Hyatt Centric Integrated Marketing Communications Plan

Executive Summary

While Hyatt Centric has the goal for guests to ‘Start Here. Discover Everywhere’ this integrated marketing communications plan will start here and discover a whole new world to effectively meet our target audience, boost brand awareness and provide a new twist on guests seeking to visit our hotel for special events. After this campaign is implemented, we will be more than the city-centered hotel where folks can find themselves in the heart of the action…we’ll be the destination people are calling to book months in advance because they want to create their special moments with us.

First, we will review a brand background which will tell the history of both Hyatt Corporation and the Hyatt Centric Brand. We will establish the focus on people they have continued to support since their inception, the importance of customer feedback in their current goals, the creation of the ‘experience’ based practice, the new targeted age demographics, current marketing practices and Hyatt Corporation’s business practices following the pandemic. Following the background, we will review a strategic SWOT analysis, identifying strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of Hyatt Centric and then we will identify the target audience along with a guest persona we’ll use in our marketing plans. We will then outline objectives and strategies for this integrated marketing campaign

Next, we will outline the development process of the campaign’s creative statement to outline our thoughtful approach to the experience staying at Hyatt Centric through an authentic, personalized lens. It’s more than just a hotel stay or a venue at Hyatt Centric – our creative strategy outlines the proactive approach we will take to bring people to us – not just be here when they are planning to travel.

This national integrated marketing communications plan, which totals the budget of $20 million, outlines paid media, earned media and owned media that will bring Hyatt Centric’s exposure and brand awareness to the next level. With an intent to reach a new audience, bring in event-focused guests who will stay more than one night and an opportunity to highlight the hotels like never before, this plan does more than puts us in the heart of the action…it makes us the focal point.

Finally, because we believe in the value of success through measurement and follow-through, we will cover measurement and evaluation in our campaign to ensure our plan meets the goals we set together.

Welcome to the next phase of the success of the Hyatt Centric brand. Let’s start exploring!

Hyatt Centric: Background

Hyatt Hotels Corporation: Built by family and focused on people.

Jay Pritzker purchased the Hyatt House motel in Los Angeles in 1957 and alongside his brother and other family members, grew the company with a purpose: “to care for people so they can be their best” (Hyatt Investor Relations, 2023).

As of September 2022, the company’s portfolio stretched across 72 counties in six continents and included over 1,200 hotels (Hyatt Investor Relations, 2023). In a January 2023 news release, the company announced that it had “strengthened its position as a leader in luxury, lifestyle and leisure in 2023 and beyond with record global pipeline.” Hyatt attributes this growth with the purchase of Dream Hotel Group, with global expansion of the brand, Caption and with organic growth of their global portfolio” (Hyatt Hotels Corporation, 2023, January 20).

The timeline of the Hyatt success has included many milestones, including: The first international location in Hong Kong in 1969, becoming publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in 2009 (Hyatt History, (n.d)), launching a global corporate responsibility platform, Hyatt Thrive in 2011, advancing into the all-inclusive resort segment in 2013, a Hyatt Credit Card launch in 2018, a focus on global wellbeing in 2020 to the purchase of Apple Leisure Group (ALG) in 2021 (Hyatt History, n.d.))

Hyatt’s growth hasn’t stopped since then. Key highlights in 2021 include completing a $1.5B Asset Disposition Commitment, launching a new $2.0B Asset Disposition Commitment, opening their 1000th hotel and entering 47 new markets (Hyatt Hotels Corporation 2022, February 16).

Graphic: World of Hyatt (www.hyatt.com)

Hyatt Centric – Starting with the Most Important Feedback: The Customer

Hyatt created the Hyatt Centric brand with a mission to be at the heart of the action. The hotels are centrally located yet feature benefits to hotel guests that go above and beyond a traditional hotel stay. At Hyatt Centric, it’s more than a stay overnight – it’s an experience.

