Jumeirah Group: STAY DIFFERENTe

Melodena Stephens Balakrishnan

Melodena Stephens Alice Royton, the Director of Branding for Jumeirah Group was discussing her forward looking
Balakrishnan is an plans with the Executive Chairman of the Jumeirah Group. 2010-2011 was a challenging year for
Associate Professor of the region with the global financial crisis and the Arab Spring. Despite all of this, Jumeirah’s
Marketing and the MBA extensive international expansion plans to grow its portfolio of luxury hotels and resorts into key
Program Director for the gateway cities and aspirational resort destinations was on track. Jumeirah’s portfolio of ten
Faculty of Business and properties was tripling in the next five years making it closer to realize its vision as one of the top
luxury brands of the world. For Alice, the dilemma was how to maintain the thrust forwards and
Management, University of
keep brand synergy especially as Jumeirah was entering into a very competitive arena in the
Wollongong in Dubai,
international market place.
Dubai, United Arab
Emirates.

1.1 Jumeirah group: a rich heritage

Jumeirah Group specializes in the field of hospitality and management. Jumeirah’s vision is
to be a world class luxury international hotel and hospitality management company,
committed to being the industry leader in all of their activities through dedication to their
This case was written by stakeholders; colleagues[1], customers, business partners and owners. Jumeirah’s Business
Dr Melodena Stephens Excellence Policy focuses on dedication to excellence and continuous improvement by the
Balakrishnan. It was prepared
using company information and
commitment of resources to innovation and learning. They work towards delivering benefits
interviews and its intention was to their customer, colleagues, business partners, owners and society by listening, building
to provide material for class loyalty and developing mutually beneficial relationships. Its flagship product is
discussion through publication.
The author does not intend to Jumeirah Hotels & Resorts. Among the many other products the Jumeirah Group offers are:
illustrate either effective or Jumeirah Living (luxury brand of serviced residences); Jumeirah Restaurants (the company’s
ineffective handling of a
managerial situation. The dedicated restaurant division with brands like the Noodle House and Sana Bona); Jumeirah
author may have disguised Retail (with its 15 stores and dedicated luxury online store www.jumeirahcollection.com);
certain names and other
identifying information to Sirius (Jumeirah’s Recognition and Rewards programme); the Emirates Academy of
protect confidentiality. Hospitality Management (the region’s only fully accredited third-level academic institution
Copyright q Balakrishnan with specialized hospitality management degree programs); Talise (one of the biggest spa
2012; Case Courtesy of UOWD brands in the Middle East) and Wild Wadi Waterpark (water park).
Business Case Study Centre,
AIB-MENA. Jumeirah Group began in 1997 with the vision to become the hospitality industry leader.
Disclaimer. This case is written In the luxury hospitality business, a key competitive advantage for every successful hotel
solely for educational purposes
and is not intended to represent is ‘‘location, location and location.’’ Jumeirah’s first hotel was the Jumeirah Beach Hotel.
successful or unsuccessful The building was unique in design with a wave shaped pattern, an auditorium in the shape of
managerial decision making.
The author/s may have
a ‘‘wooden Dhow’’ (the traditional Middle East fishing boat) and more importantly the
disguised names; financial and property had access to 33,800 m2 (364,000 2) of beach for their use.
other recognizable information
to protect confidentiality. Among the most iconic properties in its original Jumeirah portfolio was the Burj Al Arab, the
media proclaimed 7-star hotel. The construction of this 5 Star Deluxe hotel began in 1994
and was opened in 1999. The project reflects its Middle East heritage. The building was
shaped like the sails of the ‘‘Dhow’’. The design has roots in the historical past of Dubai as a
pearl diving and trading center. Only a few generations ago, when the fishermen and pearl
divers would go to sea, the first indication for the children of Dubai of their father’s safe return
was the shape of a sail in the horizon. The construction of the Burj Al Arab was an
engineering feat as the hotel rests on an artificial island constructed 280 m offshore. The time

