Exceptional is a brand realignment consultancy focused on helping the hospitality industry retain existing customers and employees. Our clients work with us to make sure their brand touchpoints reflect their brand promise, strengthening customer satisfaction and increasing profit.
Who we are
Our team reflects who you are, or more specifically, who you serve. We assemble custom teams that match your target audience – whether that’s families with young children or business travelers, Gen Zs or Baby Boomers. This approach not only allows our teams to avoid notice while conducting onsite assessments, it also lets us tap into insights specific to certain demographics.
Team members are trained and led by Matt Wood. With nearly 30 years’ experience creating and maintaining exceptional brands, Matt understands what it takes to obsessively analyze and realign brand touchpoints. Matt holds a Masters in Branding from the Royal College of Art and during his career has worked with the United Nations, Phillips, P&O Cruises, Best Buy and many others.
Why hire us
There are a lot of companies that will help you launch a new brand, but very few that specialize in helping you consistently deliver on that brand promise. We’re not all things to all people, and that’s by design. We have a tight focus on an area underserved both by traditional branding agencies and hospitality consultants. We’re dedicated to improving your bottom line and ensuring the longevity of your business. And we do it all with great integrity and passion, delivering consistency and quality at every step.
We’re not secret shoppers
You may have heard of or even hired a secret shopper in the past. While some secret shoppers also conduct onsite visits, the similarity ends there. Secret shopper agencies often hire untrained people to conduct the reviews, typically with a very narrow focus. Think of secret shopping as akin to doing an online interview with set questions, in contrast to Exceptional’s in-person, in-depth interviews where issues can be uncovered and explored.
Why you shouldn’t do this work yourself
FAMILIARIZATION IMPAIRS YOUR ABILITY TO IDENTIFY MISTAKES.
Psychologist Tom Stafford of the University of Sheffield explains that our brains build maps of familiar places, compiling the sights, smells, and feel of a particular route. These mental maps free our brains to think about other things. Unfortunately, this wiring also blinds us from noticing things that are negatively impacting our clients’ perceptions of our product and company. With our “fresh eyes” and years of experience, Exceptional is able to recognize the details that are detracting from your company’s promised brand experience.
THIS WORK REQUIRES TIME.
Managers and staff are busy looking after the daily running of the business. You may plan or hope for the proactive, thorough, and strategic review of your service and property, but the reality is that most hoteliers never manage to satisfactorily achieve this. We conduct our work swiftly, and without your team being distracted from their daily duties.
WE’VE GOT SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE.
Most people are not trained to analyze a company or service through a brand impact lens. From extensive experience, we know what to look for and understand the impact even the smallest things can make. Your company may have corporate brand standards or principles, but do your employees really understand and embody these ideals? We live and breathe this work.
ANNUAL RETURN GENERATED BY OUR SERVICES STARTS AT $270,000 PER YEAR16
Your ROI will be even juicier when you align your brand touchpoints with your company’s brand promise and redirect some of your current spending on marketing, advertising, and recruitment.