The unique approach to this brand started with the most important piece – the customer. While the brand focuses on the guest as a part of the core of the city with real experiences in the destination (Aubugna, 2023). Hyatt looked at this hotel brand through the eye of the customer. They reviewed patterns, behaviors and preferences of their guests and created data points beyond basic demographics (Aubagna, 2023). In their media release on this brand, Hyatt Hotels Corporation President and CEO Mark Hoplamazain stated that Hyatt listened to “a very important group of travelers – those looking for an experience that we feel we can fulfill in a very

deliberate and powerful way” (Higley, 2015). The Centric brand aims to have the hotel as a hub that connects guests with a unique experience (Higley, 2015).

Mark Hoplamazain said, “The process we followed to create this new brand is something that has worked really well for us over the last several years. It requires very intensive engagement with owners, developers, partners, our team members of course, and maybe most critically, guests – lots of guests” (Higley, 2015)

Building the Experience and Creating a Story to Tell

Hyatt Centric now has 55 open hotels in 51 cities and maintains its standard to be centrally located and in the heart of the action. The hotel focuses on the local vibe from craft cocktails and menu items and local music to artistically curated spaces throughout the hotel. Many spaces are pet-friendly, which is often a major perk for this audience. It even features the opportunity to ‘Ask a Local’ so you can discover new hidden gems or popular spots in the area. When you’re not out and about in the area, the hotel has designed specific places for guests to work, relax or socialize in what they consider an “inviting, modern aesthetic worthy of even the most discerning social feed.” (World of Hyatt, (n.d.))

Rooms are designed in an eclectic manner and features a unique vibe from the city guests are visiting. Meeting or event spaces continue the creative atmosphere and also reflects the destination. Hyatt maintains its high guest service rating by offering service and technological support (World of Hyatt, (n.d.))

In addition to all Hyatt Centric has to offer, they also have a fitness studio for active guests. This gives guests the ability to continue with their normal routines, even when they are away.

In a world where millennial travelers are more of an Airbnb type of crowd where they like to feel like they are a ‘part’ of the city in which they are traveling, Hyatt Centric offers the same type of residential feel and city-centered focus. Whether it’s digital capabilities, pet-friendly rooms, the fitness center, bar or local resting spots, Hyatt Centric covers the basics and offers guests even more as a part of their stay. Guests are welcomed beyond the room – they are welcomed to the whole experience.

The Millennial Focus – Hyatt Centric Isn’t Alone

While Hyatt Centric is excelling in creating a spot targeted at Millennials and ready for their Instagram feed, they aren’t the only ones taking the millennial approach to a hotel brand.

Marriott’s Moxy is also benefiting from the fun millennial approach with things like daily happy hours, guest DJs, lobbies with games, opportunities for artists and more. There are now more than 125 Marriott Moxy hotels. They are not all in the United States, though. They also spread into Europe and Asia (Nance-Nash, 2022).

The Curator Hotel and Resort Collection is targeting millennials through specialized items like large playrooms, virtual reality experiences, new technology and even a Peloton exercise bike. According to Jennifer Barnwell, President of the Curator Hotel & Resort Collection, said, “Millennials have had a positive impact on our hotels and resorts because they are not shy about sharing their likes and dislikes. Their feedback only helps us improve our service, offering, or experiences. They are some of our best marketers, sharing their adventures and experiences at our hotels on Instagram and Facebook” (Nance-Nash, 2022).

Cormorant Boutique Hotel is generating about 42% in revenues from millennials. Their focus on technology – and the consumer’s choice of technology – lets guests feel comfortable with what they use most. You can also handle most of your needs directly through your cell phone.

Finally, Hilton’s Curio Collection is taking a unique approach to a millennial-based hotel brand with specialized bars and restaurants, on-site leisure, and even bartender competitions (NanceNash, 2022).

Hotel brands are finding the most unique ways to target the millennial traveler and to keep-up, they will have to continue upping their game. Who will be featured on the most Instagram feeds? That’s up to the hotel brands – and how much they listen to the likes and dislikes of this millennial audience.

Marketing Masterpiece

The premise of Hyatt Centric creates its own brand strategy by ensuring marketing is thoughtfully tied to modern, younger travelers who want to be at the heart of the action. Designed with a local approach to each hotel and city in mind, the marketing of Hyatt Centric can flow with this very principal, yet this creates a challenge, as each hotel is location-specific.

