Effectiveness of Rebranding on Organizational Performance. a Case Study of African Sun (Pvt) Limited.
CHAPTER ONE
GENERAL INTRODUCTION
1.0 Introduction
This chapter focuses on the elements relevant to the organisation that were surveyed and the objectives of the research, encompassing also assumptions, delimitations and the purpose of the study.
1.1 Background to study
African Sun formally Zimbabwe Sun Limited was co-founded in 1968 as part of Delta Corporation. The Company was known as the “ZimSun Leisure Group” hence, the brand name ZimSun Leisure, which reflected the groups’ core activities in the leisure industry. To date, African Sun has grown into a holding company with twelve (12) strategic business units, under its banner is ZimSun Leisure Limited now known as African Sun Zimbabwe (Pvt) Limited. This is the largest business unit under the group of companies in Africa. In Zimbabwe too, it is the largest hotel and leisure group with 12 properties covering all the main tourist destinations and cities. The city hotels include five Inter Continental Hotel Group affiliated Hotels; a group to which African Sun Limited is the biggest partner in Africa. The hotels are namely, the Crowne Plaza Monomotapa in Harare and Holiday Inns in Harare, Bulawayo and Mutare whilst in Beitbridge there is an Express by Holiday Inn. In addition the group operates the Great Zimbabwe Hotel at Masvingo and three resort hotels among other leisure outlets.
In the last 40 years ZimSun grew to be a renowned hotel and leisure operator ranked as number 1 in the 2006 - 2007 annual survey held by the Zimbabwe Independent Group publishers of the Zimbabwe Quoted Companies Survey journal. Their brand strategies positioned them as a market leader improving revenues and earnings on investments. The ZimSun Leisure brand distinguished itself with the “sun” for its logo and a slogan that promised “Unforgettable – Convenience, Choice, Experience, all this was embedded in their bold orange colour. The organisation was also geared towards market expansion, in 2001 an investment was made
GENERAL INTRODUCTION
1.0 Introduction
This chapter focuses on the elements relevant to the organisation that were surveyed and the objectives of the research, encompassing also assumptions, delimitations and the purpose of the study.
1.1 Background to study
African Sun formally Zimbabwe Sun Limited was co-founded in 1968 as part of Delta Corporation. The Company was known as the “ZimSun Leisure Group” hence, the brand name ZimSun Leisure, which reflected the groups’ core activities in the leisure industry. To date, African Sun has grown into a holding company with twelve (12) strategic business units, under its banner is ZimSun Leisure Limited now known as African Sun Zimbabwe (Pvt) Limited. This is the largest business unit under the group of companies in Africa. In Zimbabwe too, it is the largest hotel and leisure group with 12 properties covering all the main tourist destinations and cities. The city hotels include five Inter Continental Hotel Group affiliated Hotels; a group to which African Sun Limited is the biggest partner in Africa. The hotels are namely, the Crowne Plaza Monomotapa in Harare and Holiday Inns in Harare, Bulawayo and Mutare whilst in Beitbridge there is an Express by Holiday Inn. In addition the group operates the Great Zimbabwe Hotel at Masvingo and three resort hotels among other leisure outlets.
In the last 40 years ZimSun grew to be a renowned hotel and leisure operator ranked as number 1 in the 2006 - 2007 annual survey held by the Zimbabwe Independent Group publishers of the Zimbabwe Quoted Companies Survey journal. Their brand strategies positioned them as a market leader improving revenues and earnings on investments. The ZimSun Leisure brand distinguished itself with the “sun” for its logo and a slogan that promised “Unforgettable – Convenience, Choice, Experience, all this was embedded in their bold orange colour. The organisation was also geared towards market expansion, in 2001 an investment was made