What is media strategy How does it relate to the creative brief and the overall IMC program?

This plan was created for the IMC 610 Master’s course at West Virginia University in 2021 and was compiled and researched in it’s entirety by Katie Huston.

Executive Summary

This integrated marketing communications plan is presented for Hyatt Centric, a unique hotel brand owned by Hyatt Corporation. This integrated marketing communications plan was created to market Hyatt Centric effectively to the target audience. The plan will show that we have a distinctive, refreshed opportunity to market Hyatt Centric as a trendy and well-respected hotel brand in the travel industry and to boost overall financial results for the brand.

In this plan, by beginning with a brand background, we’ll establish the history and beginnings of the Hyatt Corporation and the Hyatt Centric brand. Then, we’ll look at a strategic SWOT analysis that identifies strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of Hyatt Centric. Next, we’ll identify the target audience for Hyatt Centric and a customer persona to be used in development of future marketing campaign materials. We’ll outline several marketing campaign strategies and objectives to increase Hyatt Centric’s outcomes.

In the creative strategy, we’ll detail a process flow for creative execution and conclude the campaign design into a singular strategy statement that meshes together rational and emotional appeals for the target consumer. Additionally shown is a creative brief and creative executions for digital marketing channels that aligns with the overall campaign strategy statement.

This national integrated marketing communications media plan outlines success in many different types of media, including paid, earned, and owned media channels with a total budget of $20 million. In this IMC plan, we’ll also cover measurement and evaluation tactics to ensure overall campaign success and brand improvement, based on the campaign objectives outlined.

All Good Stories Start with a Single Idea — An Overview of Hyatt

It would be hard to travel in a popular city in 2021 without running into a Hyatt brand hotel. With more than 950 accommodations available worldwide and 20+ segmented brands, Hyatt is one of the world’s leading hoteliers (Hotel Brands & Chains: Marriott, Hyatt, Hilton, IHG (Who Owns What?), 2020). Owner Jay Pritzker started the Hyatt brand in Los Angeles in 1957, after noticing a nearby airport hotel had no vacancies (The Hyatt Story, 2020). He recognized the demand available for accommodations as business and personal travel became more popular in the mid-1950s. Mr. Pritzker bought the first Hyatt House in LA and set his sights on expanding hotel lodging near airports (Hotel Brands & Chains: Marriott, Hyatt, Hilton, IHG (Who Owns What?), 2020).

Now 64 years since the initial Hyatt House purchase for $2.2 million, Hyatt owns many different popular brands including Hyatt Regency, Park Hyatt, Andaz, Alila, Thompson Hotels, Miraval, Grand Hyatt, and more. The Hyatt brand segments itself among categories that serve several different markets of travelers: Upscale, Upper-Upscale, Luxury, Luxury Wellness, and All-Inclusive Upscale. On their website, Hyatt cites their segmentation method as an avenue to “capture the high-value guest” and provide growth in all of the above-listed markets (Hyatt, 2021). High value guests provide long-term revenue to hotels, through in-room travel spend, rebookings, and the booking of more expensive rooms (Gaccione, 2019). High value guests are one of the most profitable guests coming through the doors, but also require superior guest service and delight-filled moments to satisfy their stay with their chosen brand.

More Rooms at the Top — Hyatt’s Competitive Market

Hyatt is one of the top five major hotel players in the global hotel market, estimated to be worth more than $154B in 2021 (IBIS World, 2020). Hilton, Wyndham, Marriott and IHG represent the four other key competitors against Hyatt. Hilton has more than 6,300 hotels in 93 global locations, the largest portion of those properties dedicated to their full-service Hampton and DoubleTree brands (Research-Methodology, 2020). Hilton also has two different brands in the luxury segment: Waldorf Astoria and Conrad, as well as a vacation ownership brand called Hilton Grand Vacations.

Since its inception in 1981, Wyndham Hotels & Resorts operates more than 7,000 hotels worldwide and controls a large stake in the Economy sector with their Days Inn, Super 8, and Travelodge brands (Matthews, 2015). The Economy sector traditionally is more budget-conscious and may only require bare necessities of services to enjoy their stay, as compared to Hyatt. Wyndham also has Wyndham Grand Hotels and Resorts and Wyndham Hotels and Resorts brands competing in the Upscale sector. TRYP is one of Wyndham’s newest developments after its acquisition in 2010 and serves a business and leisure traveler market in tourist cities across the world, including Barcelona, Paris, and Frankfurt (Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, 2010).

