Winner: rbb Communications - Hampton by Hilton Uncovers and Inspires a New Type of Traveler: The “Seekender”
Through the Seekender campaign, Hampton positioned itself as the catalyst for weekend exploration. Using storytelling and a mix of tools and partnerships, this created a unifying point for Hilton's large and diverse target audience while differentiating it from competitors.
To help design a roadmap that other Seekenders could emulate, Hampton enlisted its own network of influencers. Each Ultimate Seekender Influencer Team (UST) member embarked on their own Seekender getaway at Hamptons across the U.S. and crafted a roadmap of experiences for their followers. Their journey was housed on a Hampton-branded microsite (HamptonSeekender.com), and directed followers straight to the Hampton by Hilton homepage for direct bookings.
Each influencer received guidelines for proper brand messaging and sample content to inspire their posts and spur creativity. The 10 UST members collectively generated 180 pieces of original content and more than 2.4 million impressions. They also directed more than 33,000 unique monthly visitors to the campaign microsite.
The campaign utilized star UST member and Emmy-award winning reporter and mommy blogger Kristen Hewitt to serve as spokesperson for a Seekender-inspired satellite media tour (winning 174 placements and 2.9 million impressions) and multi-media news release (garnering 1,034 placements and 61.9 million impressions). In addition, Hampton utilized organic content created by its team of influencers for promoted Facebook posts. These posts won between 15,000 to 20,000 engagements, a high jump compared to previous campaign averages of 2,000 to 5,000 engagements.
Honorable Mentions:
- Cisco Systems - Cisco Cloud Influencer GIF Digital Campaign
- Coyne PR - Pennzoil Targets DIY Automotive Audience Through Proactive Engagement Program
- Linhart Public Relations - Ancient Harvest: Leveraging Online Influencers to Drive Consideration and Trial
- NJI Media - Business Roundtable's "Upgrade America" Campaign
- Porter Novelli - The Laughing Cow Love Your Local Events
- R&R Partners - Digital LGBT Influencer : Tyler Oakley
- TELEMUNDO Generates Buzz for Billboard Latin Music Awards Through Exclusive Press Event