Sunset's Hospitality's Ilana Orietta On Humanizing Brands

In this edition of the Founder FAQ, Sunset Hospitality Group’s Illiana Orietta answers: As an entrepreneur, why is humanizing my brand important, and how do I go about actually doing it?

“Humanizing a brand is the key to turning a mere business idea into something customers can relate to on a personal level. I believe that bringing a brand to life is essential for transforming guest interactions into enduring relationships, and here’s how to do that:

1. Focus On Storytelling

Storytelling has the unique power to humanize a brand, creating emotional connections by reflecting the ethos, culture, and values of the brand. One of the ways this can be done is visually – a brand’s visual language is among its most powerful assets, allowing it to move beyond being just a business, and become something customers can personally relate to. Your logo should nod to the brand’s identity, and you can share more of your story through photography, collaterals, digital marketing, and through the product or place. Another driver, especially in hospitality, can be the consumer experience – I believe that whispering the brand’s messages into every aspect of the guest or client experience instills emotion, and leaves a lasting impression on customers.

2. Showcase The People Behind The Brand

With the support of a strong marcom team, you want to humanize the brand by showcasing the individuals behind it – the fire behind the conceptualization, their story, and brand inspiration. For starters, build narratives – for instance, share the founder’s journey, highlight their struggles, achievements, vision, and passion. These personal narratives evoke empathy, trust, and emotional engagement. Amplify these stories through public relations (PR) – this can be by securing interviews and opinion pieces in the media as well as speaking opportunities, and by sharing behind the- scenes moments or personal anecdotes across social media.

3. Advocate Through Your Employees

The best way to humanize a brand is to ensure your employees embody the brand’s values. Empowering your team is essential – your employees are your brand’s natural ambassadors, humanizing the brand with every interaction – essentially a representation of the brand. Empower your employees to adopt the brand’s ethos in their behavior and tone of voice. Training them is key, too. At Sunset Hospitality Group, our employees, from operations to marketing, go through extensive brand training, and they are very well versed in how human connection sets great brands apart. When a brand becomes more than just a logo, and it stands for values that resonate with its customers, it creates lasting emotional connections that drive loyalty and growth.”

This article first appeared in the November issue of Inc. Arabia magazine. To read the full issue online, click here.