Marriott is another one of Hyatt’s key competitors with more than 7,300 franchised hotels and 30 distinct brands across the world. Marriott’s strengths include their brands Courtyard, Marriott Hotels and Fairfield, which account for the majority of their portfolio.

Marriott also runs the largest rewards program in the world, with more than 100 million enrolled (Hotel Tech Report, 2020a). The Marriott Bonvoy™ rewards program is free to join and offers exclusive discounts on room bookings, mobile check-in, free internet services, and a free night earned system.

Lastly, InterContinental Hotels Group, or IHG, owns many well-known brands in a variety of segments. Out of their 5,900 properties in more than 100 countries, some of their notable brands include Crowne Plaza, Holiday Inn, Hotel Indigo and Kimpton (Hotel Tech Report, 2020b). The Kimpton brand contains 77 total properties in 40+ cities and is considered as one of Hyatt Centric’s direct competitors.

There are also many other independent hoteliers competing for the same customers — Four Seasons, Mandarin Oriental, Rosewood, Peninsula and more. Airbnb, Vrbo, and other home sharing sites also fight for brand relevance in the travel and lodging industry. As of 2021 research found on iProperty Management, Airbnb has over 7 million global listings available on their app database as compared to the aggregate 4 million rooms available from the top four hotel brands (iProperty Management, 2020). Airbnb capitalizes on lower prices, convenience of booking, and a localized experience, which differentiates itself from Hyatt and other hotel chains.

The Hyatt Difference — Ownership Models and Company Values

Hyatt prides itself on “The Hyatt Difference”, which is explained as a goal to fuel a profitable business for its partners and owners. Their go-to-market strategy is split into three different models. The first is the franchise model, where hotel owners can use the Hyatt brand and Hyatt takes a franchise fee (Matthew, 2016). Another avenue is the management model, which provides education and operational support from Hyatt’s experts in return for a base fee and incentive fee. In the ownership model, Hyatt Hotels maintains and manages everyday operations for that property and leases or owns the property. In this model, Hyatt assumes the most risk and rewards for the property. This allows for expansion and scalability in their business model and opens opportunities to cater to new markets.

Destination: Location — A Look into the Hyatt Centric Brand

In 2015, Hyatt introduced Hyatt Centric to their wide portfolio of properties as a full-service accommodation that focuses on serving lifestyle travelers (Hyatt, 2015). The naming of the Centric brand is meant to evoke the idea that the hotel is right in the center of the action. Hyatt Centric hotels are strategically located in the most desirable locations in each city it’s placed in. As of January 2021, there are 40 properties already in service or getting ready to open in cities like San Francisco, Chicago, Dublin, and Bangalore. In a 2015 press release from Hyatt announcing Hyatt Centric, president and chief executive officer Mark Hoplamazian says,

“The new Hyatt Centric brand will further strengthen the overall Hyatt brand portfolio and expand our opportunities to work with world-class developers and operators. We are delighted to expand our offerings in the lifestyle segment and believe that the Hyatt Centric brand will be embraced by Modern Explorers and redefine its category…”

Hyatt Centric has focused it’s segmentation on the Modern Explorer segment, mentioned above by Mr. Hoplamazian. The Hyatt Centric brand seeks to create an omnichannel approach that serves this distinct group of travelers who were likely raised in a digital world. Hyatt Centric’s Ginza Tokyo location in Japan offers digital check-in, BOSE® Bluetooth speakers, flat-screen TVs and a local on-site bar and restaurant serving local favorites. This location is a standard example of Hyatt Centric’s offerings that focus on local flair, centralized locations and digitized processes that cater to their Modern Explorer audience.

Put a Pin in It — Hyatt Centric’s Marketing Strategy

Hyatt Centric’s current marketing strategy is spread across many different strategy channels, but focuses on a few core ideas. First, inspired by the “Centric” in its name, Hyatt Centric wanted to capitalize on being in the best location for cultural events, restaurants, and shopping. NYC-based advertising agency Our Man in Havana created the map and pin stylization seen throughout the branding materials. Second, the brand voice for Hyatt Centric was chosen to mimic the style of a travel writer to sound more relatable to today’s Modern Explorer (Our Man in Havana, 2021). The website focuses on promotion of local food, drink and experiences to that specific hotel’s area.

