YouGov BrandIndex reveals how Premier Inn strikes the right balance between value and quality
The weather that we are experiencing may not suggest it, but we are now well into the season when people start thinking in earnest about their summer holidays. So, I’ve taken a look at how major hotel chains have fared recently on YouGov’s BrandIndex.
The leader on the Index score (a composite of six key image measures) throughout the whole of 2011 and now into the first four months of 2012 was Premier Inn. Premier has maintained a consistent score of between +19 and +22, is currently on +21, and five points clear of its nearest rival, Hilton. Marriott, in third, is a further two points behind. This was reflected in the annual results announced by parent company Whitbread last week, with Premier Inn’s revenue and profits rising.
What is it that has driven Premier Inn's success?
Of all the attributes that we monitor on BrandIndex, keeping a balance between value and quality is often the hardest challenge for brands. It is this balance that Premier Inn has successfully managed to deal with. On value it scores between 26 and 30, clearly in the lead compared to Travelodge, and 15 points ahead of anyone else. Premier Inn does not perform quite so well on quality, but remains in the top three behind Hilton and Marriott, scoring consistently in the high teens. Travelodge, on the other hand, the other brand associated with value, scores around zero on quality – meaning as many people think it is poor quality as think it is good quality.
As BrandIndex shows us, it is by maintaining a reputation for reasonable quality while leading the way on value that has allowed Premier Inn to become the leading hotel brand on consumer perception and achieve such impressive growth figures.
This article also appears in CityAM
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