Dot Kite

Airline Design instigates Sustainable Competitive Advantage

Thomas Mylonas — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 09:30:27 +0000

In the past, people were excited about flying. Airplanes were designed with exclusivity in mind. There were bars and lounges in the airplane, golden cutlery, and the travelers were served by a select few who could proudly call themselves air hosts. Nowadays, airline companies lack in giving such experiences to their customers, even their most loyal who get certain perks, but not the best service.

Below, we discuss the phenomenon of proper, high quality design helping airline companies get a sustainable competitive advantage with a clear case proving this.

The case concerns Virgin Atlantic. This airline company saw their chance to increase their market share when they invested in design as other companies were holding back on all expenses during the previous recession. They gained a substantial part of the market when the economy started to pick up again and have held onto their piece of the pie.
For airline companies, the Total Consumer Experience (TCE) means designing everything including among others:

Service before, during, and after flights
Branding and Strategic Communication
Branding Applications (ground applications and inflight applications
Online Experience (Website design and Online Social Media Management)
Crew uniform and office corporate clothing
Aircraft Livery
Aircraft seating plan graphics

There are countless more examples, but the latter especially helps form the public image of the airline. This will get people excited about flying again, like they were when flying was a pure luxury. Accordingly, instead of fighting for customers, customers will be fighting for you.

More news and updates on this topic will follow soon. To stay up to date, you may:
- related post How airlines can survive the crisis with great design
- See Velvet Airlines case study by Dot Kite
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Best Hotels in Amsterdam have Best Design | pt. 2

Stef Vloet — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 12:17:16 +0000

As we already mentioned, Amsterdam’s hotel guests are visitors from all over the world and stay for many different reasons. Like any metropolis, Amsterdam has a wide variety of hotels on offer. These can be anything from a backpacker’s cheap sleep, to five star luxury hotels, to boutique hotels. It is especially at the latter where guests feel a unique Total Consumer Experience (TCE). So, let us now take a closer look at the hotels themselves.

Amsterdam really has a lot of hotels. At the moment of writing this article, there are 369 hotels in the city. The numbers of three, four, and five star hotels are as follows:

Three Star Hotels: 140
Four Star Hotels: 88
Five Star Hotels: 18

These hotels should be designed with the guest in mind. Nowadays, there are three star hotels that already take design into their business. This hotel design is made so that they can stand out and compete with rivals in higher star categories while trying to offer a lower price. This is not to say that a three star hotel is better than a four or five star hotel, but in general, what was once called a three star hotel, may not be able to get a single star today.

Besides the normal hotels, visitors can also stay at boutique hotels, of which Amsterdam has 12. These hotels offer a better design experience. These can have different star ratings, but the way they stand out is that they all have a better service and more attention to design. Though, the majority of them lack unique Total Consumer Experience (TCE).

Therefore, here at Dot Kite, we preach that designing the Total Consumer Experience (TCE) is not only necessary but vital. This added value can generate more business in itself and also spur the most powerful marketing phenomenon of all, word of mouth, giving your hotel the highest RevPAR (Revenue per Available Room) imaginable. Feel free to review the case of Best Western | Hotel Selene.

More news and updates on this topic will follow soon. To stay up to date, you may:
- visit the first part of this series: Best Hotels in Amsterdam have Best Design | pt.1
- revisit our News & Views section,
- follow us @dotkite,
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Dot Kite acquires Online Design and Experience start-up

Thomas Mylonas — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 06:01:00 +0000

As I have already mentioned in the past, the world – and the way it does business – has changed dramatically in the last few years. Here at Dot Kite, we are always keen on new developments and always want to push the boundaries of design and also of online experiences. Willing to invest in new technologies in order to provide the best possible service to our partners and clients is our commitment.

Therefore, on behalf of Dot Kite team, I would like to announce that Dot Kite made an acquisition of a highly creative start up – online and interactive design company – iGallic. iGallic, a start-up based in Amsterdam, will be part of Dot Kite and the founder and creative director of iGallic, Mr. Yuri Winkelman will now become the Online Experience Director of Dot Kite.

Our clients will continue to enjoy the benefits of Dot Kite’s founding values, but from now on they will also have the chance to have some of the most advanced Online Experiences ever developed by a design company. This will benefit our current and new partners/clients and we hope we can set new standards in the field.

In 2010, you will see the direct involvement of Dot Kite in some of the most exciting projects and of course the expansion to major Online projects as well. Our Total Consumer Experience (TCE) set of services will continue to be our main competitive advantage because we simply invest on talent, quality and excellence.

