Marketing Objectives:
Clearly state your marketing goals.
What did your company strive to achieve using this piece or program?The goal of the Own the Road campaign was to intercept business and leisure travelers en-route to their destination, using customized messages at key interception points to drive increased bookings at nearby Best Western hotels. Specific objectives for the “Own the Road” campaign included: • Drive walk in hotel bookings • Generate awareness around Best Western’s summer promotion offer • Educate travelers on Best Western’s amenities, including free Wi-Fi • Leverage innovative and first to market targeting capabilities to convert en-route travelers • Isolate specific locations, such as gas stations, casual dining, coffee, retail, that over index for Best Western guests • Reach “Road Warriors” in the moments that matter most – when they are most likely to walk-in to their nearest Best Western.

Target Audience:
Who was/is the target audience?
Characterize the composition, size, and location of your target audience.Using historical brand data to identify key target markets, Best Western reached the below audiences through the Own the Road campaign: • Business & Leisure Travelers (“Roadtrippers”), defined as consumers seen 50+ miles away from their normal dwelling; Business travelers were identified by day-of-week stays • Best Western Loyalists, including AAA and CAA members, defined as consumers seen at Best Western hotels multiple times within the last 90 days or have made purchases using AAA/CAA discounts on their credit cards • Competitor Loyalists, defined as consumers seen at competitor hotels multiple times within the last 90 days • Travelers who book hotel accommodations while on the go

Research, Planning, and Implementation:
What market research was conducted prior to planning the piece/campaign?Through its own extensive research and data, Best Western came to understand converting the en-route traveler was a huge opportunity for the brand. Brand research showed: • 49% of Best Western revenue is walk-in business • Best Western guests spend more time on the road than their competitors • 33% of surveyed Spotify streamers stayed at Best Western within the past 12 months. • Spotify streamers are 3x more likely to stream while traveling. • 1 in 2 travelers listen to podcasts while traveling. Internet radio and podcast ads were identified as key opportunities to reach en-route travelers. On Spotify, users received 30 minutes of ad-free listening in exchange for watching the Best Western promotional video ad. Podcasts were hand selected with an emphasis on sports and technology with a high reach against Best Western targets: males and females, ages 25-44, in the U.S. and Canada. These podcasts featured :60 host-read mentions to reach travelers on the go.

Message:
What is the key message intended for the piece/campaign?
What differentiates your piece/campaign in the marketplace?The Own the Road campaign strategically promoted Best Western’s summer offer with each radio and podcast ad, offering a $20 gift card after a customer’s first stay. Key messages communicated to en-route road warriors that Today’s Best Western is vibrant, has stylish accommodations and offers important amenities including free Wi-Fi, complimentary breakfast and a lucrative, best-in-class rewards program. Ads remind travelers that they “deserve to save more every time” they travel. Sponsored Spotify sessions featured a :15 cut of Best Western’s summer TV commercial which leveraged visuals of a variety of hotel brands to illustrate how Today’s Best Western offers a diverse brand portfolio, each designed to meet the needs of today’s modern travelers. The :60 podcast ad messaged Best Western Rewards perks including points that never expire and member exclusive rates.

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.Through the combination of media placements, including online radio and podcast ads, the Best Western Own the Road campaign was well positioned to reach “Road Warriors” when they are most likely to walk-in to their nearest Best Western. The campaign was a success for the brand. The radio and podcast ads were an integral part of the overall campaign and contributed to the following results: • More than 66,000 visits to Best Western hotels across the US & Canada • More than 712,000 engagements with the Best Western brand • Video view rates 13% above benchmark

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’s Own the Road Campaign

DivisionAdvertising

Sub-categoryAdvertising Series

CategoryRADIO-Consumer

Classification