Between luxury and the digital era: hotel branding through Kapferer's Brand Functions model
Keywords:
hotel branding, hospitality in Rio de Janeiro, algorithm, brand experience, digital communicationAbstract
The article analyzes the evolution of communication in Rio de Janeiro’s hospitality industry from the nineteenth century to the digital era, based on Kapferer’s Brand Functions model. The study compares 104 historical advertisements, collected from the Hemeroteca Digital, with 104 contemporary Instagram posts from hotels across the luxury, upscale, and economy segments. The results indicate strong symbolic continuity over more than two centuries, highlighting Hedonism and Identification as the structural core of hospitality communication, especially in the luxury segment. While in the nineteenth century hotel discourse emphasized pleasure, sophistication, and social distinction – materialized in banquets, balls, and European-inspired environments – these values are now translated into digital reputation, sensory experiences, and storytelling. Functions such as Distinction and Guarantee remain relevant, although reconfigured. The study concludes that, despite technological and discursive transformations, Rio’s hospitality industry maintains a stable symbolic core based on pleasure, trust, and belonging, confirming the ability of brands to adapt their language without altering their essence.
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