A “visual language of travel iconography” (Jarzemsky) was created to use across all locations with a seamless approach. Rather than utilizing separate marketing for each destination, one visual brand could be used for all brands with the same centric message.

From room keys to napkins at the bar to materials in the room, all print materials focus on getting out and exploring, but finding your ‘home’ back at Hyatt Centric. They highlight local restaurants and bars, things to do, places to go, hidden gems, and more, and focus on their target audience’s desire to be a part of the action and to be a ‘part of’ the city they are visiting (Jarzemsky).

Hyatt Centric can be found on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn and Youtube which allows a digital messaging approach from Hyatt Centric to its consumers and a level where consumers can engage with the brand. With plenty of artistic approaches and fun features from the hotel (for instance, the countdown until last call feature that can even find you a bar nearby), the millennial target audience has plenty of opportunity to share their experience at the Hyatt Centric hotel. They are doing more than staying at a hotel – they are telling a story and sharing it with their network. Post-Pandemic

Hyatt follows their own guideline of the Hyatt Global Care and Cleanliness Commitment. Along with existing protocols, they have enhanced efforts and outline them, in detail, on their website. From accreditation for cleanliness and trainings to trusted medical and cross-functional industry advisors, Hyatt goes above and beyond to start from the beginning for health and well-being.

Hyatt continues to follow many cleanliness protocols from the pandemic like sanitizer stations placed throughout hotels, frequent cleaning of public surfaces, enhanced food safety, hygiene protocols, and more They also offer guests more hands-free ways to connect like digital checkin and check-out, a digital key and grab-and-go meal ordering (World of Hyatt, n.d.)).

Guests can review this list on their website and rest assured that Hyatt is taking every step to ensure safety and well-being

Hyatt Centric SWOT Analysis

Hyatt Centric Integrated Marketing Campaign – Target Audience

Hyatt Centric – where individuals are in the heart of the action. Our target audience wants to be footsteps away from feeling a ‘part’ of the city and we want to accommodate them with a local-focused vibe, amenities for their comfort, and a memorable, personalized experience that will keep them searching for Hyatt Centric, no matter where they travel.

Target Audience:

This campaign will feature a target audience of female young professionals, ages 27-38 and will feature a diverse group of travelers among ethnicities.

This audience is likely a college graduate, at minimum, and is really starting to establish themselves in their career. They work hard, ranging in a salary of $60,000 - $90,000 annually and spend disposable income on leisure activities like travel and products they love. It’s hard for them to unplug, so while they are likely traveling for leisure, they seek a comfortable place that is digitally connected to log-in, if needed.

They oftentimes travel with a partner or friend and want to be embedded into the city. They will want to feel the local flare of the area whether it’s food, cocktails, coffee shops, music or shopping and they’ll be searching for all the best spots on their smartphones.

When they are back in the room, connection is a must. Whether it’s ordering a bite to eat, easily connecting to WiFi, using streaming services, connecting a device to a TV or speakers, digital check-in / check-out or digital room access, they need to be able to do it all right from their phone. Oh – and your hotel’s reviews, social media posts and corporate accounts? They have already checked them out (WeBee 2022).

These travelers are savvy. They loosely follow politics, but likely are in-tune to social justice issues and what the big issues are on the news or podcasts they are listening to. They want a personalized experience where they can be themselves.

Oh – and they will be looking for every detail and great photo op to post on Instagram.

We want every traveler to know they have a home away from home at Hyatt Centric. It’s diverse, inclusive and ready to turn their trip into more than just a trip – it will be an unforgettable memory.

Jessica is 34 years old and is rocking her job in real estate. She has been one of the highestperforming young professionals due to her tech-savvy edge over competitors, ability to stand out from the crowd and charismatic approach to working with clients.

Jessica graduated from a Division 1 University with a bachelor’s and master’s degree and focused her time outside of the classroom shadowing and interning at a variety of real estate firms. When she graduated, she was offered a job at one of her favorite internships and she has been there building her clientele since that time. After starting at a salary of $40,000, Jessica has grown and makes about $95,000 a year with the occasional bonus or bump due to a large sale. She’s fashionable and frequents Saks Fifth Avenue, Nordstrom, Kate Spade and local boutique shops. She likes designer items, but loves to find a great bargain, too. She doesn’t leave the house without a put-together outfit, even if it’s leisurewear, lip gloss and her cell phone. She spends disposable income on things she feels aren’t disposable – a gel manicure, skin care and lash extensions. She loves animals and has a cat that she rescued from the animal shelter at home.

