Goals: Clearly state your marketing goals. What did you strive to achieve using this piece or program?
As a leader in the economy and midscale hotel segments, Wyndham Hotels & Resorts introduced ECHO Suites Extended Stay by Wyndham, a new extended-stay brand that allows hotel owners and developers to capitalize on the booming extended-stay segment with an ROI-driven prototype that is as cost-efficient to build as it is to operate. Designed to be simple, minimal and modern, ECHO Suites aims to give guests a great extended-stay, “home away from home” experience at a competitive price with low operating costs for franchisees.
The timing couldn’t be more perfect – ECHO debuted amid historic infrastructure investments in the U.S. – including the $1.2 trillion Infrastructure and Jobs Act and $280 billion CHIPS and Science Act – which are expected to bring the everyday business traveler with hard hats and boots (the business traveler Wyndham knows best) to key cities around the country.
From generating awareness and excitement through marketing and PR to making the idea into a reality with signed deals, ECHO is an example of a fully integrated brand launch.
The brand launched with the goal of signing 300 ECHO Suites Extended Stay by Wyndham hotels over the course of the next 10 years - an ambitious, yet exciting goal for Wyndham to make a significant mark as an attractive option in the booming category.
Wyndham sought to highlight how ECHO was created with the help of a development council consisting of some of the most experienced owners and operators in the extended-stay segment, paired with Wyndham’s in-house design and construction team – a new brand on the block geared towards owners’ business needs and guests demands.
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 results are swift and remarkable: ECHO Suites has been the fastest growing brand in the industry and Wyndham’s development pipeline, signing 265 hotels in just over a year (including entering Canada), exceeding expectations by nearing its initial goal of 300 hotels over the next 10 years.
This was accomplished through strategic efforts including:
• A presence at key industry conferences like Hunter (2022 and 2023) and Lodging (2022) with marketing materials and digital and print ads geared towards the developer audience, as well as feature stories positioning Wyndham as a leader in this booming segment with Forbes (here and here).
• Paid search and programmatic display featuring ECHO.
• Targeted media outreach focusing on the announcement and growth of the brand, as well as key updates including ground-breaks, in top-tier industry publications like Lodging, Hotel Management, HOTELS, Hotel Business, Asian Hospitality and more. Resulted in ~150 pieces of coverage online and on social media reaching and generated nearly 400 million impressions.
• Strategically placed ads reaching ECHO’s target developers including Hotel Business.
• Thought-leadership pieces positioning Wyndham as a leader in the extended stay space.
Since its official launch, multiple projects have already broken ground and are in various stages of construction across Virginia, Texas and South Carolina, with over a dozen more slated to break ground in the months ahead. The Company expects to have 100 hotels open over five years.
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 return on investment of this brand continues its upward trajectory. ECHO Suites stunned the market with a dynamic, innovative structure that led with an ROI-driven prototype. The pipeline of ECHO Suites hotels parallels the investment trajectory, continuing to multiply the number of hotels affiliated with the brand.
The brand has also allowed the Company to capitalize on non-traditional development opportunities. With an upcoming presence at the 2023 Multifamily Executive Conference – where Wyndham is the only hospitality sponsor – the Company can engage experienced developers and showcase the value of extended stay hospitality.
Looking ahead, the launch of this brand has reinforced Wyndham’s value proposition for small businesses and large corporations booking extended-stay rates through Wyndham Business. That means long-term business opportunities for our franchisees as ECHO opens its doors.
Division
Integrated Campaign - Innovation