The marketing strategy was spread across digital, print, video and brand partnerships (Our Man In Havana, 2021). In January 2021, the Hyatt Centric brand can be found on social media at Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok. It appears that Hyatt Centric is utilizing a location-specific social media strategy to cater to travelers, with many of the Hyatt Centric hotels having their own specific pages and feeds. There is one verified Instagram account for Hyatt Centric, with 8.3K followers that features UGC from different locations and a recent #HyattCentricExplorer hashtag campaign. It appears that one of the most popular recent posts utilizing the hashtag was a social media partnership with user @kerifay, who has more than 230K followers on Instagram.

Safety in Mind — Hyatt Centric’s COVID-19 Response

Hyatt Centric’s COVID-19 response has been communicated via social media and their website. They mention continually monitoring the situation to best support guests and have cosigned a Global Care & Cleanliness Commitment. This commitment is detailed as a rigorous safety protocol for all properties under the Hyatt umbrella.

Hyatt hotels are GBAC STAR cleanliness accredited and currently employ a Trained Hygiene and Wellbeing leader or team at each Hyatt location. Hyatt is also enhancing guest safety through sanitizer stations, consistent public spaces cleaning, food safety protocols, knock-and-go room service, and adoption of touchless check-in protocols (Hyatt, 2020).

Hyatt recently released information about the Hyatt Care Fund, a service to assist in supporting Hyatt employees during the lockdown measures in many countries. This fund would be maintained by salary reductions of the Senior Leadership Team and Chairman, as well as donations from founder Jay Pritzker’s family estate (Hyatt, 2020).

SWOT Analysis

Internal factors — Hyatt Centric’s key strengths and weaknesses

Strengths:

• Unique, colorful designs and quality accommodations
• Centralized locations in trendy areas prepared for growth
• Strong Hyatt marketing support and brand recognition
• Custom designed per location
• Implementation of Chief Commercial Officer for executive success

Weaknesses:

• Slow to grow marketing strategy
• Lack of differentiation between other brands
• Weak offerings of amenities
• High priced for total offering
• Mediocre position on the experience curve
• Lower stock price than competitors

1. External factors: Hyatt Centric’s opportunities and threats

Opportunities:

• Improved marketing strategy
• Focus on one key element of the brand
• Catering to the “staycationer”
• Introduce personalization to brand build with key audience

Threats:

• The rise of home-sharing brands
• Saturation and competition in hotel market
• Decrease of global and cross-country travel due to pandemic
• Rising labor costs

Target Audience

Hyatt Centric’s target audience is defined by the brand’s values of “Discovering Everywhere” and the Modern Explorer segment detailed by Vice President of Brands at Hyatt, Kristine Rose (Hyatt, n.d.). The target audience of this proposal is considered a traveler that is likely interested in trying new places and has the mobility to be able to travel multiple times a year. The target segment for Hyatt Centric brands is defined as someone between the ages of 23–36 with no children and will primarily be traveling for pleasure or a hybrid of pleasure and business.

The target audience is a female, within the middle-class socioeconomic segment. She lives in a more urban area and values experiences in her travel. She has a college education and is at a point in her career where she can travel on her own income. She likely is tapped into the trends of social media and may be a frequent reader of daily newsletters. Some challenges for this target audience are an overload of hospitality options available, a limited overall budget for travel, and a lack of awareness of Hyatt Centric as a competitor to other authentic and localized accommodations available on Vrbo or Airbnb.

The psychographic profile of the target audience includes that she’s likely a healthy person who values quality, local food, free of additives and preservatives. This traveler tends to favor quality with a moderate price range. She finds fulfillment in forging her own path and pursuing interests like food, art, and the cultivation of a beautiful Instagram feed. In her spare time, this target audience likes to visit breweries and wineries and go shopping. Her main channels of media are social media, online newsletters, Youtube videos and podcasts.

Target Audience Persona

(Image courtesy of Unsplash) Celia, Hyatt Centric’s target audience persona

The target audience is personified by a white, Catholic female named Celia. Celia is a 27-year-old graphic designer from Nashville, TN who does part-time freelance work and likes to take 3–4 trips per year. When she travels, Celia wants to be in the best neighborhoods and does research to make sure she can visit top restaurants and bars. Celia’s dad was a restaurateur in Tennessee so she prioritizes eating delicious food from local chefs when she can.