When she travels, it’s for a mix of business and leisure, but even on business trips, she makes the most of it by taking time to explore. She likes to feel ‘in the action’ of the city and wants to learn about the local flare. Jessica loves being able to share her experiences on social media with great photos and she likes to be able to offer friends, colleagues, and acquaintances great recommendations to feel the ‘local vibe’ of an area. She also loves planning an annual girl’s trip with a few of her best friends.

Jessica wants to feel like she is a part of the city when she’s there. She always tries the local wine bar or brewery, the coffee shop and the local tapas restaurant. She likes live music from local artists and is always seeking that perfect ambiance for a great social media photo. She likes recommendations from locals and always tries to Google or look at influencer social media profiles before a trip to find hidden gems in an area.

In the hotel, she wants a personalized and unique experience. She wants it to feel fancy and exclusive, but also wants a unique, cozy atmosphere. She wants a bar on-site so she can grab a cocktail and loves a concierge service that can offer local attractions. She appreciates the ease

of a digital trip – from check-in to room service, connecting to the television or speaker to a digital key and check-out, she prefers to be able to do it all from her phone. A comfortable room with a cozy atmosphere and trendy décor is where she feels happiest. She also loves a good view of the city.

Jessica likes a loyalty program and is most-likely to book where points matter. Small touches go a long way, so whether it’s a nice welcome gift when she arrives or a coupon for a free cocktail, she likes the feeling of feeling appreciated for her business. She travels frequently by air, but also isn’t afraid of a road trip so the ability to pop in after travel or a day of exploring for a nap is a great perk for her.

Customer service is very important to Jessica. She wants a friendly staff who is willing to go the extra mile to personalize her stay and make her trip memorable. She remembers the hotels that leave an impact due to great customer service and tends to review them positively online, share them on social media and return to stay in the future.

When we view an ideal stay for Jessica, we know that Hyatt Centric is on the top of the list. She can get engrained into the local community and city vibe while still having the great amenities that Hyatt offers like a gym, the ability to plug-in, grab a cocktail or kick back and relax while she posts a few favorite photos from her adventures in the city so far.

Campaign Objectives & Strategies

Campaign Objectives

• Increase RevPAR by 3% within 18 months

• Increase hotel occupancy rate by 2% within 18 months

• Grow wedding and event bookings by 2% by Q2 in 2024

• Build repeat guest rate by 3% within 24 months

• Increase direct hotel booking (website and app) by 3% within 18 months

• Increase social media reach by at least 2.5M within 12 months

• Increase customer satisfaction rating through online reviews by 8% within 18 months

• Increase Hyatt Centric wedding and special event brand awareness by 20% within 18 months

Campaign Strategies

• Grow brand by promoting a ‘share-worthy experience’ through digital marketing through influencers, guest posts and real-time responses from Hyatt Centric.

• Create a digital approach that puts Hyatt Centric in-line with the global market through website, app and social media.

• Encourage and increase guest sharing and reviewing through creative strategy on social media and through the app.

• Collaborate with local community to drive the ‘heart of the action’ vibe that Hyatt Centric guests aim for when traveling and share these experiences through storytelling.

• Create a two-way, personalized experience with guests through social media monitoring, genuine response and special guest perks. Guest services now goes beyond the in-person experience. It highlights, participates in, and encourages social media attention and couples that service through an in-person, exclusive experience.

• Get creative with the loyalty program with promotions and marketing directly to the target audience.

• Build relationships with new hospitality stakeholders to drive new, creative ideas for events or weddings at Hyatt Centric locations.

Integrated Creative Strategy Statement

Hyatt Centric offers an upscale, personalized experience featuring the authentic local details you crave in prime destinations.

Creative Brief

Client: Hyatt Centric

Type: :30 Second Digital Advertisement

Why are we advertising?

