Playa de Palma, Mallorca

Playa de Palma - ready for rebranding? | Archive

Andrew EdePalma16/02/2024 19:05
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It was some time back in the eighties when immersed in a publishing world of management and business best practice. The headline speaker at a conference in London was a must-see (must-hear). Gurus, who had once only surfaced in a transcendental meditation guise surrounded by members of The Beatles and The Beach Boys, now wore suits and shone the light on management transcendence. They stomped across the stages of conference halls, star names with fortunes amassed from best-sellers. There was no bigger name, no greater guru than Tom Peters. In 1982, his In Search of Excellence, co-written with Bob Waterman, propelled him into the guru stratosphere and paved the way for many a guru who was to follow.

I can't recall anything of what he had to say, having otherwise marvelled at a stage presence like a preacher high on speed. Was I sceptical? You could say that. Why were all those people in that hall? Were they going to return to their textiles business in Bradford (or whatever and wherever) and evangelise weaving excellence to a dumbfounded workforce? Maybe they were.

The name may not sound so, but Andy Stalman is from Argentina. His website says, inter alia, that he is "probably the most important branding expert in the Spanish-speaking world". One of his books (best-sellers) is considered to be the "one of the most influential books of the 21st century"; it's called Brandoffon - El Branding del futuro. His company, Totem Branding, "is one of the world's leading branding companies". And Andy Stalman, aka Mr. Branding, is the recipient of a twelve-month Council of Mallorca contract worth 167,000 euros to reformulate the branding of the Mallorca brand.

According to the Council and its tourism foundation, the rebranding of the brand seeks to attain "social and environmental coexistence within a framework of sustainable development of tourist activity driven by the increasingly more widespread consideration that travel is a growing priority of life". Quite. And therefore cue a collective rolling of eyes akin to that when we learn that a guru is in the building and is about to pronounce.

But wait, what does this entail? In the various words of the tourism councillor, José Marcial Rodríguez, there is the need to rethink tourism strategy by putting the resident first. And what's this? Perhaps it has to do with tackling "specific" cases of tourist massification. But don't quote me on this, as it's just another observation from the councillor, who usefully also notes that Mr. Stalman (or should I say Sr. Stalman) is an expert in constructing storytelling.

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Ah, storytelling. Now we're getting somewhere, as I have long advocated the role of stories in the Mallorca general marketing mix. They appeal to roots and heritage, Sr. Rodríguez has clarified, though one presumes that he has in mind something altogether more philosophical in a branding style than when the Council organises all those storytelling workshops at fiestas for primary school-age children as a means of aiding the diffusion of Catalan (or did before Vox started to cast a disapproving eye on such alleged indoctrination).

Stories are a good idea. How they fit in with a rebranding of the Mallorca brand, I'm not entirely sure, but then I'm probably not the most important branding expert in the Spanish-speaking world or the English-speaking world, come to that. There's one town hall - Pollensa - which likes to promote its tourism not through stories, but "many tales to tell". Good, but as Sr. Rodríguez has further explained, we are moving away from mere marketing and promotion. There is to be an "ethical" approach, and that means storytelling in an Andy Stalman style.

Is nigh on 170 grand for twelve months a lot? Not really if he lives up to his billing, and it's way less than would be splashed out on an irrelevant ad campaign. Not, of course, that we are talking about advertising. But what are we talking about? Clearing the wheat from all the chaff of jargonese, it's all about the rethinking, the reconception of Mallorca as a tourist destination.

There may still be those who struggle to conceive an island stripped of Magalluf happy hours. There may also be those who can only formulate a tourism approach in terms of comparison with other destinations. But the first no longer holds water, while the second isn't as important as is made out. So what if Turkey has ambitions of adding ten million more tourists this year (which Turkey does). Good for Turkey. But Sr. Rodríguez isn't wrong when he refers to travel being a growing priority of life. Everywhere stands to benefit, if benefit can be defined purely in terms of tourist passengers arriving at airports. And which it can't be.

Healthy scepticism, yes, but I'm intrigued. Mr. Branding may well hold the key to unlocking the brand new box of a reconceived Mallorca brand. Give him a chance. Meanwhile, though, if it's about putting the resident first, Sr. Rodríguez, then you have to guarantee an elimination of all the illegal lets. Nothing to do with branding, but it is ethical.