Holiday Inn is an iconic American brand, but after 61 years both the brand and hotels were showing their age. Despite a $1 billion investment in renovations, negative perceptions persisted and fewer people were choosing to stay. But Holiday Inn differed in that almost every American has stayed at a Holiday Inn. These Americans were extraordinary people that Holiday Inn’s hotels helped along on their journey.

Our agency, in collaboration withmedia and digital agencies, created the “Journey to Extraordinary” digitally led campaign, celebrating its extraordinary guests and how Holiday Inn has enabled their extraordinary journeys.

The campaign ran from May through September 2014, with content spanning digital pre-roll videos, social media, an Instagram contest, display, partnered content, and a TV Integration.

It worked. Consideration and preference metrics showed measurable increases compared to 2013 and proving to consumers that on your journey to extraordinary, there is always a Holiday Inn.

From May through November 2014, the digitally-led "Journey to Extraordinary" launched paid social posts of “Stories from Holiday Inn”, which featured videos and photoblogger images of actual Holiday Inn guests on their own unique journey.

Next, we launched our campaign’s Manifesto video through paid social. In June, we launched our signature story campaign content: the pre-roll and long form videos of Scott Rigsby, Casey Gerald, Justin Rumford, and Majora Carter through paid social and several online video media outlets such as Youtube, Hulu, Mindshare Trading Desk, and Set.TV.

Throughout these stages, the campaign ran display banners featuring the signature stories and an Instagram photo contest.

Lastly, the campaign featured content partnerships through the New York Times, Mashable, Upworthy, and CNN/HLN. The CNN/HLN partnership was a TV integration with “Growing America” that featured MBAs Across America MBA students advising on local businesses across America and how Holiday Inn enabled their journey.

The Journey to Extraordinary campaign’s KPIs measured both Consideration and Preference to stay at a Holiday Inn hotel among our target: Contemporary Travelers. Contemporary Travelers are defined as travelers aged 25-44 that have stayed at a hotel at least 3 times in the past year and have a household income of $75,000. The Consideration and Preference metrics were measured with Millward Brown’s control vs. exposed survey results. At the end of the campaign, the final results were that Consideration to those exposed to our advertisements was 5.3% above those who were not and that Preference to those exposed to our advertisements was 4% above the control.

In addition to Consideration and Preference, Millward Brown also measured in their surveys the question, “Holiday Inn helps people on their journey.” Those exposed to our advertisements agreed with this statement 3.6% more than those who were in the control group.