Challenge
Imitation may be the sincerest form of flattery, but it left Skene House HotelSuites with a problem that required some intensive hotel PR therapy. With three prime locations in Aberdeen, the group created a unique niche for serviced apartments with the convenience of hotel services and facilities. However, the concept had since been widely imitated. To differentiate itself all over again, Skene House HotelSuites became Scotland’s first “female friendly” hotelier via Maiden Voyage, a global business travel network for professional women. It signed up to the principles of Maiden Voyage, a global business travel network for professional women, which meant it had to meet rigorous requirements and standards for female travellers. They asked Holyrood PR in Scotland to devise a short public relations campaign – the impact on the bottom line was impressive:
Objectives
The results were crucial to the hotel chain because it went through an extensive vetting process to make sure it met rigorous requirements and standards for female travellers to achieve the Maiden Voyage accreditation. It wanted to use this accolade to raise the profile of its venues to local, national, specialist and international markets, while attracting more female business and leisure travellers. We agreed a three-month PR campaign to boost website traffic, build search engine optimisation, drive bookings, increase social media.
What we did
With a limited budget it was essential our content worked across media from glossy lifestyle magazines to oil and gas publications. We also showcased Skene’s understanding of the needs of female guests and its reputation for stylish and safe accommodation. Clear Key Messages explained the benefits of Maiden Voyage and we planned content for:
- Media across the North East of Scotland, including STV Local and the Press & Journal.
- Business media across the UK, including the all-important oil and gas publications and Aberdeen Chamber of Commerce.
- Tourism media in Scotland and the UK.