Situational Analysis:

In January 2019, Best Western Hotels & Resorts launched BW Travel Zone, a thoroughly modern, dynamic and comprehensive content hub that replaced the brand’s former lifestyle travel blog, You Must Be Trippin’ (YMBT). BW Travel Zone aimed to elevate the user experience found on YMBT and serve as a centralized home base for brand messaging, inspirational travel content, promotions and campaigns, a video library and more.

The brand strategically designed the site using clean, mindful layouts with well-defined hierarchy, implemented thoughtful and relevant content categories to simplify searches, encouraged engagement through interactive content and incorporated a distinct brand voice across all elements. These choices sought to better connect the brand to today’s modern travelers and position Best Western as an industry expert and travel resource.

Marketing Objectives:

The new BW Travel Zone refreshed Best Western’s online presence, and made way for new marketing objectives, which included:

• Develop a comprehensive content hub to house all external brand messaging through a cohesive, unique and distinct story
• Develop long-term strategy for core content sections to build longevity into the site’s planning
• Revitalize the execution of travel inspiration content to be modern, engaging and directly support the brand’s communication pillars
• Focusing priorities on innovation, cultivating loyalty and fostering a vibrant dialogue between Best Western and its guests
• Establish the brand as a digital leader and curator of relevant and entertaining travel content
• Foster positive brand association with strong storytelling, differentiating Best Western from the competitive set
• Position Best Western as an innovator in the digital space and travel industry
• Engage key audiences and create new brand loyalists

Results:

BW Travel Zone is still relatively new, but is surpassing stated objectives and has garnered impressive results since its launch including:

• BW Travel Zone has garnered 79,350 site visits since its launch.
• Increase in homepage views of 281% on Best Western Travel Zone Launch to Date over You Must Be Trippin’ Launch to Date.
• 28% increase in site users
• 45.5% increase in pageviews from YMBT to BW Travel Zone
• Traffic from social channels has increased 835% - an enormous improvement.