Case Proposal by Branch PR Elizabeth King Greer Hunter Amy Vaccaro Tara Danels

Allison Weinstock

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TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction 2 GOST . 2 Programs 3 Key Publics 4 Services & Amenities 4 Publics & Media Consumption .. 5 Messages 7 Spokespeople . 8 Events 8 Timeline . 9 Budget 9 Appendix A .. 11

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INTRODUCTION Branch Public Relations is a team of five public relations professionals, each with a specific talent that made them an asset to this project. The team consists of Elizabeth King, President; Amy Vaccaro, Account Coordinator; Tara Danels, Research Coordinator; Allison Weinstock, Creative Director; and Greer Hunter, Event Coordinator. Together we created a seamless and effective public relations campaign for bringing Embassy Suites to China as Embassy by Hilton. Bringing Embassy to China is a difficult task because it involves a collecting a wealth of knowledge about both Chinese travelers and Western travelers and their specific needs in China, as well as the media both of these groups consume. The goal of this campaign was to balance Chinese culture and expectations with Western expectations to meet both of their needs. But by bringing the brand over to China, Embassy has the opportunity to greatly expand and be recognized as a leading hospitality brand in the 3rd largest traveling nation. To create this campaign, we did extensive research on the expectations of Chinese travelers and Western travelers, as well as the media both of these demographics consume. This helped us decide the important features that must be included in the hotel and also the ways in which we will issue our messages about Embassy by Hilton in China.

GOST Goal: (1) To become a leading hospitality brand for business travelers (2) To become a fabric of the Chinese hospitality community Objectives:

Educate business travelers about Embassy by Hilton accommodations and corporate programs within the first 6 months

Earn more than 30 million media impressions within one year of signing announcement Change attitudes about traveling to China among target publics by 30 percent within six

months of announcing new Embassy by Hilton hotels Have more than 150 influential U.S. businessmen and women attend the Grand Kickoff

Party during Winter 2015 Drive 500,000 visitors to the Embassy by Hilton website before opening the first hotel in

2019 Strategies:

Generate buzz about the Embassy by Hilton hotel properties Leverage social media to advertise and emphasize our comfortable, luxurious and family-

friendly experience Tactics:

Host Grand Kick-Off Party Cater Mini Launch Event Series Pitch to Journalists Distribute Press Release Announcing Grand Kick-Off Party

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Give VIP guests Kick-Off Party Favor (Includes a Chinese Hand Fan with Embassy logo) Write and share social media content using hashtags

PROGRAMS Experience Embassy Sweepstakes Sometimes business travelers end up spending more time in their room than exploring the surrounding city. For the first year, every business that stays at Embassy will be entered into a drawing to win a secondary discounted trip where they can bring up to three guests. This gives travelers the opportunity to spend more time in China and experience all it has to offer while sharing it with their family and friends. Corporate Retreat at Embassy Embassy by Hilton will have their own special program, where they will have the featured option to host the perfect corporate retreat in China. Embassy will work closely with the corporation to help with all the planning and scheduling throughout the retreat. From bonding activities to customized room decor for meetings at Embassys business center, Embassy caters directly to the companys needs. This saves the burden on businesses to plan it all on their own. To introduce the program, we suggest that Embassy by Hilton holds a drawing at the end of the first 6 months. Any business traveller who stays with Embassy by Hilton can enter his/her corporation into the drawing for an exclusive corporate retreat. The corporate retreat package could offer the winning corporation travellers rooms on a designated floor, complimentary Wi-Fi for the first 2 business days, 24/7 access to a designated business center and a half-day guided tour of scenic Boao, China. It is our intention that the corporate retreat drawing incentivizes our business traveller guests, from America, China and elsewhere, to become excited and familiar with the new Embassy by Hilton brand. After this stay, they will choose Embassy the next time they are traveling for business in China. Hilton HHonors At Embassy, we anticipate travelers needs and deliver what matters most. Embassy Suites hotels guests are welcomed with a two-room suite, free made-to-order breakfast each morning, and complimentary drinks and snacks for two hours every night. The Embassy by Hilton Boao, will offer similar services with the exception of breakfast. We suggest guests have the option to pre-order breakfast items to be stored in their refrigerator for the duration of their stay. The Hilton HHonors program is advantageous for business and luxury travelers who frequently fly to and stay in major cities in the United States, Europe and Asia. Members accumulate points by staying at Hilton hotels, dining at restaurants and using Hilton HHonors credit card. We suggest Embassy partner with Cathaway Pacific Airlinesa leading China and U.S. airline, to help guests get the most out of the trip. We have created a research-oriented and creatively driven media plan to help Hilton Worldwide successfully launch Embassy by Hilton hotels in China and beneficially connect with our target publics.

