By Mia A. Aznar
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
FROM souvenir items, island-hopping tours and boutique hotels, the Islands Group is preparing to roll out another side of the brand that hopes to fill gaps in local tourism–transportation.
Islands Group president Jay Aldeguer, who spoke at the National High Level Forum on Innovation and the Creative Industries Ecosystem, said that before the year ends, he plans to launch Islands taxi, complete with the bright orange color that the brand has become famous for.
Aldeguer said the taxi is part of a five-year plan that they are planning to roll out one at a time. Aldeguer narrated that though he is not an artist or a designer, he still played a role in the creative industry with his business, which he started by selling vibrant colored souvenir shirts.
He noted that while most of the products he introduced are already established, he said they stand out by introducing “new twists” to existing items. For their souvenir items, Aldeguer said they brightened up their products by introducing new designs.
Jazzed up
In offering island-hopping tours with Islands Banca Cruises, Aldeguer explained that they just jazzed up the basic outrigger boats by providing a deck, uniformed crew, iPod dock and Wifi access.
Their latest offering is the Islands Stay Hotels, which Aldeguer said has also surpassed expectations.
He revealed that they hit an 85 percent occupancy rate in their dry-run stages. Their Mactan branch saw a consistent 100 percent occupancy rate for three months, except for one day in July, where they had 95 percent.
The performance of the hotels, he said, affirmed that their strategic advantage was in proper branding, careful design, execution and marketing strategy.
He added that they have a 50 percent walk-in rate, which he believes is unprecedented in the hotel industry.
Aldeguer also noted that they get similar responses from customers–that they are approachable, accessible and the feel of the hotel is like a coffee shop.
He also stressed the need for simplifying their product, by removing fine prints in all their marketing materials and categorizing their rooms using shirt sizes instead of the regular terms like deluxe and standard.
Aldeguer said that his staff go through tour guide training, which he hopes will reinforce the Islands brand and make tourists know they can rely on anyone wearing an orange shirt that they can get reliable directions as well.
Intellectual property
Because his brand has become popular, Aldeguer admitted that he learned to value intellectual property early, with many others copying his concept as soon as he took off.
However, he said it is a long process and that aside from their logo, trademarks and look, they are studying what other categories they can apply for IP rights.
“There are threats from everywhere. They can come from your artists, your competitors, your business partner...this should not deter you from your goal,” he told a student who asked if he did not feel threatened if his staff members would one day stop working for him and start their own ventures.
He admitted that he saw duplications of his concept “instantaneously” after he succeeded with Islands souvenirs, but said the potential is “limitless” if things are done properly.
Published in the Sun.Star Cebu newspaper on August 25, 2011.
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