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Blog
Hoteliers Loving Online Video
August 9, 2007
This summer has seen a flood of video-based contests from hotel companies. I’m a member of the “YouTube Generation,” and even I think this is getting a little out of hand. Then again, I don’t fancy myself an amateur cinematographer.
The latest contest comes from the AmericInn chain, which competes in the mid-scale without F&B segment. “Inspired by the outrageous stories travelers tell about their experiences with noisy hotel rooms,” AmericInn’s Web-based contest calls for travelers to submit bizarre and humorous tales of noisy, unruly and disturbing hotel neighbors to the contest’s dedicated site, YourNoisyNeighbor.com—after first uploading it to YouTube, of course.
One of AmericInn’s key marketing points is the “SoundGuard” construction at its properties, so the theme is no coincidence. Weekly winners, based on audience voting, receive US$100 gift cards and are eligible for the grand prize package that includes a US$5,000 gift card, a pair of noise-cancellation headphones and a set of soothing sounds CDs.
The AmericInn contest comes on the heels of similar contests by Global Hyatt and Marriott International. Hyatt’s Ultimate Adventure Challenge solicited videos illustrating children’s passion for adventure. Five finalists were selected and are currently involved in a reality TV-style competition, with the vote-winning champion to receive 50 nights at Hyatt resort properties. Marriott’s YouTube-hosted Eco-Cation contest, which ran from April to June, was a bit of a flop, with just two submissions posted, despite a grand prize of a 5-night stay at Los Suenos Marriott Ocean & Golf Resort in Costa Rica.
It is not just YouTube-style contests that are whetting hotel marketers’ appetites, though. Two hotel companies have recently launched competitions wherein participants rearrange pre-made movie clips to form their own quasi-original film. La Quinta Inns & Suites announced its contest this week, tying it into the brand’s new “Wake Up On the Bright Side” ad campaign. Guests are invited to “show their optimism by creating a video using La Quinta’s video clips and adding ‘bright side’ captions,” as found on the dedicated site, WakeUpOnTheBrightSide.com. The winner gets a 5-night stay, airfare and an undisclosed sum of “spending money.”
Palace Resorts announced its movie clip contest a month ago, targeting events planners, who are portrayed as heroes that save the day. The faux cinema features events planners keeping their meetings running smoothly, despite mishaps and unruly attendees. The prize, not surprisingly, is a free stay at a Palace property. The contest site prominently promotes Palace’s newest properties, Moon Palace Casino, Golf & Spa Resort in the Dominican Republic and Isla Mujeres Palace in Mexico.
No word yet on whether the folks at Hilton will launch their own home movie contest, but the hunch here is that they shy away from that one …
Posted by Adam Kirby on August 9, 2007 | Comments (0)