Innisbrook Resort and Golf Club
Tampa, Florida
Promotion: Mulligan Day Package
Who knew 17 October is National Mulligan Day, a day to honor the second chances or “do-overs” that some sportspeople receive?
Matt Owen, director of corporate public relations for Salamander Hospitality, which owns Innisbrook Resort, found out about this unusual holiday and wondered if he could tie it into a roomnight and golf package at the resort.
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| Guests who booked with the Mulligan Day Package received an additional round of golf for free. |
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“We used a traditional golf package that we already had built, which included an overnight stay and a round of golf,” Owen said.
For the weekend of 17 October, guests who booked the Mulligan Day Package received an additional free round of golf, representing a “do-over” for golfers. Rates started at US$129 per night. In addition, golfers who purchased a bucket of golf balls received another bucket for free.
The resort’s restaurants, bars and spa got involved with specials such as “buy one, get one free Mulligan-tinis” and “buy one 60-minute spa treatment, get a 60-minute treatment free.” While around 10 Mulligan Day packages were sold, “we weren’t just targeting people to stay overnight. The offers were attractive to the local market and our members who live on the property,” Owen said.
Innisbrook also got sports fans hyped about Mulligan Day with a dedicated Web site and poll about a month prior to the holiday. The site asked people to vote on the greatest sports mishaps in history that deserved a “do-over,” and over 100 people participated. Sportsmulligans.com also directed visitors to Innisbrook’s Facebook and Twitter pages, and included an RSS feed of Innisbrook news.
“We wanted more Facebook fans, Twitter followers and press room traffic. Those numbers spiked, and we are pleased, because we spent very little money,” Owen said. The campaign was primarily marketed via public relations efforts. Local newspapers, wire services such as Reuters, and golf blogs and publications also picked up the unique story.
Joie de Vivre
San Francisco, California
Promotion: Third Night Free and Joie of Life
Celebrating the joy of life and the things that make guests happy is proving beneficial for Joie de Vivre, a chain of 35 boutique hotels in California.
Starting 20 October, the chain began its Joie of Life campaign that includes a third night free when guests book two nights, a photo contest, a Joie of Life microsite with e-cards at www.joieoflife.com, and weekly last-minute specials via mobile phone, Facebook and Twitter.
“We felt like we ourselves could use a bit of a lift because of the challenging times. We are getting back to what Joie de Vivre is: celebrating the joy of life,” said Ann Nadeau, corporate director of marketing for JDV Hotels.
The microsite is meant to be a fun, interactive experience, where guests can submit thoughts on what “joie” means to them, send e-cards to friends and family, and enter the “Jump for Joie” photo contest. The contest asks guests to submit photos of themselves and others “jumping for joy”, and the winning photo will be chosen by popular vote.
JDV e-mailed the promotion to its expansive database of past guests and 40,000 loyalty members, who received early access to the site and the ability to book the “third night free” early.
“This is a low-budget, local, grassroots promotion. We wanted it to feel like those who are in the know will spread the word,” Nadeau said. In addition to the Web site and public relations efforts, JDV bought some banner advertising on local newspaper Web sites.
While JDV has run the Third Night Free during fall and winter months during the past three years, this year’s promotion is likely to be the most successful, according to Nadeau. “We were very surprised how successful it was with early bookings. We are trying to bring some of the sprit of fun, which is resonating with guests, and the third night free offer hits a sweet spot,” Nadeau said.
JDV’s use of social media this year, compared to previous years, is also heightening the campaign’s effectiveness. JDV started running social network specials this summer by offering discounts on “Twitter Tuesdays” and “Facebook Fridays.” The weekly specials, offered by varying JDV hotels, have been so successful, JDV brought them back for fall and winter. “We have had 1,000 guestrooms booked (from Facebook and Twitter) since May,” Nadeau said.
