Hilton Strikes a High Note
Hilton is looking for a few younger travelers.
The chain is giving guests a golden key upon check-in that could open a special box in the hotel’s lobby.
Five grand-prize winners whose keys open the box will find two tickets to the 49th Annual Grammy Awards, scheduled for Feb. 11 in Los Angeles. The prize includes round-trip airfare, hotel accommodations and ground transportation for two.
The promotion is running at more than 230 hotels through Jan. 7 targeting 25- to 49-year-olds.
“It is designed to generate not only excitement and awareness for the brand’s association with the Grammy’s, but also to broaden Hilton’s appeal to a younger and evolving demographic of emerging travelers,” says Abby Spatz, senior director of brand marketing and advertising, Hilton.
GMR Marketing, New Berlin, WI, is handling the campaign, supported by print ads in USA Today, online banner ads at People.com, Billboard.com, Eonline.com and Mapquest.com, as well as other Web partners.
Hilton is spending more than $1 billion to bring in a younger guest as part of “re-ignition campaign.” The effort includes sprucing up in-room and property amenities.
As part of the effort, the chain has partnered in a recent ad campaign with emerging music artists like Vassy, Ben Folds, James Blunt, Jason Mraz and Persephone’s Bees. And a national competition run by Hilton to search for the next emerging artist found grand-prize winner Nick Benos from Chicago. He was flown to Los Angeles in late November for a personal meeting with an executive at Atlantic Records and to meet Blunt backstage during a private concert at The Beverly Hilton.
“We’re strong believers that music is an important part in everyone’s personal journey, which is one of the reasons we’ve partnered with emerging artists,” Spatz says.
Hilton has also been on tour with a grand piano that is being signed by music stars. It began collecting the signatures backstage at the Grammys last February, including those of Bruce Springsteen, Stevie Wonder and Bonnie Raitt. For every artist who autographs the Harmony Piano, Hilton donates $1,000 to the Grammy Foundation to support its music education programs.
The nine-city Hilton Harmony tour has passed through San Francisco, New Orleans, Austin, TX, Memphis, TN, Chicago, Washington, DC, New York and Las Vegas with a grand finale set for Los Angeles in February. As part of the tour, Hilton team members, local schools, artists and Recording Academy chapters are providing music lessons and private concerts for local students at select Hilton properties.
The company’s initial goal was to raise $100,000, but seven months into the program, it surpassed that mark. To date, the piano boasts 106 signatures worth $106,000 in donations for music education. Hilton also donates an additional $1,000 directly to the music program at each of its partner schools.
Following the 49th Annual Grammy Awards, Hilton will work with Sotheby’s and Julien’s Auctions to put the Hilton Harmony Piano up for auction, with all the proceeds benefiting the Grammy Foundation. The live auction will take place in Los Angeles with an online bidding component for fans nationwide.
