HSMAI Marketing Review - Summer 2010 - 28

aDVertIsInG HOTEL CHAIN

Courtyard by Marriott>It’s a New Stay Campaign Phase 2
Client Team: Courtyard by Marriott>deborah Fell sEniOr ViCE PrEsidEnT, MArKETinG sTrATEGY & inTEGrATiOn; Mara Hannula ViCE PrEsidEnT, BrAnd MArKETinG; Gini Gladstone sEniOr dirECTOr, MArKETinG sTrATEGY & PrOGrAMs, COUrTYArd Agency Team: McGarry Bowen>Jennifer McCarthy ACCOUnT MAnAGinG dirECTOr

COURTYARD BY MARRIOTT

SITUATION: The Courtyard (CY) brand launched

in 1983 as the first lodging brand exclusively designed by business travelers for business travelers (BTs). The brand quickly became the upper-moderate tier leader, ranking as the 13th largest hotel brand in the world. The brand has faced two key challenges, including copycat competitors with newer properties and a new BT mindset where an “all business” business hotel is no longer as appealing. To combat these challenges, CY began laying the groundwork in 2008 with a new “Refreshing Business” positioning. In 2009, CY was poised to unveil its new lobby featuring spaces for guests to work, socialize or eat and drink—a space evolved to better meet the changing needs of the modern-day business traveler. Given heightened competition, the lobby news had to be memorable, link to the CY brand and persuade consumers to rethink CY.

office routine that travel offers. No longer tied to the room, they are looking for a third space that can help them reclaim those formally lost pockets of ‘dead’ time on the road and turn them into found time to either work in the company of others or simply unwind. The launch creative would tout the new CY lobby in a way that resonated with the evolving BT, and broke through while staying true to the “It’s A New Stay” campaign umbrella.

TACTICS: The “Unfold” 30-second TV spot featured unfolding animation to present the revamped space and experience in a breakthrough way. Both the “Go Board” and “Bistro” 15-second edits raise awareness of specific benefits within the lobby. Go Board is CY’s unique GoBoardTM Technology, which offers an interactive touch screen for guests to find local information plus the latest news, weather and directions. Bistro offers made to order meals for breakfast, lunch and dinner. An online banner campaign was developed and integrated with the TV, leveraging the Unfold technique; online ads featured video and rich media promoting the Go Board and Bistro in a unique way to engage consumers with the brand. RESULTS: •The campaign drove likelihood to stay (89%) and told business travelers something new and interesting about CY: innovative (+33) and lobbies are recently redesigned (+35). •Unfold beat all past MI and competitive ads on breakthrough in the first mention (30%) and ranked well above almost all ads overall (82% vs. MI, and 73% vs. competition). Unfold bested the competition in ad salience (78% vs. 50%), persuasion (91% vs. 57%) and involvement (76% vs. 46%). •Go Board & Bistro: Both 15-second spots (tested together as a campaign cell) scored on or above average vs. past CY:30 for ad salience (57% vs. 69%), persuasion (80% vs. 82%) and involvement (63% vs. 67%). •Overall the creative significantly improved brand favorability (+6%); helped position CY as practical, refreshing and upscale. •The online banner campaign generated nearly 145 million impressions.

OBJECTIVES: •Reposition CY to be relevant to the evolving BT by communicating its new refreshing business features. •Regain CY’s lead as the category innovator. •Create a perceptual shift that a dynamic change is happening at CY. •Increase awareness of the new lobby, Go Board and Bistro at CY. STRATEGY: The new business traveler is driven by success, but also enjoys the break from the home and

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A-10

The launch creative resonated with the evolving business traveler, while staying true to the “It’s A New Stay” campaign umbrella.
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HSMAI Marketing Review - Summer 2010

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