Country Inn & Suites by Radisson: Making the journey a celebrated part of the destination

A Marketing Story by KNOCK about Radisson Hotels

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Radisson Hotels

Increase Brand Awareness

Challenge

Guided by a “heartfelt host” persona that exhibits modern, country warmth, Country Inn & Suites by Radisson is known for treating guests like family. KNOCK was invited to relaunch the brand for the modern traveler. With a first-ever brand awareness campaign, the desire was to stand out among the many hotels that dot the United States map — and beyond.

Solution

Owning the road. By evolving road travel from a mere destination (“I need a room”) to one that fully embraces the journey (“I want an experience”), we shifted the mindset to a more holistic ownership of the road. Suddenly, booking Country Inn & Suites meant also booking an experience of those relatable moments that make the journey all the more special. “We’re on the way to wherever you’re going.” The introduction of the brand line became the public-facing answer to our “own the road” strategy — educating guests on the breadth of Country’s 450+ roadside locations while tapping into a cultural resurgence in road tripping. The sentiment anchored the entire awareness campaign — beginning with 15-second spots. Shortened versions of the animated spots along with bespoke illustrations were used to create abundant social and digital content extending the life of the campaign. The campaign launched across broadcast, digital, and social environments with a suite of video, audio, and still creative pieces. On social media, we drove strong audience engagement through location highlights and road trip-themed content. We developed illustration and animation styles to bring a modern, heartfelt charm to the creative that would disrupt the hospitality space. A cast of relatable characters and experiences own all things road trip — from family to friends to the traveling business guy. The charm of the hotel’s personality was infused into each characters’ relatable moments, giving it authenticity.

Branding Strategy

Digital Design

Inbound Marketing

Results

Driving 2B+ impressions to date. From a digital video perspective, we observed exceedingly strong streaming video completion rates of 20% over benchmark. Above all, audiences were fully engaged to celebrate the moments that make the journey memorable.