The Ritz-Carlton was quickly losing ground as “First Choice Preference” to its chief competitor, The Four Seasons hotel. We needed to create a new value equation by asking, what did a guest really gain from the experience? What made it meaningful?
In addition, we needed to reach a global target of affluent consumers (48 years old, mean HHI of $387,000). The brand had to find commonalities among this potentially disparate group. Through research, we discovered that global travelers have more in common by virtue of what they love versus where they live.
The idea was simple yet powerful. We focused on the incredible memories one is left with when they experience The Ritz-Carlton. We would provide meaning beyond their stay and give guests their memories’ worth.
The campaign revolved around “Wow Stories,” an internal collection of stories of employees going above and beyond and the indelible memories guests are left with as a result.
The campaign, “Let Us Stay With You” went far beyond ads. It expressed the value of meaningful experiences that last a lifetime and transformed the meaning of the relationship The Ritz-Carlton builds with its guests. Instead of asking guests to stay at the hotel, we asked permission to stay with them through their memories. Rather than giving guests their money’s worth, we would give guests’ their memories’ worth. As a result of the campaign, The Ritz-Carlton was able to regain their position as “first choice preference” over their key competitor.
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