Choice Hotels’ Big Marketing Blitz

00:01
Speaker 1
Angie's list is now Angie, and we've heard a lot of theories about why.

00:05
Speaker 2
I thought it was an eco move. Fewer words, less paper.

00:08
Speaker 3
It was so you could say it faster. No, it's to be more iconic.

00:13
Speaker 4
Must be a tech thing.

00:14
Speaker 1
But those aren't quite right. It's because now you can compare upfront prices, book a service instantly, and even get your project handled from start to finish.

00:22
Speaker 4
Sounds easy.

00:23
Speaker 1
It is. And it makes so much more than just a list. Get started@angie.com. That's Angi or download the app today.

00:32
Speaker 5
Wondering.

00:44
Speaker 3
From wondery I'm David Brown, and this is business wars daily. On this Tuesday, January 30, you might know the Emmy award winning actor Keegan Michael Key from a number of roles, ranging from President Obama's anger translator in.

00:58
Speaker 5
The comedy sketch series Key and Peel.

01:00
Speaker 3
To the A list music producer in Pitch Perfect, too.

01:04
Speaker 6
Go in the corner. Go eat your lunch in the corner.

01:06
Speaker 5
But what am I going to do with my sriracha?

01:08
Speaker 6
Say one more hipster thing and I'm going to shove you in your vintage bassoon case.

01:13
Speaker 3
Okay, well, now he's got a new role. The face of Choice Hotel's largest marketing campaign in the company's history, key stars in a series of commercials that choice is calling the, quote, a stay for NEu campaign, which highlights four choice hotel brands. The multi million dollar blitz will run throughout this year and will feature a combination of traditional and digital media. The goal here is to showcase choice hotel brands against upscale hotel brands. According to a hotel drive report, key plays the main character called Neu, reinforcing the concept that we adopt different personas based on why we're traveling.

01:51
Speaker 5
You could be a free hot breakfast hero at a comfort hotel. Yes, that's how you waffle. Mr. This script got a plot twist. At a Radisson hotel, the company's upscale.

02:00
Speaker 3
Properties are showing, quote, banner growth.

02:03
Speaker 5
The company said in a statement.

02:04
Speaker 3
It's opening nearly 20 new upscale properties and choices. Ascend hotel brands showed an 8% increase in revenue per available room last year. Overall, the company has roughly two dozen brands and 7500 properties worldwide. Of course, the company's big marketing play is not without precedent. In fact, it may have taken a page or two from its competitor, Hilton, which launched a mega marketing effort in rebranding two years back. Hilton's campaign, called quote for the stay, was focused on reliable hotel experiences, and its advertising included a similar mix of tv, radio and digital spots, Skift reports. And it seems to have worked. The company reported an increase in sales awareness and marketing share from the push, which was its largest in six years. In the first quarter alone, Hilton saw a roughly 11% increase in travelers considering its brand over the previous year.

02:58
Speaker 3
The company also launched an employee advertising campaign in an effort to attract new talent. Whether Choice's blitz will produce similar results.

03:06
Speaker 5
Remains to be seen, of course, but.

03:08
Speaker 3
There'S one audience waiting, perhaps a little more anxiously than the others. Choice's franchisees. The company's chief marketing officer, Noha Abdallah, told hotel Dive that franchisees expect the company to keep its brands top of mind with consumers and drive web traffic. That will result in direct bookings, which cost them less than third party booking sites. She says this campaign is an opportunity to shift customer perspectives about choice from.

03:34
Speaker 5
A midscale hotel company to one that.

03:37
Speaker 3
Has a hotel brand right for any customer. The choice team is hoping that the.

03:40
Speaker 5
Message is one that will stay with customers. From Wondery this is business awards daily. I'm your host, David Brown, written by Gwen Moran and produced by Jessica Yarmoski. Our executive producers are Tina Rubio and Marshall Louis.

04:09
Speaker 3
Hey, Prime members. You can listen to business wars daily ad free on Amazon Music. Download the Amazon Music app today, or you can listen ad free with Wondery plus in Apple Podcasts. Before you go, tell us about yourself by completing a short survey@wondry.com.

04:25
Speaker 2
Slash survey being an actual royal is never about finding your happy ending. But the worst part is, if they step out of line or fall in love with the wrong person, it changes.

04:36
Speaker 4
The course of history.

04:39
Speaker 2
I'm Arisha Skidmore Williams.

04:41
Speaker 4
And I'm Brooke Ziferen.

04:42
Speaker 2
We've been telling the stories of the rich and famous on the hit wondery show, even the rich, and talking about the latest celebrity news on rich and daily. We're going all over the world on our new show, even the royals.

04:54
Speaker 4
We'll be diving headfirst into the lives of the world's kings, queens and all the wannabes in their orbit throughout history. Think succession meets the crown meets real life.

05:03
Speaker 2
We're going to pull back the gilded curtain and show how royal status might be bright and shiny, but it comes at the expense of, well, everything else, like your freedom, your privacy and sometimes even your head.

05:15
Speaker 7
Follow even the royals on the wondery.

05:17
Speaker 2
App or wherever you get your podcast.

05:19
Speaker 7
You can listen to even the royals early and ad free right now by joining Wondery Plus.