DOI 10.1108/20450621111192762 VOL. 1 NO. 4 2012, pp. 1-15, Q Emerald Group Publishing Limited, ISSN 2045-0621 j EMERALD EMERGING MARKETS CASE STUDIES j PAGE 1
 taken to reclaim the land from the sea was three years, though building construction itself
took less than that time. The project was international – the architect and engineering
consultant was from the UK, the lead joint venture partner in the initial stages of
pre-construction and construction was from New Zealand and the hotel construction was
executed by a South African construction contractor.
In 2000, Jumeirah Group opened another renowned property – the Jumeirah Emirates Tower
Hotel. Unlike the previous two hotels which were resorts on the beach front, this was a
business hotel. In 2004, Jumeirah Group was the first hotelier to introduce the concept of a
full floor dedicated to women guests and managed by women colleagues, the Chopard’s
Ladies Floor in Jumeirah Emirates Towers; reflecting its Middle East cultural preferences.
Madinat Jumeirah is the largest 5 star resort in Dubai comprising of three hotels, Al Qasr, Mina
A’Salam and a series of summer houses built around central courtyards called Dar Al Masyaf.
This property opened in 2003-2004. The inspiration for the design came from the Dubai creek
which was the original settlement of the people of Dubai and the main life line of trade for the
emirate. The hotel reflects the traditional UAE architecture with wind towers, over 5 km of
waterways and the traditional abras (water taxis) floating through the canals to allow guests
access to all parts of the resort. The waterways are also home to a turtle sanctuary.
Building on it initial success, Jumeirah Group became a member of Dubai Holding in 2004.
Dubai Holding is a collection of leading Dubai based businesses and projects and this
initiated a new phase of growth and development for the group. Though Jumeirah originated
in Dubai and its initial properties were in this region Jumeirah began looking outside the
region (Figure 1; Table I).
In 2005, Jumeirah took over two hotels in London, Jumeirah Carlton Tower and Jumeirah
Lowndes Hotel. Then in 2006, the company took over what is now called Jumeirah Essex
House in New York, USA. This building had a history of over 75 years and was a much
beloved heritage building. This property is where Alice Royton got her firsthand experience
of the Jumeirah Group.

1.2 Alice Royton

In 2006, the Jumeirah brand was not well known in North America and the first foray of
Jumeirah into North America was with the heritage building of Essex House. Jumeirah’s

Figure 1 Jumeirah properties

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PAGE 2 EMERALD EMERGING MARKETS CASE STUDIES VOL. 1 NO. 4 2012
Table I Jumeirah expansion
Current as of August 2011 (opening
Region year) Future 2011-2012 Future 2013-2016

Middle East North UAE UAE UAE

Africa Jumeirah Beach Hotel, Dubai (1997) Jumeirah at Etihad Towers, Abu Jumeirah Al Ain
Burj Al Arab, Dubai (1999) Dhabi (Fall 2011); Jumeirah Morroco
Jumeirah Emirates Towers, Dubai Creekside Hotel, Dubai (Fall 2011) Jumeirah Marrakech Golf & Polo
(2000) Kuwait Resort
Madinat Jumeirah (2003), Dubai Jumeirah Messilah Beach Hotel & Egypt
Jumeirah Zabeel Saray, Dubai (2011) Spa (Fall 2011) Jumeirah Gamsha Bay Resort
Maldives Maldives Syria
Jumeirah Dhevanafushi (2011) Jumeirah Vittaveli (Fall, 2011) Jumeirah Abraj Souria
Qatar
Jumeirah Dubai Tower Doha
Jordan
Jumeirah at Saraya Aqaba
Europe UK Azerbaijan
Jumeirah Carlton Tower, London Jumeirah Bilgah Hotel, Baku
(2005); Jumeirah Lowndes Hotel, (Winter, 2011)
London (2005) Mallorca
Germany Jumeirah Port Soller Hotel &
Jumeirah Frankfurt (2011) Spa (Spring 2012)
Asia- Pacific China China
Jumeirah Himalayas Hotel, Shanghai Jumeirah Thousand Islands Lake
(2011) Resort,Qiandaohu; Jumeirah
Hangzhou; Jumeirah Macau;
Jumeirah Clearwater Bay Resort,
Sanya; Jumeirah Guangzhou.
Thailand
Jumeirah Bangkok
Americas USA USA
Jumeirah Essex House in New York Jumeirah Botany Bay Resort;
(2006) US Virgin Islands;
West Indies
Jumeirah Anguilla Resort