The things she appreciates about a hotel is it’s cleanliness, fun “vibe”, proximity to hotspots, and amenities like a flat-screen TV or Bluetooth speaker. Celia values great customer service and appreciates a concierge with local recommendations and personalization to her specific wants. One of the best hotel experiences she’s ever had was a hotel that printed off a personalized playlist for her and left it in her room, based off of tunes from that region. Celia doesn’t appreciate hotels with bleak designs and outdated decor, placed in areas outside of the key part of town. She’s willing to spend more to be in a nicer neighborhood with local restaurants and shops within walking distance.

Celia doesn’t want to be too far into a residential, “sleepy” area — she wants to be where other fun and adventurous people are. Celia also likes to connect with brands that she likes on social media, tagging places and interacting with the brands in a personal way. She appreciates getting a kind message or thank you back from brands she purchases from — this is more likely to create rapport with her as opposed to an impersonal sign-up for a loyalty program or rewards.

She’s subscribed to publications like the New York Times and Bon Appetit. On Instagram, she follows pages like @YoungAdventuress, @SaltInOurHair, and @TheNashvilleGuide. Social causes are important to her. Celia likes votes politically moderate, thanks to her Southern background but still holds some progressive ideas.

Her annual income can flux with extra freelance work and she likes to take on larger projects in her work’s downtime so she can afford larger trips to places like Santiago, Chile, or Venice, Italy. She made around $68,000 last year. Celia likes to spend on experiences vs. prioritizing saving. She lives in a rented apartment in Nashville’s downtown district and typically likes going out to eat and hanging out with friends.

Campaign Objectives & Strategies

Campaign Objectives

The campaign objectives listed below have been analyzed and created to improve Hyatt Centric’s overall brand value in the hospitality sector. These objectives will lead to better results and an increase in overall return for the Hyatt Centric brand.

• Increase the occupancy rate at Hyatt Centric properties by 2% over the next 18 months
• Improve the RevPAR at Hyatt Centric properties by 1.5% over the next 18 months
• Generate an increase of 5% brand mentions of Hyatt Centric over the next 18 months
• Generate a 5% improvement in new bookings with first-time customers in the next 18 months
• Build a return rate of 6% returning bookings in the next 18 months
• Improve social engagement by a rate of 10% over an 18 month period
• Increase customer loyalty and return bookings by 10% in the next 18 months
• Generate a 15% increase in brand awareness over an 18 month period

Campaign Strategies

The campaign strategies listed below will outline plans for the improvement of the Hyatt Centric brand as defined by the objectives above.

• Associate the Hyatt Centric brand name with luxury travel through earned media, by placing marketing messages that link experiences and exploration with happiness in relevant publications and news sites
• Leverage a digital-first website and online approach to align Hyatt Centric with relevant accommodations in the global hospitality market
• Use emotional messaging in creative and sales promotion materials to promote key values of the Hyatt Centric brand to the audience
• Leverage strategic influencers on social media to increase brand growth and align Hyatt Centric with relevancy in the market
• Support localized content marketing based on Hyatt Centric new opening locations to increase demand for accommodations in that area
• Utilize creative and focused advertisements to create demand and exclusivity around the Hyatt Centric brand through relevant travel and leisure content

Integrated Creative Strategy Statement

This Venn diagram shows us rational and emotional appeals that work for Hyatt Centric’s target audience. This diagramming process helped to inform the creative strategy statement process and helped to guide the final selection of the campaign’s strategy statement.

Possible Strategy Statements:

Picture yourself here: Hyatt Centric

Modern, lively and fun: Hyatt Centric is your excitement HQ.

Explore a new place and come home to the comforts of a trusted brand, like Hyatt Centric.

After you’re done exploring, walk into Hyatt Centric’s lively and modern atmosphere.

Insert yourself into the middle of the fun with Hyatt Centric

Final Creative Strategy Statement: From our lobby to the hottest spots across the globe, you are the only one who can insert yourself into the fun with Hyatt Centric.

