| Every hospitality business owner must make time | | | | soon recognise a page layout that has been set |
| to take care of their image. How potential | | | | up by an expert. Have a graphic designer give |
| customers and guests perceive their business is | | | | you a sample design template to use as a |
| vital to how they interact with it. Fundamental is | | | | standard and then make sure that this is followed |
| the appropriateness of the graphic design in the | | | | each time you produce a piece of print. |
| choices of logo, colour, typeface and photographic | | | | 5 Logo |
| style. | | | | A logotype is set of words in a determined type |
| Every day I am amazed at just how little | | | | font. Legibility is imperative, as is its use on signs, |
| attention is paid by some hospitality operators to | | | | letters and T-shirts. Logos need to be distinctive |
| how their businesses are portrayed. | | | | but also durable. You can use recognised |
| Often it's the small details that let down the whole | | | | typefaces or design something entirely new and |
| enterprise - the out of date brochure with | | | | individual. Whatever you use, it needs to express |
| photographs taken years ago, the badly written | | | | your positioning and your personality. The colours |
| A-board or the old fashioned sign (probably | | | | you use will also be an expression of the palette |
| broken). | | | | that you chose to represent your hotel. |
| Research indicates that you have about 20 | | | | 6 Paper |
| seconds to make a first impression. In that time | | | | Your use of certain types of paper is an |
| your prospect has had a chance to view your | | | | expression of what you are trying to achieve |
| product and weigh up in his or her mind whether | | | | with your target market. For instance, using a |
| or not it meets their expectations. | | | | piece of flimsy 80gsm paper will not be a very |
| Address these 10 aspects of your business and | | | | good advertisement for a gourmet dinner at $100 |
| you will certainly be on the way to boosting your | | | | per person. Look at the competition and see |
| image: | | | | where you fit. Brochures that are 12 pages and |
| 1 Colour | | | | have tissue paper interleaves might give a |
| Colour is energy and it affects our mood and | | | | misleading impression about your great value |
| influences our behaviour. | | | | budget hotel! |
| Angela Wright is a colour psychologist and she | | | | 7 Wording |
| used to run a hotel 'We quickly learned how to | | | | Every hotel has to develop its own personality |
| use colour. Blue never works in a restaurant. A | | | | and the words you use reflect this. Whenever |
| little bit of red in the bar worked well. Green | | | | you write text keep the copy simple and direct. |
| seemed to work pretty much anywhere. Too | | | | Humour is always interesting but can be a little |
| much yellow in a bedroom and you'd have | | | | aggravating if you try too hard. Quirky works well |
| bad-tempered guests'. | | | | if it is done well, but only if it reflects you and |
| In looking at how colour is used in print or | | | | your business. |
| decoration it is not enough to just refer to blue or | | | | But do be careful. I received a mailing from Virgin |
| red, since there is no such thing as a universally | | | | Media (a cable company) that said '...it's a doddle |
| attractive colour. It is the variations in each colour | | | | for one of our nice engineer types to pop round |
| that are important since two variations of the | | | | and make it happen.' Oh that it were true! |
| same colour can have completely different | | | | 8 Outside |
| effects. Our response is not to one colour but to | | | | The outside is what prospects see first so, if it |
| colours in combination. Choose a palette of colours | | | | puts them off, they will never know what the |
| and stick to it. | | | | inside is like. |
| 2 Photography | | | | There are many different types of signage |
| Nearly everyone has a digital camera and thinks | | | | material. Plastic suits fast food outlets and |
| that they can save money by taking their own | | | | traditional wooden signs suit pubs and country |
| images. But photography is an art and great | | | | house hotels. Keep the wording simple and to the |
| photos will repay your investment for years to | | | | point and make sure that these words are |
| come. | | | | readable from the road and well lit at night. |
| Just look on any of the third party hotel internet | | | | 9 Inside |
| sites (Booking.com, etc) and you will see hotels | | | | Once clients or guests are inside you don't want |
| trying to boost weekend occupancy by showing | | | | to destroy the image that they have already built |
| images of their conference rooms. Bizarre! | | | | up about your venue. This is where your colour |
| 3 Names | | | | palette comes in and needs to guide every |
| If your business is already running then the name | | | | decision you make about the soft furnishings that |
| is usually OK unless it had terrible reputation and | | | | you use. |
| you are changing markets. Who can say that VW | | | | Ensure you constantly check out the atmosphere |
| made the right decision to stick with the Skoda | | | | to make sure that it is warm enough, smells good |
| name? | | | | and is not too noisy. |
| Remember that your reputation comes from how | | | | 10 Consistency |
| you run your business, not from the name. Who | | | | Consistency in communication builds value. For |
| would have thought that a hotel called 'Holiday Inn' | | | | instance, your recruitment adverts need to have |
| would become one of the most successful brands | | | | the same style as your promotions. Any and |
| in the corporate market? However do make sure | | | | every communication from you needs to be |
| that you avoid any negative connotations. | | | | instantly recognisable as being from you, either in |
| 4 Typography | | | | the consistent use of your colour or the way that |
| To have a coherent image your typography must | | | | the words are laid out. |
| have a unique personality. Although it may seem | | | | Make considered choices about all these 10 |
| simple to 'just choose a typeface' there are so | | | | aspects and your business will definitely prosper. |
| many options for getting it wrong that you will | | | | |