From branded to endorsement corporate identity strategy: the case of the Fattals Hotel Management Group

Purpose - During the past several years, many hotel management firms have changed their corporate identities. Such corporate identities are based primarily on one of the following three approaches: monolithic, endorsed and branded. The purpose of this paper is to describe the process of designing a corporate identity for a hotel chain management firm based on the transition from a branded corporate identity to an endorsement corporate identity. Design/methodology/approach - This paper describes the transition from a branded corporate identity to an endorsement corporate identity as undergone by the Fattals Hotel Management Group, which manages a chain of 12 hotels. The paper examines the various stages of the process, from the decision to change the company's identity up to the final stage of examining the results. Findings - The case presented here illustrates the extent to which assimilating the new identity requires the cooperation of all members of the organization and must be executed both vertically (top-down and bottom-up) and horizontally. Originality/value - This case study, which presents differences between the various strategies adopted by the company during its identity change from one extreme approach to another, adds a new element to the process of creating and assimilating corporate image in the hospitality industry.