Sincerely and on behalf of the Dot Kite team,

Thomas C. Mylonas

Best Hotels in Amsterdam have Best Design | pt. 1

Stef Vloet — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 15:34:57 +0000

From the UK and the US to India and China, there are many international visitors, both tourists and business visitors that come to the Netherlands and stay at one of Amsterdam’s many hotels. They can stay at one of many hotels including designer hotels and go through a new Total Consumer Experience (TCE). Why, you may ask, is the term visitor being used instead of tourist? This is because the term tourist would exclude the 40% of visitors who are on business.

Most of the internationals who visit the Netherlands are from the UK, the US, and Germany. The main place of stay for all international visitors is Amsterdam. Even though Amsterdam is a relatively small city compared to other high profile capitols, tourists flock from far and wide to experience the city’s unique aspects related to culture, history, canals, and of course, the unusual. They can choose from a wide variety of hotels including five star hotels, backpacker accommodations, or even one of several designer boutique hotels where visitors get a unique Total Consumer Experience (TCE). Here at Dot Kite we specializes in creating such experiences.

Business visitors, who make up 40% of the people who spend a night in Amsterdam, are not to be overlooked. They want all of the extras a hotel can offer, and a Total Consumer Experience (TCE) would fit their needs. Besides attending meetings, there are also a lot of congresses that attract these visitors and the government would like to increase the number of international congresses in the area even though Amsterdam already ranks high among other cities when it comes to hosting such congresses.

More news and updates on this topic will follow soon. To stay up to date, you may:
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How airlines can survive the crisis with great design

Thomas Mylonas — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 10:35:14 +0000

The airline industry is defined by their customers. They hop from one airline to another depending on the price or the quality of the service. Great service, as a part of the branding experience, is what brings airlines to the top of rankings, such as Skytrax. When customers have the experience of a lifetime with one airline, they will come back for more and eventually become loyal. When you have loyal customers, they will perform the most powerful form of marketing for you – word of mouth.

In an economic downturn, it has been proven that airline companies who keep up their branding and marketing efforts end up doing better in the long-term. You must integrate your quality and branding into every aspect of your company from the design of the airplane (interior or livery), provide great food experience in stunning packaging design, up to the way stewards are dressed. This is what we call Total Consumer Experience (TCE). ( See Velvet Airlines case study by Dot Kite )

Another thing airlines must do in today’s economy is to be transparent. People want to know how they are doing financially, what they are doing with the environment, and other airline and airplane news. Thus, information on these topics must be made readily available. Transparency will only be positive for your company, especially if the competition is still hiding their processes.

What do airline companies need to do today? They need to be passionate, invest even if there is an economic downturn, and create a strong following and good word of mouth through excellent service.

More news and updates on this topic will follow soon. To stay up to date, you may:
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How design influences subconscious decisions

Stef Vloet — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 13:05:28 +0000

Is design everything? Everything is designed! Or is it? Nature is designed for perfection. We know this as evolution; the survival of the fittest. Design is also developed through experience – a mistake now will not be repeated in the future, and knowledge – what designers learn through education and adoption of best practice.

In order to be the best in the business, your company must design for perfection. This means leaving nothing to chance; designing everything:

the layout of your hospitality business
your business cards
pens
marketing schemes
…and even the way light comes into your building and how it creates an ambience in the room.

When taking the subject of lighting into more detail, one will come to realize that it is much more important than one may originally think. People become gloomy in the cold, dark winter months. When having the correct mix and ambience using natural and artificial lighting, the relative perception of a room can be greatly increased.

Gerald Zaltman of Harvard Business School wrote that 95 percent of a consumer’s decision making lies within the subconscious. This means that everything a consumer sees, feels, hears, and experiences has an effect on the purchasing decision. Companies, especially those in the hospitality sector, need to make sure the right subconscious feelings are conveyed to consumers so that they make a purchase and come back for more.

Can design be prefect? It depends. It all depends on perception because people will always judge a design and an experience based on their past experiences. This holds especially true for the hospitality sector where current customer satisfaction functionally determines future earnings. The right mix of experience and knowledge to accomplish such tasks are possessed by Dot Kite in order to deliver the right design for businesses wanting to convey character with quality and elegance.

More news and updates on this topic will follow soon. To stay up to date, you may:
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Dot Kite | Lab signs contract with Amsterdam based Cupid & Shu

Thomas Mylonas — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 13:38:50 +0000

We are pleased to announce that Dot Kite | Lab signed a contract with Cupid & Shu.
Dot Kite | Lab will be responsible for the Strategic Branding and Communication of the company, helping Cupid & Shu to establish a solid and dynamic brand in a highly competitive industry.

Cupid & Shu is an Amsterdam based photography agency that provides its related services to local and international clients.

At an initial stage Dot Kite | Lab will deliver:
- Brand Strategy and Development
- Brand Deﬁnition and Positioning
- Brand Guidelines
- Branding Applications
- Online Experience

With this contract, Dot Kite | Lab expands its operations in the Dutch market.