origins were Middle Eastern and there was a lot of speculations on the challenges; a great
deal of curiosity and little awareness and understanding from the market. Alice Royton
was appointed Director of Sales & Marketing in Jumeirah Essex House in May 2006. She was
responsible for the transition and repositioning of the New York hotel. After two and half years
of honoring the heritage of Essex House and yet being able to bring in the brand and cultural
experience which was uniquely Jumeirah; Alice found her field work, research and emersion
in the hospitality laboratory paid off. ‘‘For those in Branding and Marketing [. . .] Keep close to
the customer’’ Alice advises. In January 2009, Alice was appointed the Director of Branding
for Jumeirah Group. Alice’s new role required her to be responsible for Brand Management,
Brand Marketing/Advertising, Partnership Marketing, Brand Sponsorships, Digital Marketing,
Loyalty Marketing (Sirius) and Brand Product & Service Development. This was a turning point
for the Jumeirah Group as pointed out by the then Chief Sales & Marketing Officer of
the Jumeirah Group ‘‘Our long-term goal is to be one of the top luxury brands of the world.
We are keeping to our strategy of recognizing the distinctiveness of luxury travelers and the
importance of personal experiences in their lives. To that end, the creation of a brand strategy
and management discipline marks an important turning point for Jumeirah.’’ For Alice, it was
one of those challenges she loved – she wanted very simply to reinvigorate the brand.

1.3 The Jumeirah brand

The genesis of the brand is in the name. Jumeirah’’ means ‘‘ember’’ in the local dialect.
Dubai has a coastline of white sandy beaches and under the moonlight, the white sand of the
beach would glow brightly – like embers in a dying fire. See Figure 2 for brand logo.

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 Figure 2 Brand logo

1.3.1 Jumeirah’ guiding principles

One of the positive characteristics of the Jumeirah brand is its dynamism. It is an exemplar of
the fast pace of Dubai and the spirit of what’s possible in a very short period of time.
Jumeirah believes this sustained success is an outcome of the primary focus on the
customers; the superior and innovative service and products delivered; and the adoption of
the Hallmarks, Guiding Principles and Core Standards in daily activities leading to a culture
of service excellence. This philosophy was developed, endorsed and embedded very early
in the DNA of the Jumeirah Experience, actively by the Executive Chairman and the
leadership team. The Jumeirah philosophy is embedded in six values (Table II). The torch in
their logo represents their three key hallmarks which every colleague is expected to know by
heart and deliver. The hallmarks are:
1. I will always smile and greet our guests before they greet me.
2. My first response to a guest request will never be no.
3. I will treat all colleagues with respect and integrity.

1.3.2 The cultural framework of the brand promise: Stay Differente

The genesis of this statement began with a conversation with the executive chairman who
challenged the director of marketing to come up with a powerful endorsement statement that
could be simplified to a strap line. The idea was to find a meaning that was deeper than purely
the tangible elements of a brand that revolved around features or the functional promise of
‘‘staying’’ at Jumeirah. The rationale behind the ‘‘Stay Different’’statement came from the idea of
honoring individuality and not asking the guest to change for the hotel but simply be themselves.
The idea was to be able to tell the guest – ‘‘like you, we as a hotel celebrate individuality [. . .] the
distinct personalities of our hotels.’’ Stay Different was at one level about celebrating with and for
the guest, the importance of their individuality and the personalization of the service. At another
level, it was about celebrating the individuality of the colleagues and realizing that it was this very

Table II Jumeirah philosophy

Integrity Teamwork
We act with honesty and sincerity in everything We work towards common goals through open
we do. We say what we mean, do what we say communication, mutual support and win-win
and build confidence I n our team attitudes. We respect our differences and build
upon our strengths.
Recognition Innovation
We ensure that People’s individual needs and We are open minded, challenging conventional
successes are supported and recognised. thinking, improving our processes and
implementing new ideas faster than our
competitors.
Continuous growth People focus
We provide an environment where our We focus on our colleagues, customers and
colleagues and our business can flourish and business associates and they acknowledge us
grow. as preferred partners.

