The InterContinental brand at IHG is in tune with its guests and what they expect. Being “In the Know” is an important need our guests have and InterContinental delivers that onsite everyday with its memorable and informed staff. However, IHG wanted to take this insider guest’s experience even further by providing exclusive advice from the hotel employee who knows their city best, the concierge. By combining that knowledge IHG and InterContinental already provide to the guest, with the new and up-to-date mobile technology of the iPad, IHG’s mobile team devised the InterContinental Concierge Insider Guides iPad app, the world’s first hotel branded travel application of its kind. This app embraces true innovation in providing the guest with an unforgettable travel journey, by featuring property-by-property concierge videos which include tips and a virtual guide the guest can take with them anywhere.

The Brand Related Goals were as follows: -Provide an experience that touches on the core values that the InterContinental guest cares more about – connectedness, enrichment, self knowledge and enjoyment -Assist guests through their travel modes – prepare, orient, acclimate, immerse and reflect – as they explore new locations and destinations -Drive brand loyalty by providing a travel experience that taps into the collective knowledge and experiences of InterContinental Concierge Teams -Enhance the brand image and reach by leveraging the iTunes store To compliment the brand related goals, IHG had the following Call to Action Goals: -Drive engagement and revenue by offering the app for free to all iPad users to encourage bookings -Use the app as a gateway vehicle to market other IHG branded products, such as our pre-stay offers or other mobile services, like our iPhone app. -Use the app as a vehicle to promote staying at the individual hotel properties

IHG has researched guests’ attitudes and thoughts about travel, and the InterContinental guest is someone who wants to feel special, cosmopolitan and “In the Know”. This audience is enthusiastic about the brand and can’t wait to learn and experience and, knowing this, IHG set out to deliver a memorable experience through the use of trendy technology. Using InterContinental’s concierges as local experts in IHG’s mobile initiatives was an obvious integration point, as they represent the “In the Know” experience that InterContinental guests have come to expect. This allowed IHG to give a truly local flavor and taste, all at our guests’ fingertips. To be able to consistently convey the luxury of the InterContinental brand, the iPad had the rich canvas needed to deepen the relationship with its sophisticated guests. The InterContinental Concierge Insider Guides iPad app allows the guests to strengthen their connections with the brand and build on innovative experiences.

IHG surveyed the iPad market for hotel specific apps and the apps that were available were usually specific to only one property. From this information, it was discovered that the guests who were using the available apps would use them during their stay, but then discard because the utility became obsolete after the guest stay. As development began, it was obvious that what would set the InterContinental Concierge Insider Guides iPad app apart was that it would include all InterContinental hotel locations, each with their own unique content, rich media and local knowledge. As of December 17, 2010, the app is available to guests through iTunes, for free download, and was delivered through web merchandising, targeted guest emails, press releases, social media, a dedicated landing page and featured on the homepage of the InterContinental website.

The key message was to enrich the curiosity of the InterContinental guest by providing them with the InterContinental Concierge Insider Guides iPad app as a pre-stay guide, making their experience with InterContinental and IHG memorable and sophisticated. It is InterContinental’s goal to their guests to offer unrivalled insider knowledge, at your side service and a sense of occasion. Providing this InterContinental Concierge Insider Guides iPad app to InterContinental guests and into the marketplace as a one-of-a-kind application allows its guests to remain “In the Know” with a special experience.

To measure the incremental awareness of InterContinental brand from the InterContinental Concierge Insider Guides iPad app, IHG used the app rating system from iTunes and average time spent on a page. Proving the success of this application, the app has the highest engagement time of all travel apps. The app is used an average time per user session of 11 minutes and 11 seconds. This is a testament to not only the acceptance of the app by the audience, but also the quality of the product. The InterContinental Concierge Insider Guides iPad app has been downloaded more than 13,335 times since launch and has achieved a 4 Star iTunes Rating from the customer. The app was also named the best hotel app on the market by LandLopers, beating out Mandarin Oriental, Four Seasons, Starwood and Omni.

The total budget for the InterContinental Concierge Insider Guides iPad app was approximately $130,000. It has been determined that the app has generated enough direct revenue from bookings to pay for itself. Although this is an encouraging number, revenue was not the primary goal of developing this app. IHG wants to continue to meet the needs of its InterContinental guests to feel “In the Know” and strengthen the relationship between the brand and the guest.

Hotel guest loyalty programs were originally created to thank and recognize customers for their repeat business. As more loyalty programs emerged and the administration of these programs grew more sophisticated, many loyalty programs lost sight of their intention and their focus on customers. Competition became a battle for points. Communications became transactional and less relevant. It was hard to distinguish one hotel’s guest program from the next. They all showcased beaches, palm trees and pool sides. All were adrift in a “sea of sameness.” There was opportunity to transcend the category with communications from the Customer’s point of view, and shift the conversation from points to possibilities. We built our campaign from an authentic, human insight common to frequent travelers around the world: It is not the destination that motivates people to travel. It is the chance to SHARE new and memorable experiences with others.

