Aligning your personal or company brand with other readily recognizable and reputable brands can instantly elevate your stature in the minds of your target market. If they trust the endorser brand they are more likely to trust you or at least give you priority over lessor known brands. That is the power of an endorser brand!
European travel has always played a large role in our lives both for business and pleasure. When we were in our early twenties we had the great fortune of discovering Relais & Châteaux. It is an Association of outstanding, refined hotels and restaurants (not a chain) dedicated to the Art of Living, each offering impeccable service and culinary experiences that create indelible memories. At the time there were just over a dozen of members primarily in France. Today there are 530 members in 64 countries.
One of our first experiences at a Relais & Châteaux property was Domaine Les Crayères in the Champagne region (depicted above). We stayed there in the first year after they were accepted as a member. Our room was $50/night, but they upgraded us to one of their best rooms for $75/night with a balcony that overlooked the magnificent 17 acre park, which is part of the grounds. Today the same room is over $400/night (off-season).
The wine list at Les Crayères’s legendary restaurant (2 Michelin stars) includes more than 600 champagne labels. Memories of the meals we enjoyed there have lasted a lifetime and can cost almost as much as the rooms themselves (depending on the wines you choose, of course).
In planning an upcoming trip to the Umbria region of Italy, we did not have any particular recommendations for hotels. So, Alexandra looked into Relais & Châteaux for inspiration. We were flabbergasted to discover that, during off- season, there were some Relais & Châteaux properties there that were in our moderate price range for this trip.
It took all of two seconds to make our decision to book these hotels, sight unseen! That is the power of an endorser brand.
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