2014 Gold Business to Consumer

Client Best Western Hotels GB

How did the campaign make a difference? Best Western went against the marketing tide by selling hotel leisure breaks with an emotion, rather than just a discount, in an economic climate of austerity. With only a limited marketing budget, the winter sales campaign became Best Western’s most successful to date.

The campaign inspired uptake using the various allures of sleeping under stars on frosty nights, rising to freshly baked bread and other heart-warming scenarios. Unlike the marketplace, the discount was secondary. Best Western disrupted the conventional approach at the time and sold happiness.

It made the difference and delivered a 105% year-on-year bookings increase.

Strategy From the moment Best Western’s warm, evocative launch pack landed on doormats at the end of November, it delivered light at the end of the tunnel – the promise of an affordable post-Christmas escape that would make people forget all about budgeting, fuel costs and the rather gloomy British climate.

The campaign initially targeted loyal guests on Best Western’s database by offering an ‘early bird’ window to book up to halfprice New Year stays. It was then rolled out to a wider audience of mid-market short breakers with the use of advertising mail, email, online advertising and PR.

Topicality and trends also played a part, with the fall in consumer confidence towards the end of 2013 informing the brand’s decision to focus less on the rational benefits of saving money and more on the emotional benefits of feeling happy.

Creativity The creative delivered a crucial, inspirational snowflake-on-thetongue moment to melt away the chaos of Christmas and transport imaginations to a winter wonderland of red-cheeked walks, hot toddies and hearty breakfasts to motivate sales.

The creative strategy used storytelling to express the individuality of hotels and the characters that own and work in them, inspiring curiosity and a desire to stay. It tapped into Best Western guest behaviours by opening up new experiences that lifted a winter hotel stay into way more than a cosy bedroom and hearty breakfast – from walking up a Scottish hill and descending having ‘bagged’ a Munro to a winning hand of Blackjack in our Isle of Wight hotel casino or a walk across misty moors and quiet beaches with your Labrador.

In a nutshell, this campaign portrayed Best Western as over 275 very different, personality packed hotels backed up by attractive room rates.

Results The results exceeded all expectations and outperformed all Best Western winter sales to date – with a heart-warming 105% increase on 2012-13 booking figures, despite the same level of spend and a cautious economic climate.

New customers represented 40% of bookings, acquired by low budget, highly targeted online banners.

The campaign more than made up for an anticipated loss of trade as a result of Best Western limiting their sale to through brand channels, rather than online travel agents.

It packed such emotional punch, the campaign was extended into March to satisfy demand.