Marketing Objectives:
Clearly state your marketing goals.
What did your company strive to achieve using this piece or program?The ultimate goal of Best Western’s Vib launch was to spread awareness and drive bookings for the new brand. Topline marketing objectives for the campaign include: - Generate buzz around the exciting new hotel concept, Vib - Support the Today’s Best Western campaign, which aims to create whitespace between Best Western’s brands - Target unique and diverse audiences with affinities for different hotel accommodations - Increase awareness and key differentiators around Vib - Expand the brand’s loyal customer base by catering to segments of travelers. - Drive Best Western Rewards signups and educate travelers interested in boutique hotel accommodations on the program’s robust offerings

Target Audience:
Who was/is the target audience?
Characterize the composition, size, and location of your target audience.The boutique hotel brands are each individual and unique in their requirements and target different segments of travelers such as urbanites, millennials, modern business travelers, and tech-centric enthusiasts. Key audience segments for Vib included: • Stylish leisure travelers looking for a modern hotel experience • Tech-centric travelers in search of upper midscale boutique hotel experiences and fresh, stylish accommodations • Modern travelers looking for unique experiences in urban locations with diverse amenities • Travelers looking to connect in shared spaces in a modern way. • Best Western rewards members and Best Western brand loyalists interested finding in a new way to travel within the Best Western family of brands

Research, Planning, and Implementation:
What market research was conducted prior to planning the piece/campaign?Research shows that hotel guests are moving away from the traditional hotel experience and looking for more connected and urban adventures. To tailor to this new trend, Best Western launched Vib to reach audiences around the world and demonstrate the urban-fresh brand. The Vib website was created to support the brand’s launch and showcase the unique features and amenities. A refreshing and relaxing guest experience is curated at every Vib through multi-functional community spaces, calming “Zen Zones” where guests can escape the commotion of the day, inviting cafes and bars intended to help travelers recharge and individual gaming pods for guests wanting an extra level of personal entertainment.

Message:
What is the key message intended for the piece/campaign?
What differentiates your piece/campaign in the marketplace?The Vib website communicates that the brand offers guests a “Vibrant Experience for Today’s Connected Traveler.” This unifying theme showcases the amenities of Vib properties and is highlighted throughout the site’s copy. Messaging further details how the Best Western Rewards loyalty program offers a “contemporary. rewarding. and ready to serve.” experience for guests. The prospective Vib customer can expect a modern experience through tech-savvy amenities including Smart TVs and workstations in guest rooms. In addition to the various smart amenities focused on connectivity and productivity, the website establishes Vib as a brand for guests in search of an exciting, urban experience. To further enhance the contemporary message of Vib, the website used custom design and images to highlight vibrant, contemporary and stylish aspects of common areas, and modern touches like Gaming Pods, bars, cafés and the Zen Zone to showcase the breadth of the hotel experience and encourage booking.

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.

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 Vib website launch has been a great success, driving booking traffic, educating users about the “Today’s Best Western” campaign and promoting BWR. Since the launch in fall 2018, the Vib website has garnered the following results in unison with the Boutique Brands integrated campaign: • Users have spent an average of 4 minutes on the site, 2 minutes longer than average, signaling the site’s content is engaging and informing consumers • Increased awareness of Vib through generating more than 131,000 views on YouTube via Hey Nadine’s hotel promotion • More than 525,000 combined views on all influencer specific content • More than 19,000 engagements on social channels • More than 7% average engagement rate on content

Research, Planning and Implementation
What research was conducted prior to planning the initiative? Describe the step by step efforts to plan and implement the initiative in a way that would allow others to be able to duplicate your efforts. Were their individuals or teams that offered leadership to ensure effectiveness?

Message and Communication
What were your key messages? How did you differentiate your messages? What was the purpose of the communications? How did you communicate your actions to the target audience? What other stakeholders or media did you approach for assistance?

Results and Impact
What results had the greatest impact on your target audience? What results were directly tied to the HSMAI Foundation Mission? Which of your original goals was achieved? Please comment on the process and the outcomes. What measures were used to determine success? How was the data collected? What is the status of the initiative now – will it continue? Was it effective? Will it be used continuously? Will you help others use the initiative to help the industry meet its needs for exceptional talent? How?

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).

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?

Entry TitleBest Western Debuts New Brand: Vib

DivisionDigital Marketing

Sub-categoryDigital Single Item

CategoryWeb Site

Classification