Lisbon, the 14th of December 2017
BlueShift launches Disruptive Hotel Concept Design
The consulting firm applies the principles of Blue Ocean Strategy, created by INSEAD scholars, in the development of new hotel concepts
BlueShift – Achievers Make the Change is introducing Disruptive Hotel Concept Design to the hospitality industry, an innovative and unique methodology for developing hotel concepts based on the application of Blue Ocean Strategy principles.
The Blue Ocean theory, developed by INSEAD professors W. Chan Kim and Renée Mauborgne, encourages companies to find an unexplored competitive space – a “blue ocean” – that allows them to escape undifferentiated and price-based competition, achieving higher levels of profitability. The most emblematic example of the application of this principle is the globally renowned “Cirque du Soleil,” which created a showbusiness concept – still without competition today – that combines elements of a circus, a ballet performance, and a Broadway show.
According to Filipe Santiago, Managing Partner of BlueShift Consulting, “Disruptive Hotel Concept Design arises in response to the observation that most hotel investors do not invest enough in the conceptual development of their properties, creating undifferentiated products that are ultimately doomed to compete on price”. He adds, “Many times we are presented with excellent architectural and interior design projects, that lack a clear definition of the target and an identification of the factors that will make that experience unique. Something that may not be a problem in the current market growth phase but will certainly hurt the asset’s profitability in a thirty-year investment perspective”.
The Disruptive Hotel Concept Design methodology, developed by BlueShift – Achievers Make the Change, comprises three phases: market information analysis, consumer trend analysis, and case study evaluation; internal concept draft development; and a workshop with the client for discussion, fine-tuning, and finalizing the concept.
According to Filipe Santiago, “We are uniquely positioned to offer this service to the market for two reasons. First, our organization by competence centers – ‘Achievement Centers’ – allows us to have some of the best specialists in various aspects of the hotel business, but with the realism arising from managing hotels in their day-to-day professional life. On the other hand, the culture of disruption underlying the principles of the Blue Ocean Strategy has been part of BlueShift’s DNA since its creation (CEO Francisco Nogueira de Sousa is certified in the field by INSEAD), and that is indeed the genesis of our name.”
The Disruptive Hotel Concept Design has already been successfully applied to two clients of the consulting firm: a greenfield project on a plot with a unique location and natural beauty but strong environmental constraints, and a leading group in the wine sector for which a strategic plan was developed covering initiatives in the areas of hospitality, restaurants, culture, and leisure.
About BlueShift – Achievers Make the Change
Led by Francisco Nogueira de Sousa and Filipe Santiago, BlueShift – Achievers Make the Change positions itself in the market as a comprehensive and integrated solution for investors and operators in the sector. Organized into “Achievement Centers,” led by specialists with high expertise and competence in each area of the business, such as Operations, Revenue Management, Sales Management, Marketing, or Finance and Control, totaling twelve specialized units, BlueShift’s service portfolio includes integrated or partial management of hotels and restaurants, as well as consulting in all phases of the investment cycle. This ranges from concept development and feasibility studies to commercial, operational, or support services optimization.