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KEY PUBLICS Target (primary) Publics:

American business travelers with an average income of 80-100k per year Chinese business travelers with an average income of 27,000 Yuans per year

o This includes family members of both American and Chinese business travelers Hilton HHonors members As loyal members, this public will definitely be intrigued by

new China properties and will want to be personally informed of all the new opportunities for them to continue to strengthen their relationship with Hilton.

Embassy Suites employees in both America and China International business travelers

Secondary Publics:

Hilton Worldwide employees Corporate companies that have factories in China

Intervening Publics:

American and Chinese media publications o Distributing messages to Chinese media needs to be adapted to their style

Political influencers Moderating Publics:

U.S. Government Chinese Government

o Department that oversees Chinese media censorship

SERVICES & AMENITIES

Embassy by Hilton has announced that their new Embassy by Hilton Boao will include a three-zone room design: (1) a relaxation / work section, (2) a sleeping area, (3) a bathroom. A convertible sofa will be situated in the relaxation / work section of the room so families can turn the space into a sleeping area for children. Complimentary evening reception will be served daily, offering guests local snacks and refreshments. The hotel will feature an all-day dining restaurant, a Chinese restaurant and a lounge bar. It will also include a business center, fitness center, indoor & outdoor swimming pools and a car parking facility. The Embassy by Hilton in Boao will embrace the Make a Difference internal culture that all Embassy branches uphold, where all employees will deliver gracious, engaging and caring acts of customer service that are market appropriate. Aside from the amenities and services already announced, were recommending some others based on secondary travelers research for both Western and Chinese travelers, as well as the interviews we conducted with American business travelers. These include: Amenities

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Wi-Fi Cable TV with Western and Chinese channels & TV guides Spa Air conditioning Proper outlet in the bathroom for hair dryer

Services Highly fluent, multilingual staff at front desk / concierge Daily maid service Fresh towels, if requested

o Could implement a sustainability program for HHonors members: each day a member declines a fresh towel they get an HHonors point. There would be no negative effect if the guest asked for a fresh towel each day, but it would encourage guests to reuse their towels

PUBLICS & MEDIA CONSUMPTION The American Business Traveler Pitched Media: these trips are planned way in advance, so we will implement a consistent flow of campaign media to ensure that Embassy by Hilton is the home away from home for these travelers. We will gain stories in media through the unique and creative events and employee outreach that we do while installing Embassy by Hilton in China. Embassy by Hilton ads will be gained by pitching our events and media to television, radio, print and out of home outlets. Hilton will be able to target this primary public by connecting with them via all possible media channels at specifically planned times. The business traveler loves print and tablet news. Our target public actively consumes traditional media but is steadily adopting mobile technology. We want a constant presence on the Wall Street Journal so we will place stories continuously throughout the campaign to maximize impressions. We will pitch stories to the following media sources:

Wall Street Journal, Forbes Over 30 million total impressions within the course of a year

Television

The Travel Channel, ABC News (primetime) About 450,000 impressions.

Radio

Traditional radio to reach the older, slower-adopting target market which is our main public.

