BEST FACEBOOK PROMOTION
JUDGES ’ COMMENTS : “ In general this campaign was masterful , with discipline to conduct the research and develop a cohesive point of view , ingenuity to develop the tools through Facebook to truly pay off the vision and organization to present a clear and compelling message throughout the campaign . This is what brands should be striving for , and the results show it .”
BY BRAND
BEST WESTERN INTERNATIONAL , Phoenix , Arizona
DESCRIPTION : The “ Be a Travel Hero ” promotion gave Best Western Rewards members the chance to win a free family vacation . Participants selected a dream destination and a name for their trip , and began sharing that trip with their friends and family . Each “ virtual vacation ” could be shared via a Facebook “ share ” function with anyone on their Facebook friend list . These friends were then invited to join the trip and suggest an activity for the group .
RESULTS : Growth in Facebook likes created by the “ Be a Travel Hero ” application was 283,617 . The campaign resulted in a 20 % year-onyear revenue increase in Best Western reservations over the previous year ’ s spring promotion .
RUNNER-UP : Marriott International
BY PROPERTY
MANDARIN ORIENTAL , HONG KONG
DESCRIPTION : To create buzz about new burger offerings at its hotel restaurant , Café Causette , the hotel offered social media followers a special US $ 12 offer to try a platter of five different mini-burgers and then vote on their favorite , with the two most popular burgers being added to the restaurant menu . The hotel also offered a free burger dinner prize for three Facebook fans who best answered the question , “ Who would you like to enjoy the burgers with , and why ?”
RESULTS : Over 520 people visited Café Causette to try the special five mini-burger platter , and the viral reach of the burger offer post was 370 % higher than the average reach per post . Due to the response , three burgers instead of two were added to the menu .
RUNNER-UP : DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Kuala Lumpur , Malaysia
JUDGES ’ COMMENTS : “ Nicely done — using a loyal fan base to drive awareness for a new menu item , but equally important , it allowed fans to actually have an impact on what was served at the restaurant .”
BY PROPERTY
LE MÉRIDIEN CHIANG RAI RESORT , Thailand
DESCRIPTION : The hotel instated a policy requiring its general manager to reply to all TripAdvisor comments personally and use TripAdvisor as a platform for receiving feedback with a strict response time of 48 hours for every comment — positive or negative .
RESULTS : The hotel has held the number one position on TripAdvisor out of 98 hotels in Chiang Rai since February 2011 and recently won the TripAdvisor ’ s 2012 Travelers ’ Choice Award for the Top 25 Luxury Hotels in Thailand .
RUNNER-UP : Opus Hotel , Vancouver
JUDGES ’ COMMENTS : “ Their commitment to bringing their clients ’ voices into their daily management meetings is stronger than most .” www . hotelsmag . com September 2012 HOTELS 23