Target Audience:
Who was/is the target audience?
Characterize the composition, size, and location of your target audience.
Expats and urban local Hong Kongers that belong to MH’s Inventive Class:
• Future-forward: Clever, resourceful and continually focused on what’s next
• Status through intellect: For them, the ultimate mark of status is being treated like a bright mind and rising star in their field
• Impact through ideas: Work is not just about making a living, but making an impact – on their companies, industries and the world – through original ideas
• The good life: While success is never final, they crave recognition for their achievements so far, and perks that confirm they are on their way
• Multi-dimensional: Their definition of a life well-lived is balancing work, family, social life and personal passions simultaneously
Above all, they live for moments of ingenuity and believe that travel expands the mind and sparks new ways of thinking.
Message:
What is the key message intended for the piece/campaign?
What differentiates your piece/campaign in the marketplace?
Our film series and branded content bring to life how MH allows all our fans to travel brilliantly. Leading up to the tournament we see Sebastien waking a hotel guest up by crashing through a wall, he teaches him how to eat local, and gives the lucky hotel guest unique ‘beard massage’ to help him recover from his Sevens hangover. While renowned as the ‘Caveman’ and for his aggressive playing style, we paired Sebastien’s gentle side as a contrast for some truly entertaining spots.
These films highlight how MH is constantly innovating to find ingenious ways to help their guests stay brilliant during the HK Rugby Sevens.
On the ground activations in prime Hong Kong high-traffic areas like Lee Gardens teased avid fans up to the big event. In-stadium
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.
Wanting to reach our audience where they already are, key Facebook features were accounted for with short comedic video ads, subtitles and a paid retargeting plan to ensure we were reaching our target audience throughout their online journey on ALL screen types.
The lead ad was released on Facebook first and reached over 1.4 million viewers. The 2nd and 3rd videos were then released which racked up a total of over 265K video views. Outperforming the initial video view goal by 96% and generated over 1.5M+ PR value.
We also got picked up in industry, as well as local and international press.
The awareness created by these social videos paved the way for the in-stadium experience created through the never seen before "Hey Baby" rendition by Sebastien. With over 30,000 fans singing and dancing along, it put Marriott Hotels front and centre of the event. You could over-hear people saying “how did they get him to do that?! Absolutely brilliant!”
Entry Title
Marriott Hotels and HK7s Innovation in Advertising
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.
Every year Cathy Pacific and HSBC are title sponsors of the HK Rugby Sevens. They have the biggest budgets, the most real estate in stadium and years of equity with fans. Being the third sponsor after Cathay and HSBC, and with a relatively smaller budget, we needed to find a way to stand out from the crowd – both in stadium during the event, and leading up. We had to do something very innovative from our messaging to channel selection to even braking a few of the Marriott Hotels (MH) brand rules.
At the same time, MH also needed to use this prime sponsorship opportunity to change perception of their brand. Currently the MH brand is seen as primarily for business travel – and in some cases stuffy & conservative. We needed to show fans the modern experience we offer, and the ingenious ways we help people to travel brilliantly, - and stay brilliant during the Sevens. We wanted them to get to know the brand in a different, modern light, and think of Marriott Hotels for their next trip
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?
First and foremost our most important job was to shift the perception of Marriott Hotels; from being a sometimes stuffy and conservative hotel people primarily use for business travel to a hotel you want to stay at for your upcoming vacation.
In additional we needed to ensure people associated the MH brand with world’s renowned sporting event of HKSEVENS. To leverage the Marriott Hotels brand and channels to emotionally connect and drive buzz amongst our audience leading up to the event and during as well.
And finally lift the loyalty program and portfolio perception through engaging with our members and offering them these exclusive experiences.