Marketing Objectives:
Clearly state your marketing goals.
What did your company strive to achieve using this piece or program?
Primary objectives were to:
• Position BWHR as a leader in superior customer care by demonstrating its commitment to proactively enhance guest experience and customer satisfaction in efficient and cost-effective ways;
• Highlight how BWHR provides resources to, and works with, members (owners) to improve the guest experience; and
• Position Vice President of Operations Bruce Weinberg as a thought leader and industry expert, diversifying our spokesperson team.
Target Audience:
Who was/is the target audience?
Characterize the composition, size, and location of your target audience.
The target audience for this placement was industry professionals including hotel ownership groups and management companies who would be interested to learn about today’s Best Western and the company’s ongoing commitment to providing superior customer care.
Research, Planning, and Implementation:
What market research was conducted prior to planning the piece/campaign?
BWHR’s PR team researched the demographics of key hotel trade media outlets, ultimately identifying LODGING Magazine, a leading publication in the hotel and technology industry, as the ideal target outlet to highlight the company’s dedication to elevating the guest experience.
This publication, reaching 36,000 readers within the hotel and lodging industries each month, was determined as the perfect vehicle to highlight BWHR as a leading customer care provider with 70+ years of experience to current and potential members (owners).
By sharing research and insights with editor Christine Killion on a preliminary basis, the team secured interest and scheduled an interview with Vice President of Operations Bruce Weinberg, who was a general manager for more than 10 years – making him the perfect spokesperson on this topic as he manages customer service solutions first-hand. When pitching, the team positioned Weinberg as a fresh new trade media source.
Message:
What is the key message intended for the piece/campaign?
What differentiates your piece/campaign in the marketplace?
• BWHR listens to and values guest feedback, using it to steer and implement change across the brand. In doing so, BWHR has driven improvements across all properties in areas like cleanliness of rooms, a caring staff attitude and working order of room amenities.
• BWHR aims to lead the industry in superior customer care.
• BWHR is a forward-thinking, modern brand that understands the evolving needs of today’s travelers.
• Vice President of Operations Bruce Weinberg is an industry innovator and leader on the topics of guest experience, hotel operations and technology integration.
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 resulting story ran in the March 2019 issue, quoting Weinberg throughout. Key message pull-through was a success, and the story was 100% positive in tone, demonstrating Best Western’s strong foundation of welcoming travelers with superior value and quality guest service for more than 70 years.
The piece highlighted how BWHR views guest feedback as “an invaluable asset when it comes to identifying areas of strength and improvement.” It also highlights the company’s technology integration describing how “… Best Western has rolled out its Mobile Guest Engagement Platform across more than half of its North American hotels, allowing guests to check in and check out, communicate with staff, purchase upgrades, and more without downloading an app.”
The piece was read by 36,000 readers – 100% of whom are in the exact target audience – with an ad value of $18,000.
Entry Title
Lodging Magazine - Back to Basics: Elevating the Guest Experience Starts with Mastering the Essentials
Category
FEATURE PLACEMENT PRINT - Trade Publication