Objective: A motel chain wished to increase reservations and market share and enlist support from franchisees.
Strategy & Execution: Celebrating its 20th anniversary, the advertiser developed a promotion involving specialty advertising and sweepstakes. Scratch-off cards distributed to customers and the general public on request explained that the winning number embedded under the scratch-off material was worth $22,800.00, the digits that coincided with the chain's 800 number for reservations. To encourage travel agents to use the 800 number to book reservations, provisions were made for the travel agent booking the winning reservation to receive an identical cash prize. The promotion featured distribution of giant birthday cards explaining the promotion, and small "weepuls" with birthday hats to 25,000 travel agents. Franchisees received birthday decoration kits containing party hats, balloons, buttons, and crepe streamers to use in carrying out the birthday theme at their facilities. The promotion was supported by advertising in in-flight airline magazines and in newspapers in the Rodeway market area.
Results: In the first 60 days of the promotion, the advertiser was said to have experienced a 13% increase in reservations compared to the 3% that was forecast. |