Our overall goal was to build relevance, power and equity for the HHonors Brand. To do that, we set out to accomplish four specific objectives for our communication campaign: 1. Brand a recognizable “look” for all HHonors communications to help generate awareness. 2. Drive folio revenue for Hilton HHonors and for participating hotels. 3. Increase enrollment of new members. 4. Inspire member activation and engagement across all the member tiers (Blue, Silver, Gold, Diamond).

Our target audience consists of global business travelers, domestic and international, male and female. They range in age from 35-54, with income of $150k+. They represent 32% of frequent travelers, and 60% are members of hotel guest programs. Their careers take up a large percentage of their lives, but it is not the only thing that defines them. They characterize success by the more important things in life, like time spent with loved ones. They seek enrichment through new experiences, places and ideas. They may look like “road warriors,” but they don’t hold business travel as a badge of honor. Travel is a necessary part of their jobs, but days away from home are a sacrifice for them. They deprive them of time with those they are close to. They initially join hotel guest programs in the hope that their travel time pays off, but they complain of being bogged down with restrictions.

This piece was developed from research conducted for the Experience Worth Sharing Campaign outlined below. 1. Monitored conversations online in the US/UK for associations with HHonors, Marriott Rewards, Hyatt Gold Passport, and the Starwood Preferred Guest programs. 2. One-on-one consumer interviews in hotels in the HHonors portfolio in the US, Europe and Asia. 3. Positioning concept testing qualitatively in the US (members and nonmembers). 4. Brand idea testing via interviews in four countries. 5. Three publication-worthy print campaigns tested qualitatively in the US and quantitatively in seven countries where they were enthusiastically received. 6. Quantitative message testing globally in 11 countries to overwhelming success. The Experiences Worth Sharing campaign led to a +16% shift in consideration for HHonors, +20% shift in intent to become an HHonors member and 38% of respondents said they would talk about it with others.

HHonors understands that work takes up a large amount of our target’s life, and that it’s not what matters most to them. They want a life filled with enriching experiences and to SHARE those moments and experiences with those closest to them. We’ve positioned Hilton HHonors as a passport to a world of possibilities to share with loved ones. An HHonors member can earn and redeem points at 3,700 hotels in 82 countries across 10 hotel brands. They can treat their family to wine tasting in France, ballooning over the Pyrenées or a tour of the wonders in Beijing. Hilton HHonors offers a World of Experiences Worth Sharing The campaign is distinctive in the marketplace because it restores humanity and the inspiration to travel to functional, program-centric communication. It shifts the conversation from points to possibilities. The campaign was executed via print, out-of-home, online banners and email in English, French, Spanish, German, Italian, Chinese, Japanese and Turkish.

In its first six months with limited media spending, Hilton HHonors’ Experiences Worth Sharing campaign generated awareness, with one in five people reporting that they recognize it and have come in contact with it more than twice. The majority recognizing the campaign found its imagery enjoyable and relatable. June 2011 YTD vs. June 2010 YTD metrics • Enrollments increased +50% • Active membership increased +23% • Stays increased +8% • Nights increased +10% • Hilton Honors Occupany increased +4 % worldwide, and rose in every participating hotel • Hilton Intl. +12% • Hilton Garden Inn +2% • Doubletree +4% • Embassy Suites +3% • Homewood Suites +3% • Hampton Inn +3% • Conrad +12% • Waldorf Astoria +10%

Media and production investment in the campaign was $750k+. Experiences Worth Sharing has contributed to increasing HHonors revenue +13% in its first six months, well ahead of plan projections.

Justin Bieber, A&F, Pretty Little Liars – Unless you are in the age bracket of 13-17, you probably can care less about the aforementioned. Similarly, when Atlantis, Paradise Island launched its $11 Million state-of-the-art teen club, CRUSH, in January 2011, the resort wanted CRUSH news to be conveyed to travel / lifestyle publications (which typically do not cover teen items), in addition to niche teen media. How could Atlantis and its PR agency convince all media categories that the teen market is not one to ignore? After a series of teen focus groups coordinated by Atlantis, renowned designer Jeffrey Beers was tasked with creating a club that would entice teens seeking a more adult experience -- taking the concept of Teen Club to a new level. The 14,000 square-foot CRUSH was unveiled with an interactive internet lounge, state-of-the-art game room, floor-to-ceiling gaming tower with 24 gaming consoles, 10 private gaming cabanas, iPads, multi-purpose video walls and a dance club with VIP sections, doormen and space for paparazzi! The goal was not merely to announce an unveiling of the club, but to impact influential media both within and outside of the teen-focused pubs, effectively positioning Atlantis as a pioneer in teen and family travel.

