HOTELS

Derek Gale

Sheraton On A Marketing Roll
February 27, 2008

Sheraton seems to be a brand on a marketing mission.

First, late last year, the brand started a worldwide pillow fight online. “It’s all about connecting with consumers and potential consumers,” explained Jeff Mirman, director of interactive marketing for the brand. “We feel it’s a fun way to get our brand across.”

Then, earlier this month, Sheraton announced the rollout of new signature room amenities in its North America properties, including Bliss bath amenities, Starbucks coffee and Tazo tea. “We know quality bath products and premium brands of coffee and tea are important to our guests, the road warriors,” said Hoyt Harper II, the brand’s senior vice president.

You’d think that would be enough action for a while, but no. Focusing on the U.S. market, the brand today announced that it is teaming up with CBS Sports and the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) as an official NCAA corporate partner, and in doing so will launch new television and Web-based marketing campaigns, including the “world’s largest online wave” for sports fans.

Mirman sees sports leagues and associations like the NCAA as natural fits to be Sheraton’s marketing partners, because such organizations breed rabid fans who are deeply loyal to their teams, much in the same way the hotel brand aims to establish core customers with strong brand loyalty.

So beginning March 11, www.sheraton.com/NCAA will feature video clips of fans who have filmed and uploaded their own versions of “the wave.” The clips will be linked together to form one massive wave of fans showing their college team spirit.

Sheraton also will sponsor NCAA March Madness on Demand®, the online video player that provides live streaming video of all 64 games of the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship.

But that’s not all. With a seemingly endless appetite for strategic partnerships (which brand executives say are being formed to differentiate the guest experience), Sheraton also has engaged U.S. television network Showtime. That alliance provides guests access to several Showtime original series in advance of their network premieres.

The latest announcement on that front is that Sheraton will celebrate the second season of Showtime series, “The Tudors,” by providing a sneak preview of the season premier episode for guests in more than 50,000 hotel rooms across the country beginning March 16 (the episode does not debut on Showtime until March 30). Sheraton also will host the world premiere screening event for the series at the Sheraton New York Hotel and Towers on March 19.

The Showtime partnership, one of several such alliances, is a part of Sheraton’s larger in-room entertainment Scene@Sheraton initiative, which involves relationships with other entertainment brands like Sony BMG Music Entertainment to bring guests special access to popular and sometimes exclusive content.

Posted by Derek Gale on February 27, 2008 | Comments (0)