How to build a brand as a PMC

According to Rafat Ali Founder of Skift, the two most important elements of building a hospitality business in 2025 are: managing your finances and building a unique brand.

Before running a conscious luxury STR for 7 years, I was a freelance CMO in the world of fashion, beauty and wellness marketing. When I became part of the hospitality industry, I was quite surprised by some of the websites and social media accounts I discovered.

Like fashion and beauty, travel is such an inspirational industry. It’s a feast for all the senses and evokes such strong emotions and memories. For many, travel is a transformational experience as consumers look to discover new cultures and reconnect with themselves. Above all, it’s about people and how they feel.

How most property management companies start

Through attending conferences and listening to the concerns of property management companies, I’ve come to understand that very few set out to build a brand. Instead, people often enter the STR industry from other sectors and start by managing a few properties. This generates their interest in hospitality and they gradually start to build their portfolio.

In my own experience as a marketing freelancer, I understand this approach. When I set up in 2012, I took any client I could get! After a year, I realised that I needed to do a marketing number on myself. This is when I decided to specialise in marketing which incorporated sustainability. Since then, I’ve worked with brands in the organic sector as well as sustainable fashion and responsible tourism.