Spreading the Word About “Texas’ Best Kept Secret”
Situational Analysis:
Horseshoe Bay Resort (HSB), set on Lake LBJ, is home to luxury villas for rent, a 385-room hotel, private jet center, marina, golf, tennis, pools, spa, white-sand beach and more. Prior to 2008, HSB was known as “Texas’ Best Kept Secret.”
Marketing Objectives:
Increase awareness and drive business to the Texas Hill Country.
Target Audience:
Texas drive market.
Research, Planning and Implementation:
A series of PR initiatives over a six month period that catered to a niche market, and played off of a season, trend or news item, including:
- A President’s Day offer where guests with the same last name of a former president could redeem savings (Texas Hill Country was the birthplace of President Johnson).
- A Grandfamily offer that worked seamlessly for HSB’s multi-bedroom villas and condos.
- Jet Fuel Rebate in response to skyrocketing gas prices, a twist on the typical car gas rebate and relevant for HSB’s private jet center.
- Seasonal packages for winter, spring, and summer, focused on families and resort amenities.
- Texas Slumber Party Midweek Offer, exclusive to Lone Star-state residents to drive business during the mid-week slump.
Results:
- Over twenty hits in the Texas market including a television segment on FOX Austin.
- Over 322 million impressions from print, online, and television coverage, including The Wall Street Journal, Travel + Leisure, CNN.com, The Washington Post, Women’s Day Online and MSNBC.com.
- Five months after the start of the campaign, HSB sold out at least one Friday and/or Saturday each weekend for the summer.
- It became one of the best summers on record for the resort.
Budget:
Only incidentals associated with press release distribution.
