I don’t think that one single U.S. taxpayer is happy about AIG, American International Group Inc spending $440,000 on a conference at the St. Regis Resort in Monarch Beach. Maybe not even the St. Regis Resort!
Certainly, AIG could not have possibly thought that they deserved this conference? Spending a total of $23,380 for spa services alone! Supported by the executives as a thank you for a job well done? Come on! This comes only one week after an $85 billion dollar government takeover. Without question that was a very bad PR move.
The bad PR move on behalf of AIG now becomes a branding association problem for the St. Regis Resort in Monarch Beach, or does it? Do St. Regis Resort step up and take claim as the resort that AIG selected to spend taxpayer money on? I think not.
The smart move for St. Regis Resort is to promote that they are the best know luxury resort in the world! Providing exclusive one of a kind luxury! Ride off of all the brand exposure and give AIG no credit at all.
This is a situation when the spotlight image is less positive and when being pulled into the spotlight can hurt your brand even if you did absolutely nothing wrong. St. Regis Resort needs to protect their brand image and the ultimate perception of what their brand represents.
In the world of luxury a brand’s perception is a lifeline.