AM and PM drive day We will pitch our events and the release of Embassy by Hilton in China to the following cities. These cities were chosen based on a CNN article that features the longest commuter travel times. (Leopold, 2015)

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New York (39+ minutes) Chicago (33+ minutes) Philadelphia (31+ minutes) Washington, D.C. (29+ minutes) Los Angeles & San Francisco (29+ minutes)

Social media

Facebook Twitter

The pie chart on the next page depicts the outlets that we will pitch to and hope to gain coverage from:

The Chinese Traveler Over 500 million Chinese citizens are online, making up a quarter of all social network users in the world. However, notable American sites are partially or completed censored in China, such as Facebook, Twitter, Vimeo and YouTube. For this reason, it is extremely important to target popular Chinese platforms and get them to cover our events and Embassy by Hilton debut in China. We will try to work closely with the Chinese Wall Street Journal, as it is an organization we work closely with in the states and is a newspaper in line with Hiltons values. Copycat platforms

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RenRen (famous equivalent: Facebook) o In April 2011, the company announced it had reached 31 million active users and

filed to raise $584 million in a U.S. IPO. Sina Weibo (famous equivalent: Twitter)

o Popular microblogging service in China o 250 million registered users as of October 2011

Youku (famous equivalent: YouTube) Bloggers in China are using Chinese services like Sina and Sohu as their host and publishing platform. Some of these blogs arent subdomain blogs, so their Google PR ranking is common and shared with the main domain. We will use our Chinese employees to help us reach out to Chinese bloggers in the two blog sites:

Hsus Blog 1.9 billion hits De day 1.1 billion hits

The Chinese traveler is extremely focused on traveling with family members, as seen in the photo below from a Hotels.com 2014 survey. For this reason, we will create a message that strongly supports Embassy by Hiltons appeal to the business traveler and their family. For both of our American and Chinese we want to focus on blogging and vlogging. This can reach all of our publics via consumer outreach. Also, our main public is extremely digital and focuses on gaining information from online sources since they are always on-the-go. We will invite both American and Chinese bloggers to our Embassy by Hilton locations in China. We will give them a complimentary one week stay at Embassy by Hilton in China in return that they blog about their daily experience. They will blog about the services and amenities, the Chinese-specific experience at Embassy by Hilton and the design of our hotel. They will use hashtags that go along with our key theme and messages.

MESSAGES

Even though you came for business, it feels like a vacation. Come for business, feel at home. Our brand identity will be different, but our brand standards will not be. Business travelers will benefit from the three-zone room design where they can relax

and work in a specially designated space separate from the main sleeping area. Families in the leisure-travel segment can easily divide the room into two distinct areas of privacy by using the living zone as an additional sleeping area, with its convertible sofa.

We are witnessing exponential growth in both international and domestic travel throughout Asia Pacific and are excited to introduce the Embassy by Hilton brand to a new audience of travelers in China, one of our most important markets outside of the United States, said Francis Lee, senior vice president, Development, Greater China, Hilton Worldwide.

As Hilton HHonors members, you can value and appreciate our customer service and progress to continuously make Hilton Worldwide a better company. Join us in our newest venture, as we develop our presence in China with Embassy Suites by Hilton.

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SPOKESPEOPLE The previous messages will be stated by both Embassy by Hilton and Hilton Worldwide employees. We have chosen to do this because we think that these employees will not only be familiar for American and Chinese travelers, but they will directly influence the feelings of Hilton Worldwide and Embassy by Hilton internal employees. The following choices of spokespeople will have credibility within their organizations and many employees will be on board with what these senior employees are saying. We will use these employees to state our messages:

John Rogers Global Head, Embassy Suites Hotels Francis Lee, senior vice president, Development, Greater China, Hilton Worldwide Chris Nasetta, CEO of Hilton Worldwide

EVENTS Kick-Off Party

On April 30, 2015, Hilton worldwide announced its signing agreement with Syncept Invest Group Co. Ltd., to open the first Chinese Embassy by Hilton in Boao, China. To officially celebrate this new endeavor, Embassy by Hilton will host a Grand Kick-Off Party in December 2015. At The Kick-Off Party, John Rogers, Global Head of Embassy by Hilton, will educate guests about what to expect from Embassy by Hilton, China.

The party will be branded with the distinct campaign logo. Additionally, VIP guests will receive a branded tote bag, stuffed with a list of Embassy by Hiltons amenities, services, campaign programs, sample room renderings and photos from the future site. At the party, guests will enjoy cuisine that will be offered in the hotel from both the Chinese restaurant and the westernized all day dining restaurant.

