The purpose of the visual aspect of a brand is to relay its mission and values. Ours are of resilience, collaboration and commitment to sustainable practices in luxury rentals and beyond. For our second logo iteration we took another deep look at the message we wanted to convey, how we could inspire others and how we could associate some symbolism to it. What follows is the result of our introspection.
The legend of the hummingbird
Hummingbird – Pexels
The legend of the hummingbird recounts its inspiring behaviour when a large fire broke out in the forest. All the other animals instantly fled, unable to cope with the blazing flames. Whereas, the hummingbird flew to a nearby pond and used its tiny beak to collect water droplets,flying back to release them onto the flames, again and again. All the other animals were astounded how futile his efforts seemed in comparison to the size of the wild fire. When they asked him why he was doing so, he simply repliedstated, “I’m doing my bit.” In response, all the animals followed suit and joined in to fight the fire.
With its origins in Mayan culture, the hummingbird legend still teaches three things.
- we can take the responsibility to play our part no matter how small it is
- we can inspire others to do the same
- we can all benefit from taking part in something that is far greater than ourselves.
Consequently, it is no surprise that the hummingbird legend often features in environmental protection efforts
A sustainability certification is appealing to all your stakeholders including guests, property operations team, investors and media.
The hummingbird as the symbol of the QALIA brand
QALIA’s logo
With the meaning of a symbol comes the emotions it portrays. The hummingbird seemed the perfect reflection of our energy and commitment to do our part in the mammoth task of initiating and fostering sustainable practices within the short term rental industry. We live in a time when the status quo ought to be challenged. New models need to be adopted, and invented even, at a rapid pace. Our certification programme, framework, Knowledge Base, platform and bespoke support are the testimony of all our efforts in this endeavour, one property at a time. With QALIA as your partner, you do not need an in-house sustainability officer to smoothly make l changes towards a more meaningful business model.
The hummingbird’s persistent efforts helped save the forest. Similarly, each action our team takes, no matter how small, contributes to our broader mission of making sustainability the better choice.
Why “QALIA” you may ask? It is the voluntary misspelling of the Latin word “qualia”. It stands for quality and is also used in philosophy to mean the “examples of subjective, conscious experiences”. It sounded very appropriate knowing that ultimately our choices come from within and when consciousness is applied, they become a force for good.
How the hummingbird story applies to our Members, and to Guests
Sustainable toilettries in the villa – Pexels
Through the implementation of our responsible tourism certification property owners, managers and villa specialists can become leaders in our industry. As a QALIA Member, you will have the power to make a positive difference in your own sphere of influence and inspire others to follow your lead.
Consequently, the “hummingbird effect” demonstrates the transformative potential of individual actions and influence over the collective. In this way, the commitment of a few helps to achieve and normalise a more positive impact.
QALIA Members inspire collective action towards sustainability by taking steps to introduce conscious luxury into their guest experience
Lastly, let us not be misled by the all-too-common perception that guests do not care when on holiday. We have entered a substantial generational shift at every social class level. In addition, an unprecedented transfer of wealth is occurring between Boomers, Millenials and subsequently Gen Z. These HNW and UHNW individuals, as well as all other classes have grown up in the age of unlimited access to knowledge and information through the internet. As such, they are at the forefront of the current challenges. They are the leaders of the future and many are inclined to follow a more eco-conscious lifestyle with an understanding of the social disparities. They will be the hummingbirds of tomorrow.
Check out the QALIA Four Pillars of Conscious Luxury and the benefits of our certification.
