BEST MARKETING STRATEGY
CONCEPTION Trianon Palace Versailles, A Waldorf Astoria Hotel celebrated its 100 th anniversary in 2010 and to commemorate the occasion, the hotel team developed a comprehensive marketing campaign - 100 Years: Trianon Palace Versailles - with the following objectives: Increase hotel awareness - especially following the brand conversion and complete hotel renovation Increase positive media coverage in the French press Position the hotel as a top luxury property within the Parisian hospitality market
CONCEPTION Planning began in early 2010 with the first stage of the campaign the 100 Chefs Dinner taking place in May 2010. The 100 th anniversary programme was developed by the hotel s internal marketing team and a number of special partnerships were developed during the campaign through luxury brands, top chefs and charities. May 2010 First Event 100 Chef Dinner December 2010 End of the Campaign January 2010 First Brainstorming From May to December Flash Sales Creation of the fragrance PR Campaign Charitative Operation
DESCRIPTION CAMPAIGN INITIATIVES The campaign was rolled out over one year with initiatives themed around the number 100 and emphasising the luxury aspects of the hotel and brand, including: Specially designed landing pages on the corporate website to promote the anniversary A tailor-made accommodation package (8 options with a variety of activities) Flash sales, with special offers, through online banner adverts Special 1910 menu at Gordon Ramsay au Trianon restaurant in conjunction with Les P tits Craques charity Exclusive Trianon Palace Versailles fragrance in partnership with renowned perfumer, Francis Kurkdjian Online boutique to sell the 100 th anniversary merchandise 100 Chefs Dinner at Chateau de Versailles promoting the hotel s bespoke fragrance and attended by 100 chefs PR and advertising campaigns
DESCRIPTION - INNOVATION One of the innovative features of this campaign was to create a strategy for each of the key aspects of the hotel, allowing guests to discover Trianon Palace Versailles in a new light: The guest stay We developed a tailor-made package, which allowed guests to choose two treats and activities from eight options, including Afternoon Tea in The Gallery Bar, for an extra 100. Guests could further personalize their stay with the exclusive offers advertised on online banners. The food & beverage offer We developed a specially designed menu from 1910 including gastronomic delights enjoyed 100 years ago such as the Baron of lamb Bordeaux style with buttered beans. The guest experience We created exclusive merchandise for the occasion such as the bespoke fragrance.
DESCRIPTION - PARTNERSHIPS A number of partnerships were developed during the campaign including: Les Toques Blanches A close partnership with the Executive Chefs Association allowed the team to organise a tasting dinner with 100 Chefs to launch the 1910 menu. This led to a multitude of PR opportunities and subsequent media coverage and demonstrated the hotel s culinary credentials. It s so hard to bring together so many Chefs for a dinner and you did it with greatness Jean-Baptiste Martin, Cuisine Coup de Coeur Tell the Chef, it was a real pleasure to enjoy this exceptional menu Fabrice Prochasson, Lenôtre Paris
DESCRIPTION - PARTNERSHIPS Les P tits Cracks The hotel donated 10 per cent from every 1910 menu sold to the French children's charity, which supports children suffering from cancer. This helped demonstrate that Trianon Palace Versailles is commitment to the communities in which it operates. Famous French actresses and patrons of the charity, Lea Seydoux and Judith Godrèche attended the dinner which added an extra element of exclusivity and celebrity appeal. Lea Seydoux and Judith Godrèche with Trianon Palace Versailles, A Waldorf Astoria Hotel General Manager, Pascal Groell
DESCRIPTION - PARTNERSHIPS Francis Kurkdjian To extend the guests exclusive 100 th anniversary experience, the hotel collaborated with Francis Kurkdjian, the talented perfumer, to compose a bespoke perfume exclusively for Trianon Palace Versailles. Francis created a delicate contemporary fragrance which he composed to match the beautiful surroundings of the hotel. The partnership showed the hotel to be creative, innovative and glamorous and offered a point of difference to guests.
