#SocMedSleepover wins international award for the Best Integrated Digital Campaign
Hotels Magazine has named the #SocMedSleepover as the Best Integrated Digital Campaign in the 2013 Social Hotel Awards.
In what is believed to be a first for any hotel in Australia, The Terrace Hotel held a Social Media Sleepover, hash tagged #SocMedSleepover, which brought a cross section of social media influencers together to celebrate the launch of a luxury hotel, bar and restaurant.
Promotion of the #SocMedSleepover began in February 2012 with the event scheduled to occur in late April 2012; building delays caused to the event to be rescheduled to an indefinite date in late 2012.
The Terrace Hotel is located in a heritage-listed building that had stood empty for over 10 years and as such there was considerable interest in the redevelopment. Social media became an indispensable medium for communication with the public especially once the building delays set in and deadlines were pushed back. The social media channels for The Terrace Hotel had been in place for almost 6 months when the #SocMedSleepover campaign began and had a very devoted following.
Through the #SocMedSleepover we wanted to select a cross section of people to come and experience what the establishment had to offer. The idea was that anyone that was a social influencer could have the opportunity to experience the hotel and the hotel was able to appeal to a wide range of people. This event also allowed us to gather a tremendous amount of content that could be used indefinitely. The goal of the campaign was increase brand awareness of a new luxury product and to establish a strong social presence which complemented the digital technology that was being integrated into the hotel.
We wanted to create a group that is a cross section of all types, from a foodie, to a couple, a fashionista to a photographer – a good mix. Joining forces with Perth Twitter legends and social media strategists @freocookster (John Cooke) and @tweetperth (Adam Barrell), the public was canvassed to help select the guests.
For the first two rounds of voting, we utilized polls on Facebook to allow the general public to vote for their favourite “type.” The contestants were encouraged to self promote and some even created videos detailing why they deserved to attend most.
By aligning with @freocookster and @tweetperth we were able to give instant credibility to not only the event but the brand as a legitimate social media player.
We created a game of Cluedo which was played out in real-time – we wanted to create more than just a dinner party – we needed something that would keep the public interested in following along on the evening. The idea of reviving the childhood game of Cluedo, which was played in a mansion, would work perfectly with the luxury hotel, bar and restaurant.
There were 17 guests chosen to attend the #SocMedSleepover, 6 rooms and 6 “weapons” identified via social media channels during October 2012.
Guests included Richard Giles, program developer and early adopter, Margaret Wilson from the Australian Tourism Export Council, and Tourism Australia’s Social Media & Advocacy Manager, Jesse Desjardins, who flew in from Sydney just for the event.
“Accusations” were made throughout the night as the group travelled from the McAlpine Dining Room to the Sommelier’s Tasting Room, finally enjoying a pyjama party over desserts in the Premier Suite. The public was encouraged to follow the hashtag #SocMedSleepover on Twitter and were allowed to make three guesses for their chance to win an overnight stay.
With regards to the event itself, we sought sponsors that wanted to expand their social media presence and rewarded their donations with content mentions not only during the event but in pre and post media. During the #SocMedSleepover, multiple channels were utilized including Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Instagram. It was transparent that the event was sponsored in all angles and as such a minimal budget was required.
The campaign began in early February 2012 and concluded the first week of December 2012 with the #SocMedSleepover occurring on Saturday 24 November.
Social media was a core part of the vision and launch strategy, and we could not wait to share The Terrace Hotel with everyone. There is no typical social media user anymore – they cover all aspects of life and age, and the guest list for the #SocMedSleepover reflected that. This is the first time a luxury hotel in Australia has used social media as part of its launch strategy.
An experiment in social media, #SocMedSleepover was held Saturday 24 November 2012 and the participants were the first guests to spend the night in the hotel. The campaign and event far exceeded our expectations and became a case study for several local advertising and strategy companies. The Terrace Hotel was established as a reputable brand with an excellent understanding of social media and it’s role in today’s marketplace. We received national press in trade magazines as well as the local newspaper society pages.
As the event was sponsored and a minimal budget was required, the return on investment was quite high. All content created in any channel by the guests during the campaign is owned by The Terrace Hotel.
- The hashtag #SocMedSleepover trended in Perth in 18 minutes upon the release of the TweetPerth competition
- The hashtag #SocMedSleepover trended in Perth and Australia during the event on 24 November
- At its peak, @tcehotelperth and #SocMedSleepover reached 46,000 accounts with 97,000 impressions
- Between November 18th and 25th over 120,000 accounts were reached with 2.5M impressions.
- @leahjaclyn picked the correct combination and won “The Big Sleep Package” valued at over $2,000
