“Mallorca has the potential to become a top brand”

Michael Lambertz is like many people who know and love Mallorca: he wishes the Mallorca brand had a better image. Because that would be good for business and thus equally for Mallorcans, residents and holidaymakers. He knows what he is talking about: the proven expert was responsible for global marketing on the TUI board and once developed the smiling logo for the travel giant. He is very connected to Mallorca, the most important tourist destination, and with the Tui Palma Marathon he has also brought Mallorca’s most important sporting event to life. He is currently the owner of the strategy consulting and creative agency B’yond, which is “reinventing” companies and brands.

In his eyes, Mallorca has the best prerequisites to be a top brand. “The island is a wonderful and important destination”, says Lambertz, “many residents have found their personal paradise here and many tourists realize their vacation dreams here in different ways year after year”. Mediterranean, natural beauties, culture, adventure, sport, gastronomy, there is almost nothing to be desired.

So far Mallorca has neglected the brand’s potential. The island owes its popularity in large part to the natural conditions and the individual commitment of many Mallorcan and international entrepreneurs. “Also due to its historical development, Mallorca is a very hybrid brand that offers different experiences for different target groups”, analyzes Lambertz. That’s okay as long as the spread doesn’t get too big. And there he sees the problem: Ballermann and cheap vacation scratch the mark. “When I read about a Mallorca party in Germany, for example, I understand Ballermann,” he says, “but the Mallorca that I know is completely different”.

“In Mallorca there has been a significant evolution towards quality tourism in recent years”

The sometimes sensational news, which is often connected to Mallorca, has a strong effect on the brand. In other words: “Ballermann reports create a negative image transfer”, which is all the more regrettable for Lambertz as this image is less and less true. “In Mallorca there has been a significant evolution towards quality tourism in recent years,” he observes, “also at the so-called Ballermann and the English hotspot Magaluf”, where high-quality hotels and restaurants are gradually replacing “drinking bars”.

Michael Lambertz sees the emergency stop caused by the corona crisis on the one hand as a heavy economic and social burden for the residents and visitors of the island. However, he sees the opportunity to drive the change to more quality and sustainability faster and more consistently. Corona, according to his prognosis, will lead to a change in awareness among all market participants: “Safety, sustainability and risk avoidance are given a much higher priority,” he is convinced, and “since Mallorca has the very best conditions, these customers can also find their paradise here in the future. There is no better alternative ”.

In order to positively reinvent the brand, Mallorca must first define where it wants to be in ten or 20 years: “What makes us unique and where does Mallorca position itself in the market as a place for work, living and vacation?” With this brand vision Then it is important to manage the brand. “That is only possible with creativity, discipline and coordination,” he knows. A manager is needed to protect the brand.

In practical implementation, you define messages and send them to the right target group. This includes professional PR from a single source. “It takes a lot of work, but it pays off,” predicts Lambertz, because “then the customers come who Mallorca wants, and these customers find the brand experience they are looking for. The more Mallorca reports about quality tourism and sustainability, the more the offer develops in this direction, the stronger this development will be. All of this contributes to the image of the brand and positively reinforces it, creating a snowball effect. “

Can the different interest groups in Mallorca be able to pull together? Lambertz thinks that other destinations have proven that. For him role models are especially St. Moritz, Vienna, Munich, Berlin, in Spain also Madrid and Barcelona. It should be clear to everyone: “The beneficiaries of the brand work would be all entrepreneurs at the location, all tourism companies for whom Mallorca is relevant as a destination, all people who live directly or indirectly from tourism.”

Lambertz dispels one concern: “I don’t see that with a positive development fewer people come to Mallorca, then fewer flights and accessibility suffer. Rather, it threatens if inconsistent branding and misleading messages prevent people from visiting the island. “

In his opinion, a budget of 50 million euros is the minimum to properly maintain the Mallorca brand. “That is then distributed over the most important markets. In Germany, with 20 million, you would be a medium-sized player at best,” he explains, why he thinks a budget of 70 or 80 million a year makes more sense. “With almost 12 million tourists in 2019, that would be a good 4.2 euros per person, which should be possible,” he says. Doing nothing is much more expensive in the medium and long term.

(from MM 48/2020)

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