Singapore -- SilverNeedle Hospitality Group today announces the acquisition of the internationally acclaimed new media marketing agency, Brand Karma, a pioneer in building brand experiences through social media, creative storytelling, digital marketing and immersive virtual reality. Together with SilverNeedle's in-house architecture and design agency Virsa, SilverNeedle becomes highly-specialized in marketing and design, holistically maximizing ROI on real estate assets.

The group also announces its hotel management division is now branded Next Hotels (formally SilverNeedle Hospitality). Together Next Hotels, Virsa and Brand Karma form Next Story Group.

Anand Nadathur, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Next Story Group commented, "The hospitality landscape is changing and we're evolving in important ways. Over the past year we've developed in-house architecture and design capabilities via Virsa, identified new media marketing competency as a must-have which led to the acquisition of Brand Karma, strengthened our employees and Board, and studied the impact of the sharing economy on urban spaces. We now have the right set of specialized services, and are ready to move forward to help asset owners futureproof their real estate by giving consumers something fresh and relevant. Hence we're launching as Next Story Group today."

Next Story Group is based in Singapore, with regional offices across Asia-Pacific, and offers best-in-class services to hotel owners in branding, marketing, design and development on top of its hotel management services. From the acquisition and development of spaces, to conceptualisation of design, to management of operations and innovative marketing, Next Story Group will pioneer a multi-disciplinary approach and blend services so that each property in its portfolio can adapt with agility to the needs of tomorrow.

"The hospitality and real estate industries are experiencing unprecedented shifts, with new consumer expectations giving quick rise to disruptors," explainsMorris Sim, previously Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Brand Karma, now Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) for Next Story Group. "It is difficult for asset owners to ensure what they have today will be relevant and monetisable for tomorrow's consumers. Being a part of Next Story Group means asset owners can count on us to differentiate and respond to market changes faster."

Next Story Group comprises of the following businesses:

  • Next Hotels: Named after the group's flagship hotel brand, Next Hotels is a specialised developer of hotels across Asia-Pacific and the market leader in technological innovation and rapid adaptability within the hotel industry.
  • Brand Karma: Award-winning new media marketing agency that builds brands through virtual reality experiences, digital-marketing and creative storytelling. Past clients include Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts, Accor Hotels, IHG, Marriott, Tourism Australia, Gap Inc., Honeywell, and Lincoln Motor Company.
  • Virsa: Architecture and design agency for the hospitality industry, Virsa is responsible for the design and development of hotel rooms and spaces within Next Story Group, as well as the group's innovations in building tech.

Along with the launch, Next Story Group also announces the appointment of veteran hotelier Patrick Imbardelli to its Board of Directors. Commenting on the developments of the group, Patrick Imbardelli remarks, ''I'm excited about Next Story Group because it has the elements needed to ensure that a hotel owner's asset can continually stand out to the end consumer. The approach the company has developed will create new value in the marketplace for the owners and the consumers, and I look forward to guiding the team to expand their vision."

About Next Story Group

Next Story Group designs, manages and markets hotels and blended lifestyle space. Seeing each real estate asset as a living ecosystem, the group optimises each space's design and performance based on customer demand. With experienced leaders in design, marketing, operations and emerging technologies, Next Story Group adopts a holistic approach to each space it manages, futureproofing its owners' investments. The group's brands include Next Hotels & Resorts, Kafnu, Brand Karma and Virsa. For more information:www.nextstory.com

Lynda Williams
Next Story Group

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