Pousadas de Portugal

: a repositioning and differentiation strategy

Abstract

Founded in the 40s by the Portuguese Government and with an innovative concept of providing a hospitality service in historic locations such as castles, monasteries and forts, Pousadas de Portugal was a group of 37 inns properties located from North to South of the country. Managed by the Pestana Group since 2003, it offered unique and innovative experiences. From 2010, with the worsening of the economic and financial crisis in Portugal and due to the low awareness of the Pousadas de Portugal particularly abroad, the sales level decreased considerably. Thus, Dr. Miguel Velez decided to revolutionize the company and set a new strategic plan to increase and strengthen the brand image of Pousadas de Portugal, attract foreign customers, with the main objective to increase sales and reverse the company's results. The strategy of the Pousadas de Portugal is the main topic of the case study and includes themes such as the external factors that affect the industry, product differentiation, positioning and sustainable competitive advantages. A Literature Review of subjects related to the Case Study is provided, followed by a Teaching Note that addresses the viability of the new strategy adopted to capture foreign markets and consequently increase the company's sales. Throughout the analysis, it is possible to verify that the differentiation strategy combined with a greater investment in Marketing and the creation of new services and units may be a viable alternative to the sustainability and success of the company.

Date of Award	2015
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	Universidade Católica Portuguesa
Supervisor	Nuno Magalhães Guedes (Supervisor)