|
Featured
Story
Ripple
Marketing News
|
Walker Encourages Innkeepers to Master the Journey
West Yellowstone, Montana
Ripple Marketing’s President and Cofounder Kitch Walker recently presented two seminars to the Montana Innkeepers Association (MIKA), continuing an ongoing relationship with the organization. The annual, two-day conference was held this year at the Holiday Inn SunSpree Resort.
MIKA is a statewide, professional organization whose members seek to “enhance the quality of life through promotion of the hospitality industry and to foster sustainable tourism."
Titled “The Power of Marketing: Mastering the Journey” and “Branding: It’s Not Just for Cattle Anymore,” both stress the ongoing nature of marketing and branding, and the importance of continually pursuing strategic initiatives that accomplish a company’s marketing and branding goals.
After presenting several nuanced definitions of marketing from various sources, Walker encouraged the crowd to take those nuances and implement their own definition of marketing.
A brand, by Walker’s definition, is the consummation of the proprietary visual, emotional, rational and cultural experiences associated with a company, product, service or idea - from the consumer's viewpoint. This perceived relationship, “The Brand,” exists whether an organization chooses to manage it or not.
“Branding,” therefore, becomes the proactive nature of managing and manipulating each of the "touchpoints" that directly or indirectly influence and shape the cultural, rational, emotional and visual experiences constomers have with the organization, product, service and/or idea, in order to build or enhance positive brand equity over time. Successfully building and maintaining the brand can result in affecting numerous strategic objectives of an organization including increasing long-term customer loyalty, positive word of mouth, profitability and employee retention.
Stemming from the core idea of brand managment or "branding", Walker encouraged seminar attendees to become brand authors, inspiring them to carefully attend to and shape their ongoing relationships in the hospitality industry.
At the heart of the branding are the actual experiences stakeholders have at each and every customer touch point or the points at which customers and companies, products or services interact. By vigilantly evaluating the ways in which marketing and branding initiatives affect customer touch points, companies can pursue and promote profitable and fruitful relationships with existing and potential customers.
You can view Walker’s speaker bio by clicking here. To book Walker as a speaker at your next event or to request a customized seminar, call 406.585.8168.
|