How do you build a customer centric brand?

Sudima Hotels is an independent New Zealand hotel chain with serious ambitions. Currently they have four hotels, and a number of new hotels to open across New Zealand over the next few years. They have taken a measured approach to growth over the last 15 years with a long-term strategy to develop new properties as the market allows. But they are more than a hospitality business. Privately owned by the Jhunjhnuwala family, Sudima Hotels take their role as a business and employer very seriously. They have won multiple awards for diversity and inclusion, accessibility, environmental sustainability and their contribution to the community.

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The Challenge

Sudima Hotels are a classic ‘untold’ New Zealand success story. After a decade of significant growth in their domestic and international guest stays, and with strong forward tourism forecasts, Sudima Hotels plan to open a number of new hotels in the next few years. However, the hotel sector is a tough place in which grow. It takes serious investment to develop new offerings and to stand out in a market where price aggregators continuously seek to drive room rates down. Our challenge was to unify the business around a core brand thought, modernise their brand identity, and in doing so to reposition the brand in the minds of key domestic and international travellers and travel sellers, and to communicate the quality of their customer ethos to the end customer.

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“Ocean worked collaboratively with us to refresh and reposition our brand ready for our next stage of growth. They have been great to work with, took the time to really understand our business and have placed our passion for our customer at the heart of our brand.  We are really proud of the result!”

Dzin Alekzander, Group Marketing & Brand Manager, Hind Management

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The Solution

Sudima Hotels approached us initially to help them to articulate their organisational values. This quickly developed into a broader discussion about their brand. Their brand, in our opinion, was too passive. It needed to be working much harder to help customers understand who they were and to help the business to grow. More than this, Sudima Hotels had the ability and credibility to create a purpose driven brand. Its credibility and reputation in its care for its staff, contribution to the community and commitment to the environment is inspirational.  We helped articulate a clear proposition, and defined a powerful brand idea. Sudima Hotels now have a solid brand platform from which to grow.

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We embarked on an 18-month company-wide rebrand that modernised Sudima Hotels’ brand identity through all its touchpoints—from signage to in-room collateral, to trade material and exhibition stands. Sudima Hotels deserves to stand tall and by weaving their commitment to the environment and community into their story they can now do this with confidence.

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