SPECIAL REPORT |
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BEST INSTAGRAM , BRAND |
VIRGIN HOTELS MIAMI
What to do when your social branding needs a refresh ? Miamibased Virgin Hotels got back to basics and showed off its hotels on Instagram with a consistent mix that highlighted on-property imagery and brand benefits , according to the company ’ s SoHo application . The platform had roughly 15,000 followers at the beginning of 2017 and had only added 521 followers the previous year . With new properties in the pipeline , the goal was increasing followers and visibility in 2018 . So what worked ? “ Content that prominently featured our rooms , hotel amenities and the Virgin Hotels experience often performed the best ,” says Doug Carrillo , vice president of sales and marketing . “ One of the initial challenges was identifying the right balance of content that our audience would |
The brand found that on-property imagery resonated with Instagram users more than heavier graphically-oriented posts .
gravitate toward and would inspire travel .” Budget : Paid advertising of US $ 2,850 Goals :
• Establish a loyal fan base on Instagram with 2,166 new followers
• Increase engagement and generate 14,060 likes and comments
• Drive 250,000 impressions of Virgin Hotels ’ brand
Target audience : Business and leisure , men and women , Boomers to Gen Z : all with a penchant for style and substance
ROI : The company aimed to increase Instagram growth by 50 % year over year . For the first six months of the year ( the time frame for this campaign ), Virgin :
• Increased audience by 5,859 followers ,
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topping original goal by 70 %
• Generated 16,577 engagements — 18 % higher than goal
• Drove 467,225 impressions , exceeding goal by 88 % Judges ? Wesley : Virgin was focused from the beginning on its business objectives and developed a sustainable strategy . By leveraging Instagram , they were able to pivot to a new audience and ensure its messaging reached and resonated with its evangelists . Gray : Solid campaign , great results Runner-up : Hilton
Check out Virgin ’ s new Insta-approach here : hotelsm . ag / VirginInstaRevamp
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BEST INSTAGRAM , PROPERTY |
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MANDARIN ORIENTAL MIAMI MIAMI
By May , the Mandarin Oriental Miami had reached 25,000 Instagram followers , up from 13,000 the previous year . To celebrate , the property launched a “ 25K contest ” via Instagram , offering the chance to win a three-night stay at the 5-star property . The 326-room property created a “ hub account ” to promote the contest away
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from the hotel ’ s main Instagram account .
The biggest learns ? Influencers work , strong visuals were key , and don ’ t dumb down your campaign , says Sharazade Kirton , the property ’ s digital marketing manager who also oversees social media . “ People on Instagram will participate and follow detailed instructions in order to be eligible to win a prize that is very attractive to them ,” Kirton says . “ Having a hub account where everyone could go and enter to win helped streamline the process . Our Instagram account created one dedicated post as a promotion which also received a ton of engagement .” Budget : Prize package of over US $ 2,500 Goals : Retain and acquire new followers Target audience : Those who value luxury travel and lifestyle , particularly
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women , with a total reach of 5.8 million followers . The majority of the accounts / influencers who participated in promoting the contest had a heavy travel , lifestyle and hospitality target audience .
ROI : After the five-day contest , followers grew from 25,000 to over 27,000 over a five-day period ( including a 100-person drop-off ) Judges ? Wesley : Mandarin Oriental Miami launched a compelling and engaging contest to celebrate its evangelists and loyalists , leveraging Instagram ’ s scale to expand its reach and resonance . Runner-up : Moxy Chicago
Watch an Instagram Stories post around the 25K giveaway : hotelsm . ag / 25Kgiveaway
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24 hotelsmag . com October 2018 |