Marketing Review - Spring 2008 - (Page A17)

Client Team: Hilton Hotels>Kirk Thompson VICE PRESIDENT OF MARKETING; Abby Spatz SENIOR DIRECTOR, BRAND MARKETING & ADVERTISING; Denise Blaya DIRECTOR, BRAND COMMUNICATIONS Agency Team: Cohn & Wolfe>Jeremy Baka EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT & CHIEF CREATIVE CATALYST; Kimi Ozawa ACCOUNT SUPERVISOR; Esther Rawlings ASSISTANT ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Hilton Hotels>Hilton Harmony Tour P U B L I C R E L AT I O N S HOTEL CHAIN/ FRANCHISE SITUATION:As part of Hilton Hotels’ billion- dollar re-ignition initiative, the brand renewed its 16-year relationship with the GRAMMY Awards® and The Recording Academy® and was looking for ways to infuse the sponsorship with its new brand personality. Hilton and its agency created the Hilton Harmony Tour, a philanthropic music program featuring a celebrity-autographed “Harmony Piano” to inspire children with the power of music and raise funds for the GRAMMY Foundation®. Hilton pledged that for every artist who autographed the piano, the company would donate $1,000 to support the Foundation’s music education programs, with the end-goal of raising $100,000. The tour kicked off backstage at the 48th Annual GRAMMY Awards and headed on a cross-country journey to nine Hilton properties in major music cities to collect additional signatures, host music lessons for students and generate media coverage for the Hilton brand. OBJECTIVE: >Build awareness for Hilton’s 16-year HILTON HOTELS sponsorship of the GRAMMY Awards, tying it back to the company’s brand re-ignition initiative. >Create widespread awareness among consumers and Hilton team members of the tour and music education. >Generate regional/local media coverage of the Hilton Harmony Tour in each market. >Make positive contributions to the communities in which Hilton has a presence. >Collect 100 celebrity signatures, symbolizing a $100,000 donation to the GRAMMY Foundation. STRATEGY:>A community relations program was created surrounding the Harmony Piano’s national tour. After identifying cities with a rich music heritage and Hilton presence, the agency secured famed and up-and-coming artists in each city to sign the piano and lead a music lesson for local students using the piano as a learning tool. For example, in New Orleans, the team hosted a “mini-Jazz Fest” with renowned trombonist “Trombone Shorty.” >To promote the Harmony Tour in each market, pitch calls were made and customized media alerts were sent to local/regional and select national outlets; media teasers were dropped off at local broadcast stations; media interviews were coordinated with artists, students and Hilton executives. RESULTS: The Harmony Piano > garnered 113 star-studded signatures, impacted 1,000 kids and raised $145,500 benefiting the GRAMMY Foundation and music education. >The Hilton Harmony Tour generated 270 media placements with 100 percent of the hits including Hilton, more than 589 million estimated gross impressions and more than $7 million in advertising equivalency for an ROI of nearly 7:1. >At the Chicago tour stop, only halfway through the tour, the team surpassed its goal to collect 100 signatures. The 100th Signature Celebration took place at the Hilton Chicago where kids from local Boys & Girls Clubs were treated to a private concert by Rock-and-Roll Hall of Famer Buddy Guy. Media coverage included Brandweek, Chicago Tribune’s RedEye edition, Illinois Entertainer, the local affiliates of ABC, CBS, NBC and more. >During the tour’s finale, the Harmony Piano hit its highest note, gaining signatures from artists Natalie Cole and Josh Kelley during a private concert for more than 500 students in Los Angeles. The event got national coverage on Entertainment Tonight, Access Hollywood, Inside Edition and The Insider, as well as AP photos appearing on Yahoo! News. >As a result of the Harmony Tour’s success, The Recording Academy found a place for the piano on stage at the 49th Annual GRAMMY Awards. A piano of note The Harmony Piano garnered 113 star-studded signatures, impacted 1,000 kids and raised $145,500 for music education. HSMAI ADRIAN AWARDS COMPETITION A-17

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Marketing Review - Spring 2008

HSMAI Marketing Review - Spring 2008 Contents COLUMN: The Online Marketer COLUMN: Success Stories COLUMN: Guest Column Ten Trends Now Shaping the Future of Hospitality Turning the 2008 Consumer Tax Rebates into Hospitality and Travel Sales 25 Extraordinary Minds in Hospitality and Travel Sales and Marketing The Lure of Lore: Connecting with Customers Through a Unique Brand Story A Careful Balancing Act A Meaningful Relationship: How Technology Affects the Connection Between Hospitality Marketers and Meeting Planners SPECIAL SECTION: The 2007 HSMAI Adrian Awards Building Five Star Imagery

Marketing Review - Spring 2008

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