Ritz-Carlton last week unveiled the first ever change to its iconic lion and crown logo, the latest in an ongoing effort by traditional brands to compete in the new world of luxury.
The changes are subtle.
“I like to say we gave the lion a little bit of a haircut and thinned out the mane,” said Lisa Holladay, vice president of global brand marketing for Ritz-Carlton. “The biggest part is making sure the lion and crown have equal weight to the word mark. Previously, the lion and crown had much more weight. The design is also cleaner, easier to reproduce and has a new blue hue.
And while the changes may not be apparent to the casual guest, the strategy behind the lion’s first grooming in 32 years is far more significant.
“It’s part of a broad strategy,” Holladay explained. “Three years ago we completed a new, long-range plan for the company and new strategy and decided to look at everything that was holding the brand back from being viewed as a modern, relevant luxury brand.”
After all, when Ritz-Carlton was launched with properties like Naples, Florida; Buckhead in Atlanta; and Laguna Niguel in California, she noted, “they all looked the same, which appealed to luxury consumers. But that’s not what luxury consumers want anymore.”
The Ritz-Carlton of today, which is competing in a world where many of the most popular luxury hotels brands are defined by their uniqueness, is focused on authenticity and sense of place.
And that fits well with the brand’s fast growth, which is largely focused outside of the U.S., and particularly in Asia. Next year it will have 100 properties, up from 70 five years ago.
“That’s the beauty of newbuilds,” Holladay said. “They are following our new design standards. They all have a unique sense of place. Kyoto is a wonderful example: It is clearly in Kyoto and couldn’t be anywhere else. We also just opened in Bali, which couldn’t be anywhere but Bali.”
What hasn’t changed, she said, is the “consistent luxury experience as far as service... The amenities with a strong sense of place.”
Besides the seemingly little things like a cleaner, more modern logo, Ritz-Carlton has completed renovations of its older properties to give them simpler, more modern designs. It has also modernized its wardrobe and grooming standards for employees. And it is working to modernize its food and beverage products so that the properties offer options like the popular Elway’s restaurant in the Denver hotel, a concept founded by the popular former Denver Broncos quarterback John Elway.
The bulk of the new initiatives, Holladay said, have now moved forward. The final one, which she said Ritz-Carlton will be working on this year and next is its service strategy, “making sure it is still on point.”