Humuhumunukunukuapua’a
… is Hawaii’s state fish.
The best way to experience what hospitality is all about is to go play tourist somewhere. This is actually what I just did. Hawaii is no exception to seeing a downturn in the economy, recovery is sluggish and the tourism industry is suffering greatly, just like all other destinations where tourism revenue is paramount to the bottom line. Nevertheless, Hawaii as a destination provides an exercise in its own branding with great enthusiasm.
My experience as a tourist in Hawaii, despite the slow recovery of the US dollar, was nothing short of awesome. No, it was not the tons of made-in-China trinkets, the ukuleles or Hawaiian shirts that made the difference. Rather, it was the people of Hawaii. They are simply charming, welcoming and relentless at “aloha-ing” you from the moment you step off the plane. The Hawaiian brand is clear and branded from top to toe. You are never snobbed or disregarded, whether you stay at the best, posh hotels or elect to take the local city bus outside the tourism zone.
Honolulu, like any other North American city, does not escape crime (just in case you forget, the “Hawaii 5.0″ police sirens are a daily, noisy reminder), increasing populations of the homeless, and grave pollution issues, due visibly to overuse of plastic bags and other Styrofoam containers, particularly in fast-food throwaways. It appears that Hawaii, surprisingly, has not yet caught up with stringent recycling policies, despite being an island. That said, Honolulu’s tourism zone with its walkways, gardens and beaches is flawlessly cleaned every day. Nothing like the plastic soup one would find on the islands of Hong Kong.
There is a kind of natural ease to its people in welcoming you and smiling, whether or not you buy a trinket or a flower lei. I would say Hawaii, (pronounced “ha va ee”) has an inborn culture of friendliness and softness. A softness in touch with the color of the island winds and most evident at the Polynesian Cultural Center, where dances from the various island cultures are a portrait of pride, elegance and strength — qualities in substance that our modern ballroom gymnastics have all but forgotten. Hospitality means just that: the people are unfailingly hospitable. In sum, this enviable know-how that inhabits the core of their brand should serve as a lesson to any destination or service-oriented industry.
What was particularly stunning, is the amount of work each player on the team delivers, and particularly their true sense of teamwork and assistance to one another: On a snorkeling tour, you would see members assisting each other and being pleasant to each other as well as to us, teaching snorkeling and fitting equipment to each customer, then helping a team-mate cook the burgers and toss the salad, playing with the young kids while teaching eco-preservation and, in unison, picking up and storing all the equipment, and finally staging the grand finale, where all team members stand, waving us goodbye as our tour bus departs. That is hospitality brand with all the “T’s” crossed. I was impressed. They really get it: What makes hospitality is the people more than the destination.
Upon my return, my parents’ first question was: “Are they as nice as we remember them from our trip in the seventies?” Yes, is the answer. And this despite the hardships that many tourism venue players have to endure, not excluding… the launch of the new Apple iPad that happened during my stay in Honolulu. A tech world I had happily and gladly forgotten for an instant. For this and more, aloha and thanks, to you Hawaiian people, mahalo! On the whole this reaffirms what I thought I knew: that BRAND is really a culture and hardly a thing.
This fish got me!
A brand is a promise. It sets an expectation of an experience. To be effective, it must be relevant, competitive and authentic. Cultural consistency is a key component of authenticity. Your personal experience reinforces just how effective Hawaii’s brand promise of Aloha actually is. If you would like to learn more about place branding visit http://www.strengtheningbrandamerica.com for more insight.