It is our intention that the Kick-Off party will give media a story opportunity and that the party favor will provide them with the materials they need to publish a thorough and visually appealing publication. We also hope that the Kick-Off Party will help to establish and introduce business partnership opportunities between Embassy by Hilton and American corporations that frequently travel to China.

Mini Launch Events & Corporate Retreat Drawing After the hotel opens in 2019, our campaign will consist of a series of mini events. To show our appreciation for new customers and their business, we will host mini cocktail parties for every corporation that sends groups of 12 or more employees to stay at the Embassy by Hilton. At the cocktail party, each guest will enjoy a complimentary drink and will be entered into a drawing for a free spa service of their choosing. The mini events will be hosted during the first 6 months of opening to celebrate all the corporations that choose Embassy by Hilton for their stay.

In addition to the mini events, we suggest that Embassy by Hilton will hold a drawing at the end of the first 6 months. Any business traveller who stays with Embassy by Hilton can enter his/her corporation into the drawing for an exclusive corporate retreat. The corporate retreat package could offer the winning corporation travellers rooms on a designated floor,

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complimentary Wi-Fi for the first 2 business days, 24/7 access to a designated business center and a half-day guided tour of scenic Boao, China.

It is our intention that the corporate retreat drawing incentivizes our business traveller guests, from America, China and elsewhere, to become excited and familiar with the new Embassy by Hilton brand. Thank You, Employee Appreciation Day In Summer 2019, we suggest that Embassy by Hilton host an Employee Appreciation Day. The internal holiday will celebrate all the employees at the Embassy by Hilton, Boao. Employees will have the luxury of enjoying the hotel facilities as a guest normally would. After the morning shift, employees can enjoy lunch or dinner, cocktails, the business center, the pool, fitness center and select spa services.

It is important to acknowledge our employees effort and dedication to the smooth operations of the new hotel. Furthermore, Embassy by Hilton can increase employee understanding of the brand if employees have experienced for themselves all the hotel has to offer. With increased knowledge of the brand and its amenities, Embassy by Hilton employees will consequently deliver the best version of customer service. They will be able to communicate to guests how the amenities are offered, and what to expect from different features and services. This internal holiday will yield good public relations results both internally and externally.

TIMELINE

April 2015: Announce signing agreement with Syncept Investment Group, Co. Ltd. December 2015: Celebrate first signing, Grand Kick Off party January 2016-2019: Continue to announce the other signing agreements Fall 2018: Begin mini launch event series & start raffle for corporate retreat Spring 2019: Thank You - Embassy by Hilton Employee Appreciation Day

BUDGET

Expenses Cost

Vendors (Equipment Rentals) 15,000

Catering 10,000

Giveaways 25,000

Print materials (newsletters, press and media kit) 34,000

Media List Subscriptions 22,000

Printing 18,000

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Show Appearances 75,000

Article Space in National Papers 30,000

Photographer for kick-off event 5,500

Press Conference 12,000

Mini Launch Event Series 125,000

Professional Services 72,000

Media Training 6,000

Corporate Retreat Features 30,000

Grand Kickoff Event 120,000

Blogger Outreach 50,000

Meals 6,000

Press Releases 4,000

Total Budget 659,000

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APPENDIX A

SWOT Strengths

Embassy Suites has a strong client base in the U.S. that it can bring to China In 2014, Embassy Suites ranked in the Top 10 most sought after leading luxury hotel

brands Worldwide Weaknesses

Embassy is a new brand in China, unknown to the public Embassy will have to compete with other higher-end American-based hotels that are

already established o People who travel to China already and like where they normally stay are going to

be resistant to going somewhere else Embassy will have to differentiate themselves from their Waldorf brand Chinese government cannot stay at any hotels nicer than a 4-star

Opportunities Embassy will gain positive global recognition in China Partner with big name corporations that frequently travel to China (i.e. Nike, Apple, etc.) Chinese interest in luxury hotels increased the most (39%) among countries worldwide in

2014 The total number of airports in China is due to expand from 175 in 2010 to 230 in 2015

Threats Entering a differing cultural market with different customs, expectations and norms Changing name from Embassy Suites to Embassy by Hilton might confuse American

travelers Balancing Chinese- and Western-oriented services / amenities to please all customers