Creative Brief

Creative Brief Client: Hyatt Centric

Date: 02/14/2021

Type: Display Ad

Pages: 1 ___________________________________________________________

Why are we creating this IMC campaign? To increase bookings at Hyatt Centric hotels

Whom are we talking to? Today’s top travelers in the F23–36 audience

What do they currently think? Home-sharing accommodations are more diverse, more unique, and better located than name-brand hotels

What would we like them to think? Hyatt Centric is a trendy hotel that’s right in the middle of all the action

What is the single most persuasive idea we can convey? Hyatt Centric will provide the destination for you to be your most fun self

Why should they believe it? Hyatt Centric has high-quality hotels in the best neighborhoods across the world, with more amenities than home-sharing options and swoon-worthy locations

Are there any creative guidelines for this IMC campaign? Paid, earned, and owned media cross-channel according to brand personality and brand guidelines, including colorways and standard imagery

Creative Execution — Destination: You

In this creative execution, we’re choosing to focus on the Modern Explorer audience and their connection with the places they want to travel. By shifting the focus in this campaign from the hotel itself (although this is implied in the creative), we’re focusing on the traveler having an amazing, once-in-a-lifetime experience, supported by Hyatt Centric. The Destination: You creative will carve out a place for the person to be shown in our hottest locations around the world. In this series of digital display advertising, we’ll evoke that our audience will put themselves into the picture and they’re the most exciting part of their travel, and the accommodations and sights are supporting that.

Paid Media Plan

Paid Media Objectives

• Reach 10% of the F23–36 audience target a minimum of 4 times during the 12-month campaign period
• Earn a 20% increase in reach during four peak travel seasons within 18 month period
• Drive 30% increase in site impressions within a 18-month timeline
• Reach target audience in markets with a Hyatt Centric property a minimum of 4 times during a 12-month period

Paid Media Execution

In the execution stage of the paid media plan, there will be many different key paid media strategies working to further develop the Hyatt Centric brand.

Paid Social Media

To begin, this campaign will consist of 8–10 different ad creatives for paid social media to launch once per quarter. The platforms in which this advertisement will run are Facebook and Instagram, with more of the budget being allocated to Instagram. The paid advertisements will fit in seamlessly with the target user’s feed by capitalizing on high-quality imagery and following the creative concept detailed in the Creative Strategy. Next to be implemented is a retargeting paid social media advertisement on Facebook based on competitor site clicks, like //www.hilton.com/en/, //www.marriott.com/default.mi, and //www.airbnb.com/?.

Influencers

By utilizing a strategic influencer strategy, this can successfully build brand equity around Hyatt Centric. This strategy consists of paid posts in several different capacities, based off of that influencer’s target audience and platform of choice. This media will run seasonally based off of four different segments of time: February, May, August, and October.

1. Influencer #1 — Olivia Rink (@oliviarink)

This influencer’s creative guidelines will include her personal touch on the content. Media plan objectives will be provided to the influencer so that brand guidelines, voice, and key messages are understood and communicated clearly. Olivia will visit Hyatt Centric French Quarter New Orleans in February pre-Mardi Gras. Olivia will promote Hyatt Centric through 1 feed post and 6 stories over a three day visit to New Orleans. Olivia will send all content to the Hyatt Centric team for approval before posting live.

1. Influencer #2 — Amber Fillerup

This influencer’s creative guidelines will include her personal touch on the content. Media plan objectives will be provided to the influencer so that brand guidelines, voice, and key messages are understood and communicated clearly. Amber satisfies the early-mom and traveler mom audiences. Amber will visit Hyatt Centric Gran Via Madrid. Amber will promote Hyatt Centric through 3 feed posts and 12 stories over a long weekend visit to Madrid in May. Amber will also post content promoting Hyatt Centric Gran Via Madrid’s secret rooftop bar experience with her husband and will promote the El Jardín de Diana by having a custom experience with the head chef. Amber will send all content to the Hyatt Centric team for approval before posting live.

Print

Print advertisements will be placed utilizing a dual approach to advertising. The first publication for this is local city Visitor Guides in each Hyatt Centric city that has a publication. The advertisement will run as a two-page spread, at 5.5” x 7” on both pages.

Another print advertisement will be placed in Travel + Leisure three publications of the magazine. This full-page ad with no bleed at 7" x 9.5" will run in local publications and will be placed 50% of the way through the magazine for optimal viewing. This ad will run in the July, March, and December publications. These ad spots will also be supported by Travel+Leisure’s content where there will be an article placed in each publication.

Outdoor/OOH

Outdoor advertisements will be placed near major traffic routes globally and near trendy neighborhoods which feature Hyatt Centric locations. These advertisements will be simple and eye-catching. These outdoor advertisements will run for a 14-month basis.

