Protea Hotels resonates with the youth

Danny Bryer

This is the seventh year and sixth in a row that Protea Hotels has been voted coolest hotel group in the Generation Next survey and it is the second time that the group has won in the hotels category in the Ask Africa Youth Brands survey, the largest of its kind in South Africa.

Danny Bryer, the director of sales and Marketing for Protea Hotels, says the awards are evidence that the brand resonates with the youth. “Protea Hotels has been listening and responding in our marketing channels and product offerings to what the younger generations are saying. Generations Y and Z, who make up South Africa’s large youth population, want more than just a place to lay their heads or grab a meal. They want unique experiences and personalised services, and are discerning when it comes to quality,” he says.

Bryer says Protea Hotels takes these awards seriously as they draw responses from a large pool of individuals, and each uses a sound methodology to reveal valuable insights about the market.

Now in its 12th year, Generation Next polls the opinions of 5,675 of South Africa’s youth (ages 8 to 22) in urban and peri-urban environments in six provinces. The lifestyle and consumer behaviour questionnaire is boosted by a further 4,622 face-to-face interviews. The research analysis is conducted by HDI Youth Marketers in conjunction with academic validation partner, Monash South Africa, and statistician, Dr. Arien Strasheim.

The Ask Africa Youth Brands survey focuses on usage patterns, with its representative sample of 8,130 respondents aged between 15 and 34 revealing which brand experiences young South Africans of all backgrounds and living standards trust with their hard-earned money.