Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott is
launching a multifaceted ad campaign including a return to TV after a six-year hiatus.
Creative is intended to demonstrate the ways business travelers can depend on the hotels to stay
productive on the road and simplify their lives. The campaign -- featuring the tagline "Let's Get it Done" -- includes home video ads, cable TV placements, online video and paid search. TV will run in
both 30- and 15-second versions as well as a Spanish-language version.
Cable TV buys include The Weather Channel and online placements include USAToday.com, Newsweek.com, Bloomberg
Businessweek.com, and YahooNews.com, as well as the Delta In-flight network and CNN Airport Network.
Kathleen Coney, director, brand marketing, Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott, shares some
insight about the campaign with Marketing Daily:
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Q: Why did you decide to return to TV after a six-year hiatus? Why now?
A: We felt it was critical to tell the story
about the brand in an emotionally engaging way and we know TV/video is one of the best vehicles to drive home that sort of message. The brand is Marriott International's fastest-growing brand in North
America, so we believed it was important to showcase the brand in the most impactful way.
Q: Who is Fairfield Inn targeting with this effort and is it a different target than previous
efforts?
A: The target audience is the frequent business traveler known as the "Resourceful Achiever." They are the real unsung heroes of business travel. They are unselfish
conscientious performers who have an innate sense of responsibility and accountability to do a good job -- both to themselves and others who depend on them. They are out there to do their absolute
best. For their company and for their own sense of accomplishment. They are self-sufficient and resourceful. They are highly pragmatic and know what they need from a hotel to ensure that they are able
to be productive on the road. This is not a new target for the brand, but we are reaching them in a new way, with a more emotionally engaging campaign.
Q: What is Fairfield Inn's current
demographic, and are you hoping to expand it with the new effort?
A: The current demographic is a mix of value-conscious frequent business travelers (predominantly males, higher-income
and education level) and leisure travelers. With this new effort, we are not expanding the current demographic, but telling the story of Fairfield Inn & Suites (FIS) in a new way that may appeal to
value-conscious travelers who may not normally consider staying at FIS.
Q: I'm wondering if you can talk a little about the tagline. What was Fairfield Inn's previous tagline? What is the new
tagline meant to evoke?
A: The previous tagline was "Staying is Believing." We evolved the campaign and the tagline in an effort to share the message that when there's a lot riding on
our guests' shoulders, there's a lot riding on ours, and we're in it together. The new tagline "Let's Get it Done" is meant to evoke a call to action -- we know there's a lot to get done when our
target is traveling for business. We share that responsibility and accountability. We are a team, in it together, supporting our business travelers on the road whether it's with helpful 24/7 staff,
free Wifi or free breakfast.
Q: Where else will the spots be aired (channels/programming) besides the Weather Channel?
A: The campaign is integrated across impactful video
channels: The Weather Channel, CNN Airport Network, Delta in-flight, online video, USA Today.com and mobile sites, via iAd.