RESEARCH

SECONDARY RESEARCH In devising this campaign, our team followed a series of logical steps known as RPIE (Research, Planning, Implementation, Evaluation). We conducted secondary research to get a better understanding of the travel and hotel market in China. We did this through school databases and Google scholar to find the best articles and information on the overarching general topic. This informed us of what is already known and what new data we will need to determine through primary research. First, we set to determine successful hotels in China and what they do to maintain success. Because Embassy Suites hasnt been opened in China yet, we were unable to analyze their current strengths and weaknesses so we looked to already established hotels. Four Seasons Beijing attracts tourists with their special features from fine wedding services to traditional Chinese medicine treatments (Wangru, 2014). Even with the heavily competitive market for luxury hotels in China, Four Seasons thrives by providing the highest quality services and acquiring an understanding of Beijing and local communities. They have created a loyal customer base while earning multiple recognition awards in top travel magazines.

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According to the Global Post, American companies that succeeded in China have one thing in common they attempt to fit into Chinese custom and culture. The article also determined that companies that failed were unsuccessful for a host of reasons, including timing, lack of flexibility, unwillingness to localize and learn about the Chinese culture and market needs. China Daily reviewed the W hotel in Hong Kong and found that it thrives on mixing modern design with local influences, providing a work and leisure environment. People are attracted to the hotel because of its multi-purpose nature and their ability to transform the hotel from day-to-day business meetings to parties at night. The Ws success also comes from the commitment of their general manager, Peter Hildebrand. He has gone out of his way to speak the Chinese language and learn the culture to be able to successfully converse with customers. The Regalia Hotel Group in China was a 2014 Luxury Hotel Awards Winner for being a successful luxury brand. They earned this title by adding the Regalia Resort and Spa as a new dimension to their hotel in China. Regalia Resort and Spa became the first Luxury Resort Brand in China, which has contributed to their fast growing success as a luxury resort hotel brand. It is well loved for its timeless appeal, blending into the serene ambiance of Suzhous famous Jinji Lake. Next we researched intercultural communications in China. According to Public Relations Review: Soft power and public diplomacy, culture and mass communication play a significant role in shaping the dialogue between organizations and publics in different countries in general, and between the US and China in particular. For countries with differences in political, economic and cultural systems, the best way to influence public opinion is to increase mutual understanding and respect of differences through positive media messages, and to encourage more cultural, educational and business exchange between countries. This study found that television news remains the most common source of information for most people across these societies. In the EU, US and China, TV news comes from national networks and reaches viewers across the countries with national and local news content adapted in each market. Lastly, we looked into The Public Relations Review study on how American and Chinese employees perceive the effectiveness of communication between them and what kinds of communication barriers they have encountered. Interviews with 42 employees from 28 multinational organizations operating in North China were conducted. Findings show that about one-third of the participants were satisfied with their intercultural communication at work, and others considered their intercultural communication somewhat effective or not effective. Regardless of their degrees of satisfaction, all participants reported some barriers to intercultural communication. Major barriers include language barriers, face concern, different thinking patterns, different communication styles, lack of shared knowledge, and inefficient organizational structures. PRIMARY RESEARCH To further explore what travelers are looking for in hotels abroad, we conducted a purposive online survey of 122, 18 to 69 year olds. We selected this demographic because our primary public are business travelers with and without families. Our survey asked the following yes/no and open-ended questions:

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Which demographic best describes you? Do you travel regularly for business, leisure or both? Have you been to Asia? Have you visited China and/or are you interested in visiting China? When you travel to China or elsewhere, do you like to stay in hotels that are brands

youve stayed in before? Locally owned? United States-based hotels? No preference? Are you enrolled in a hotel rewards program? In your previous traveling experiences abroad or in China, What inconveniences, if any

did you experience? What services are important to you in a hotel? Do you use babysitters/concierge business rooms when staying at a hotel? Which are

most important to you? Key findings from our survey include:

57% of respondents are interested in visiting China, but have not done so. 45% prefer to stay at hotel brands they are familiar with and 42% prefer staying at U.S

based hotels. 61% are not enrolled in a rewards program and only 15% are enrolled in Hilton HHonors. 15 out of 75 responses said that a language barrier is their main issue when traveling

abroad. 46% of 99 responses suggest that cleanliness is the most important factor when choosing

a hotel. 73% said that they use the concierge and feel that it is a very important factor