I wanted to create a sober, endearing perfume to resemble Trianon Palace Versailles and the moments of weightlessness that it suggests for its guests. BEST MARKETING STRATEGY
Moreover, the PR campaign around the exclusive fragrance provided an original and innovative point of interest for media, allowing journalists to use the bespoke fragrance as an additional angle in articles featuring the hotel. Thus, the hotel gained coverage in fashion and lifestyle publications. Thanks to the luxury fragrance, the hotel attracted a new demographic of media interest and hotel guest from the perfumery field. Figaro magazine Elle magazine
DESCRIPTION BENEFITS TO GUESTS The 100 th anniversary campaign not only generated a phenomenal amount of media exposure and awareness of the hotel but provided new and existing guests with incredible offers. The campaign allowed them to experience the recently renovated and newly branded Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts property and to discover it in a new light, thanks to the bespoke fragrance and the 1910 menu. The flash sales, through banner adverts online, offered varied incentives for guests starting in May 2010: 4 th May: 100 suites available at 100 per person for the first 100 bookings 1 st June: The first 100 guests to reserve a table at Gordon Ramsey au Trianon, received the 1910 menu for 100 7 th June: Children stay for FREE (2 nd room for free when staying with parents) for first 100 bookings 3 rd Aug: Champagne picnic and the fountain show in the Chateau de Versailles gardens for the first 100 bookings
31 st Aug: Pay for one, eat for two in La Veranda for the first 100 bookings 5 th Oct: One hour spa treatment followed by a leisurely afternoon tea in the Gallery Bar, including the famous 100 th anniversary gateaux at 100 per person for the first 100 bookings The partners associated with the campaign benefited from the returns on media visibility and increased coverage. Elle magazine Express Style magazine
VISIBILITY AND COMMUNICATION The 100 th anniversary campaign was launched and promoted on several platforms to reach and attract a range of customers, utilising the internet to maximum effect: Hilton Worldwide and Waldorf Astoria brand website: Promotional banners and landing pages were dedicated to the anniversary campaign. Homepage banner
Social Networks: The team used the hotel s Facebook page to communicate details of the campaign. Hotel s facebook page Brochure: Special Centenary offers available via brochure. Brochure Special Centenary offers
Print Advertising: We selected premium lifestyle publications such as l Express Style and Paris Matchand. L Express Style advertising Online Advertising: Popular travel websitetripadvisor hosted a display campaign on its American, English and French websites and we also utilised the Chateau de Versailles newsletter. Display campaign on Tripadvisor US, UK and FR
PR Campaign: A media relations campaign was developed that included a press conference about anniversary activities. A comprehensive press pack was also prepared and distributed to media. Partnerships with Francis Kurkdjian and Les P tits Cracks allowed us interesting new media angles and helped generate additional media coverage for the hotel and the luxury brand. The first online hotel boutique: To drive sales of 100th anniversary merchandise including the bespoke fragrance, a teddy bear, bathrobe, key ring, voucher and umbrella, we created an online boutique store. 100th Anniversary Press pack Online boutique
ENewsletter: Our digital newsletter announced different events, flash sales, special packages, the 1910 menu. This was distributed to a 13,500 customers. Enewsletter
PERFORMANCE Hotel revenue for the leisure market from May-November 2010, increased 14% against the same period in 2009. Flash ads generated 61,450 in sales during the campaign all from banner advertising click-through. The hotel achieved more than 20 clippings in top-tier consumer/ lifestyle/ newspaper publications in France including Elle, Madame Figaro, Le Figaro and Prima. The audience reach for this coverage was 11,826,674 and the PR value was more than 1m.
PERFORMANCE The hotel s occupancy rate increased against the same period in 2009, mostly during the first two months of the campaign by 50% in May and 37% in June. Overall occupancy during the campaign period increased by 11% Guest loyalty increased - the registered 9,783 subscriptions to HHonors program. That s 10% more than in the same period in 2009. Number of online reservations for Trianon Palace: 1,041 between May to December 2010, up 12% compared with the same period in 2009 Reservation clicks: 45,152 between May to December 2010, up 7% compared with the same period in 2009