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PAGE 4 EMERALD EMERGING MARKETS CASE STUDIES VOL. 1 NO. 4 2012
diversity as a company that brought together many and individuals from over 100 nationalities to
serve the guests which was very important.
So when Alice took over Jumeirah Essex House in 2006, the foundation for a great brand was
already laid. The vision of wanting to go from a regional luxury hotel brand to an international
luxury hotel company in a short period of time, made the articulation of the brand promise
and its synergy vital for future success. Some great brand ingredients already existed – the
vision, the cultural and service philosophies around the hallmarks, and the communication
platform around ‘‘Stay Different.’’ In 2005, Jumeirah was consolidating its unique properties
and products into a single portfolio. The diverse properties ranged from exclusive luxury
hotels, business hotels to leisure and family hotels. Like the properties and places, the target
audiences were also different and were getting more international. Alice realized as more
properties joined the Jumeirah portfolio, they were each individually exploring the brand
promise of what they thought was the meaning of ‘‘Stay Different’’. Though ‘‘Stay Different’’
was often used as a tag line and was depicted visually – its articulation was subjective and
the common thread of culture unique to Jumeirah was yet to be clearly identified and
reinforced and weaved across its portfolio of products. Hence, the challenge for Alice was to
revitalize and refine the Stay Different brand endorsement in the marketing communications
and to embed it in a culture that all Jumeirah colleagues could live and breathe. In other
words, she needed to move the brand strategy from functional components in the brand
pyramid to symbolic and experiential components. So the first challenge was to simplify and
consolidate these multiple threads and recall – Why was Jumeirah different?
Second, there was an increasing threat of competition from local, regional and international
players as the playing field widened and demand increased. While Jumeirah had a first
mover advantage for the first five-eight years in Dubai with its beachfront properties and as
the first home grown luxury hospitality brand, things were progressively changing. The
international footprint was getting competitive in its home market. Jumeirah’s luxury
competitive set is Four Seasons, The Ritz Carlton, Mandarin Oriental and Park Hyatt, to name
a few. The regional market was throwing new players in the highend market like Meydan
Hotels & Hospitality or Emaar Hospitality Group (www.hoteliermiddleeast.com/6844-worlds-
first-armani-hotel-sets-opening-date/). International 5 star luxury brands were making their
presence felt with iconic properties in Dubai like the Palm or Downtown Burj or in Abu Dhabi
in places like Yas Island or Sadiyaat Island. Jumeirah needed to define its competitive
differentiation – Why should the customer stay with them rather than the competition? It
needed to be simple enough to articulate and understand without necessarily going into the
history so the customer knows what is special about Jumeirah.
Third, the brand strategy needed to evolve to match the changing customer expectations. The
brand promise needed to have a competitive clarity embedding the distinct advantages
Jumeirah already had which were the great location, great product and great service. In mature
markets, the product was about enrichment, education, discovery and self-expression – which
according to Alice could be summed up as an intelligent, more complex luxury experience:
‘‘Don’t pamper me too much [. . .] but when I want it I would like it to be there.’’ On the other hand
in emerging markets, the product occupied a customer space related to bragging rights and a
more materialistic experience where memories were of the ‘‘over the top’’ and the customer
wanted to be indulged. This created tensions in the luxury space between temperance and
extravagance. The brand had to be flexible and emphasize different things that related relevant
aspects of the brand to the target audience without being too distinct and standing all by itself.
This meant different value propositions for different sets of stakeholders. Further Jumeirah
wanted to reconnect with its roots and refocus on its own backyard regional market especially
looking at the growing market opportunities present there.
As Dubai was now a major transit and tourist hub, there was more awareness from the customer
point of view for the destination, which previously you had to sell first before you sold the Dubai
hotel. The Dubai International Airport was expected to have a capacity of 60-90 million
passengers per year by 2018. Abu Dhabi meanwhile was busy with expansion plans and
expected in the coming decade to increase its capacity to 40 million passengers per annum. Four
key airlines – Emirates, Etihad, fly Dubai and Air Arabia were based in the UAE. The customer was

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 informed, connected and demanding. Over 30 per cent of the bookings are direct system
contribution. According to the Travel and Tourism Competitiveness report 2011 (www3.weforum.
org/docs/WEF_TravelTourismCompetitiveness_Report_2011.pdf), world tourist arrivals reached
900 million in 2007, with the Middle East attracting 46 million international tourists. The figures in
2009 also show a robust growth in the premium air travel category – all of which were factors
increasing competitiveness in the hospitality segment (Figure 3).

1.4 Articulating the symbolic and experiential brand components

1.4.1 Data mining: what did and does Jumeirah stand for?
When Alice joined as the Director of Branding for Jumeirah Group, there was a need to
deconstruct the ingredients already present in the Jumeirah brand promise (location,
exceptional and innovative product and service) and reconstruct them to reflect the
changing customer and market needs. The Hallmarks was the starting point as they
provided a firm foundation for the brand promise. From 2007 to 2009, Alice in collaboration
with the Human Resource Department, Business Excellence Department (that looked at
customer relationship), in association with external professionals who looked at customer
insights and brand strategy and the brand team conducted over 45 focus groups with
customers, business partners and colleagues. The purpose was:
B to identify what elements people associated with Jumeirah;
B what did the concept of Stay Different mean for each of them? and
B how were these hallmarks were executed.
The organizational memories were recorded through a project called ‘‘Big Talk’’. Through a
series of 12 ‘‘Big Talks’’ with stakeholders, perceptions of Jumeirah were documented. There
were 20-30 people in each Big Talk which involved a full day of orchestrated workshops and
activities focusing on brand forensics and future requirements. All of these sessions were
recorded and analyzed. 15 partner interviews with the network of PR firms, marketing
agencies and business partners were held. Over 20 management sessions focusing on
leadership teams were facilitated by experts to get more information. Over 15-colleague

Figure 3 Premium air travel

Source: http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_TravelTourismCompetitiveness_Report_2011.pdf

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PAGE 6 EMERALD EMERGING MARKETS CASE STUDIES VOL. 1 NO. 4 2012
workshops were held to get a sense of the feeling of what was Jumeirah all about. Feedback
from guests (on-line, guest surveys, guest comments) was also mined.

