QHotels, the four star deluxe UK hotel group, was due to receive one of the highest accolades that hotels can receive in September 2008; the AA Hotel Group of the Year award.
Campaign
Heralded as outstanding examples in their field, winning hotel groups of the AA Award are often innovative and always set high standards in hotel-keeping. In order to capitalise on this title, Davies Tanner set out a schedule of public relations activity leading up to and throughout the 12-month’s QHotels will hold the title. The AA Award provides tremendous opportunities to generate media coverage for the group across national, trade, business and consumer titles to allow QHotels to raise its profile further among its key stakeholders and the business and leisure market.
Objectives
- To increase awareness of QHotels as the AA Hotel Group of the Year to the business and leisure market
- To sustain PR activity leading up to and throughout the 12 month period of achieving the title
- To promote QHotels core brand values (four star deluxe, prestigious, excellent customer service) through focused PR activities
- Support all brand marketing activity related to AA Hotel Group of the Year Award
- Ensure sustained coverage throughout the 12 month period
- Leverage other suitable opportunities
Strategy and tactics
Our main strategy was to develop a 12 month focused PR campaign targeting key stakeholders through national, regional and trade media coverage (internal and external). We aimed to raise the profile of key personnel instrumental in the accolade to national and trade media and create media noise around the initial launch of QHotels as AA Hotel Group of the Year.
Results
- Coverage generated in publications including The Sun, Mail on Sunday, Time Out, Caterer & Hotelkeeper, Meetings & Incentive Travel, Conference & Incentive Travel, ITCM, Dial, Square Meal Venues & Events, Event, Executary News and Conference News
- Successfully communicated the QHotels' AA Hotel Group of the Year 2008 – 2009 Award win to 38 publications reaching a readership of over 39,552,312
- Davies Tanner submitted winning award entries for a number of prestigious industry awards including IoD Entrepreneur of the Year, HRS Hotel Excellence Awards and Business Travel World Awards
Measurement
- Advertising Value Equivalent: £483,128.90
- Total PR Value: £1,449,386.70
- Circulation: 62,088,913
- Total Reach: 186,266,740