Our survey results helped us conclude that we need to have excellent cleaning and customer service featured in Embassy Suites. It also informed us that promoting the Hilton HHonors awards is necessary to bring in returning customers. This presented an opportunity for us to perform additional research by interviewing business travelers who have been to China. In addition to the survey, we interviewed the following people:

Robert Frier, manager at MetLabs Paula Hyde, product designer for Sperry Top Sider Kate, designer for Sperry Top Sider David Nau, VP of product development for Sperry Top Sider

Here are some of our key findings: Business travelers tend to stay up to two weeks at a time American travelers prefer to stay in more Westernized hotels Staying in a nice hotel with quality service is crucial when going abroad Women feel it is necessary to have a full-service spa as China is famous for good

hospitality Our interview results conclude that hotels in China provide a higher level of service than the states. The hotels in China also provide a higher level of personal service. Our interviewees indicated that China generally seems to have more staff than in the US. There is normally a concierge 24/7 around to open the door from the outside, someone else as a greeter inside and

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sometimes someone who will escort you to the elevator and push the button. All of the employees refer to you by first name and are conscious of keeping the hotels spotless. Since business travelers are out of the U.S. for long periods of time, having fresh towels, nice quality machines, easy Wi-Fi access and above average gym facilities are all important. Westerners also look for hotels that have a good business meeting atmosphere and high quality drink menus. A top tier wine list is important because business trips are part of the drinking culture. Business travelers expect to be able to conduct business meetings with alcoholic beverages in the hotel lobby. Hotels gear their lobbies to a business person by creating a lounge environment with big windows and piano players.

PUBLICS & MEDIA CONSUMPTION The American Business Traveler The business traveler loves print and tablet news. Our target public actively consumes traditional media but is steadily adopting mobile technology. We want a constant presence on the Wall Street Journal so we will place stories continuously throughout the campaign to maximize impressions. We will pitch stories to the following media sources:

Wall Street Journal, Forbes Over 30 million total impressions within the course of a year

A chart, shown on the following page, depicts news sources and their level of trust with the public.

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Source: Pew Research Center Radio

Traditional radio to reach the older, slower-adopting target market which is our main public.

AM and PM drive day We will pitch our events and the release of Embassy by Hilton in China to the following cities. These cities were chosen based on a CNN article that features the longest commuter travel times. (Leopold, 2015)

New York (39+ minutes)

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Chicago (33+ minutes) Philadelphia (31+ minutes) Washington, D.C. (29+ minutes) Los Angeles & San Francisco (29+ minutes)

Social media

Facebook o Older target o Estimated audience: Over 2,000,000

Twitter The Chinese Traveler Over 500 million Chinese citizens are online, making up a quarter of all social network users in the world. However, notable American sites are partially or completed censored in China, such as Facebook, Twitter, Vimeo and YouTube. For this reason, it is extremely important to target popular Chinese platforms and get them to cover our events and Embassy by Hilton debut in China. We will try to work closely with the Chinese Wall Street Journal, as it is an organization we work closely with in the states and is a newspaper in line with Hiltons values. Copycat platforms

RenRen (famous equivalent: Facebook) o In April 2011, the company announced it had reached 31 million active users and

filed to raise $584 million in a U.S. IPO. Sina Weibo (famous equivalent: Twitter)

o Popular microblogging service in China o 250 million registered users as of October 2011

Youku (famous equivalent: YouTube) Bloggers in China are using Chinese services like Sina and Sohu as their host and publishing platform. Some of these blogs arent subdomain blogs, so their Google PR ranking is common and shared with the main domain. We will use our Chinese employees to help us reach out to Chinese bloggers in the two blog sites:

Hsus Blog 1.9 billion hits De day 1.1 billion hits

The Chinese traveler is extremely focused on traveling with family members, as seen in the infographic on the following page from a Hotels.com 2014 survey. For this reason, we will create a message that strongly supports Embassy by Hiltons appeal to the business traveler and their family.

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