This period of ‘‘intense listening’’ helped identify touchpoints of interaction and these were
then used to articulate a clear definition of ‘‘Stay Different’’. As Jumeirah began probing and
getting a fresh insight into all their relevant stakeholder impressions – they realized they
already occupied several ‘‘spaces’’ that customers understood and valued, but that they
had never consistently, or in certain cases, consciously reinforced.

1.4.2 Jumeirah brand at the functional level: service and space

At the foundation level or the functional level of the brand was the exemplary service
Jumeirah offered its guests. It focused on honoring individuality and getting to know the
individual – going beyond lip service. It meant trying to customize or personalize the service
as far as was possible with a genuine attempt to serve and assist. The data showed that
Jumeirah was known for creating imaginative spaces through an ambience of luxury that
innovatively used environment of textures and fabrics, design and architecture. Experience
was delivered through the incredible imaginative vistas, services and products creating
indelible memories – for example the abras floating through Madinat Jumeirah, the fireballs
blasting out of the Burj Al Arab, the release of 101 rehabilitated turtles on the Mina A’Salam
beach, or the sea plane tour that takes off in front of Jumeirah Beach Hotel are some
examples of delivering this lasting exhilarating experience through innovative design and
products. At the same time, customers could relax and get a feeling of timelessness. Guests
could lose themselves back in time in the Madinat Jumeirah ‘‘souk’’ that replicates an old
trading marketplace. They could lose themselves in the views of Central Park from Jumeirah
Essex House, New York and the skyline of London from Jumeirah Carlton Tower.

1.4.3 Jumeirah brand at the symbolic level: culturally connected experience

Symbolically, Jumeirah realized the heritage present in the first generation properties were
important elements. The Arabian culture of hospitality is rooted in generosity and anyone is
welcome in the hospitality of a ‘‘Bedouin tent’’. As such, guest and colleagues were quick to
point out how amazed they were with the generosity of the brand in terms of their behavior
and the spirit in which they were treated. This personal warmth was going beyond delivering
the basics of customer intimacy and etiquette by making the guest feel at home. For
example, in Dubai guests are welcomed to the hotel with dates and Arabic coffee. Jumeirah
was going beyond those little extra touches like complimentary bottled water and hi-speed
internet by taking the time to understand the individual, listening to them and caring for them.
All of these behaviors descend from the Arabic heritage. It was not just about the routine but
about being genuine in wanting to serve. The Hallmarks were remarkably powerful – as Alice
points out ‘‘In Arabic, you try not to use ‘‘no’’ as it is not polite; instead you would say
‘‘Inshallah’’ [God willing] and hence your first answer would never be No to a guest.’’
Jumeirah realized that this approach to service was true to their origins and provided an
opportunity to own a unique service proposition. This behavior was reinforced in their
colleagues through performance measurement criteria, recruitment criteria and training.

The Jumeirah brand which originated in Dubai had a strong cultural connection to the city
which was able to balance the East and the West. Dubai was a stopover place and
according to the guests – they felt the city was porous with respect to diverse cultures. The
Dubai past was another aspect guest found fascinating – Dubai’s merchant-trade history.
Jumeirah needed to reflect all of this – a brand with a strong Dubai cultural connection, yet
showing diversity as a strength. Alice says they honed on this fact as they realized ‘‘We are in
the business of connecting people, ideas and cultures.’’ Jumeirah wanted to differentiate
between having a great concierge service that connected people to their destination and
going one step further to exchange knowledge, ideas, experiences and people in a way that
is international, contemporary context.