To promote wedding bookings at Hyatt Centric

Whom are we talking to?

Brides and couples who are seeking venues weddings

What do they currently think?

Hyatt Centric is for more of the exploration crowd and would not provide the romantic wedding vibe or event-centered customer service for my wedding.

What would we like them to think?

Hyatt Centric offers an upscale, photo-perfect, prime destination venue with personalized service to give you the wedding of your dreams.

What is the single most persuasive idea we can convey?

With beautiful city vibe scenery (no filter necessary), custom designed elements, and an emphasis on service for you and your guests, Hyatt Centric creates a one-of-a-kind wedding experience.

Why should they believe it?

Hyatt Centric has the local insider knowledge and experience being in the ‘heart of the action’ in prime destinations to provide couples with a unique, personalized wedding and experience for their guests.

Are there any creative guidelines?

:30 second digital ads for social media. Use of cityscape yet romantic ambiance. Create buzz around the idea of a city-centered wedding.

Sample Creative Execution

:30 Video Frame Outline

Soft, Romantic Music

Actor Call: Late 20’s bride and groom, white, fit. 3 Bridesmaids, 3 Groomsmen – Diversity

Location: Hyatt Centric Buckhead, GA

1. Room decorated as a bridal suite

Includes bride, mother of the bride, bridal party, romantic flowers, mimosas, food, view of city in the window

2. Spaceman’s Lounge Rooftop Bar – Indoor

Cheers of groom with groomsmen (Happy waiter serving the beverages – smile)

3. Photos in the city – bride, groom, bridal party

Unique photo locations and poses – exciting – make these stand out

4. Ceremony- Artisan Room

“I do” and kiss – unique location for ceremony – luxurious and upscale.

5. Toast at Reception – Spaceman Lounge Rooftop Bar

Unique reception location – can be small, just very well-decorated. Happy guests, happy staff, happy bride & groom

Closing:

Upscale venues in prime, city-centered destinations. Create the wedding of your dreams with Hyatt Centric.

Paid Media

PAID MEDIA OBJECTIVES

• Reach 12% of target audience at least two times quarterly

• Reach 25% of the target audience in markets with a Centric property a minimum of 4 times during the next 18 months

• Target 40% of media resources toward weddings and special events a minimum of 2 times during the next 12 months

• Increase media spend during peak wedding planning times, January – October by 30%

• Drive 20% increase in website impressions through paid media in 12 months

PAID MEDIA EXECUTION PLAN

Paid Social Media

Facebook: January – March, August – October

Instagram: January – March, August – October

Pinterest: 12 Months

This campaign will feature a paid social media plan featuring 4 ad creatives and 2 videos per quarter (16 ads, 8 videos annually).

The paid advertisements will run on Facebook and Instagram utilizing high-quality imagery and storytelling from the creative strategy. On Facebook, we will use detailed targeting to define the age of our target audience and relationship statuses marked as in a relationship and engaged. Similarly to our plan for Instagram, we will highlight a big city wedding vibe that gives the couple and wedding guest an experience they will never forget (Team, 2022). They came for a wedding, but with all Hyatt Centric has to offer in the local area, the possibilities are endless to get embedded into the city, as well. We’ll use ads and videos to share real weddings in a variety of Hyatt Centric locations and the stories function to tell the story of the wedding weekend.

Because of Instagram’s entirely visual nature, utilizing high-quality imagery and photos of real weddings and wedding weekend experiences will showcase all that Hyatt Centric has to offer. Additionally, utilizing the Stories function, they can even take short videos of different elements of a wedding weekend (Team, 2022). The goal will be to highlight the entire experience which encourages multiple nights booked per guest or couple.

Additionally, the campaign will utilize Pinterest Ads in this paid media execution. Through bright, creative imagery and video, individuals using Pinterest for inspiration can see the unique, city-centered vibe for a picture-perfect wedding that will be more than just a wedding, but an experience for wedding guests. The point of Pinterest is to provide inspiration for people seeking what to do, make and buy. With 52% of US Millennials using Pinterest and 83% of weekly US Pinners making purchases based on Pins from brands, this is a perfect utilization of a platform to reach our target audience (Pinterest). 81% of engaged individuals who use Pinterest stated that they started planning their wedding on Pinterest before they were even engaged. This gives Hyatt Centric the opportunity to reach the target audience earlier and inspire the city-centric wedding at the earliest stages of the consideration process (Chen, n.d.).

