4 Ideas on How to Gain Brand Building Insights From Your Summer Travels

From paying attention to local hospitality and to observing the work of legendary institutions, here’s a short guide into getting the most from your summer holidays to elevate your brand and to grow business further. Based on my recent visits to Marrakech and Naples.

It’s summer time, and most likely you’re either reminiscing about your recent vacation, or trying to enjoy one, or perhaps planning on how to wind down in the next few weeks. 

I love to travel, and recently I had a chance to go to two very different but impressive locations with a distinct vibe – Marrakech, Morocco, and Naples, Italy. And although vacations are about recharging and taking focus off work, I believe they can also be an opportunity for personal growth and getting nontrivial ideas for your brand and business. You just need to stay aware and try to see and feel deeper.

Below I’m sharing some of my thoughts on how to do that as well as some of the insights I got during my recent travels. 

#1 Pay attention to local hospitality

To a certain extent, every brand is in the hospitality business as you need to greet, host, and create a welcoming environment for your clients. 

In Marrakech, I was impressed with the concept of local riads, traditional multi-family homes where you can stay while enjoying local crafts and cuisine. It’s more that just acomodation, it’s the full immersion into the Moroccan culture. 

In Naples, I loved how local bookshops near Piazza Dante turned into cool cocktail bars by night. Because why should books always be associated with coffee but not intelligent conversations over aperitivo?

So, taking inspiration from the above examples, why not to think about bringing unexpected functions to your brand spaces? Can you have an aperitivo library on site or perhaps a garden for weddings as the jewelry brand Avgvst did at their new Berlin store? Can you think of something distinct that would be of additional value to your clients and help telling your story at the same time?

#2 Take a look at how the culture is presented and supported

In Marrakech, I also really enjoyed the combination of art and nature in the legendary Majorelle Gardens restored by Yves Saint Laurent and his partner Pierre Bergé. The gorgeous green space with Majorelle blue and bright yellow buildings also features the Musée Pierre Bergé des Arts Berbère with the impressive collection of the jewelry, clothing, and house decorations by the Berbers, the most ancient people of North Africa. Musée de la Palmeraie in Marrakech is a less touristy tranquil space where you can see art exhibitions and also meditate on the cactus garden and fountains.

In Naples, while waiting for my table at the famous Da Michele pizza, I went to check out the Madre museum (Donnaregina Contemporary Art Museum), which brings together the historical environment and the works by world known contemporary artists, like Jeff Koons, Anish Kapoor, Daniel Buren, etc. In the current temporary exhibition, photos of the Japanese artist Kazuko Miyamoto were placed on the windows creating a nice contrast between the ancient backdrop and contemporary pieces. 

Based on the above examples how can you combine the three essential pillars – art, nature, and heritage support in your strategy? How can you bring together contemporary culture and traditions?

#3 Observe how local traditions and heroes are celebrated

Naples was all about local pride and celebrating the Napoli team’s recent victory in the Italian football championship. Just by walking in the streets you can already learn the names of the players as their banners were almost everywhere. Moreover, Naples is also about preaching Diego Maradona (who led the team to victories in 1980s), there are even murals and banners with a saint halo over his head. And of course, there’s also a special cocktail dedicated to him – Napoli blue Maradona Spritz.

In Marrakech, I visited the World Storytelling Cafe, which aims to revive local storytelling traditions by organizing regular performances and the whole storytelling festival.

So, how about having a symbol, a signature product (not necessarily the one from your core business) or a local tradition to support and include in your strategy, which would help you stand out from the crowd in a meaningful way?

#4 Check out local institutional places and try to understand what makes them special

Must visit coffee shop. Legendary pizza place. Every city has specific cult places where you just must go. Of course, I’m not referring to tourist traps but rather to ventures with heritage, traditions, and excellence in everything they do.
In Marrakech, for me it was Bacha Coffee, where we had to wait for an hour to get in. And I couldn’t even count how many varieties of coffee and coffee inspired dished they had!

In Naples, I was queuing for Pizzeria Da Michele and striving to make reservations for Pizzeria Concettina ai Tre Santi. Both places take pride in their history and excellent quality, create memorable and imaginative experiences and manage to keep driving interest, which ensures lines and a special pleasure once you eventually get in. Visiting such businesses might spur new ideas about making your own brand one of a kind and future proof at the same time.

What do you think? What else can be useful to pay attention to while traveling in addition to local hospitality, the way culture is presented, celebrated symbols and traditions as well as cult like places?

Happy travels and hope they bring new ideas!