Cork to Forge – Crafting a Strategic Plan with Blueshift
Introduction: Beyond Vineyards – A Strategic Leap into Tourism
The client of this hospitality consulting project was a leading wine company with extensive national and international acclaim, with properties and brands across the main wine regions of Portugal and a number of other countries. The client boasted a vast portfolio of historical assets, notably situated in the city of Gaia, home to its esteemed port wine cellars, and lining the picturesque Douro River.
While already possessing a foothold in tourism, with several visitor centers in wine houses and cellars, alongside a hostel, a bar and a restaurant, the client company envisioned a heightened ambition for its tourism endeavors. Seeking to delve deeper into the tourism sector and unlock the full potential of its existing assets, the client engaged Blueshift as a consulting partner. The objective was clear: assess the untapped potential within the extensive portfolio and craft a strategic plan that would propel the wine company into a comprehensive player in the tourism sector.
As the horizon of tourism unfolded as a potential standalone business, there existed a parallel focus on synergy with the core wine business. Blueshift, entrusted with this pivotal task, aimed not only to position the client as a formidable player in the tourism industry but also to strategically intertwine the allure and storytelling of the tourism operation with the overarching goal of enhancing the brand image and recognition of the client’s esteemed wine labels.
Strategic Consulting Journey: Blueshift’s Framework and In-Depth Analysis
At the project’s inception, Blueshift formulated a structured framework categorizing both existing and potential tourism businesses. These encompassed four key categories: Visitor Centers, Food & Beverage Outlets, Hospitality, and Leisure. Subsequently, a meticulous three-phase plan unfolded.
Phase 1: Comprehensive Market Analysis and Benchmarking
The initial phase commenced with the creation of a robust framework. Blueshift undertook an in-depth market analysis and benchmarking for each business category. This critical step laid the groundwork for informed decision-making, ensuring a nuanced understanding of market dynamics and potential benchmarks.
Phase 2: In-Depth Business Analysis and Recommendations
Moving into Phase 2, Blueshift conducted a detailed analysis of each existing business, delving into competitive landscapes and meticulously preparing relevant case studies. Through extensive team discussions and presentations, a set of comprehensive recommendations took shape. These recommendations, serving as the basis for strategic decisions, underwent board approval after thorough consensus-building.
Phase 3: Wine Tourism Strategic Plan
With board approval secured, Blueshift transitioned into Phase 3, focusing on the meticulous preparation of a strategic plan and a detailed business plan tailored specifically for the tourism business. This phase represented the culmination of the earlier analyses and discussions, providing a clear roadmap to guide the client throughout the implementation phase of the comprehensive strategy that had been outlined.
Crafting Success: Blueshift’s Comprehensive Tourism Strategic Plan
The strategic plan devised by Blueshift for the tourism business comprised a comprehensive blueprint that navigated several pivotal components:
Mission and Vision
The foundation of the plan rested on a meticulously defined mission and vision for the tourism business. Formulated through extensive discussions supported by a detailed framework, this critical step ensured the robustness of the mission and vision. Iterative dialogues with the project team and subsequent engagements with the board were integral, guaranteeing alignment and consensus on the pursued level of ambition.
Wine Brand Integration
Using tourism to project the client’s wine brands in the internal and international markets was a founding element of the strategy. The strategic plan delineated the integration and prioritization of wine brands from the extensive portfolio into the tourism strategy. This involved a profound exploration of each wine brand’s identity and strategy, pinpointing synergies with diverse tourism areas.
Strategic Vision for Each Business Area
A strategic vision was meticulously crafted for each distinct tourism business area. Gaia, for instance, emerged as a focal point with five high-impact experiences showcasing wine brands. Innovative concepts included a luxury hotel nestled in an old winery featuring a prestigious Portuguese wine brand; a sprawling outdoor leisure area in Gaia’s cobblestone streets hosting activation events for different brands; and a unique party-style river crossing experience for a laid-back, internationally recognized wine brand. Experiences extended to other regions, such as private luxury cruises along the Douro River, orchestrated by a specialized “SWAT team” to curate unique experiences across client-owned assets in diverse locations.
Strategic Guidelines and Objectives
Clear strategic guidelines and objectives were outlined to provide a roadmap for execution and measurement of success.
Management Model and Organizational Structure
Considering the development of 16 business units across the four aforementioned business areas, the plan proposed a management model, distinguishing businesses to manage directly and those to subcontract to third-party operators. An organizational structure was also recommended, complete with profiles for key positions.
10-Year Business Plan
A forward-looking 10-year business plan was an integral component, providing a comprehensive overview of long-term aspirations and milestones.
3-Year Action Plan
To facilitate the rollout of the envisioned strategy, a detailed 3-year action plan was crafted. This plan broke down tasks quarter by quarter, offering a pragmatic guide for the implementation of the strategic vision.
Conclusion: Innovate, Align, Execute – The Blueshift Approach to Tourism Strategy
The foray into the dynamic realm of tourism demands more than mere ambition—it requires meticulous strategic thinking. Blueshift’s role in this project not only structured the entire strategic thinking process but also served as the linchpin in aligning visions between business teams and top management. Beyond this crucial alignment, Blueshift played a transformative role in fostering innovation, bringing forth groundbreaking and impactful concepts that were key to the ambition envisaged by the client company.
Crucially, Blueshift’s contribution extended beyond ideation; it materialized strategic visions into a detailed and quantifiable plan. In a landscape as expansive and diverse as tourism, where ventures range from stand-alone hotels to fully-fledged tourism business portfolios, effective strategic thinking becomes the compass guiding the journey. Blueshift’s expertise not only outlined clear goals and milestones but also crafted a tangible roadmap for implementation, ensuring that the client not only enters but thrives in the ever-evolving arena of tourism.
Written by Filipe Santiago
May, 2023