Best Group Marketing Campaign

The unanimous winner of last year's Best Group Marketing Campaign Catey presented some pretty impressive figures, which will take some beating this year. Despite a huge dip in the hotel economy following the 11 September terrorist attacks, budget hotel chain Holiday Inn managed to increase its sales by 25% in 2002, with online bookings growing by 90% and membership of its loyalty scheme increasing by a massive 223%.

 

The increases were thanks to the group's "Under the Pillow" promotion, which judges were unanimous in awarding the Best Group Marketing Campaign Catey. Holiday Inn's investment of £2m into the campaign generated an amazing return of £9.12m.

 

The group launched the promotion at a crucial time. It had recently acquired the Posthouse chain, boosting its portfolio from 25 hotels to 105, and was under pressure to show positive financial results by the end of September 2002. "We needed more heads on beds - and fast," said the group.

 

The promotion aimed to increase sales by 20%, drive membership of its Priority Club, increase unprompted awareness of the chain, to increase profitability of customer nights and bring a return of one-and-a-half times the investment.

 

Prizes ranging from 1,000 Priority Club points to £1,000 cash were placed under every pillow during the campaign. Prizes could be claimed, however, only if winners signed up to the Priority Club. The campaign created excitement through its chance to win £1,000 and was also guaranteed to boost the membership of Holiday Inn's loyalty scheme.

 

Competition for this award comes from all sectors of the industry - everything from national hotel groups and restaurant chains to commercial and public-sector caterers - so it's a tough category to win. But if your organisation has run a marketing campaign over the last 12 months that you think can rival the impressive results achieved by Holiday Inn last year, fill in the attached form (see below).

 

Additional entry forms can be obtained from Sarah Sutton on 020 8652 8349. Deadline for submissions is Thursday 25 March, and judging takes place on Wednesday 21 April at London's Grosvenor House hotel.

 

Judges' criteria

• Businesses enter themselves for the Best Group Marketing Campaign award rather than being put forward by a third party.
• To qualify, the business must be a group organisation operating more than one unit under central control but whose units are separated geographically.
• Entries can be for a single unit in a group, the group as a whole, or any part of it.

 

Don't forget: All nominations in this category MUST be accompanied by a supporting statement.

 

Click here for further details and entry forms

 

Sponsored by Nestlé Foodservices

 

Sponsor's message:

 

Nestlé Foodservices is delighted to be sponsoring the Catey award for the Best Group Marketing Campaign.
The out of home market continues to grow, with over 30% of all food and beverages consumed in the UK, now consumed out of home, and capturing a share of this growing market is becoming ever more challenging, with new outlets opening daily.

 

In order to help our customers build profitable businesses in this challenging marketplace, Nestlé is continuing to develop brand drived solutions, supported by clear consumer communication to generate interest and demand. The synergy this has with the Catey award for the Best Group Marketing Campaign, is the foundation of our continued support.

 

In today's crowded world, effective communication is essential to success in business. Consumers have much more choice than before, so creativity, clarity of communication and excellence of execution are essential elements of consumer marketing strategies. This is particularly so when the recruitment of new customers and maintaining the loyalty of existing ones, is such an essential ingredient of success in the hospitality industry.

 

However, it is the results of the Campaign which really define its success. The Catey award for the Best Group Marketing Campaign is therefore presented to the company which is best judged to have achieved exceptional success, having set challenging objectives and implemented an innovative and exciting marketing campaign, while demonstrating a clear understanding of their customer needs.