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CASE STUDY
4
Banyan Tree: Branding the Intangible
Jochen Wirtz
Banyan Tree Hotels and Resorts had become a leading player in the luxury resort and spa
market in Asia. As part of its growth strategy, Banyan Tree had launched new brands and
brand extensions that included resorts, spas, residences, destination club memberships, retail
outlets, and even museum shops. Now, the company is preparing to aggressively grow its global
footprint in the Americas, Caribbean, Europe and the Middle East while preserving its distinctive
Asian identity and strong brand image of Banyan Tree.
1 The complete list of awards won by Banyan Tree can be found on the The closing of a factory in Thailand one year after its
company’s website at www.banyantree.com. opening—because it lost out to other low-cost producers
Exhibit 2: Banyan Tree Seychelles blends well into its natural
environment.
COMMUNITY
In addition to engaging local craftsmen to produce GROWING BANYAN TREE
indigenous art and handicrafts for sale at its galleries, Banyan
Tree also involved the local community in all aspects of its In 2002, BTHR took over the management of a city hotel
business, even as the resorts were being built. Villas were in the heart of Bangkok from Westin Hotel Company. The
constructed with as much indigenous material as possible, hotel was rebranded as Banyan Tree Bangkok after extensive
most of which was supplied by local traders. Traditional arts renovation works were completed to upgrade the hotel’s
and handicrafts that complemented the villas’ aesthetics facilities and build new additional spa amenities and a
were also purchased from local artisans. Banyan Tree Gallery. This was the first Banyan Tree hotel
to be located in the city area, unlike the other beachfront
The company believed in building profitable resorts that Banyan Tree properties. Banyan Tree planned to open city
would benefit the surrounding environment and contribute hotels in Seoul, Beijing, Shanghai, and Hangzhou, and
to local economies through the creation of employment and Angsana expanded into Dubai and London.
community development projects. Thus, besides providing
employment for the local community, the company As the Banyan Tree brand became established, the company
brought business to the local farmers and traders by making began expanding its network of spas and retail outlets.
it a point to purchase fresh produce from them. Whenever Standalone Banyan Tree Spas and Banyan Tree Galleries
possible, the company supported other regional tourism were set up as separate ventures, independent of Banyan
ventures that would benefit the wider local community and Tree hotels and resorts, in various cities such as Singapore,
enhance the visitor’s experience. The Banyan Tree Maldives Shanghai, Sydney, India, and Dubai, operating either in
Marine Laboratory is a prime example, being the first fully other hotels or as standalone outlets. Its most recent spa
equipped private research facility to be fully funded and was The World Spa by Banyan Tree, located on board of
operated by a resort. The Lab seeks to lead conservation the ResidenSea, a residential cruise ship, offering Banyan
efforts in the Maldives to protect and regenerate coral and Tree signature spa treatments to the world’s only resort
marine life for the future of the tourism industry as well as community travelling the globe.
to promote awareness and education of this field to the local
community. In addition to the Spa Academy in Phuket, which opened in
2001, and to support its fast-growing spa business, Banyan
Tree opened two new spa academies in Lijiang, China, and
2 Detailed information on BTHR’s CSR activities can be found at Bangkok, Thailand, in 2007.
http://www.banyantree.com/csr.