urban living

Client:
Smart City Stays

Industry:

Hospitality • Property Management • Tourism

Location:
South Africa & Middle East

Services:

Brand Strategy, Corporate Identity, Marketing Strategy, Social Media Management, Photography, Videography, Graphic Design, UGC Campaign Management, Influencer Partnerships, Operations Consulting, Recruitment, Staff Training, Policy Development, Franchise Documentation.

Smart City Stays is a hospitality and accommodation management company specialising in Luxury and premium short or long-term stays. SCS manages 7 Urban buildings around Cape Town, providing guests with seamless bookings, check-in and concierge experiences.

 

Annie John Studios was appointed on a one-year strategic consultancy to strengthen both the brand and its operations. We partnered with Industry experts to assist in improving service delivery. The engagement extended far beyond marketing, encompassing corporate identity, operational systems, customer experience, staff development and scalable processes to support future franchise expansion.

 

Challenges & Objectives

/ Challenges

  • No unified corporate identity or brand standards
  • Inconsistent Front Office and Housekeeping operations
  • Limited policies, procedures and franchise documentation
  • Inconsistent customer experience and staff presentation
  • Minimal digital presence and community engagement
  • Need for scalable operational systems to support future growth

/ Objectives

Position Smart City Stays as a premium hospitality brand by developing a consistent guest experience, strengthening internal operations and delivering an integrated marketing strategy capable of supporting long-term growth and franchise expansion.

 

/ Final Outcome

Smart City Stays emerged with a refined brand identity, stronger operational foundations and a consistent guest experience across both digital and physical touchpoints. Annie John Studios delivered a comprehensive ATL and BTL marketing strategy while developing corporate standards, operational policies, recruitment processes, staff training programmes and franchise-ready documentation.

 

The project also included social media management, professional photography, videography and graphic design, alongside the development of user-generated content (UGC) campaigns in collaboration with South African and international lifestyle creators and vloggers. These partnerships expanded the brand’s digital reach while producing authentic, destination-driven content that strengthened guest engagement and brand awareness.

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Gray and Black Modern Handphone Mockup Instagram Story (1800 x 1200 px) (1200 x 700 px)
scs

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