Coral Hotels and Resorts launches new marketing campaign and development strategy

It has been developed after extensive research and analysis both regionally and internationally and took nearly 15 months to finalize.

Unveiling the campaign, H.E. Sheikh Mohammed bin Faisal bin Sultan Al Qassimi, Chairman & CEO, MANAFA LLC and Vice Chairman, HMH - Hospitality Management Holdings, said, 'We are entering into a new era. Up until now we were a strong regional brand with global ambitions. However, today we are proud to say that we have several exciting projects developing beyond the Middle East. Looking at all the challenges globalization poses it became necessary to make our brand more mainstream. And we are confident our new campaign will take us to new levels of success.'

Coral Hotels & Resorts has invested about Dhs5m in refreshing its identity and estimates an expense of 10 million in implementing it across its existing properties.

Michel Noblet, CEO, HMH - Hospitality Management Holdings, said:

'We see it as a strategic investment that will provide a big stimulus to our business in the long run. It is a highly spirited campaign that taps into human emotions. At a five-star level, the facilities remain more or less same. What makes the difference is the service. And at Coral we are proud of our distinctive service - the human touch - that combines the finest traditions of Arabic hospitality. Our campaign explicitly focuses on this aspect. In a nutshell it is a kaleidoscope of colours studded with real emotions and people.'

Let Us Impress You is the new Coral tagline and says it all. Hina Bakht, Vice President, MPJ - Marketing Pro-Junction, the company that has created the campaign, said, 'Coral Hotels & Resorts are all about affordable luxury. The brand has a premium feel to it without being over pretentious. The new campaign has been developed keeping in mind the perceptions and expectations of Coral's guests. Getting it right was an enormous challenge. There are so many products out there, so much competition, it is not easy to distinguish a brand. We are absolutely thrilled with the outcome that's simply unique.'

The design is equally bold and vibrant and packs in plenty of oomph. Echoing the pulse of Coral, it resonates with optimism despite the economic gloom. Michel said, 'Coral is a winner - a success story all the way. The campaign will deepen the consumer's trust in our brand for we deliver value. The bottom line is it aims to connect with the consumers while being unconventional. And this ties back to our brand philosophy.'

The launch of the campaign coincides with Coral's foray into new destinations such as Morocco and Cairo. Michel said, 'We have just signed up our biggest project in Marrakech with YNNA Holdings and we are in the final stages of clinching the deal in Cairo.'

Within the Middle East, the group's development looks particularly robust in KSA with 3 new hotels set to open in a span of few months. Coral Cape Town is nearing completion too as are the properties in Ajman, Sharjah, Beirut and Qatar. 'We have a hotel opening practically every few weeks this year. This demonstrates the exceptional power and growth of our brand. Our new identity will position us for long-term success giving us extra leverage.'

HMH - Hospitality Management Holdings is committed to its target of 100 hotels by 2012. Michel said, 'The current economic climate is definitely forcing companies to redefine their business objectives and development strategy. However, we remain firm on our course of expansion. Even though we have been affected by the downturn the impact has not been so severe. Yes there are difficulties and big challenges ahead but we stay optimistic.'