Simplified yet spirited, fresh and vibrant: At its core, Tru by Hilton is a brand unlike anything the hotel industry has ever seen, breaking the mold at every turn. Tru by Hilton’s statement-making entrance into the midscale hotel sector kick-started its unprecedented growth. Hilton knew that the extraordinary brand needed to be celebrated in Tru-spirit when its first property opened. The time had come for the concept to become a reality.
In order to make a splash and continue the brand’s impressive momentum, Hilton wanted to leverage the grand opening as a moment in time to reach key stakeholders with messages about the brand’s innovation: Hilton’s organic growth and achieving a milestone of 5,000 open hotels.
To execute a Tru-ly different grand opening event, Padilla needed to celebrate what sets Tru apart. We created a plan to drive interest from target markets in tandem with a comprehensive media strategy to tell every story angle around Tru.
Padilla told more than eight story angles around Tru with national and local business, lifestyle and travel media. The team worked to field interviews leading up to the opening, host 10-15 journalists on-site, and offer advance access to Hilton leadership to national business media.
Coverage appeared on coveted business outlets, including CNBC and CHEDDAR TV. In total, 17 local, 14 trade and eight top-tier stories – including in USA Today and The Wall Street Journal – brought in more than 527 million impressions overall. Coverage of the opening generated 3.5 million impressions via Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram and Twitter.
Back