Viewpoint InterContinental Hotels’ Larry Light Leads a Global Marketing Transformation Larry Light, appointed a year ago as Chief Brands Officer of InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG), has the rare ability to take the complicated and not merely make it simple, but also make it meaningful. He has enjoyed an extraordinary marketing career as agency executive, brand champion, advisor, author and academic, but may be best known for his contributions to McDonald’s while CMO from 2002-2005. Not only did he galvanize a global brand behind “I’m Lovin’ It,” adopted from DDB’s Heye & Partner of Unterhaching, Germany as part of a breakthrough agency competition, but the expression has made its way into the local language of 47 million customers and has become McDonald’s longest-enduring tagline-turned-mantra. Larry Light was Lunquestionably instrumental in the company’s outstanding marketing turnaround. Today, he is leading a transformation spring in Palm Beach, Larry mission to build brand preference. at InterContinental Hotels Group, Light captivated an audience for He emphasized that achieving one of the world’s largest hotel 45 minutes, as he described the brand preference is not simply companies. IHG provides over process of “brand leadership about “how you manage a 157 million guest nights per year marketing,” which he characterizes marketing campaign,” but even through a total of 4600 properties in as both a process and a mindset. extends to how you compensate nearly 100 countries via a portfolio In fact, he believes that the goal to employees. He asserted, “Last of 9 hotel brands at varying price build strong brands should be a week, 300 job descriptions and points, including: Holiday Inn, business accountability, not merely responsibilities were changed to Holiday Inn Express, Hotel Indigo, a marketing accountability. In other reflect the rallying importance of Crowne Plaza, InterContinental, words, the business plan and the building brand preference. This Staybridge Suites, Candlewood brand plan should be one in the week, a new rewards system for the Suites, EVEN Hotels and HUALUXE same. organization will be put in place Hotels and Resorts. to underscore the goal of building He described how InterContinental brand preference. Next week, 4,600 His concepts at IHG are continuing Hotels Group is undergoing General Managers at each of our to reinvent our thoughts about tremendous cultural change by hotel properties will be retrained. marketing and the significant role aligning all of their objectives— GMs are the ultimate brand that it plays in business. whether matters of design, managers; they create the image of As a keynote at the ANA’s Brand construction, personnel, IT, or our brand onsite.” Masters Conference held this marketing-- behind a singular 32 THE INTERNATIONALIST www.internationalistmagazine.com 33 According to Larry Light, we now To understand a better global model objective is BUILD BRAND live in a collaborative, social-media for brand-building, Light suggests PREFERENCE. According to society where people share their lives that brands consider the following Light, “How we manage the through experiences, reviews, blogs, three issues, which may engender business is not simply how wikis and commentaries. This is company “culture shock,” but will we do marketing. Whatever transforming how we organize our lead to contemporary global brand someone’s job description, we businesses. Sharing, he underscores, success: need their personal innovation is not partitioning, which he and creativity to make this describes as the disease of the silo 1. What is the brand’s North Star? plan happen. Freedom in mentality. Shared responsibility has a How is it defined? What is its a framework, based upon significant impact on how we should ambition? This brand definition a common brand set of approach organizational structure should be inspiring enough so boundaries, inspires innovation. and brand management. there is a gap between where it Great ideas do not give a damn is now and where it ultimately where they come from.” In fact, he is convinced that former wants to be. He asks, “Why models about the globalization of aim for less?” This compelling Larry Light knows that his “3 box marketing from a central core and and coherent brand ambition model” also engenders fast results. its evolution of “Think Global; Act is a shared responsibility and “When the entire organization Local” are not only outdated, but can is owned by everyone who shares responsibility for building a no longer lead to brand success for participates in the brand across strong brand, not just the marketing most organizations. He calls these all functions and all geographies. department, the brand ambition past structures the “one-box model” is the same throughout the world. and the “two-box model” in reference 2. Define the brand framework. Keep in mind that nothing is as to checking off centralized or dual Although this is designed to effective as relevance, so this allows global-local options. achieve organizational alignment local markets to innovate within a and shared responsibility where framework. Everyone talks about For the majority of brands today, he everyone contributes whether how China is different, but we believes we now need a “3-box model” global, regional, or local, there watched our Crowne Plaza group that reflects more interconnectedness are brand standards-- iconic there create brilliant marketing and more personalization among elements of the brand—that are which resulted in 7% growth in 60 people with stronger individual non-negotiable. A “culture of days. It is possible with a shared passions; not a world that is more equals” needs to immediately commitment, a global brand “standardized.” The goal is to provide understand when the brand is ambition, and local relevance. This “freedom in a framework.” Ticking “out of bounds.” is not a long term dream; if the the boxes now means forgetting whole organization is aligned, it can about a centralized core (1 box) 3. Deliver results by focusing achieve measureable results in the or global-local tension (2 boxes); on outcomes, not tactics. In short term. And continually taking instead, the focus is on delivering short, THE BUSINESS PLAN care of the short term does lead to shared commitment, a global brand AND THE BRAND PLAN long-term success.” ambition, and local relevance. ARE THE SAME. IHG’s “We now live in a collaborative, social-media society where people share their lives through experiences, reviews, blogs, wikis and commentaries.” 32 THE INTERNATIONALIST www.internationalistmagazine.com 33.