ReloShare is a relatively new company that started as a hotel booking platform for corporate housing. Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic caused the corporate travel industry to become non-existent, forcing ReloShare to pivot their business model. As business trips slowed, being home more led to an unforeseen problem: a spike in domestic violence. According to statistics, 1 in 4 women in America are victims of domestic violence, and finding truly secure shelter away from their abuser can be difficult as most hotels require identification upon check-in, leaving them at-risk of being traced. ReloShare saw an opportunity to use their platform for good and create a solution that could help address this problem.

ReloShare's idea was to leverage its technology platform to launch Alias Hotels, the world's first hotel booking platform that allows reservations to be made with complete anonymity. The platform's sole purpose is to connect vulnerable populations with safe accommodation. The objective is to create a new, innovative solution to help victims of domestic violence stay safe and secure.

We wanted to help as many victims as possible by getting our platform into the hands of decision makers.

To achieve these goals, we targeted social service agencies, the go-to resource for victims of domestic abuse seeking help. By integrating Alias Hotels with these agencies, victims now have a way to escape dangerous situations quickly and anonymously.

The company also sought to increase awareness and engagement among franchisee owners – the real decision makers when it comes to furthering the reach of Alias Hotels. Through audience research, we uncovered that franchisees have negative perceptions about victims of domestic violence, don’t know that it’s within their control to allow for alias bookings, and are notoriously difficult to get ahold of.

In order to capture their attention and drive empathy, we personalized the message by speaking to them by name and during moments where we could break through.

SOCIAL SERVICES AGENCIES

ReloShare employed a team of experts with experience working directly at social service agencies to help them better understand bureaucratic systems, HIPAA regulations, and the real barriers that prevent social services agencies from getting victims the help they need: finding short-term housing, being untraceable, and grant-funded payment logistics. ReloSahre then tailored its technology to the end user, ensuring Alias Hotels could help as many victims as possible.

HOTEL OWNERS

We drove empathy among hoteliers with a custom Artificial Intelligence tool that generated personalized videos from the perspective of a victim of domestic abuse, directly addressing these decision makers and shifting perceptions. We launched by creating a wifi network at the largest hotel conference in America, using attendee login info to generate the video during a rare moment when they were hotel guests themselves– spreading awareness and creating a network of hotels that are “Alias Approved.”

This platform has been a game-changer for social services agencies dedicated to the health and wellbeing of victimized groups of people. There are currently 435 social service agencies who now have access to Alias Hotels, enabling and empowering them to book safe and urgent accommodation on behalf of victims.

Nearly 3,000 hotels have signed up to be Alias Hotels, resulting in more than 10,000 safe reservations made (averaging 14 SafeStays bookings per night). With every reservation, at least one person has access to protection that they didn't have before.