Goals: Clearly state your marketing goals. What did you strive to achieve using this piece or program?With the outbreak of COVID-19, the world put travel on hold amidst vast uncertainty, lengthy lockdowns and an ever-changing concept of the ‘new normal.' Yet, we did not stop dreaming. Together we planned and pined for a future when we could once again journey to new (or familiar) places. When things began to open up at last, some travelers jumped at the chance to book their next adventure, while others continued to refine their plans. Best Western® Hotels & Resorts recognized that no matter where guests were in their customer journey, now was the time to remind travelers of its caring spirit and commitment to industry-leading hospitality. The “See You Soon” campaign confronted the difficult realities of COVID-19 head-on. For many, travel is a core human desire, put on hold amid repeated lockdowns and restrictions. The “See You Soon” messaging reflected on and sympathized with these challenges and reassured travelers that they would find care, cleanliness and the joy of travel whenever they ventured out again. Social media was key, it allowed for highly targeted messages that drove qualified traffic to Best Western’s website. Social ads invited travelers to call their hotels their home away from home. Powerful images showed guests taking the leap back into travel with joy evident on their faces. These visuals told the story of travel’s triumphant return and Best Western’s position as guests’ preferred hospitality partner. Best Western added increased value to its message with a generous offer that rewarded loyal guests and incentivized hesitant travelers. Guests received a $20 Best Western gift card for every night they stayed that summer. Delivered as part of an integrated marketing strategy, the campaign videos sought to: –Revitalize bookings in the peak summer travel season –Position Best Western as a trusted travel partner amid COVID-19 concerns –Foster positive brand association with strong storytelling, differentiating Best Western from the competitive set

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. (for example, click through rates or ad equivalency)The “See You Soon” social media ads captured customers’ attention no matter where they were on their path to booking. It served as one part of an integrated marketing campaign that leveraged placements across social media, TV, digital advertising, and influencer content to effectively reach travelers at every touchpoint and drive increased awareness of Best Western. Strategic media buys and native placements further optimized the campaign, resulting in increased bookings. The social media creative was at once inspiring and comforting, positioning Best Western as travelers’ caring and thoughtful hospitality partner whenever they chose to return to travel. Paid and organic social media, paired with influencer videos, provided targeted messages that drove meaningful traffic to web pages updated with consistent, relevant content. Across all channels, the campaign videos utilized clear, concise, and meaningful messaging to position Best Western as travelers’ caring and thoughtful hospitality partner–whenever they chose to return to travel. The social media ads were an irreplaceable component of a campaign that observed significant results at a time that was critical for both the brand and the hospitality industry as a whole. Making the most of its integrated marketing strategy, the campaign reached millions of prospective guests and resulted in almost 700,000 registrations for the promotion. As a result, Best Western generated $665 million in revenue, and one-third of that revenue was from promotion registrants. In addition, the promotion successfully rewarded brand loyalists by issuing more than 1 million Best Western gift cards, which in turn incentivized future bookings during the peak travel season and beyond.

Budget: Please include total budget vs. total actual cost. How much revenue has the piece or campaign generated and how does this compare to your goal? What was the return on investment?Due to exclusive contracts and other confidentiality, the exact budget cannot be disclosed, but the social media budget was part of the overall “See You Soon” campaign’s budget. It supported an integrated marketing plan, which drove meaningful revenue for Best Western. Coming out of the disruptive challenges of 2020, the “See You Soon'' social media ads were part of a thoughtful strategy that optimized a budget scaled to the current economy while providing the means necessary for recovery. The “See You Soon” campaign serves as a model for an intelligent and sustainable marketing strategy for a brand rebounding from lockdowns and travel restrictions -both those in the past and in the future, as the world continues to react to the ever-changing reality of the pandemic. The campaign's success came in its ability to convert travelers at every stage of the customer journey through a combination of empathetic messaging and rewarding opportunities. Welcoming guests back into its hotels with a gift that incentivized future visits simultaneously rewarded Best Western’s most valuable customers and drove business for its member hotels. Indeed, the campaign’s significant ROI was driven by guests who returned to Best Western when redeeming their gift cards. Besides the campaign’s immediate returns, its ability to foster loyalty has proven it to be invaluable to Best Western. Audiences on social media responded positively to Best Western’s combination of empathy and generosity, and it is this combination that will continue to prove vital to the brand’s success during these unprecedented times. Thankfully, these core values have always been integral to Best Western. Today and into the future, Best Western will continue to employ this spirit of caring as it offers best-in-class hospitality to all travelers.

Project Analysis: Please provide a brief background on the project and your company efforts to demonstrate good corporate citizenship in the areas of community involvement, environmental, or socially responsible practices.

Objectives and Goals: What did organization set out to achieve in undertaking this project in CSR? What were the goals you set to measure your success?

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.

Leadership: 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?

Goals: Clearly state your marketing goals and audience. What did you strive to achieve using this piece or program?

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. (for example, click through rates or ad equivalency)

Budget: Please include total budget vs. total actual cost. How much revenue has the piece or campaign generated and how does this compare to your goal? What was the return on investment?

Situational Analysis: Please provide a brief background on the original initiative and how it evolved as conditions changed from pandemic to recovery.

Goals: Clearly state your goals. What did you strive to achieve with this initiative and how did your goals change over time?

Results: Which of your goals did you achieve and how? How did you measure the effectiveness of the initiative?

Objective(s): What problems did the sales, marketing & guest satisfaction, or revenue optimization technology aim to solve?

Innovative use of technology: The extent to which new directions are charted or old challenges are resolved by using the technology in a new way.

Implementation & creativity: How was the technology implemented so that it was easy to use, solved a manpower problem, streamlined a function, or fueled recovery?

Results & Evaluation: How did the technologiy move the department or business foward to achieve goals, revenue or otherwise?

Goal: How did you demonstrate that you are committed to advancing diversity in your organization through your marketing?

Initiatives: Describe the promotion. What was your organization's message and how does it foster diversity? How was the target audience channel developed/pursued?

Results: Please describe how your organization was purposeful in advancing diversity through this initiative. Please describe the metrics you used to judge success. What were the forecasted and actual outcomes described in your Key Performance Indicators (KPI)? What impact did the initiative have on your organization and for your customers?

Goal: How did you demonstrate that you are committed to advancing diversity in your organization through your campaigns?

Initiatives: What was your approach to this campaign and how was the organization purposeful in advancing diversity through it? What types of data did you use to support your plan? How many locations were involved in the campaign? How did you effectively reach diverse audiences? What was the message?

Results: What metrics are you using to evaluate diversity (soft and/or hard metrics)? Were you successful at meeting forecasted goals? Was it limited to a specific promotion or across multiple creatives? What impact did the campaign have on your organization? How did this campaign change your brand’s perception amongst travelers?

Entry TitleSee You Soon Social Media Ads

DivisionDigital Marketing - Social Media Campaign

CategoryDigital Marketing