THE PARK HOTELS

Revitalizing an Iconic Indian Brand

1) Which of the three value propositions should Paul choose? Why? Which
one is the best given Park's history, present circumstances and future
prospects?

A value proposition is a promise of value that you give to a customer that assures them that
you will deliver value to them. It’s the primary reason a prospect should buy from you.
The Park was categorised as a boutique hotel, providing a unique
experience in each location, and also, by infusing it with the Indian culture native to the
particular region. However, the brand audit conducted by Landor identified some key
problems like less differentiation, low brand awareness, outdated designs and the need for
more luxurious services which needed to be tackled in order to restore The Park’s position
in the market.

For this, the value proposition which Paul should choose is that of The Cultural Curator.

VALUES, PERSONALITY,
CHARACTER

SUBSTANTIATORS Hospitality
Sincerity
Business
One of
Results
a kind
POINTS OF PARITY
 Value added
Authenticity
  Caring Hospitality
BRAND service
Value for
Staff
MANTRA
money ‘Anything
Vibrant Service
Cultural
but Aesthetic
Traditional Taste of
Nightlife Ordinary’
Aesthetics Artistic Innovative distant
Value Themes
Themed, lands
13 unique
POINTS OF DIFFERENCE
Stylish
Logo properties

Creativity
 VISUAL IDENTITY

The
‘The Cultural Curator’ as a Value Proposition for THE PARK
Cultural
Curator as a value proposition acts as the differentiator factor for them, where they can
capitalize in future. It is the trend-setting concept that works for them. This not only
captures the Indian market, but also foreign tourists, who want to experience the cultural
aspects of India. This will offer the following to the customers:

1. Relevancy: The Culture Curator captured a key interest of the creative class of young
Indian professionals and combined themes of “India Reborn,” culturally enriching
experiences, creatively inclined people, and a lively atmosphere. This will target the Indians
who have an inclination for themed, stylish and funky décor, specifically the guests attracted
to their non-traditional vibe and eccentric service.

2. Quantified Value: The Park Hotels delivered their services in the most unique and non-
traditional manner. Along with the hospitality and living service, they had fun places like,
bars, lounges and hip restaurants featuring live music.

3. Unique Differentiation: The differentiating factor for the park hotel is its Cultural
Centricity in everything they offer including, Room decors and food. Their goal of creating a
unique and welcoming experience in each location adds to their individualistic image. Art,
design, music and literature find new expression and unusual ways of engaging the business
and luxury traveller who seeks a hospitality experience beyond mere service and efficiency.

2)Given your choice of value proposition which logo and service experiences
would you choose and why?

 The logo emphasized The Park’s uniqueness by highlighting the word “THE” in its
design. The boldly rendered all-capital, block letters claimed that this Park Hotel
would be The Park Hotel.
 The logo portrayed the special qualities of the park and emphasised that there was
only one brand with the history of The Park and the commitment to provide
extraordinary hotel experiences for its guest.
  The logo tried to say by making the letter THE bold that there was only one The Park
hotel which is in the business since last four decades.
Service Experiences: The service enhancement was part of a 2-fold plan to re-establish the
image of The Park Hotel as being the pioneers in the hospitality industry. They were the
pioneers in the boutique hotel experience and to maintain that advantage there was a need
to revamp and enhance the experiences. This had to be done by emphasising on their rich
cultural heritage and the individualistic feel that each of the hotels presented.
 Curated Movie Libraries, Museum and a Music room: As the Park, Chennai had
connected the Indian art and culture, so along with a music room and a small
Museum about its culture would distinguish the park from its competitors.
 Flavoured Popsicles in the Lobby and home cooking menu: Popsicles of the
flavoured local taste with a twist of home cooking menu would be considered good
combination.
 Park Red Carpet with a park Pad: There should be a special welcome mat for the
arriving guests and offering them a tablet computer to make their experience
delightful till the time they are residing in hotel.
 Sundown Dance Festival and night drops: The dance recital should be held every
evening and for the customers who want to go to night clubs, a special service of
Ferrari, BMW should be provided.
 The Park Sho(r)t Arrivals: Entertaining and energizing the guest with a selection of
refreshing sots served in the lobby, which reduces the check-in time for them and
also make them adore the culture inside the hotel.

3)How well positioned is park for the future? How would you assess their
likelihood of achieving their future growth goals?
Ans: The Park hotel (TPH) has been serving as a leader of Indian hospitality. They had first
movers advantage on the ‘boutique hotels’ concept. There were many things that they had
done correctly to spark interest and attract customers. To understand this better, SWOT
analysis is as for The Park:
 WEAKNESS
STRENGTHS
Crowd coming for amenities couldn't
Boutique hotel's first mover advantage be converted
Local geographic advantage Consistently inconsistent brand
Presence in Major Indian cities Weak product experience
Engaging & hip locations for locals

SWOT Analysis
OPPORTUNITY THREATS
Future growth in toursim market Loss of boutique hotel competitve
Targetting domestic business travelers advantage
Brand loyal customer base RevPar erosion due to entry of foreign
giants
Brand tiredness in customers
Foreign competitors

Current Positioning:
In the span of 11 years, Park hotels already made their place in the top 20 of hospitality
industry. In the presence of behemoths such as Taj group, Oberoi group, ITC etc. TPH held
their own and performed marginally better in adverse times. This tells volumes about their
positioning. With the foreign players bound to enter Indian markets, TPH is moving in the
correct direction by brainstorming their strategies before moving ahead with their expansion
plan termed as ’20 by 2020’. TPH has presence in major Indian cities, with India on pedestal
for economic growth; TPH should tap in tier-II and tier-III cities and this is in alignment with
their expansion plans.
Future prospects:
By taking help of Landor associates, TPH has shown that they have a futuristic outlook.
Based on SWOT analysis, they will need to focus on customer conversion and to achieve this
they need to reposition themselves.
 Segmentation: The Park has organized the potential differentiators into four buckets,
which they called “The 4 Ds.”
 D1: The Park’s People, who were fun, interesting and approachable.
 D2: FAME; Fashion, Art, Music and Entertainment.
 D3: The Park’s unique interpretation of contemporary India.
 D4: Non-cookie-cutter nature of The Park’s hotel portfolio.

With segmentation, The Park has clearly sorted out its plan to improve in each area of focus
mentioned above. “The 4 Ds” is a strategic plan to transform the brand in the coming years.
Weak product experience is another hurdle in their path. In addition, inevitable entry of
foreign competitor adds to this. The boutique hotel advantage is eroding as well. However, all
these can be tackled with the current brand revitalisation and positioning measures in
pipeline.
 Positioning: The Park had three options for repositioning their brand.
 The Culture Curator: Focuses primarily on adding a bit of history in every
detail.
 Anti-Ordinary: Focuses on Innovative designs, themes and ideas to provide
the customer with the latest advancements in the hospitality industry. Ex:
Flamboyant colours, eclectic furnishings, new flavours in the recipe book, etc.
 Social Catalyst: Focuses more on events, clubs, parties and nightlife.

With the options available, The Park needs to decide on the theme of the hotel depending on
the findings of market research in an area. The Market Research primarily includes the
lifestyle and preferences of people living in that region.
 Targeting: With the Indian consumer growth stipulation, there is an opportunity for
TPH to encash this with their expansion plans.

The task ahead of TPH is an ordeal since they will need to battle foreign competitors while
keeping their relevance amidst Indian hotel giants. However, they are well positioned, and
they are on right track, but this will require meticulous planning and execution.