Television

Television advertisements will be placed in :30 spots on the following channels: Bravo, HGTV, E!, Fox, The CW, DIY Network, Discovery Life, and Travel Channel. These spots will be placed in the Prime (8:00–11:00 PM) and Early News (5:00–7:00 PM) dayparts. The ads will run from March-October on a continual basis.

Search Engine Marketing

A majority of the share of the search engine marketing budget will go towards Google Search campaigns. These strategic campaigns will bid on keywords that match target audience search intent. Examples are: “madrid hotel”, “local madrid hotel”, “best location madrid” for major cities identified as underperforming locations. This search campaign will run over a 12-month period and will require consistent updating of key terms, conversion actions taken on the website, and specific ad performance. Another piece of search engine marketing for this media plan is Google Display. Similarly, to Google Search, this campaign will run concurrently during a 12-month period. The display ads will match the overall creative messaging and will drive users back to the website to increase and improve bookings. The last paid media for this IMC campaign is Youtube advertisements. The Youtube advertisements will require :30 video advertisements to be played in a TrueView format. The TrueView ads for this campaign will promote bookings to the target audience based on target keywords, audience identification parameters within Google and retargeting from the Hyatt Centric webpage.

Media Flowchart

Earned Media Plan

Earned Media Objectives

• Generate 115 press pickups in FY 2021
• Increase Hyatt Centric brand positive sentiment impressions by 25% within 18 months
• Increase Hyatt Centric spokesperson inclusion to 8 times within 12 months
• Build search engine rankings of Hyatt Centric by 30% within 18 months

To create impact from earned media and the press for Hyatt Centric, several strategies will be utilized to capture media attention and generate awareness around the brand.

1. Press Story on New Location

By pitching to the press on a new location opening, we will influence brand awareness in that market. This pitch will focus on the new Charlotte SouthPark location in North Carolina. This location is particularly timely as it works for the United States target audience who are traveling closer to home, while international travel has been reduced due to the pandemic. This pitch will focus on the brand’s key values to the audience, like perfect location to restaurants and shopping in SouthPark. The opening event will feature a collaboration with popular Charlotte brewery Olde Mecklenburg Brewery, where the brewery team will serve beer and snacks to press, guests, and staff.

Press List:

• Jennifer Thomas, Charlotte Business Journal
• Jen Wilson, Charlotte Business Journal
• Nevonne McDaniels, The Wenatchee World

1. Spokesperson Podcast Interview on Key Benefits

Image Courtesy of Unsplash

In the second PR strategy for Hyatt Centric, we will pitch Hyatt Centric Vice President of Product and Brand Development Kenneth Villamil to be interviewed on the Planet Money podcast. This pitch will include a unique insight into one of the world’s largest hotel brands (Hyatt) and will feature a special brand insight onto Hyatt Centric’s key benefits for the more than one million listeners: enviable location, precautions to COVID-19, and connections to the best restaurants.

1. Host Press and Guest Event with Revolve Fashion Brand

Revolve Instagram Page

In the third PR strategy for Hyatt Centric, there will be a hosted event at Hyatt Centric South Beach in Miami, Florida. This event will be pitched to local media and online outlets as the perfect venue for Revolve, a fashion brand, to host some of the hottest and most popular Instagrammers, like Helen Owen and Kara Jewell. Revolve hosts annual events around the world and invites the most top-tier guests for a press trip. This event will be covered on Revolve’s feed and include the #RevolveXHyattCentric hashtag.

Owned Media Plan

Owned Media Objectives

• Drive 20% more traffic to the website in FY 2021
• Increase digital following by 15% in a 18-month period
• Utilize content marketing to drive an increase of 30% traffic to the brand blog in an 18-month period
• Increase video views from the 22–28 female target market by 30% in FY 2021

To create impact from Hyatt Centric’s owned channels, several strategies will be utilized to capture audience attention and generate awareness and drive action around the brand.

By writing original blog content, there are two-fold benefits. First, the blog content will boost the SEO on the page. This content will be focused around travel guides, written in conjunction with travel and lifestyle brand writers in the areas in which there are Hyatt Centric locations. By starting with the locations that require the most booking assistance, this will effectively be a channel to drive interest and bookings in that location. The travel guides will include 5–8 tips on restaurants, local gems, and public art installations and will creatively tie back to the Destination: You campaign theme. This blog content will also be shareable through organic channels like Facebook, Youtube, and Instagram.

