• by Aaron Baar , September 10, 2015

Actions do speak louder than words, but sometimes those words are needed to draw attention to the actions behind them. 

Sheraton Hotels & Resorts is launching a new, $100 million multi-channel marketing effort centered on the line “Where actions speak louder,” to point out the improvements it has made and will make over the next five years to its facilities and brand. The effort, which will include the brand’s first television advertising in nearly a decade, is intended to show off the brand’s renewed focus on service, upgraded look and new products and services. 

“We’re changing, and we want our guests to recognize this,” Dave Marr, global brand leader for Sheraton, tells Marketing Daily. “We’re working hard to improve our service, offer new and exciting products, and elevate the guest experience overall. This campaign is also a signal to our associates that we’re serious about change. We want to light the fire from within.”

The effort kicks off a five-year plan to showcase Sheraton as a leading global hotel brand, Marr says. The plan, called Sheraton 2020, includes a new lobby menu, enhanced Starwood Preferred Guest promotions and revamped mobile and websites.

“[Sheraton 2020] serves as an internal philosophy; something that Sheraton associates will live by daily, as well as a standard of service and innovation that guests will learn to expect from the brand,” Marr says. “The tagline stems from a foundational truth in the service business that what you do is just as important as what you say.”

The new effort showcases those improvements as a pledge to consumers. Print ads, with photos shot by Mark Seliger, are intended to show off a modern sensibility highlighting aspects of guest experiences, such as a “Paired” food and beverage program, updated meeting spaces and the premium Sheraton Club.

The new television spot will begin airing on Sept. 21. The commercial, from Marcel New York, follows a Sheraton employee doing the things that make a difference to their customers, from helping a woman traveling alone zip up the final bit of her dress to weighing in on a tie choice for a man attending a gala event.

“We felt it was important have a presence on a far-reaching medium to make a statement about the transformation of Sheraton,” Marr says. “TV offers a broad, powerful platform to reach our target audience with our message. It provides a dynamic medium that allows for storytelling and demonstrates action.”

The print advertising has begun running in publications such as The Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Fortune, Forbes, The Sydney Morning Herald and Shanghai Morning Post. It will also run in B2B titles such as Travel Weekly, Meetings & Conventions and Business Travel News. The television commercial will run on major networks such as ABC, ESPN and CNN, as well as in guest rooms throughout the chain’s network. A digital campaign, video and banner ads, is also planned for sites such as YouTube, AOL and Facebook. The campaign will also include loyalty program and partner promotions, guest events, consumer activations and new product and program launches, Marr says.