BUSINESS STRATEGY
Partnerships are
the Way Forward in
Business Today
A single arrow is easily broken, but not 10 in a
bundle – Japanese proverb
Having been lucky enough to have the role
of Partnerships Manager at Grange Hotels
created nearly three years ago, I was filled
with a mixture of excitement and trepidation;
what did it really mean? Grange Hotels, being
London’s largest independent hotel group, work
imaginatively within the arts, culture, sports
and media sectors. We build relationships
where we can support and explore the budget as
well as offer benefits. So, our partnership with
Shakespeare’s Globe, for instance, can offer
great hotel rates to their audiences amongst
other discounts and we get put in front of an
audience we might not normally be exposed to,
whilst being endorsed by them. Partnerships
are all about long-lasting, mutually beneficial
relationships that transcend commercial deals
and are something you can count on. That’s
how I see my accounts, anyway.
Ultimate Packs. A clever pairing – two for
the price of one! Look out for similar deals
in the travel industry – your boss could get
discounts on parking at an airport through
booking with a hotel which has already spent
the time nurturing localised relationships.
Companies are putting their offers together to
ensure consumers can get the whole package
and don’t go elsewhere. How many times have
you booked tickets for something to then be
recommended a restaurant or a hotel nearby
where special rates have already been set up?
You may be thinking what on earth has this
got to do with me? As PAs in one of the most
crucial roles in an office you will have already
developed partnerships naturally. For instance,
you’ll have loyal relationships with suppliers
and providers whom you feel you can count
on should you need to ask above and beyond
a straight bit of business. Plus, we live in a
world where brands and, indeed, consumers
have galvanised. We should be using this to
our advantage at work and personally. I saw on
a Tube advert recently that The Sunday Times
have partnered with Spotify to offer a year’s
free Spotify Premium to annual subscribers of
The Times and The Sunday Times’ Digital and
With the Executive Secretary LIVE 2014 this
year at the Grange St Paul’s hotel, PAs could
get a free tour of St Paul’s Cathedral, courtesy
of our partnership. (And should you ever need
to impress a boss visiting London, and would
like a ticket, do let me know!) Plus on the
Thursday night, PAs were invited to The Royal
Exchange for a champagne reception and a
cheeky bit of retail therapy, care of an existing
partnership. So when you are booking a hotel,
ask about the local relationships they may have
established in the area. At a basic level – the
concierge team will have close relationships,
and even discounts, from restaurants which you
can benefit from. Keep an eye out for joint deals
WRITER
CLAIRE
FARRINGTON
from suppliers and brands alike. Think about
it: as consumers, we know what we like. And
we know what we want. We surround ourselves
with a select group of brands that encompass
and define who we are and define our lifestyles
at home and at work. We gravitate to brands
we trust and when they do, we want more. In
fact, we are open to experiencing new products
and services, new brand extensions, and new
opportunities from the companies and brands
we believe in.
City AM in January stated that “Partnerships
may be the big trend in 2014” and they weren’t
wrong. We follow brands, as well as friends
and strangers, on social media platforms. We
look at their recommendations. If a brand or
company recommend a partner, they’ve done
the searching for us and we are more inclined
to go with something tried and tested. I think
a brand is only as good as its recommendations
and this is particularly important to hotels.
You’d choose a hotel who already has a
recommended car service, restaurants, theatres
etc where you get the benefit of discounts
and direct booking over one who simply only
offers a room overnight, wouldn’t you? So, take
advantage of the more connected world out
there: clever partnerships can be worth far more
than the sum of their parts.
And don’t forget some of the greatest
partnerships we’ve perhaps taken for granted
– the quintessential strawberries and cream;
cheese and wine, and gin and tonic?! Lunch
anyone?
about the author
Claire Farrington has been Partnerships Manager at Grange Hotels for 3 years, dealing with the group’s strategic
relationships, marketing and PR. She has a BA (Hons) from York University in English and History and Post
Graduate training at The Oxford School Of Drama. Hospitality and relationship-management is her third career,
after theatre producing and acting and being an English teacher. Claire enjoys the communication and networking
aspects of working in the travel industry.
[email protected]
www.executivesecretary.com
thirty seven