Discover how Hilton Garden Inn reached over 4 million TV viewers
The main objective of the partnership between Lancashire Cricket and Hilton was to drive awareness of the new hotel opening in August 2017, as well as showcase the Hilton Garden Inn’s bright hearted hospitality as they sought to launch their brand into the UK market with only the second Hilton Garden Inn hotel in the UK.
Following a £60m redevelopment over a 10 year period at Emirates Old Trafford, 2017 saw one of the final stages of the renovation with the opening of the 150 bedroom Hilton Garden Inn hotel, overlooking the ground.
As part of the construction of the hotel, the Club were able to release an exciting experiential space, ideally located adjacent to the pitch, directly in front of the hotel itself. Following discussions between the Club, Hilton and their activation agency, Smyle, the ‘Hilton Garden Inn Best Beds in the House’ concept was launched creating a totally unique and eye-catching space that enhanced the fan experience for a few lucky fans.
The area consisted of a terrace space with four Hilton standard king size beds, creating the ‘Hilton Garden Inn Best Beds in the House’, on show for all to see within the ground as well as those watching live on national television throughout key fixtures during the season.
Key Stats
- Total Televised Reach – 4,509,728
- Live Televised Reach – 1,502,148
- Highlights Televised Reach – 3,007,586
- In-stadia eyeballs - 90,000 eyeballs across the season
- Social media impressions - 364,333
- Social media engagements - 13,270
- Video views - 21,600 video views
- #HGICricket hashtag was used 758 times
Launched at the Lancashire vs Yorkshire T20 fixture, fans in the stadium, on social media, followers of HGI, as well as Hilton Honors members were given the opportunity to win the ‘Best Bed in the House’ prize.
Winning guests were able to watch the game from the comfort of a Hilton Garden Inn king size bed while being treated to a complimentary private bar and room service menu. The lucky winners were treated to Hilton’s ‘Brighthearted’ hospitality through Hilton brand ambassadors who looked after guests during their stay and ensured their every need was catered for.
The underlying objective of the activation was to drive awareness of the new world class, 150 bedroom Hilton Garden Inn being built on site at Emirates Old Trafford in the summer of 2017. In addition, to enhance the fan experience on a cricket match day and those watching the live broadcast matches on Sky TV.
The Club is continuously looking for innovative, forward thinking ways to provide fantastic facilities and experiences for its loyal fans, and prospective cricket fans, to enjoy at both domestic and international match days. Furthermore, the awareness raised around the hotel is hugely beneficial to Emirates Old Trafford’s wider business which continues to grow on non-match days.
From a Hilton Garden Inn point of view, the partnership and pitch-side bed activation was about demonstrating and showcasing the Hilton brand, their personality and core values to prospective hotel guests both within the ground and those watching on television. The comfy, luxurious pitch-side beds, alongside top class room service, allowed Hilton to maximise exposure for its brand and show off what a Hilton stay looks and feels like for all to see.
In 2017, the beds drew plenty of attention from the TV cameras on the sold-out Yorkshire T20 fixture, the South Africa Test Match and the West Indies One-Day International.
The common focus between the Hilton Bed Activation and Cricket Unleashed is the guest experience. Hilton prides itself on its brand values, one of which is hospitality. The brand is passionate about delivering exceptional guest experiences and the experience that the Hilton Bed Activation provided this season was exactly that, as it aimed to show off the best of its brand.
As gates opened on match days and fans first set eyes on the pitch side beds, it created much conversation and excitement amongst the crowd. The competition ran by Hilton via social media, which had a total 1,600 entrants across the season, engaged fans around the stadium that were desperate to win access to the exclusive area.
The beds also achieved huge national press coverage featuring as both The Guardian and The Telegraph’s ‘Pic of the day’ following Day One of the England vs South Africa Test Match on Friday 4 August, reaching a combined readership of over 550,000.