Opening a Pousada: Check-in 4
I’m opening a connection-led pousada, or boutique inn, in Paraty, Brazil in the upcoming months. During this opening prep, I’ll be sending casual updates into the process, alongside some of my regular brand strategy dispatches.
Hi hi! I took last week off from these dispatches, for a very special visit — my parents visited Brazil for the first time!
Here’s a quick update on what I’ve been up to the past few weeks. The lease starts next week 🤯:
Moving forward on the interiors project
Finalizing insurance
Brand identity is done! Can’t wait to share with you
Finding a booking system
Going to a local trade show
How I'm thinking about my freelance brand strategy work
Here’s an 8 minute check-in (com legendas em português):
p.s. I just had a thought - might be fun to round up hotels, pousadas, etc. that have inspired me during opening my own? Would that be fun? Maybe coming to an inbox near you.
And here are some quick brand bits and bobs:
Loved this piece on Costco’s magazine (which is the third largest magazine by print circulation in the US!). I’m a huge fan of print, and love when brands use print as another content channel. It’s tough because it’s so much harder to measure and a big expense, but I think it can do so much for a brand — I miss most in flight magazines, and I honestly think catalogs should make a bigger comeback for retail! I still flip through my parents’ LL Bean catalogs when I’m at home - can’t tell you the last time I looked up LL Bean digitally.
I have mixed feelings about restaurants purposely hiding details before customers arrive. On one hand I love it. At Sofar Sounds, we didn’t share who the artists were before you arrived, and the address was only revealed the day before — which was core to the experience and the brand. If it’s done in a way to heighten your experience and is a differential advantage, I’m all for it. But - a big but - expectation management becomes even more vital when you’re leaving out some details. The people interviewed in this piece don’t reveal much thoughtfulness behind the decision, which comes off as a lack of respect for their guests’ time and money.
This list of extreme brainstorming questions is great. Has got my wheels turning for updating my brand briefing I give to clients at the start of projects. (Thanks Linda Mutricy for the rec - Linda has the best recs!)
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Check out my full site for brand strategy work and The Office of Beloved Brands. I’m open to very select projects at this time.
If you want to support my work in another way, I do have paid subscriptions turned on. I’m not offering additional content at this time for paid subscribers, so it’s kind of like a tip jar. A completely optional tip jar 😊