Best Marketing Initiative

Criteria for entry: This category is open to all accommodation providers in Victoria. Recognising excellence in marketing activity that has fostered a greater awareness of the property, one of its assets or offerings. Initiatives may include but are not limited to; market research and planning, advertising and promotions, publications and media, and events (trade/consumer/guest/launches etc).

Location: Statewide

JUDGING: Assessment of written criteria.

*ELIGIBLE FOR ENTRY INTO THE NATIONAL AWARDS FOR BEST MARKETED HOTEL – ACCOMMODATION DIVISION*

Documents required for submission:

• A written submission describing the judging criteria below.
• Supporting document and images where relevant

Judges will be assessing the following points in your written submission:

Marketing strategy

• What research and planning did the property undertake to support the achievement of your marketing strategy?
• Describe key campaigns that underpinned your marketing activity. Detail what you were trying to achieve and how you did it.
• What were your main objectives of the strategy and how did the strategy align with the hotel’s brand profile?

In-house marketing

• Describe what you did to ensure consistency in the quality of in-house marketing and branding.
• Provide evidence of how the hotel utilises a multimedia approach to your property’s online brand exposure using PC, mobile phone, in-room and venue screens, tablet or other in-house services.

Website and social media

• Discuss your hotel’s website with regard to appeal and efficiency. Include measurement analytics.
• Provide evidence of how social media has been used as a strategy to achieve the objectives of your marketing plan.

Partnership and Integration

• Describe your partnerships with other businesses and how these fit into your strategy and assist our success – include related media, business associations, sponsorships, networks, neighbours, tour and transport operators, attractions, events etc.
• Discuss how your marketing team integrates with the other areas and departments within your hotel in regards to collaboration, communication and team success.

Implementation and Measurement

• Detail the process of how your campaign/s were implemented and measured. What were the results? You must specify how you achieved your objectives. This should include relevant ROI and its method of calculation (i.e. direct sales or comparative sales) and/or the public relations value of the campaign (calculated as the equivalent advertising at casual rates).
• Explain your ROI for your hotel i.e. evidence of increased traffic generation, media exposure impacting on occupancy rates, improved brand awareness and perceptions and generating an increase in profits on the bottom line.

Innovation

• Describe the most innovative part of your marketing strategy. Have you done anything like this before? What were you trying to achieve and how did you execute it?

Supporting documents:

• Marketing Strategy        
• Evidence of your campaigns and the campaign’s results 
• Evidence of your inhouse marketing and the results        
• Evidence of your website key measures and analytics     
• Evidence of the partnerships and the partnerships results