Online Advertising

WeddingPro – 12 Months

WeddingPro combines over 40 years of history and experience between The Knot and WeddingWire in one platform. There are 13 million unique monthly visitors actively planning their wedding using these sites with less than 1% overlap which allows Hyatt Centric to break into a specialized audience specifically targeting brides or individuals planning their weddings (WeddingPro, n.d.). With bright, city-centered wedding vibes, Hyatt Centric can stand out with unique photos, beautiful couples and wedding stories that show guests and couples having an entire experience during the wedding weekend.

SEO, SEM & Image Optimization

SEO: 12 Months

SEM: 12 Months

Image Optimization: 12 Months

Using Google and Google Maps SEO and SEM, we can create local listings that will show up before the larger websites. We will optimize our local listing and website and run Google ads to help us outrank the competitors and by doing so, we will show up before all of the competitor’s listings. Consumer behaviors show that individuals will be more loyal to you if they found your website organically because they found you themselves (Snowmad 2023). Through Google Ads, Google Maps and SEO, we will highlight Hyatt Centric with undivided attention from the competitor. Additionally, we will optimize images for SEO to improve the digital content and rank it higher in search results.

Television / Streaming

Paramount+: January – March, May – June, September – October

Netfflix: January – March, May – June, September - October

:30 Connected TV Advertising (CTV) spots will be created and will run on Paramount+ and Netflix The ads will run August – October, May - June and January – March, as these are the highest planning months for couples. CTV ads appear while someone is streaming content via their smartphones, tablets, computers or Smart TVs and can pop-up during movies, TV shows, streaming music services, podcasts and other digital media (The Remnant Agency 2023). Because these streaming services are popular among our target audience, this will be an ideal use of advertising dollars.

Print

Martha Stewart Weddings: January, April, July, October

Bridal Guide: February, May, August, November

BRIDES: March, June, September, December

Hyatt Centric will run full-page color advertisements (no bleed) in leading bridal magazines including Martha Stewart Weddings (one of the highest-rated wedding publications available), Bridal Guide (high-quality bridal magazine) and Brides, another well-known bridal magazine (Fleming 2020) Advertisements will run in each issue quarterly and will feature some of the best Hyatt Centric locations including in Key West, FL, The Woodlands, TX, Park City, UT and Waikiki Beach in Honolulu, HI (U.S. News Travel n.d.). For optimum exposure, ads will be placed on the Outside Back Cover of each magazine (Suyak 2014).

OOH

Billboards – 4 Cities – May - July

According to U.S. News, Hyatt Centric’s best United States locations include locations in Key West, FL, The Woodlands, TX, Park City, UT and Waikiki Beach in Honolulu, HI (U.S. News Travel n.d.). Hyatt Centric will create a billboard campaign in each city highlighting real weddings with the bright, vivid, big-city wedding creative angle.

Earned Media Plan

EARNED MEDIA OBJECTIVES

• Generate 150 wedding / special event-specific press pick-ups in FY2024

• Enhance Hyatt Centric weddings and special events brand awareness by 20% in 18 months

• Increase positive brand reviews by 25% in 18 months

• Increase wedding-specific impressions by 20% in FY2024

• Increase social media shares by 15% in FY2024

• Reach 10% local partnership goal for special events in 18 months

EARNED MEDIA TACTICS

Press Coverage & Editorials

Utilizing Hyatt Centric hotels that made the U.S. News Best Hotels in the USA, we will focus a press release and editorial campaign highlighting weddings at 15 Hyatt Centric locations in: Key West, FL, The Woodlands, TX, Park City, UT, Waikiki Beach, Chicago, IL, Long Beach, CA, Charlotte, NC, Fort Lauderdale, FL, New York, NY, Minneapolis, MN, Boston, MA, New Orleans, LA and Arlington, VA, Philadelphia, PA and Portland, OR.

