Travelers tastes, preferences and passions changed drastically during the pandemic, and Hilton, a company that welcomes millions of guests each year, has a unique perspective on these quickly shifting trends. In 2020 and 2021, the media conversation revolved around how travel changed operationally, but no one was focusing on the other important story: how people had changed. Leaning into this whitespace, Hilton sought to answer this question. What began in 2021 as a first-of-its-kind Hilton report, has evolved to include a global summer campaign and a second report, The 2023 Traveler: Emerging Trends that are Innovating the Travel Experience, A Report from Hilton. The objective of the Trends Report is to elevate Hilton’s industry leadership in innovation by showcasing how the company is evolving alongside travelers and their preferences, uncovering rising macro and micro trends, articulating the shifting desires of travelers worldwide and serving as a one-stop-shop for media.

Hilton has boots on the ground in 123 countries and territories, providing firsthand knowledge of travelers and their evolving travel needs. Dozens of interviews were conducted with Hilton experts and executives across the globe, as well as with local property team members to uncover what was happening at both the macro and micro level. The team also analyzed internal booking and revenue data to verify this holistic, data-driven story and aligned with external companies, such as American Express, to leverage their unique research. Following the launch of the 2022 report, the campaign evolved and expanded to two other pivotal moments – ahead of what was predicted to be a record-breaking summer travel season in 2022 and, in 2023, following a year that marked the return of travel. In addition, Hilton commissioned external third-party research, including regional surveys and an online omnibus survey which validated and expanded on those trends.

Built on the foundation of insights provided in expert and executive interviews and data shared, Hilton’s communications team developed a communications strategy to iterate Hilton’s position as an industry leader in innovation with a pulse on changing trends. Following the launch, key messaging and social guidance were shared with Hilton executives, and content was repurposed on Lobby Buzz, the internal team member mobile app, and The Lobby, the company’s intranet page. The media strategy consisted of paid and earned media, leveraging the report’s unique storylines and Hilton’s internal spokespeople to garner media interest. The team published a press release on Stories From Hilton, including assets such as an interactive report and relevant imagery/b-roll. Ahead of summer 2022, the communications team reevaluated its approach with the intent of garnering additional top-tier coverage and reaching consumer audiences, and built on media relationships previously forged by using dependable components of the original strategy.

The extension into the summer campaign kicked off in April 2022 with a press release targeting lifestyle media in the Americas, Asia-Pacific and Europe markets and paid editorial in USA Today revealing report findings and promoting summer travel. In August, a wellness-focused media trip was planned to Conrad Punta de Mita, allowing media to experience a Hilton priority property aligned with the findings of the Summer Trends Campaign. To launch the global 2023 report in November, the team hosted a virtual media event, featuring nine Hilton subject-matter experts. Buzz amongst Hilton’s key top-tier media contacts was generated with a unique media mailer and the event concluded with a live Q&A. Following the event was the distribution of a global press release, also housed on Stories From Hilton, executive and social media communications, media outreach, with region-specific insights, and paid editorial sponsorship with Fast Company, BuzzFeed and HuffPost.

The expansive global media results showcased Hilton’s innovation efforts and executive thought leadership, giving the company a holistic narrative to share externally throughout the year. Executive key messages rose in strength as leaders across the company used it as their external narrative for interviews, customer meetings and speaking opportunities such as ALIS Conference and Skift. Hilton’s embargoed U.S. virtual media event revealed report insights and strengthened relationships with key industry, travel and lifestyle media. The amplification of report storylines through paid editorial content elevated the voices of executives to not only business audiences, but also directly to consumers during months when booking travel is top of mind. The report inspired a content-rich social media strategy on Hilton’s corporate social channels, also informing brand and enterprise channels.

Efficiently and effectively showcasing the company’s business objectives, the media results surpassed expectations, with 480 placements and a potential reach of more than 3 billion, including top-tier and trade publications such as The Wall Street Journal, Food & Wine, Skift, Well + Good, Hotel Business, Fast Company, Travel + Leisure India, TravelPulse, LODGING, The New York Times, Daily Mirror, TTG Asia and Travel Weekly China. The virtual event’s enticing storylines, executive panelists and media mailer, led to the attendance of 33 U.S.-based, top-tier and trade reporters and Hilton leadership was quoted throughout coverage. The 2022 Traveler, summer programming and The 2023 Traveler success has continued into 2023, serving as an important thought leadership content piece and earned media news bureau coverage generator.