Goals: Clearly state your marketing goals. What did you strive to achieve using this piece or program?In March of 2021, RHC was retained to relaunch Wayfinder hotel, the newest design-minded property in Newport, Rhode Island. Wayfinder was the first property by Dovetail + Co, an up-and-coming owner, developer and operator of genuine and imaginative hospitality. Dovetail + Co was founded by Phil Hospod who was previously part of Sydell Group‘s senior leadership team (where notable achievements include the Freehand NYC and the Line DC). So the opening of Wayfinder - as Dovetail's first property ever - was a pivotal and foundational moment for the hospitality group. (Now, Dovetail has announced new properties in Bermuda, Waikiki and San Diego). Further, prior to Wayfinder first launch in July 2020, the former Days Inn had undergone a full scale renovation -- reopening with new management, a n ew name, a new restaurant on property, and a robust calendar of local programs and events with artists, surfers, skaters, bartenders and chefs from the community. To give Wayfinder - and Dovetail + Co - the proper launch that couldn't be had in 2020, RHC developed an integrated campaign. Our goal was to make every New Englander, Newport local, member of the media, and event planner in the world aware of Wayfinder. We sought to generate the feature coverage Wayfinder was unable to secure in 2020 by repositioning the hotel as a beloved new beacon of the community. We needed to drive occupancy but also make the hotel's restaurant, Nomi Park, tremendously successful. Revenue generation was a key priority. Further, we were challenged to establish Wayfinder as an icon of summer - a place people want to travel back to year after year. Wayfinder is unlike any other hotel in Newport - a quirky, comfortable and creative enclave that stands in stark contrast to the staid and stately mansion hotels that have long dominated media coverage of the destination. We were incredibly excited to relaunch Wayfinder as the new Newport.

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)RHC developed a storytelling campaign and launch event in May, called "Summer Is Here." Every tactic we executed laddered back to the notion that there is nowhere better - or more fun - to be than at Wayfinder for an annual summer kick off party. For the launch event, we secure 400+ attendees including local tastemakers, visiting and local media from top tier travel, design, and lifestyle publications (NY Times, Conde Nast Traveler, WSJ, Domino, Cosmo, T+L, etc) as well as C suite executives and local business owners. Summer Is Here was the talk of the town -- an all inclusive outdoor pool party repleted with roller blading servers, live music, cocktail workshops, and a poetry x sonnet workshop with Shakespeare to Hip Hop (an homage to Newport's history as the birthplace of the world's first typewriter). No detail was left unturned in bringing to life a memorable, inclusive, diverse, and richly layered event. Further, RHC sent out 100 bottled cocktails announcing the hotel's relaunch for summer - bottled Negronis that were then placed in room for all guests of the hotel on the launch weekend. We secure 40+ influencers and 50+ media visits throughout a 3 month period in the spring / summer to ensure that almost every day, new people around the world were able to catch a glimpse or read about the hotel. Media impressions surpassed 5 billon with an ad value estimated at 10 million. Placements were achieved in publications ranging from T+L to Dezeen -- Brides to HOTELS --- NY Times to T+L and more. Wayfinder was just name to T+L's Where to Go in 2022 List - a testament to the enduring buzz we've created around the property.

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?Launch party budget was 2k including entertainment, f&b, travel budget for visiting media, etc. We were able to host media for comp room nights surrounding the launch party (estimated 1k in revenue displacement for room nights)

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 TitleWayfinder Relaunches with Summer is Here Campaign

DivisionPublic Relations - RE-LAUNCH OF EXISTING PRODUCT

CategoryPublic Relations