Hyatt Centric locations will launch a “Big City Wedding” media tour highlighting the many aspects of choosing a city vibe for a wedding. It will feature unique photos and experiences, local partnerships and a ‘couple-first’ approach to wedding planning and choosing Hyatt Centric as your city-centric venue. Each of the above top Hyatt Centric hotels will host a press event at their hotel to take a “look inside a big city wedding’ and will feature local highlighted partners, photographs, food, venue opportunities within the hotel for ceremonies, cocktail hours, receptions and other wedding weekend events and customer testimonials.

In addition to the press event, Hyatt Centric will work with brides who had unique elements to their wedding to write about their experience to share with local media with an emphasis on highlighting the city itself, but also all that Hyatt Centric offers to give the big city wedding feel in the heart of the action. This can take place through Op Eds and LTE’s focusing on why couples should choose this city for their wedding destination. By coupling the wedding aspect with tourism for the local area, this would increase local news coverage through positive highlights.

Reviews

Hyatt Centric will offer special rewards for those who host weddings and events and share positive reviews on Google and other wedding or event-centered platforms. The campaign can feature a ‘Free Anniversary Night’ within one year of celebrating their nuptials at the hotel venue in which they hosted their event. Hyatt will make this as simple as possible by providing links to reviews and a simple way to confirm this has been completed.

Local Partnerships & Free Influencers

By developing and highlighting local partnerships, Hyatt Centric is following its brand as a ‘part of the action’ in the cities where it is located. When we can feature local experiences for our guests, particularly during a weekend when we may have many out-of-state guests, we can provide more than just a stay…we can create an atmosphere filled with memories and unique experiences. Through partnerships, we can also provide more services to couples who want to host weddings or special events at Hyatt Centric like photographers, breweries or wineries, makeup and hair artists, transportation services, etc. and can joint highlight them through social media during the event taking place at our hotel.

Social Sharing Perks

Let’s make sharing our content irresistible on social media by offering great perks for limited amounts of time. Because 80% of weddings take place from May to October, from June – August we will offer either hotel reward points or ‘lucky winners’ for a free night’s stay at Hyatt Centric for social media sharing and tagging their friends. Content for these perks will include local area highlights of our partnerships, unique experiences in the area of Hyatt Centric locations, happy couple testimonials, etc.

Owned Media Plan

OWNED MEDIA OBJECTIVES

• Drive 500,000 unique visitors to website from social media in 12 months

• Generate at least 100,000 leads through content marketing in FY2024

• Enhance customer satisfaction score on social media to 65% through reviews through response time and customer satisfaction testimonials and surveys in 18 months

• Drive 250,000 unique visitors to “Big City Wedding” blog within 12 months

• Increase wedding / special event inquiries via blog and website by 20% in FY2024

OWNED MEDIA TACTICS

Big City Wedding Blog

Through the creation of the Big City Wedding blog, Hyatt Centric will use strategic content marketing to drive SEO and bring unique visitors to learn more about Hyatt Centric wedding venues, local experiences in big cities and why they should choose the ‘big city’ vibe for their wedding. Content will highlight real weddings using an authentic voice that shows the many different personalities of couples and the many options they have through choosing Hyatt Centric as their wedding venue.

Real Wedding Videos

Utilizing the Hyatt Centric Youtube channel and Instagram and Facebook Stories, Hyatt Centric will create short 2-3 minute videos showcasing real weddings at Hyatt Centric locations. Each will show the personality of the couple, unique elements to their wedding, guest experience, positive customer service experience and any particularly unique city-specific items like photographs, etc. The original content will be shared on all owned channels and will be featured on both the new Big City Wedding Blog and the website.

Website Facelift

Hyatt Centric will create a page on their brand homepage that links to weddings and special events. Guests should be able to search by country, city and state and can see the different Hyatt Centric locations available in an area. Additionally, they can see video testimony or written testimony from couples, learn more about wedding services offered, room blocks, partnerships with local vendors and tons of pictures and videos highlighting incredible weddings at Hyatt Centric locations. This page will also link to the blog for current updates so that they are seasonally beneficial for brides to see as they are searching for their perfect wedding venue. The website will enhance SEO through the highest-ranking words dealing with wedding planning, as well.

