The Berlin hospitality group BIG MAMA Hotels, headed by CEO and founder David-Friedemann Henning, is preparing for further growth and is developing a new, more flexible brand image for the occasion.
In order to best develop the brand, a study of BIG MAMA Hotels' target clientele was conducted to identify their values and needs. This study then compared what these customers are looking for with what the brand currently offers.
As a result of this research, BIG MAMA Hotels focus on the mixed-used segment, the fastest growing segment in Germany. These guests travel alone as well as with families and friends. On the one hand, they are very pragmatic and need security, but on the other hand, they are also very keen to discover new things and have high expectations in terms of entertainment.
As part of the rebranding process, the origins, characteristics and stories of BIG MAMA Hotels were first studied by the agency formfrage in order to prepare the basis for targeted communication and design. At the same time, the results were translated into initial designs and tested in regular feedback sessions.
All teams within the group were involved in the creation of the new brand image, thus providing valuable information and ensuring understanding and acceptance by the employees. This ensured from the outset that all participants identified with the new brand image and could actively develop and cultivate it.
The intensive immersion in the BIG MAMA culture at the beginning of the project showed us many things that would have been lost in a classic agency briefing. It quickly became apparent that the brand image of the BIG MAMA hotels and the potential behind it was not sufficiently emphasised in the current brand image. The intensive on-site work phases and the regular and early sharing of the results of our work allowed us to quickly and effectively check whether we were on the right track. This kind of hand-in-hand work requires courage and trust on both sides, as well as an awareness of what a branding process can trigger on a cultural level.
Sonja Kröll, Brand Strategist & co-founder, Studio formfrage
The result of this creative process is a well-founded brand strategy with a new positioning and a corporate design that works both internally and externally. These design elements create an evolving and modular brand image that arouses the curiosity of customers while conveying information about the BIG MAMA Hotels brand.
The new logo is a reminder of the practical structure of all the group's rooms. The associated colour scheme is very colourful, reflecting the identity of BIG MAMA Hotels, and can create different moods, from lively and noisy to relaxed and thoughtful. The group deliberately breaks the concept of standardisation. "The first visual impression of the BIG MAMA brand should already make you want to know more and show how varied and lively the experience is".
With the assistance of easy-to-use templates, employees can now develop their own communication materials such as posters and social media posts.
I am pleased to see that the reorganisation of BIG MAMA is bearing fruit and that the new brand image allows us to continue to challenge the status quo of the industry and to push forward the acquisition of new locations.
David-Friedemann Henning, CEO and founder of BIG MAMA Hotels
The wonderful thing about BIG MAMA is that the lived values that have developed over the past nine years form a solid, organic base and we did not need to create an artificial brand. We took the existing diversity, courage and big heart for hospitality that have always characterised BIG MAMA and translated them into a courageous design.
Tobias Köhler, Chief Commercial Officer, BIG MAMA Hotels
The BIG MAMA Hotels Group already operates a flagship hotel in Berlin and another in Leipzig.