To grow the following on Instagram, implementing a social media lead at each Hyatt Centric location where feasible is imperative for original and fresh content. There will be content guidelines developed and monthly meetings to suggest ideas and share from the most popular location channels. The Hyatt Centric main instagram page will implement Reels and use Stories more frequently. There will also be added highlights about new and recently opened locations, featuring fun, showcase style videos and Q&As that can be saved to the Highlights. By implementing a better hashtag like #MyHyattCentric, it will be easier to remember for guests and will be showcased in print materials during check-in and placed strategically around the hotel to encourage guests to share using the hashtag. The hashtag will be monitored daily and reshared onto the feed and stories to engage with users.

On the Hyatt Centric Youtube channel, chefs from the Hyatt Centric locations will be showcased to drive influence in the foodie target audience. This ties back to Hyatt Centric’s main brand guideline of “Sip Local, Snack Local.” The videos will be shot in 2–3 minute segments, showcasing the hotel while also interviewing and providing some personality to the chefs themselves. This original content will be shared on all owned channels and uploaded to the website for further engagement.

Campaign Measurement and Evaluation

Four measurement techniques will be utilized to prove out campaign success metrics and key performance indicators.

Creative Concept Testing

By utilizing creative concept testing for the Destination: You creative campaign, consumer’s responses to the advertising concepts will be explored. The format for this concept testing will be conducted via 10+ small focus groups, made up of 8–10 members of the target audience segment. These groups will be given early-stage developments for the advertising campaign that will be used on digital channels and through print and OOH. The groups will give feedback on iterations of the copy, design and headlines to provide more guidance on high-performing content.

A/B Testing Website Landing Page

In this testing method, we will A/B testing user experience updates on the website for what works best to increase bookings as a part of the overall website experience and specifically encouraging users to move down the funnel from consuming blog content and social media content to booking.

Theatre Test

For the television commercial advertisements outlined in the above paid media plan, theatre tests will be conducted to measure and evaluate performance on television commercial developments. By identifying the weakest and strongest versions of the television, feedback can be implemented into the final review process before campaign launch.

Social Media Engagement Tracking

By measuring social media engagement during this campaign, success factors can be determined from the owned content channels. Monthly reviews of results will be conducted using a social media analysis tool to determine high engagement and high return social media content, identifying what resonates with the target audience.

Conclusion

To conclude, the strategies and information described in this integrated marketing communications plan creates a comprehensive and actionable integrated marketing communications plan to promote the Hyatt Centric brand. There are far-reaching effects to be had by incorporating the modern marketing techniques detailed in the paid, earned, and owned media outlines.

Due to this aggressive and all-encompassing integrated marketing communications plan, new objectives and campaign goals can be maintained for the long-term success of Hyatt Centric. Providing that Hyatt Centric follows through with this strategic plan, the opportunity for success will provide the operational excellence and revenue gains that the brand needs to maintain business goals. Hyatt Centric will grow their brand value, loyalty, and most importantly, customer perception over the 18-month campaign period.

References

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Gaccione, D. (2019, July 19). Using Flexible Loyalty Strategies to Reward Your High-Value Hotel Guests. Switchfly. //www.switchfly.com/blog/customer-data-segmentation

Hotel Brands & Chains: Marriott, Hyatt, Hilton, IHG (Who Owns What?). (2020, December 6). Hotel Tech Report. //hoteltechreport.com/news/hotel-brand-guide

Hotel Tech Report. (2020a, August 25). All of Marriott’s Hotel Brands Explained. //hoteltechreport.com/news/marriott-hotel-brands

Hotel Tech Report. (2020b, August 25). IHG’s 17 Hotel Brands Explained. //hoteltechreport.com/news/ihg-hotel-brands

How Hyatt’s Centric brand will double its portfolio by 2020. (2017, February 13). [Photograph]. Hotel Management. //www.hotelmanagement.net/development/how-hyatt-s-centric-brand-will-double-its-portfolio-by-2020

The Hyatt story: How a packed LAX motel and a $2.2 million offer scribbled on a napkin spawned one of the world’s biggest hotel empires. (2020, February 13). Business Insider Nederland. //www.businessinsider.nl/how-hyatt-hotel-empire-was-created-pritzker-family?international=true&r=US#in-1957-a-chicago-based-lawyer-took-a-business-trip-to-los-angeles-that-resulted-in-the-purchase-of-the-hotel-closest-to-the-airport-1

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