The state has done an admirable job of instilling in visitors the idea of Hawai’i as a vacation destination, and the percentages of repeat visitors shows that idea continues working. But developing the state’s identity as a place to do
The state has done an admirable job of instilling in visitors the idea of Hawai’i as a vacation destination, and the percentages of repeat visitors shows that idea continues working.
But developing the state’s identity as a place to do business has been another story all together.
The state Department of Business, Economic Development & Tourism (DBEDT), and the business community in the state, aim to change that.
The Business in Hawaii campaign is making a statement, henceforth to be known as Hawai’i’s business brand: “Hawaii is the one place on earth to do business where life and aloha are part of the bottom line.”
The slogan, and the nine-month process that eventually landed on that set of words, were discussed at the Hawaii Convention Center last week.
The Business in Hawaii brand also involved a process to determine why people choose to do business in and with Hawai’i. The brand was developed to create awareness of what makes Hawai’i a successful and serious place to do business.
“Hawai’i has a strong and valuable brand as a visitor destination, but no recognizable brand as a place to conduct serious business,” said Sharon Narimatsu, DBEDT deputy director.
“This is the reason we undertook a nine-month project to determine, with the business community’s input, Hawai’i’s business brand,” she said.
The Honolulu advertising agency Ogilvy & Mather, Hawaii, donated its services in applying its brand stewardship process to the project as a means to accurately identify, define and develop the Business in Hawaii brand.
“Building and sustaining the brand is not just a marketing strategy; it’s about profit,” said Shelly Lazarus, chairman and chief executive officer of Oglivy & Mather Worldwide. “It’s been proven that strong brands that command loyalty are more profitable brands,” she said.
“Strong brands command price premiums,” and are less vulnerable to competition, she said. A recent article suggests that if customer retention rates can be increased by just 5 percent, profits can increase by 25 percent to 95 percent.
“Building loyalty is all about delivering what the brand promises,” she added.
