Mercedes Erra Executive President - EuroRSCG Worldwide

Few luxury brands have truly succeeded in meeting the challenge to expand their brand in the hotel industry. This is what we are trying to do with Hotel Missoni. The first hotel in Edinburgh is a real success. It is a fine translation of the attributes of the Missoni brand. Other developments are underway in emerging countries such as Kuwait and Brazil. Success is not a given, but the initial stages are positive. The evolution of this brand will be interesting to watch in the years to come”.A brand is not static data. It provides people with a service. It changes to fit the values anchored in their heads. If it stops providing this service, it goes forgotten. The desire for service is increasingly important because humans are becoming increasingly important during these times of worry and anguish. Quality of service is no longer judged the same way. The service must be human – accept mistakes - more than mechanical. The hotel industry clearly lacks the means if we compare this sector with other markets.Creating an advertisement for yogurt is fairly simple. I can explain the benefits of the product that the client will find on the shelves. But, inversely, service brands are complicated brands– thus interesting. Take the Monoprix campaign “je pense à vous tous les jours” (I think about you everyday). This proposal is becomes awkward if the cashier is in a bad mood. Meanwhile, Air France’s campaign “Making the sky the best place on earth” has taught us a great deal. At the time when the company was borderline bankrupt with repeat strikes, Jean-Cyrille Spinetta launched a competition. All the agencies were very wise in their projects, making few promises because they are difficult to keep. The president of Air...