The goal of the Stay Smart, America website was to bring to life online the 'Stay Smart' brand idea (a great stay at a great value) in a way that is timely and relevant to our target audience, and that drives PR and social media buzz.

Limited service hotel guests, both leisure and business travelers. They spend a lot of time on the road. They are discerning travelers who are well-versed in hotel offerings. They know what they like: practical amenities, without all kinds of extra fluff (and cost). This is the premise for HIEX's 'Stay Smart' promise: you'll feel smarter for having stayed with us instead of 'fancier' full service hotels.

HI Express' 'Stay Smart' campaign has effectively made a connection to its target audience; going further than a transactional relationship. The HIEX target audience has identified so well with the 'Stay Smart' campaign that its tagline has bridged pop culture. The HIEX tagline and the idea of 'staying smart' emerged in 2007 politics providing the brand with a timely and relevant opportunity to connect with their audience on a national scale. An article focusing on the cost of living on the campaign trail broke in July `07. Soon after, presidential hopeful Mike Huckabee said 'No, but I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night' when answering a journalists' question. Inspired by these two events, the idea for Stay Smart, America emerged. Built in Flash, the website introduces the concept by asking, 'You know where they stand, but where do they sleep?' An illustration featuring the candidates in their pajama pushes the tongue-in-cheek, non-partisan website farther.

The 2008 presidential candidates would be smarter if they 'stayed at a Holiday Inn Express last night' because HI Express provides everything needed to do business on the road, and at a great value. Stay smarter America!

In the first 2 weeks the website generated over 85MM media impressions and secured online and offline national coverage on Fox News, CBS, The London Times, The New York Times, The Washington Post, LA Times, and USA Today, among dozens of political and news blogs. The highlight of the media coverage came when national Fox News Live spent nearly 5 minutes showcasing the Stay Smart, America website and then followed up with an interview with presidential nominee Mike Huckabee and supporter Chuck Norris' with whom they discussed Huckabee's hotel spending to date as reported by the Stay Smart America website. No media dollars were budgeted to promote the website, however the clever concept and smart execution generated media coverage that is the equivalent of $2.5MM+ in paid media.

- Build awareness of the new non-stop flight to Dubai - Generate bookings so that planes would fly at least 70% full. - Position Emirates as one of the world's leading luxury airlines - Build favorable impressions of Emirates in the local Houston

We used a combination of primary and secondary research to devise our strategy. The first step was an in-depth market analysis and interviews with prominent Houston media companies. The key findings were that Houston values businesses that are active in the community and that one of the biggest events of the year is holiday shopping at the upscale Houston Galleria mall. We also examined the competition and determined that no other airline was flying non-stop to Dubai from Houston. For primary research we partnered with a company called Synovate to hold a series of in-depth tri-ad focus groups with business and leisure travelers. The key insights from these groups were that people in Houston were familiar with and very favorable towards Emirates, closely associated Emirates with Dubai, were curious and excited about Dubai, and that their ideal flying experience would be and enjoyable escape from their day-to-day worries that gave them a chance to relax and center themselves.

Our primary message drove home our key differentiator ' non-stop flights to Dubai. In communicating this non-stop message we closely linked it to the sense of excitement people had about Dubai and the luxury and relaxation that people craved in their ideal long haul flight. Our integrated campaign included, print, online, outdoor and direct mail ads. In addition, we decided that the perfect way to build awareness/goodwill, and to dispel any misconceptions about an Arab airline, was to associate Emirates with the holiday season at the upscale Houston Galleria mall. To that end, we created a special mall campaign. In addition to extensive in-mall advertising, the cornerstone of our efforts was the Emirates Snow Spectacular where every hour Emirates made it snow at the mall's indoor ice skating rink complete with Emirates logos projected onto the ice. The messaging for the campaign was holiday inspired -- Non-stop joy. Non-stop Houston to Dubai.

The strong marketing support proved to be a success, as the Houston-to-Dubai route reached a 92% load factor by February 2008, just three months after the launch of the flight and has consistently exceeded its yield and revenue goals since introduction.