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 1.4.4 Experiential brand components: engagement
While most luxury hospitality management companies focus on service standards, Jumeirah
wanted to expand its service proposition go beyond the guest and into the experiential and
emotional realm. Hallmarks could be memorized, become routine but to have exemplary
service, the hallmarks needed to be part of the DNA of Jumeirah culture. But culture could not be
force fed through brochures and ‘‘in-your-face’’ campaigns, it needed to be a self-exploratory
discovery at the guest’s own time and pace. Alice said, ‘‘I think everyone has a cultural and
artistic sensibility, and with the traveler, we cue into that [. . .] The affluent guest is always looking
to be challenged and surprised or interrupted in delightful, meaningful ways.’’
In 2006, Alice Royton began incorporating culture into the brand identity of Jumeirah with the
help of Peter Marshal. Peter was brought to the Jumeirah Essex House as a curator to create
an arts and culture platform that kept the heritage of Essex House authentic through the
refurbishment process. Peter’s experience is impressive – he was involved in several art
programs and worked in major art museums in the USA. Peter sees his role at the global
level, ‘‘to help Jumeirah articulate the ‘‘Stay Different’’ brand promise through the portal of
arts and culture.’’ The idea was to look at programming on an annual basis to help guests,
colleagues and the community who came in contact with the Jumeirah brand to realize that it
was more than just a hospitality company – that it went beyond ‘‘putting heads in beds’’, and
that it was a dynamic community enterprise, crossing the boundaries of conventional
industry demarcations. Jumeirah wanted to redefine the hospitality sector as an industry that
worked because of its strong collaboration with the public and private sector by bringing
together tourists, travelers and residents of a city by offering a range of activities that could
facilitate opportunities for the exchange of ideas, culture and knowledge. The idea was to go
beyond sponsorship dollars and halo branding through other luxury brand names by
‘‘creating communities around art’’. Peter describes the program as a ‘‘living platform’’.
‘‘At its core are creative people exchanging energy and ideas, not products per se.’’ The role
was challenging but Peter says Alice was determined to make the program successful.
Peter says, ‘‘[. . .] in any corporate setting, especially one as data-driven as the hospitality
industry, unless there is an intelligent, dedicated person at the top driving and encouraging
the colleagues to embrace culture and cultural programming, it will never take root and be
successful. It is hard enough to get buy-in in the United States where corporate support of
the arts has been firmly in place since the 1950s, but it is mind boggling to try to introduce
the concept into a new regions and emerging markets and make it work.’’
Peter began with Essex House, which is a historical landmark in New York. He was energized
by the idea of ‘‘using artwork to help build relationships [. . .] help people connect to a
location, the history, the building and use this to open it up in people’s minds.’’ This was
challenging as Jumeirah’s brand awareness in the USA was low at that time and the
company needed to create the bridge between the West and the Middle East. New York City
is a world cultural center and Essex House has a heritage that needed to be preserved.
Jumeirah also needed to integrate and align its own brand within the property’s culture and
art was the connecting thread used to bridge the gap. Art was commissioned for the lobby
and this became the first curated collection.
The reasons behind building a curated modern and contemporary art collection was: first to
bring the hotel to the twenty-first century; second, to engage the top tier of the contemporary
art market and community; and third to help Jumeirah be acknowledged as an international
cultural patron. This project brought together New Yorkers, asset managers and
management in Dubai. It meant re-looking at an asset from being expendable (like a lamp
or a piece of furniture) to becoming an investment in talent, communities, idea generators
and people. Jumeirah Essex House had a soft opening in 2006, followed by a US$90 million
renovation program, and then the launch of the cultural platform which took place in May
2007. Jumeirah Essex House’s culture program received immense positive press reviews as
it was one of the first hotels to have a tightly curated Figureion.
Peter and the New York marketing team used as their guiding star the hotel’s 1931 tagline
‘‘Always in Touch with the Park, Never Out of Touch with the City.’’ In permanent display in the

