Ctrip Tries Its Hand at Brand Management 携程尝试品牌管理
I’m not shareholder in Ctrip.com (Nasdaq: CTRP), but I’m certainly a big fan of just about everything this company does, including its numerous new business initiatives that all seem well thought out and positioned to capitalize on its position as one of China’s leading travel services companies. In one of its newer such moves, which actually began 2 years ago but now seems to be picking up steam, Ctrip is developing its own Starway hotel alliance, bringing together independent hotels under a single banner to better help them attract business and provide service under a set of uniform standards. This kind of alliance is similar to the Best Western brand in the US, and is a very convenient way for independent hotel owners, who otherwise wouldn’t have much chance at attracting customers, to unite under a single name and market themselves collectively. A recent domestic media report says the Starway brand now has about 120 hotels na
tionwide, and Ctrip has also recently launched a more upscale version, Starway Premier, for better quality independent hotels. (English article) This kind of initiative should provide new revenues for Ctrip in a number of ways, from franchise and management fees to actual booking fees when travelers book rooms at these hotels on Ctrip’s system. This kind of initiative follows other creative ones in the group buying (previous post) and restaurant (previous post) spaces, all playing to Ctrip’s core strength, and providing new sources of revenue to keep the company growth.
Bottom line: Ctrip’s Starway hotel brand management initiative is yet another smart campaign by this travel services leader in its search for new revenues drawing on its core strength.
我不是携程<CTRP.O>的股东，但我是这家公司的铁杆粉丝。作为中国领先的旅游服务商，携程推出的很多服务创意都很棒。其最新推出的一个创意——实际上两年前就开始了，但最近才火起来，携程推出自有品牌–星程连锁酒店，把很多独立的小旅店整合起来，更好地吸引顾客，提供统一标准的服务。这与美国的 Best Western品牌很像，而且给独立的酒店业主提供了很大的方便，因为这些酒店业主不会有什麽机会联合起来一起做市场推广活动。最近的国内媒体报导，星程品牌目前在全国拥有了120家门店，携程最近还推出了一个更高端的品牌–星程精品，提供更好的服务。这从很多方面会给携程带来新的收入来源，如特许经营费，管理费用，订房费用等。此前携程也在购物和餐饮方面推出了很多业务创意，这都发挥了携程的核心优势，给携程提供了新的收入来源。
一句话：携程的星程酒店品牌管理计划，是携程在寻找新收入来源，发挥核心优势方面做出的又一聪明之举。
Related postings 相关文章:
◙ Ctrip Makes Smart Trip Into Group Buying 携程也推团购：不仅只是赶时髦
◙ Ctrip Finds Growth Recipe in Restaurants 携程：进军在线订餐
◙ Home Inns: Expo Hangover 如家进入平稳期