For more info regarding our Total Consumer Experience (TCE) service, please contact us at info@dotkitelab.eu

What comes after Best Hotel Design?

Stef Vloet — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 10:33:18 +0000

Total Consumer Experience (TCE) design is nothing without Total Quality Management (TQM). Without TQM, the effects of TCE are diminished. Total Consumer Experience is about perfecting every detail of a customer’s experience. TQM is about managing this experience from strategic to operational levels. Designing a perfectly tailored Total Consumer Experience (TCE) is what Dot Kite excels at. Cases from their website attest to this.

After Total Consumer Experience has been implemented at any given company, that company needs to follow through with TQM. This means doing everything to keep the essence of TCE because the more intrigued and delighted possible customers are, the more often they return. TQM should most certainty be as detailed as the Total Consumer Experience (TCE) design.

An example from the hospitality sector concerns return guests. Do people return to TCE Boutique hotels after having a perfect experience? Possibly. Will people return to such hotels after not having any given piece of property returned? Definitely not!

These people will lament about their friends, family, and colleagues whenever the subject comes up; ‘yes, I remember the time when the people at that hotel lost my watch. I’ll never go there again.” This is word of mouth at its height, which is widely accepted as being one of the most common and powerful ways of getting information out to new potential customers.

People will not recall Total Consumer Experience (TCE) design without TQM. Returning to the example, an unsatisfied guest will not remember a hotel’s masterful design flowing through every detail from uniforms and wine glasses to it’s layout and structure, they will remember that one personal belonging that never returned to them.

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Luxury hotels online experience and design

Line Oehlenschlaeger — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 08:21:15 +0000

In the recent past, I have worked extensively with the hotel industry’s visual palette, and one thing they almost all have in common: the first impression on their websites do not deliver the product a luxury hotel really is. There are, by guarantee, sizeable budgets at spa and wellness areas, large fine conference rooms, an overwhelming foyer, and rooms where comfort, design and safety are presented in higher unity. These websites, which are the first impression you get, should to be a good sales argument for choosing the specific hotel, instead of the one on the other side of the street. However, it seems as if they have not been able to get those sales arguments moved over to the digital part of marketing.

Internet becomes more important – it is becoming more and more common that we are seeking information and experience from others before we even order a specific service, product or a hotel stay. The only thing that can affect our opinion more than the internet, is the intense source of information is the word of mouth method, where you hear experiences directly from friends or relatives who have tested/tried it.

Now I can not say that all luxury hotel websites are bad, because I have certainly not been all over, but I have not yet encountered one where I thought WOW, or where I got the feeling of the atmosphere from the hotel.

It seems to me very strange that these pages have not gotten a higher priority since around 85% of customers who get acquainted with a particular hotel will have their first impression through its website.

If you look at other industries such as the clothing industry, their websites provide the goods and the precise concept out through the screen, whether it is high-end fashion or middle budget clothing. You are in a mood and feel like buying their products. It is that experience I am searching for in hotel websites. We here at Dot Kite are ready to do something about it. When we deliver a project, it includes the hole experience from the first impression on the website through to when the guest steps out of the hotel door after a stay.

Consumer environments designed for experience sharing

Panos Sarlanis — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 09:52:08 +0000

Global population grows at a very fast pace, faster than ever before; people flood major cities, with urban citizens growing by 3 million per week for the last two decades. According to the Global Report on Human Settlements 2009, by 2050 the global urban population will reach a 70 per cent, representing 6.4 billion people. As a result, more urban consumers are “born” every day, with customer satisfaction gaining even greater importance and global competition becoming more intensive.

At the same time consumers are bombarded with information that requires the development of specific skills in order to follow and manage effectively. In that direction, trust in the source of information and speed in exchange and comprehension seem to facilitate information management. In that perspective, one of the most appealing and interesting ways of getting informed is through knowledge sharing from/with other consumers, nowadays being very flexible and fast due to technological achievements that facilitate interoperability.

Consumer environments need to be comfortable and operational, but above all memorable; environments that the customer is willing to share and promote. The next step is to provide the facilities for an “on the spot review”. Let the consumers share their experiences with great easiness and promote your environment as the “epicenter of their consumer experience”. Wireless networks, visuals, interactive screens and more design elements to make your consumer environment more vivid, real, participative, enhancing the Total Consumer Experience (TCE). In the end, it is the sense of sharing the same opinion with others that provides people with the affordable margin error, boosting the consumer-behavioral decision-making process.

Under such conditions, at Dot Kite we do not just imagine the future but we move on and shape it. For this reason, our creative team is working on “ghost projects” in an effort to influence and challenge the experiences of tomorrow in consumer environments.

Finally, I would like to invite retailers, designers, companies that develop related technologies and concepts, to provide us with their insights so as to build on a collaborative discussion and potential synergies.

More news and updates on this topic will follow soon. To stay up to date, you may:
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