for brand signatures.
SCOPE
Brand Philosophy
Brand Positioning
Brand Experience
Brand Culture and Training
Launch Strategy and Action Plan
Note: the intellectual property and trademark of the SO/ brand belong to ACCOR. SO/ Bangkok project is used as an example of work by Sirinate during her time with ACCOR.