Content Marketing & Social Media

Social media will be another key element to this owned media strategy through strategic and thoughtful content giving an authentic and personality-driven approach to planning a big city wedding and choosing Hyatt Centric as your venue. Every couple who looks at our social media needs to find someone them seems like ‘them’ as they scroll our content. Through short video posts of real weddings, highlights of details through photos and unique photography opportunities at our venues, we will highlight the most unique wedding experiences that give the ‘wow factor’ to potential couples that may choose Hyatt Centric as their venue. Additionally, we will maintain they Hyatt Centric branding of the ‘city-centric’ venue that is in the heart of the action. Imagine testimonials from wedding guests who had a great time on the town and loved the customer service they received, a mother-of-the-bride who had an extra special experience due to great customer service, or a bride who had the wedding she had always dreamed of. We’ll be highlighting the best content through photos and videos and will drive social media visitors to our blog and website so we can turn interest into wedding bookings

Measurement & Evaluation

Concept / Creative Strategy Testing

We will utilize focus groups to gauge a consumer response of our target audience through 8 focus groups, made up of 10-12 members in different regions of the United States. The groups will review preliminary pieces of the campaign including paid social media ads, online advertising / video, television, print, and OOH. Through feedback on the copy, we will be able to determine which creative strategies are meeting our audience the most effectively and can adapt to move forward with the highest performing content.

Test Marketing – Tracking Study

A tracking study via phone and online survey will be conducted to identify brand awareness, trail, bookings, repeat bookings and customer satisfaction of both Hyatt Centric and competitors.

Online

Measurement & Evaluation – Social Media

Through owned social media channels, we can effectively utilize a social media analysis tool to determine the success of our social media strategy. We can track metrics including like engagement, reach, likes, shares and more to determine the best performing tactics.

Online

Measurement & Evaluation – Website

With our website, we can use this owned channel to monitor website traffic, bounce rate, top pages, conversion rate, a customer’ s lifetime value (CLV), average time spent on the site, number of returning visitors, cost per conversion, landing page results, exit pages, device sources, page loading times, pages per visit, traffic sources and if content is being shared on social media (Rand, 2022).

Online

Measurement & Evaluation – Blog

Through strategic evaluation of our owned channel, our new blog, we can measure important metrics like: Page views, traffic by channel, time spent on page, bounce rate, pages per visit, returning visitors, top traffic posts, SERP rankings, average inbound links Exper blog post, average comments per blog post, social shares per blog post, clicks from social platforms, new blog leads and customers, posts that bring the most leads and customers, lead source breakdown, total email subscribers, email open rates, email click-through rates and number of blog posts published (Ellice, 2020).

Conclusion

Hyatt Centric – Start here. Discover everywhere.

While we encourage guests to join us in the heart of the action, we also have a unique opportunity for individuals to bring their life experience ‘to’ the heart of the action. We can use our unique, local approach to welcome special events and weddings to our hotels which will increase length of stay for guests and provide such an incredible experience, they can’t wait to find another Hyatt Centric to visit in the future.

Our in-depth approach us takes paid media to a new level, where it needs to be, to keep up with competing brands. Through SEO, SEM and image optimization, paid ads on social media, television and print and real examples people see outdoors when they are out and about, we are reaching our audience at a new level. We will take an earned media approach with press coverage and press events highlighting all we have to offer, we will increase positive customer reviews, develop new partnerships to reach new audiences and encourage social sharing while simultaneously increasing earned media through a brand new ‘Big City Wedding’ focus through a blog, video content, website facelift and new content marketing. By following this integrated marketing communications plan, Hyatt Centric has the opportunity to continue to meet new objectives and goals with long-term success in this target audience. They will grow their brand awareness and customer perception with a new outlook of an event-worthy destination and will gain loyalty through offering more than just a stay; an experience.

The future is bright at Hyatt Centric because we are taking the city-centered destinations and putting them in the minds of those looking for the perfect spot for their special event or wedding. At Hyatt Centric, we can make life experiences bigger and better than ever with the excitement of incredible destinations, local vibes and service like nowhere else.

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