So this week, Marriott International made a series of announcements tied to the company's investor day — the first for the company since the COVID-19 pandemic.
Perhaps chief among them, or at least the most likely to garner attention, was the launch of a new brand, Four Points Express by Sheraton. The brand, which is an extension of a brand that was already an extension of another brand, officially makes it Marriott's 32nd lodging brand.
In the past, there's been tons of hand-wringing about how many brands are too many for the industry at large, but this entire exercise makes me wonder to myself: Just how much does the name over the door matter?
Marriott is essentially making the bet that if they lean on the most recognizable names they can and provide the amenities wanted by travelers in a specific segment — in this case midscale travelers in Europe, the Middle East and Africa — they'll see strong business. In the booking journey, those travelers would theoretically only see names they have seen and are familiar with already: Sheraton, Marriott, Bonvoy and to a lesser extent Four Points.
I've written about this in the past, of course. The loyalty brand is ultimately the most important brand in the entire process. If a traveler is comfortable with booking within the Bonvoy ecosystem, then they'll be comfortable with Four Points Express as long as it provides the things they need for their specific travel occasion.
I believe we'll be more and more likely to see similar branding approaches moving forward. It's not at all dissimilar from companies slapping "by Hilton" or "by Marriott" at the end of acquired brands to signify their connection. Why take a big risk in building a new consumer brand if you can position your hotel as a product associated with something they're already familiar with?
Let me know what you think on Twitter, LinkedIn or via email.
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