Garner media coverage for the new aircraft and cement Singapore Airlines' position in history as the first to fly the A380 Raise awareness of the airline in key U.S. markets " Showcase amenities and services to reinforce brand image/reputation " Equate the brand with service " Position SIA as the world's best airline

National consumers Affluent and discerning travelers in key markets including Singapore Airlines' U.S. gateways - New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco

With industry media covering the A380's development, the team focused on consumer media, and attributes of the plane that make it an SIA product, for the launch and interior unveiling. SIA showcased a revolutionary aspect of its A380 ' the Singapore Suites, a Class Beyond First. Enclosed and private, with double beds, the suites were key in breaking through the clutter to reach jaded consumers. The team developed a strategic plan with clear goals, objectives and outlines for execution and, as details were laid out, began cultivating media relationships three years before the launch to define a core group of influential journalists and manage specific messages. SIA organized events surrounding the A380 delivery and first commercial flights from Singapore and Sydney. The team coordinated trips and escorted top tier media for a firsthand look at the plane and, in addition to traditional media relations tactics, maintained an FTP site to disseminate media materials in real time.

Singapore Airlines prides itself on customer satisfaction, setting the standard for excellence in the skies Singapore Airline continues to lead the industry in in-flight innovations

Leveraging media relationships, the team secured exclusive stories and arranged for the highest level of U.S. broadcast media to be a part of the festivities. The coverage was everywhere! In the months following the A380 launch more than 270 million U.S. consumers were exposed to Singapore Airlines through media placements including 'The Oprah Winfrey Show,' USA Today, 'Saturday Night Live,' The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, CNN and 'Good Morning America.' With a coveted endorsement by media Queen, Oprah Winfrey, and immeasurable exposure on 'Saturday Night Live,' Singapore Airlines was not only able to raise awareness of its product within its target audiences but cross over from simply being the day's news into the realm of pop culture

The goal of the Stay Smart, America website was to bring to life online the 'Stay Smart' brand idea (a great stay at a great value) in a way that is timely and relevant to our target audience, and that drives PR and social media buzz.

Limited service hotel guests, both leisure and business travelers. They spend a lot of time on the road. They are discerning travelers who are well-versed in hotel offerings. They know what they like: practical amenities, without all kinds of extra fluff (and cost). This is the premise for HIEX's 'Stay Smart' promise: you'll feel smarter for having stayed with us instead of 'fancier' full service hotels.

HI Express' 'Stay Smart' campaign has effectively made a connection to its target audience; going further than a transactional relationship. The HIEX target audience has identified so well with the 'Stay Smart' campaign that its tagline has bridged pop culture. The HIEX tagline and the idea of 'staying smart' emerged in 2007 politics providing the brand with a timely and relevant opportunity to connect with their audience on a national scale. An article focusing on the cost of living on the campaign trail broke in July `07. Soon after, presidential hopeful Mike Huckabee said 'No, but I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night' when answering a journalists' question. Inspired by these two events, the idea for Stay Smart, America emerged. Built in Flash, the website introduces the concept by asking, 'You know where they stand, but where do they sleep?' An illustration featuring the candidates in their pajama pushes the tongue-in-cheek, non-partisan website farther.

The 2008 presidential candidates would be smarter if they 'stayed at a Holiday Inn Express last night' because HI Express provides everything needed to do business on the road, and at a great value. So stay smart America!

In the first 2 weeks the website generated over 85MM media impressions and secured online and offline national coverage on Fox News, CBS, The London Times, The New York Times, The Washington Post, LA Times, and USA Today, among dozens of political and news blogs. The highlight of the media coverage came when national Fox News Live spent nearly 5 minutes showcasing the Stay Smart, America website and then followed up with an interview with presidential nominee Mike Huckabee and supporter Chuck Norris' with whom they discussed Huckabee's hotel spending to date as reported by the Stay Smart America website. No media dollars were budgeted to promote the website, however the clever concept and smart execution generated media coverage that is the equivalent of $2.5MM+ in paid media.