• Solidify Atlantis’ position as the leading teen and family travel destination by securing prominent news items on the new teen club in national and target regional publications (in addition to teen-focused pubs) • Secure a National broadcast segment and a feature broadcast segment in a key market • Secure a feature on the trend of “teen travel” in a top newspaper • Partner with an influential teen media brand - Seventeen Magazine - to host a teen focused “Fantasy Camp” in CRUSH with co-branded sweepstakes to build CRUSH exposure within teen magazine subscribers • Make an impact online and through social media efforts to enhance buzz; increase number of Facebook and Twitter followers (teens) • Put CRUSH front and center in the Teen Publications

• Families in the U.S. with particular emphasis on markets such as New York, Florida and Texas with children ages 13-17 years old • Teens - From 2008-2010, Atlantis hosted over 80,000 teens (ages 13-17) at teen-focused areas on-site. It is anticipated with the addition of CRUSH that Atlantis will host more than 50,000 teens in just 2011 alone

• Amanda Felts, VP of Atlantis Guest Activities and Programming, partnered with designer Jeffrey Beers to survey a group of teens to elicit ideas on what they would like to see, what design elements were important to them and what technology was appealing • Gleaned intelligence from teens who were past guests at the old Teen Club, Club Rush, and asked them how we could improve on the experience and space • Researched additional teen-focused trends in the hospitality and cruise market and approached top newspapers for a trend feature • Targeted top influential media to visit the teen club for a “first look” • Created a menu of “mocktails” tying the news to an Oscar viewing party at CRUSH and pitched to top online outlets • Used photos and videos to pitch media showing the visually impressive space and bringing it to life • Identified key teen personalities/mentors to help promote CRUSH via social channels i.e. YouTube sensation Keenan Cahill, teen author Katherine Schwarzenegger and Seventeen Magazine’s Editor In-Chief Ann Shoket

• CRUSH – is the ultimate teen club, featuring state-of the-art technology and an experience unlike anything else in the teen travel marketplace today – we are always on the forefront of what is new and exciting within the teen space • Atlantis is the leader in family vacation experiences. In addition to CRUSH, there is something for every family member at any age: from the ruins of ancient Atlantis populated by schools of sharks, rays and tropical fish, to waterslides and a dolphin interaction and education center to our concert series Atlantis LIVE which features performances by Bruno Mars and Justin Bieber, to our family friendly cuisine offerings

• Broadcast coverage on The Today Show in a segment with Travel + Leisure editor, a full feature on NY1 (broadcast and online), a full episode of MTV’s MADE shot in CRUSH • CRUSH in National publications including: New York Times “In Transit,” Celebrated Living, Virtuoso Life • Regional coverage: The Miami Herald, The Tampa Tribune, Dallas Morning News, Indulge Magazine (TX) • Syndicated coverage in the popular travel column “Taking The Kids” resulted in 20+ placements • Secured teen travel trend stories in: Wall Street Journal, T: New York Times Style Magazine • Online coverage: AOL Travel, Huffington Post, Travel Weekly online, Macaroni Kid, MSNBC, Gadling • Collaborated with lip-syncing phenom Keenan Cahill on a YouTube Channel campaign and exclusive music video shoot at CRUSH. The sweepstakes video received over 100,000 views in a week (now near 1 million) and Atlantis received over 2,000 new Facebook fans • Co-branded Seventeen Magazine Fantasy Camp hosted at CRUSH that resulted in: - Front of Book item including images of CRUSH in May Issue of Seventeen, reaching 2 million+ readers - Trip giveaway for 2 including passes to CRUSH ran on Seventeen.com and garnered more than 22,000 entries. - Dedicated email to Seventeen database (1+ million) with information on CRUSH and the camp - Combined social media campaign running in tandem with Atlantis and Seventeen during the camp reaching their 682,000+ Facebook Fans and 132,000+ Twitter followers - Social Media interaction from CRUSH by Katherine Schwarzenegger and Seventeen Magazine’s Editor In-Chief Ann Shoket - Videos and a photo album from the camp in CRUSH were edited to appear on Seventeen.com. Boasting a circulation of 2 million and reach of 13+ million - Coverage on the camp on About.com, Away.com, Bing, and hosted a journalist at the camp who produced live blog posts, tweets and Facebook updates

PR campaign achieved over 45 media placements totaling over 168 million media impressions. PR value (ad value multiplied by 3) exceeded $2.6 million PR efforts for the grand opening of CRUSH were part of the Atlantis’ overall PR program budget