Le Méridien Columbus, The Joseph in Columbus, Ohio is part of the thriving Short North Arts District. The boutique hotel is steps from High Street's acclaimed restaurants, shops and local galleries. The hotel seamlessly blends culture, art, locality and sophistication into its communal spaces, guestrooms, programming and more.

SUCCESS STORY

How a hot hotel elevated its existing cool factor amidst new competition through a targeted influencer and paid social media campaign.

The opportunity

A popular getaway nestled in the rapidly evolving Short North Arts District, Le Méridien Columbus, The Joseph recognized the need to ramp up efforts to sustain its positive reputation as the best place to stay in town. In just a few years, the surrounding neighborhood exploded from a quaint local arts district into a booming go-to destination for visitors from across the state and beyond. With new restaurants, bars and hotels literally rising up around them – the team knew they had to act fast to stay top of mind for travelers near and far. The hotel needed a way to connect with top influencers and decision makers to deliver a truly amazing stay experience showcasing why the hotel is best-in-class.

The approach

To increase visibility of the hotel amongst movers and shakers in the travel world, Approach engaged a well-vetted mix of social influencers, from both local and out-of-state markets, to stay at the hotel and share their experiences on their social channels. The influencers covered notable hotel services and special amenities, which included everything from spa visits and bourbon tastings to dining experiences, art installations and live music performances.

At the same time, Approach also launched a paid strategy on the hotel’s Facebook page to attract and retain potential new customers through exciting, compelling and engaging content, boosted posts, and precise audience targeting.

The impact

The hotel (and our team!) were thrilled by the results:

• 11 influencer partnerships secured, including work with influencers from three feeder markets identified as priority markets from the client

• Over 417,000 potential impressions across all social channels (this includes people who saw the content and/or engaged with the content)

• 100% positive tone of voice on all influencer coverage and content

But even more importantly, these results helped achieve what we set out to do, which was raise the visibility of Le Méridien Columbus, The Joseph and solidify it as a go-to hotel for unique and luxury hospitality. This work helped them gain several new influencer advocates who have repeatedly visited the hotel and have attracted new customers that have now become frequent guests.