Sabina Fluxà, Iberostar Group’s Vice-Chairman & CEO, yesterday presented the strategic lines of action aimed at repositioning the company worldwide, based on a new segmentation of its hotels and the redesign of the brand’s visual identity.
Iberostar has regrouped its hotels in three segments: city hotels, ocean resorts and Iberostar Heritage, a newly-created category that includes classic hotels steeped in history and tradition. Grand, the group’s luxury category, is present in all three of the new segments.
Taking the company’s new strategic concept – “Let it shine” – as a starting point, Iberostar has also changed its corporate logo, colours and verbal code to reflect the values that represent the company’s essence and philosophy.
Iberostar Group has embarked on an exciting new phase in its international trajectory. Following an in-depth analysis and the redefinition of its identity, principles and objectives, yesterday saw the presentation of the Group’s new strategy, based on revamped values centred on innovation and excellence, tightly focused on people and society in general.
Iberostar Group, with more than 60 years’ experience and present in 35 countries, has come up with an ambitious proposal based on providing first class services aimed at guaranteeing guests’ full satisfaction. Over the last six years, the Group has invested more than 500 million euros in an ambitious acquisition and renovation plan. As a result, 70% of its portfolio – made up exclusively of 4 and 5 star hotels – has been renovated, with particular efforts being channelled into product and service innovation and technological development.
The Group will continue this strategy over the next few years with investments already allocated that will further strengthen its position in the high-end hotel segment thanks to an ongoing differentiation strategy covering four key elements: the very best locations, delicious gastronomy options; an unshakeable vocation for service and a particular focus on people – those that make up Iberostar Group, our customers, partners and society in general.
The Group’s long-standing experience, coupled with its determination to look ahead to the future with this ambitious repositioning project, have led to the creation of a brand new identity for Iberostar. This takes the form of a new segmentation of its hotel portfolio, a new corporate identity that reflects the essence of the company and the strengthening of its commitment to sustainable development, education and training for individuals and care for the seas and oceans.
During the launch of the new Iberostar, Sabina Fluxà, Iberostar Group’s Vice-Chairman & CEO explained, “We are all part of a large family made up of more than 28,000 employees that offers unbeatable service for the 8 million customers we welcome each year. We remain as excited and enthusiastic as when we started, because the quality of our products and the satisfaction of everyone that entrusts their holidays to us form the driving force behind everything we do. We are now taking a major step forward in what is a key development for the business, repositioning it and setting even higher standards. This strategy is accompanied by a new brand image which, under the claim ‘Let it shine’, echoes our own determination to shine and to enable our guests to shine as well”.
NEW SEGMENTATION
In order to guarantee coherence and cohesion for Iberostar’s hotels, the company has reorganised the segmentation of its portfolio into three groups:
• City hotels: located in the heart of leading tourist cities such as Madrid, New York, Lisbon, Barcelona, Budapest, Miami or Havana. This segment features two categories: Grand and Iberostar.
• Ocean resorts: hotels designed to ensure guests enjoy their holiday to the full in fabulous beachfront locations. This segment is divided into three categories: Grand, Selection and Iberostar.
• Classic and historic hotels: This newly-created segment, known as ‘Iberostar Heritage’, comprises unique hotels boasting outstanding architectural elements with a special historical and cultural significance that add special charm and value. They include hotels in the Grand and Iberostar Heritage categories.
Iberostar will be extending its Grand category, characterised by its standards of luxury and elegance, across all three segments.
Iberostar’S NEW VISUAL AND VERBAL IDENTITY
The new claim ‘Let it shine’, reflects the company’s new, updated brand identity, based on a more sincere and customer-targeted language. The visual identity has been transformed and now features a more photographic style in which the image forms the focal point, with new fonts and a more contemporary and simple pictographic style.
The Iberostar logo has also evolved. The hallmark star remains, although it now features simpler, more streamlined graphical symbols for a more open, legible and modern logo. The colour code varies in accordance with the new segments that define the Group’s hotel portfolio: turquoise for the beachfront ocean resorts; cosmos blue for the city hotels; and sage green to differentiate the Iberostar Heritage hotels. The Grand category now also boasts a new coral tone that will highlight these hotels in all three segments.
The company has started work on introducing its new corporate identity. This will take place in several stages and will gradually be phased in at all the chain’s hotels.
OCEANS PROJECT
The new Iberostar has emerged as a result of the company’s natural evolution and reflects its underlying essence, characterised by a profound commitment to sustainable development, education and training for individuals and care for the seas and oceans.
The company has drawn up a road map in line with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, with particular emphasis on people, as they are the reason behind the company’s success, as well as on the environment, and particularly the protection of our seas and oceans.
During the presentation, Sabina Fluxà defined the three major lines of work included in the ambitious Oceans Project.
• Sustainable fishing. Together with the procurement teams and kitchen consultants, the company is working to promote sustainable fishing, including only seasonal fish on its menus, in order to boost the responsible consumption of this product.
• Reducing plastic pollution. Iberostar is working to reduce single-use plastic items in its hotels. The ultimate aim is to eliminate them and/or gradually introduce alternatives made from biodegradable materials.
• Coral reef conservation and protection. Iberostar is focusing its efforts in this area on coral re-seeding initiatives, creating alliances with universities and research centres and raising awareness through educational activities targeting employees, supplier communities and other stakeholders
