From the Frontlines: A Conversation with Trevor Schueren on Hospitality Brand Audits

Welcome back to From the Frontlines! In this series, Harri highlights members of our team who are up to big things and have big insights into the hospitality industry. This week we chat with Trevor Schueren, Senior Account Executive here at Harri. In this episode, we discuss brand audits in hospitality and what makes for a successful brand identity.

Thanks for joining us today! Rebrands aren’t uncommon, but what are the most important aspects of a brand audit?

For a restaurant, a brand audit must define the purpose, the promise, the personality, the positioning, and the “why” of a chain. It’s much deeper than the company logo or signature menu item. A good example is Taco Bell, which was able to successfully reinvent itself without changing the heart of its product. Consistency is key to keeping customers and employees on board with a rebrand. 

What are key considerations for brands to ensure a successful audit?

Brands must first consider their organizational purpose. That means defining what success looks like and understanding what KPIs you’re benchmarking yourself and your teams against. Employee retention, satisfaction, and the number of internal promotions are excellent benchmarks for hospitality operators to track. Third-party resources can help fine-tune those audits for stronger benchmarking, quality assurance, and more.

Those are great points! Should key KPIs stay the same for each brand audit?

While they can and definitely will vary over time, it’s important that KPIs stay somewhat consistent. Hospitality leaders should consider a brand audit every 3 years, but that doesn’t mean they need to make massive changes — brands that take too many directions will find it difficult to move forward.

That being said, some brands may find themselves needing to pivot. Take Chipotle, for example. They completely changed their brand narrative a while back by doubling down on their people, and it was a huge success. To this day they’re seen as leaders in the employee experience. Sweetgreen is another major brand that has stayed consistent and committed to their mission. 

Have you noticed any major rebranding themes during COVID-19?

COVID shook the industry and naturally changed what a brand stands for. We saw so much community involvement from groups who were able to leverage that as a differentiating factor. We’re seeing a bigger focus than ever before on cleanliness, safety, the employee experience, and company culture. Those themes will continue to be at the forefront of brand identity even when the pandemic is behind us.