Hilton and Voyager Space entered into a collaboration that made Hilton the official partner of Starlab, Voyager’s planned free-flying commercial space station, which will replace the International Space Station. With the current space race being played out in the media, it was imperative to announce the partnership quickly and generate mass awareness. The communications team was also charged with leveraging the partnership to drive forward Hilton’s innovation narrative, while nodding to its storied history with space. Additionally, the storyline needed to connect the partnership to the company’s new ad campaign, “It Matters Where You Stay,” which focuses on the stay experience instead of the destination.

Hilton and Voyager Space are companies rooted in innovation and at the forefront of respective industry trends. Outer Space is the last great frontier and one that until this point, has never been considered hospitable. With Voyager Space’s experience in the space exploration and Hilton’s rich history in hospitality, the two have teamed up to create a new type of guest experience, one that will pave the way for space tourism and elevate Hilton’s signature hospitality beyond the bounds of Earth. Through the partnership, Hilton and Voyager space will work together to create a new stay experience for future guests aboard Starlab.

Space travel continues to be a hot-button issue with media extensively covering the topic. Some media have turned their attention to the inhospitable nature of outer space and the discomforts experienced by those traveling there. Knowing this, and coupled with the need to announce the partnership without renderings or details of what the Starlab stay experience would be, Hilton and Voyager Space knew they had to focus on the history of innovation from both companies. The announcement would have to rely on a press release and strong media relations to drive coverage among not just space and hospitality media, but to pique the interest of consumer media and make the story part of pop culture. To be deemed a success, coverage needed to not just announce the partnership, but also focus on the unique stay experience that the companies are working toward delivering.

The partnership announcement was on an accelerated timeline, giving the PR teams less than a week to get a press release approved and pitches to media during the International Aeronautical Congress (IAC) in September. The press materials strategically connected the partnership announcement with Hilton’s new ad campaign, showcasing that even when you travel outside of this world, It Matters Where You Stay. The announcement started with an exclusive interview with CNBC who sat down with Voyager Space Chairman and CEO, Dylan Taylor during IAC and included quotes from Hilton CEO Chris Nassetta. After CNBC broke the story, the press release went over the wire and was posted on Stories From Hilton, then widespread media outreach began to trade and consumer publications. The collective teams pitched hundreds of contacts with the news of the partnership, very limited availability for interviews and a promise to share additional information as it became available.

The announcement of Hilton and Voyager Space’s partnership was a first of its kind venture which drove mass media coverage around the globe. The story generated more than 2,000 global placements with a potential reach of 7.5 billion. The news was covered extensively in travel and hospitality outlets (examples: Travel + Leisure, The Points Guy, HOTELS, Hospitality Design), space and technology outlets (examples: CNET, Gizmodo, Engadget, Space.com), business outlets (examples: CNBC, FOX Business, Wake Up with Cheddar), and consumer outlets (examples: PEOPLE, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Daily Mail, Robb Report). The news also ran on local TV stations around the U.S. and during radio segments in the U.S. and U.K and were supported with ongoing storytelling on Stories From Hilton to help amplify the news.

The placements were more than just a passing mention, with 75% of coverage including headline mentions and executive quotes being featured in 43% of coverage, driving forward both companies key innovative narrative, while connecting the story to Hilton’s new marketing campaign. Additionally, the article on the Stories From Hilton site was one of the top performing articles, receiving more than 5,600 views and 19% of visitors clicked through to the Hilton bookings site.