Marketing Objectives:
Clearly state your marketing goals.
What did your company strive to achieve using this piece or program?Best Western’s communications team, along with its PR agency, developed a campaign to raise awareness for the newly revamped program, targeting existing members (owners), employees and travelers. The program aimed to: • Illustrate ways for members to get involved (highlighting various levels); • Attract the interest of travelers, noting the new way they can participate, donating their loyalty points; and • Use PR to show how Best Western for a Better World has provided assistance to communities impacted by hunger, poverty, natural disasters and other crises.

Target Audience:
Who was/is the target audience?
Characterize the composition, size, and location of your target audience.The target audiences for the revamped Best Western for a Better World program, and communications campaign surrounding it, were Best Western hotel members/owners, employees and BWR loyalty program members. Best Western wanted to get as many members and staff involved as possible, to secure a wealth of donations. In addition, Best Western hotel owners and staff have opportunities to assist with community service through Best Western for a Better World throughout the year. It was important to let them know this. Finally, the team sought to engage with the 35 million+ global BWR membership, letting travelers know that they can now contribute points as donations.

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.After undergoing recent program changes, BW knew the time had come to give its philanthropic program a reboot. The team launched the rollout during the company’s annual District Meetings. In the spring, BW executives traveled to seven District Meetings – attended by regional BW hotel owners – and gave a presentation on the opportunities that Best Western for a Better World presents. These sessions introduced three new participation levels – advocate, champion and legacy – with escalating rewards to incentivize members to participate. The new five-year donation commitment was introduced, underscoring the company’s long-term giving commitment. Simultaneously, a press release and media relations campaign was launched, targeting those within the industry (many of whom are part of the BW network as an owner or employee) as well as travelers, with the loyalty program point donation hook.

Message:
What is the key message intended for the piece/campaign?
What differentiates your piece/campaign in the marketplace?• Best Western has aggressively transformed Best Western for a Better World, which now includes three different levels of participation for members and a long-term commitment. • Best Western for a Better World is improving lives across the globe and Best Western members and staff can help ensure that continues. • BWR members can now get involved, donating their points, which turn into dollars. • Best Western for a Better World has had a tremendous impact on thousands of lives around the world, and the program’s reboot will help extend its reach even further.

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.• Since the launch, Best Western Hotels & Resorts’ hoteliers have raised more than $1 million for charitable initiatives, making it one of the company’s most successful fundraising initiatives to-date. • As a result of the push to allow BWR members to contribute their points to hurricane relief efforts, the campaign generated an additional $250,000 donation to the American Red Cross. • More than 250 members have made a five-year commitment to give, representing a pledge of more than $1 million to be deployed in the areas of disaster response, poverty relief and education over the next half-decade. • A milestone announcement press release resulted in more than 20 editorial placements, including Lodging Magazine, TTN Online, Green Lodging News, Trade Arabia and TTG Media. Impressions reached nearly 300,000 and the advertising value of this press release alone was $2,732.14.

Project Analysis:
Please provide a brief background on the project and your efforts to preserve the destination’s natural, cultural and historic heritage.

Objectives and Goals:
What did organization set out to achieve in undertaking this project?

Creativity and Innovation:
What new and innovative ideas did you incorporate in either your method of outreach or in the implementation of the project that you think could inspire others committed to sustainability in the tourism and travel industry?

Communication:
How did you communicate your actions to the public, the media and other key stakeholders and what was the aim of the message?
How did you generate publicity in order to build awareness of, or support corporate values on your sustainability initiatives.

Results:
How did you measure the effectiveness of your efforts and what direct and tangible results did you achieve?

Leadership:
Please list the individual in a leadership role responsible for the project and how would you characterize their commitment to promoting preservation and sustainability best practices in the travel and tourism industry?

URL #1:http://bit.ly/2GiEy3Q

URL #2:http://bit.ly/2DFwKYS

URL #3:http://bit.ly/2Fx4qaV

DivisionPublic Relations

Sub-categoryPR Campaign

CategoryCOMMUNITY SERVICE/SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

Entry TitleBest Western for a Better World

Innovation Analysis: Please provide a brief background on the project and why you feel it fits the definition of innovation, what the breakout implications are and how it was an industry disruptor.

Sources of Innovation: Did the innovative project result from chance, from research, from inspiration from outside the industry, or from some other source?

Goals and Objectives: What were the goals of the innovative project, and were they met? Were they tied to a business plan? A larger campaign? Or to get specific result (such as views, shares, influencer engagement, or bookings)? And what obstacles did you encounter in the execution of the project and how did you overcome them?

Classification

Situational AnalysisBest Western for a Better World® is the charitable arm of Best Western® Hotels & Resorts, committed to providing essential resources and financial support to children and families across the world. The division focuses on three areas – poverty relief, disaster response and education. In 2017, Best Western for a Better World was operating at a deficit, with big ambitions to make a global impact. The program was refreshed, in order to set it up for future success. The new structure included: • Tiered sponsorship levels; • New ways for Best Western’s hotel owners and staff to get involved; • A new five-year commitment requirement for members; and • A unique way for travelers to participate, allowing Best Western Rewards® (BWR®) members to donate their points, with the company converting those into dollars.

Research, planning, and implementation:
What market research was conducted prior to planning the piece/campaign?
Describe how you planned and produced the creative assets with the mobile canvas in mind.

Message:
What is the key messages intended for the piece/ campaign?
What differentiates your piece/campaign in the marketplace?
What helped you breakthrough on mobile?

Results:
What original goals did you achieve and how?
How did you measure the effectiveness of the piece or campaign?
Entrants should provide quantifiable metrics tied to real business results (eg brand lift, leads, or bookings generated).

Results:
How did you measure the effectiveness of your efforts and what direct and tangible results did you achieve? Please be as specific as possible and share the full impact of your efforts in CSR. Understandably, maintenance is another major part of CSR. If you have continued to actively and consistently work on your CSR process; please add those actions to your results description.

Leadership:
To keep your CSR efforts thriving, you need momentum and passion, which has to come from the top. Please list the individual in a leadership role responsible for the project and how would you characterize their commitment to promoting corporate social responsibility in the travel and tourism industry?