COVID-19: Generating Inquiries, Bookings During a Pandemic

 

Challenge

For our client Velas Resorts, with properties in Los Cabos, Riviera Maya, Riviera Nayarit, and Puerto Vallarta, we faced a trifecta challenge; reduced media coverage of travel, a highly competitive field for "virtual" travel coverage, and consumers reduced interest in traveling. How to keep a travel product top of mind, and build excitement to travel to Mexico upon emergence from the pandemic?

Our upscale target market was focused on other lifestyle areas, especially cooking at home, zoom cocktail hours, physical/mental and spiritual wellness, and quality time with family. Therefore, we focused our efforts on raising brand awareness on these topics, which meshed perfectly with the company's marketing messages of top culinary and beverage programs with award-winning chefs and world-class spas, as state of the art programs for children and teens.
 

• Build awareness of the Velas Resorts brand and members of the hotel collection
• Keep Velas Resorts top of mind among an affluent demographic and key niche markets in lifestyle
• Provide compelling news for travel media covering new product offerings
• Build excitement about travel to Mexico
• Reassure travelers that VR is a safe choice where the health of guests is a top priority
• Generate website hits and backlinks to the hotel's website to boost SEO
• Generate inquiries and visits to the booking engine

Strategies

• Position C suite executives as authorities on hotel safety standards
• Tap into the trend of travelers' top wish list item of travel experiences with new product offerings
• Highlight things Mexican wherever possible, especially tapping into Americans love affair with Mexican food
• Amplify corporate marketing program #bettertogether, i.e. Velas Resorts is with you while you are at home by
• Publicizing at home activities corporate team developed for niche markets of family, food and beverage, health/fitness which are hotels' key product advantages
• Create interactive content to engage with and have people picture themselves at the resorts
• Tap into social media influencer network who have stayed at the resorts in the past to spread the special content

 

Tactics

• Secure media interviews with C suite executives on hotel safety 
• Develop unique experiences that incorporate social distancing at each resort to generate excitement and grab attention of travel media
• Collaborate with hotel teams on developing and promoting the "ultimate safe experience" for guests, a hotel takeover with private jet option
• Publicize digital content and video from Velas Resorts magazine on DIY food and beverage recipes, family activities to enjoy together, and crafts and activities from the hotel spas to promote serenity and wellness, bringing in Mexican traditions wherever possible
• Conceptualize and promote new kinds of micro-weddings and weddings for two with virtual component
• Secure return of celebrity couple to show followers in real time what it is like traveling to the resorts after reopening

Results

• Earned media coverage garnered 1.4 billion impressions across 300+ placements in travel, lifestyle, food, spa and wellness, and travel trade media
• Coverage highlights include the Wall Street Journal, ABC News, Good Morning America, Travel Leisure, Conde Nast Traveler, Forbes, Yahoo, Shape, Maxim, Veranda, Redbook, Real Simple, Business Insider, and more
• Estimated ad value from earned media coverage exceeded $736 million 
• Results from social media collaborations garnered over 32.5 million impressions and 2 million engagements (likes and comments)
• 476% Increase in unique visits to the website, 46% of which went to the booking engine
• Over 2,400 new backlinks from online articles that boosted SEO strategy