Goals: Clearly state your marketing goals. What did you strive to achieve using this piece or program?
Cape Cod-based Wequassett Resort & Golf Club partnered with the iconic British lifestyle brand Barbour to bring legacy taste to luxury hospitality. As Barbour's first major hotel collaboration in the United States, the esteemed lifestyle brand and 27-acre Double Forbes Five-Star waterfront property joined forces to create unique guest experiences that embody their shared values of timeless elegance, sensible style, and a passion for adventure.
The marketing goals were: (1) Drive visitors, generate buzz, social engagement, and increase bookings at Wequassett Resort during its first spring season open following the hotel’s announcement in February that it will now be open year-round; (2) Create a long-term partnership with the iconic British lifestyle brand by launching its first-ever major hotel collaboration in the U.S. at Wequassett; (3) Provide unique, seasonal guest experiences that embody Wequassett’s and Barbour’s shared values of timeless elegance, sensible style, and passion for adventure; (4) Integrate Barbour’s signature designs and apparel throughout multiple touchpoints in the resort.
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)
All four goals were achieved by seeking out and securing a partnership with Barbour to create a unique experience blending Barbour's renowned craftsmanship and unprecedented spirit with the resort's high-end service and memorable hospitality ethos. This partnership touched every aspect of the guest experience, from adventurous activities to retail to food and beverage offerings.
Barbour apparel was accessible throughout the hotel, from the gift shop to the staff uniforms to an on-site Borrowing Closet. Wequassett also offered a taste of Barbour throughout different specialty drink and dinner experiences amplified by custom-branded coasters and napkins.
The effectiveness of this partnership was measured by the number of guests who checked out items from the Borrowing Closet, who booked the Barbour Field Guide enhancement package, web traffic, and the number of social and media impressions.
The partnership was pitched to local, regional, and national travel, lifestyle, and fashion publications, resulting in 537,173,400+ impressions to date, from quality press placements and features in Robb Report, Town & Country, Condé Nast Traveler, Boston Magazine, Forbes Travel Guide and more. In addition, the team hosted two press trips and facilitated one-off visits for select writers and influencers to experience the partnership in exchange for editorial and social coverage, resulting in more than 170K social impressions. The landing page has received over 6,500 views from 5,306 unique users, with the average web session lasting about 2 minutes. Wequassett and Barbour both supported the partnership on social media and in newsletters to their respective audiences. Barbour featured the collaboration on its blog reaching 863.6K unique monthly visitors.
At least 5 Barbour items were checked out of the Borrowing Closet weekly over 10 weeks during the property’s shoulder season, doubling during inclement weather periods, as this was the Cape’s wettest summer on record.
Return on Investment: How much revenue has the piece or campaign generated and how does this compare to your goal? What was the return on investment?
The Wequassett and Barbour partnership increased room revenue and occupancy, sales in the gift shop, and the average check for diners at twenty-eight Atlantic and cocktail lounge, Thoreau’s, with the addition of the Barbour-inspired dinner menu and cocktail.
For example, the average check at twenty-eight Atlantic and Thoreau’s increased 25% higher than the projected sales, room revenue, and occupancy rates followed suit, reaching an occupancy rate of 65% during the property’s first spring being open from March 31st–-May 31st.
Total revenue generated for the partnership resulted in $55,385 from room bookings, retail shop, and food & beverage sales, with a return on investment of $43,230.
Entry Title
Wequassett Resort and Golf Club x Barbour
Division
Public Relations/Communications - PR Campaign Consumer
Category
Public Relations/Communications