Branding is Branding

I wasn't sure I'd have an opportunity to post while I'm traveling in Southeast Asia, but I've come across a great example of good branding that I want to share it with you.

I'm staying at The Narima, a wonderful group of bungalows here on the island of Ko Lanta in Thailand. (Life's rough, I know.) The Thai owners, Wan and Yodchai, are a lovely couple who've retired from successful careers in Bangkok to live by the sea. They've done no advertising whatsoever, and yet they're full every season. After a long chat with Wan, I realized that successful branding is the same all over the world because it's all about building relationships and having integrity.

At the heart of it all, Wan and Yodchai sincerely want their guests to have a good time. They go out of their way to accommodate any request, their first priority in hiring staff is to find people who are equally sincere about being in the service industry, and they've created an environment that's welcoming and relaxing. We've heard horror stories about other businesses on the island that not only rip off the tourists, but treat other businesses badly. They stay in business because the demand for accommodations is so high, but they miss out on repeat business and end up with a bad reputation all around. As useage of sites like Trip Advisor increases, this will become more and more of an issue because word-of-mouth can spread news like wildfire.

Regardless of what field you're in, the basic principles of branding still apply. Do what you love, care about your customers, and communicate effectively about yourself. Or better yet, give your customers such a great experience that they'll do the communicating for you.