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lobby corridor were 90 images of the New York Central Park from 1858 till now. This was hung
salon style at the eye level most children could see in the elevator corridor that connect (57th
street to 58th street) 59th to 59th street. This was a collaborative effort with the Museum of the
city of New York, Magnum Photos and other cultural agencies. The pictures were available as
postcards, brochures and each picture came with a descriptor. Over 150 guests were present
at the opening party in May 2007. Such is the popularity of the pictures that in order to manage
the steady stream of guests, interested colleagues were encouraged to give tours for travel
agents and curious guests. What was supposed to be a temporary Figureion has now become
a permanent display and there are discussions to make it a traveling Figureion. Jumeirah has
also got the community engaged through the creation of a photography contest:
Centralpark.com and the MP3 self-guided walking tours guests could download to know
more about the history, landscape architecture and horticulture of Central Park.
During this period, Alice suggested starting an ‘‘artist in residence’’ program, something
with which Peter had over a decade of experience. This was launched in May 2007. Through
this program, an artist (from any field) is invited to stay at the hotel for a period of time and the
work they create during this time is either commissioned or figured in the hotel. Example of
artists-in residents vary across different media-photographers like Atta Kim (2006, Jumeirah
Essex House, New York); Dirk Karsten (2009, Jumeirah Hotels and Resorts, Dubai, London,
New York); George Steinmetz (2010), Jumeirah Emirates Towers, Dubai) and Alison Wright
(2010, Jumeirah Essex House, New York). Painters like American contemporary urban
landscape painter Mark Innerst (2006, Jumeirah Essex House, New York); Hartwig
Ebersbach (2010, Jumeirah Frankfurt, Germany). Architects like Aranda\Lasch (2011,
Jumeirah Essex House, New York) – were two Columbia University designers who created
20 molecular structures of foot-bridges in the 150-year-old Central Park and this helped
create a conversation piece about public parks; film makers like Eve Sussman & Simon Lee
(2008, Jumeirah Essex House, New York) and puppeteer Dahmani (2011, Madinat
Jumeirah, Dubai); LEGOw Master Model Builder, Eric Hunter (2007, Jumeirah Essex House,
New York); and glass blower Marshala Hays (2009, Jumeirah Essex House, New York) who
worked with hand-blown glass terrariums. These art platforms affected the involved hotel’s
identity, ‘‘The notion of curating has expanded,’’ said Alice, ‘‘We’re curating experiences for
the guests. We want to animate the world that our target audience is visiting in a way that
stimulates them.’’ For some examples see Figure 4.
This program contributes back in a meaningful way to the local and international cultural
community, encourages newer artists and art platforms and educates guests, colleagues
about the art and the artist’s work. The program has been remarkably successful allowing both
established and emerging artists a platform to show their work to a whole new audience. Also
the idea is now being propagated as an innovative case study by Cornell University as
Jumeirah was the first hotel to have a resident curator. There have been a huge number of
artists who are requesting to be allowed to take part in the Jumeirah Artist-in-Residence
Program. Jumeirah was invited to partner with Luxury Briefing in May 2011. Jumeirah agreed
provided they could create their own award in a new category ‘‘arts and culture’’ which
celebrates other luxury enterprises that encourage arts and culture in the community. Louis
Vuitton was one of the seven nominees (which included big brand names like Prada, Monte
Blanc, Rolex, etc.) that won the first award for their program ‘‘Young Arts Project’’. This award
also educates the public about how businesses are supporting the growth of arts and culture.
Peter is now standardizing the program and creating processes and standards about how to
build and launch an Figureion. In 2011, Jumeirah hired a local curator for the Dubai market
specifically looking at the new Jumeirah Creekside Hotel. The vision is to take this concept
across all relevant properties and create local partnerships for the growth of cultural life as
part of their contribution to being a ‘‘good neighbor’’. Jumeirah celebrates and supports
cultural tourism[2] through local events like the Dubai World Cup (as a fellowship of
international sport), Art Dubai (which brings in 40 different countries of Figureors and
130 different countries of visitors); Dubai Film Festival; and The Armory Show in New York.
The youthfulness of the brand comes through the contemporary art fairs and brand
ambassadors like golf champion Rory McIlroy. Jumeirah chose these anchors to bridge

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VOL. 1 NO. 4 2012 EMERALD EMERGING MARKETS CASE STUDIES PAGE 9
 Figure 4 Artist-in-residents program

cultural connections. This helped Jumeirah filter and reaffirm the public proposition –
Stay Different. Outside the Shanghai property, rice is grown and nurtured by a gardener who
knows his produce will go into the kitchen and then handed to the guests as a gift. So the
gardener knows he is not merely tending the crops – he is delivering ‘‘Stay Different’’. In the
Jumeirah Himalayas Hotel, there is a huge screen on the ceiling of the lobby that has
sceneries of clouds floating by, a link with the traditional Chinese symbolism of the heavens
– the electrician delivers ‘‘Stay Different’’ by making sure that the LCD screen is working
properly to deliver the ethereal heavenly experience. Jumeirah is also involved in other
Corporate Social Responsibility activities, for example in Burj Al Arab and Madinat Jumeirah
(Dubai), the turtle rehabilitation program thoughtfully reconnects with the community and

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PAGE 10 EMERALD EMERGING MARKETS CASE STUDIES VOL. 1 NO. 4 2012
environment through education and a live experience whether it is feeding the turtles or
releasing them into the ocean.

