The Hyatt Place and Hyatt House brands – which are Hyatt's fastest growing brands representing more than 50 percent of Hyatt's total hotel portfolio – have been designed to recognize the needs of the modern business traveler.
However, the problem is that today's business travelers have an overwhelming amount of choices when it comes to choosing a hotel. With nonstop schedules, demanding on-the-go jobs and little time for rest, where to stay is sometimes the last thing they have on their mind. Additionally, they are often underwhelmed by experiences in the Select Service hotel category and consequently don't have a brand preference.
Compounding this problem is the fact that the Hyatt Place and Hyatt House brands are consistently outspent by the competition in the category.
The objective of the "You've Come Too Far to Settle Now" campaign was to break through this cluttered category and create a stronger reason for business travelers to choose Hyatt Place and Hyatt House as their preferred hotel brands. This meant finding a way to rise above the functional trappings of the Select Service category by connecting with business travelers on a deeper, emotional level to drive awareness and conversation and media coverage around the brands.
Hyatt Place and Hyatt House set out to connect with today's business travelers by understanding their emotions, what drives them professionally, how they feel about business travel. Through consumer research, the brands found that guests of Select Service hotels have a shared mindset they're incredibly ambitious and hard-working. For them, good enough is never good enough. This mindset permeates everything they do, except when it comes to business travel. They don't have high expectations of their hotel experience, they frequently settle for good enough accommodations.
This insight served as the crux of the brands' campaign strategy. To resonate with these travelers on an emotional level and become their preferred hotel brands, Hyatt Place and House had to demonstrate they share a never settle spirit.
This led to a new brand campaign platform in 2016 – You've Come Too Far to Settle Now – which became Hyatt's first-ever dual-branded marketing campaign. The campaign moved beyond the functional benefits that competitors traditionally promote by positioning the brands as the superior option due to their commitment and endless pursuit of betterment.
This campaign worked by leveraging those who never settle in life as the the face and voice of the brands, creating the association that Hyatt Place and House hotels deliver an experience that goes above and beyond what's expected. This was a radical departure from the rationally-based conventions of Select Service hotel advertising, disrupting the category and distinguishing the brands from their competitors.
To bring this campaign to life, a new dual-branded visual identity was created to help the brands get noticed and remembered. Real people who embodied the never settle spirit were recruited to share their stories, which added authenticity to the brands' story.
The campaign launched with an anthem film that redefined the ethos of the brands by reflecting the attitudes and beliefs of modern business travelers. Partnerships were formed with influential media outlets, such as USA Today and VOX, to assert the brands' point-of-view across digital and social media channels. The message was also extended in key out-of-home and in-hotel placements.
To fuel social buzz and engage consumers in a creative and authentic way, the brands launched the inaugural #WhySettle Spirit Awards contest on their Facebook pages, which encouraged family, friends and colleagues to nominate an individual who shares the spirit of the campaign – someone with endless drive, traveling tirelessly to meet their goals and achieve that next big thing.
But these weren't just any awards – winners received a custom, 3-D printed statue created in their likeness as a way of recognizing their extraordinary achievements, just as remarkable people have been recognized throughout history. Each award was a modern day take on historical statues of the past and featured key business travel accessories. Additionally, winners received a two-night stay at a Hyatt Place or House hotel in the U.S. To further awareness and spark conversation around the awards and broader campaign, media and social influencers also received customized statues to celebrate their recent accomplishments and achievements.
The #WhySettle Spirit Awards fueled buzz and sparked conversations around the "You've Come Too Far to Settle Now" campaign and brought to life the campaign's core "why settle" message by celebrating individuals who embody the campaign's spirit.
Results included:
