Marketing Objectives:
Clearly state your marketing goals.
What did your company strive to achieve using this piece or program?
Primary objectives for the 2018 LTS in New York were to:
• Capitalize on the 30th anniversary of BWR to add a new hook to an already popular event series, compelling more media to attend and fostering new media relationships for Best Western;
• Reinforce Best Western CMO Dorothy Dowling as a thought leader in the leisure travel and loyalty space;
• Highlight the special gift being given to BWR members this year, who have been part of the program since its inception – lifetime Diamond Elite status; and
• Create exposure for BWR, showcasing it as an innovative program that is on the forefront of timely trends and understands – through strategic research initiatives – the evolving needs of today’s travelers.
Target Audience:
Who was/is the target audience?
Characterize the composition, size, and location of your target audience.
The target audience for this event was influential media covering the travel and hospitality industry in the United States. It was important to capture the attention of media with whom we’d already worked, but also attract new A-list contacts to cover Best Western’s news.
Research, Planning, and Implementation:
What market research was conducted prior to planning the piece/campaign? Describe how you planned and produced the creative asseets with the mobile canvas in mind.
Best Western and its public relations team managed and planned all aspects for New York City LTS, including procuring the venue, managing all logistics, securing media attendees, lining up one-on-one interviews, and ordering unique anniversary gifts (a pearl Kindle was provided as a surprise to panelists, in honor the traditional 30th wedding gift; pearl-encrusted, BWR-branded custom cupcakes from Magnolia Bakery were a sweet treat for all attendees). Media efforts planned in advance also included development of a press release showcasing the results of the U.S. News & World Report study – as well as a second press release encapsulating all event news.
Message:
What is the key message intended for the piece/campaign?
What differentiates your piece/campaign in the marketplace?
The key messages that were desired as part of media coverage surrounding this event included:
• Best Western is celebrating the 30th anniversary of its award-winning BWR loyalty program in 2018, and the program is rolling out new benefits as part of the celebration.
• Best Western has commissioned an insight report, executed by U.S. News & World Report’s Marketing and Business Intelligence Teams, which showed more than 70% of respondents rated Best Western Rewards (BWR®) as their preferred loyalty program in the industry.
• Best Western has partnerships in place to remain on top of the evolving needs of Today’s Travelers and is open to evolving its loyalty program as a result of key findings.
Results:
Which of your original goals did you achieve and how?
How did you measure the effectiveness of the piece or campaign? Entrants should provide quantifiable results of their tactics or campaigns.
The 2018 NYC LTS was a major success, driving buzz around the 30th anniversary of BWR with gifts that received rave reviews, creating awareness for the program’s research initiatives and innovation, and showcasing Best Western as an innovative player on the forefront of industry trends. CMO Dorothy Dowling, who led the panel discussion and participated in on-site interviews, was positioned as a true thought leader in the industry.
More than 30 attendees were secured, the most ever. In addition to five new A-list travel freelancers, who had not previously attended, helping forge new relationships on behalf of Best Western at a key moment in the company’s evolution. Attendees included Bloomberg, BizBash, The Huffington Post, Business Travel News, U.S. News & World Report, Skift.com, AAA, Family Travel Association, and Style MTV, among countless top-tier, A-list freelance writers and industry experts.
Entry Title
Leisure Travel Summit in New York
Situational Analysis
Best Western’s Leisure Travel Summit (LTS) has built a reputation as a must-attend event for media in NYC and Toronto. In 2018, the company took the event to the next level, theming it around the 30th anniversary of Best Western Rewards® (BWR®). This was a timely hook to capture the attention of media and communicate news about BWR, which included an unprecedented gift for founding members.
The event included the unveiling of a partnership with U.S. News & World Report, launching a study commissioned by Best Western to evaluate how today’s travelers make their loyalty program decisions. Attendees were the first to hear the results from the study.
The LTS in New York was more successful in 2018 than any year prior. It consisted of an interactive panel, led by Best Western’s CMO and key partners, connecting a larger-than-ever group of media attendees with credible insights into travel trends, while providing useful information on one of the world’s premier loyalty programs.