1.4.5 Experiential brand components: emotional connection

All of these according to Alice create a remarkable, visceral, connective experience with the
cities you are in where ever they may be. What lay behind the Jumeirah experience was
genuine and heartfelt emotions. If the engagement is endearing, the emotional connection
will come and then you will have a loyal brand following. And since they are looking at
Figureions traveling across properties, the arts and culture platform creates an international
brand identity and brand familiarity. This discovery creates an excitement when the guest or
stakeholder finds they have learnt something new, seen something exciting and been
pleasantly surprised. The catalogue of the projects will speak for Jumeirah and create the
emotional connection – the feeling of excitement [. . .] across space, time and cultures.
The first step in re-energizing the brand in Jumeirah was with a big internal campaign called
‘‘Be the Difference’’. This campaign which began on May 15, 2011 helped colleagues get an
understanding of the Jumeirah’s ‘‘Stay Different’’. The training focused on how to deliver
‘‘Stay Different’’, and also created a feeling of pride. As of the beginning of August 2011,
over 3,000 colleagues had gone through the interactive brand engagement training.
The focus was not only on being considerate in delivering service where it is expected but
to go beyond relentless commitment to the details and creative surprises. Jumeirah wants to
manifest the ‘‘Stay Different’’ service proposition in the everyday ordinary things to create a
remarkable extraordinary experience that engages the customer and creates an emotional
bond. Emotional brand audits are being developed, using nine relevant touchpoints to
measure employee performance.

1.5 Looking forwards

Alice Royton, the Director of Branding for Jumeirah Group was discussing her forward looking
plans with her team. They had the brand strategy in place (Figure 5). To become one of the top
global luxury brands meant keeping in tune with emerging feeder markets, customers’

Figure 5 Jumeirah’s brand strategy

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VOL. 1 NO. 4 2012 EMERALD EMERGING MARKETS CASE STUDIES PAGE 11
Keywords: changing requirements and broadening the company’s competitive market advantage while
Branding, being commercially successful. How does Alice keep the momentum going?
Components and strategy,
Hospitality services, Notes
CSR,
Engagement, 1. Colleague is the term Jumeirah uses to refer to its fellow employees.
Loyalty, 2. Cultural tourism according to the OECD (2007) and the UNWTO (2007) report that in 2007
Value articulation and accounted for 40 per cent of all international tourism cultural and heritage tourism. Source:
translation to strategy, International Mintel International Group Ltd May 1, 2010, available at: www.marketresearch.com/
Heritage and COB product/display.asp?ProductID¼2690482

Recommended readings
Ansimova, T.A. (2007), ‘‘The effects of corporate brand attributes on attitudinal and
behavioural consumer loyalty’’, Journal of Consumer Marketing, Vol. 24 No. 7, pp. 395-405.
De Chernatony, L. (1999), ‘‘Brand management through narrowing the gap between brand
identity and brand reputation’’, Journal of Marketing Management, Vol. 15 No. 1-3,
pp. 157-79.
Mertz, M.A., He, Y. and Vargo, S. (2009), ‘‘The evolving brand logic: a service-dominant logic
perspective’’, Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, Vol. 37 No.3, pp. 328-44.
Nandan, S. (2005), ‘‘An exploration of brand identity – brand image linkage: a communications
perspective’’, The Journal of Brand Management, Vol. 12 No. 4, pp. 264-78.
Padgett, D. and Allen, D. (1997), ‘‘Communicating experiences: a narrative approach to
creating service brand image’’, Journal of Advertising, Vol. 26 No.4, pp. 46-62.
Roberts, K. (2005), Lovemarks: The Future Beyond Brands, PowerHouse Books, New York, NY.

About the author

Dr Melodena Stephens Balakrishnan is an Associate Professor (Marketing) and the MBA
Program Director for the Faculty of Business and Management, University of Wollongong in
Dubai. She is the Founder and Chair of the Academy of International Business – Middle East
North Africa Chapter. She is a Regional Editor for Emerald’s Emerging Markets Case Study
Collection and the Editor for the book series – Actions and Insight. The first book: Actions and
Insights: Business Cases from UAE was published in December 2010. Dr Stephens
Balakrishnan won the UOWD Teaching Excellence Award in 2009. Her areas of research are
place branding and development, crisis management, service marketing and customer
relationship management. She has published in these areas in leading journals and has
received multiple competitive research grants for these topics. She was a finalist in the ITC
Staff Awards – Australia (2010): Exceptional Leadership by a Female Staff Member.
Melodena Stephens Balakrishnan can be contacted at: melodenabalakrishnan@uowdubai.
ac.ae

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