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Integrated Marketing Communications Plan: Hyatt Centric Campaign
Raiyona Rice
Department of Integrated Marketing Communications, West Virginia University
IMC 610: Introduction to Integrated Marketing Communications
Professor Sargus
October 1, 2022
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Executive Summary
The integrated marketing communication plan presented is for Hyatt Centric, a hotel subdivision
by Hyatt Corporation.
The communications plan will be presented as the following:
The IMC plan begins with the background information and history of Hyatt Corporation
and Hyatt Centric. Next, we will examine a Swot analysis that identifies Hyatt Centric strengths,
weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. Then we will discuss Hyatt Centric target audience for
this campaign. Next, we will present marketing objectives and strategies to help increase
awareness and build success around Hyatt Centric.
In the integrated creative strategy statement, we will present a Venn diagram displaying
emotional and rational factors to help build a final creative strategy statement. A creative brief
and a mock creative execution are also provided, supporting the creative strategy statement.
This IMC campaign will include the three types of media: paid, earned, and owned
media, with a $20 million budget. This IMC plan will also include measurement and campaign
evaluation. The objectives and tactics in this campaign plan will ensure brand improvement,
higher occupancy rate, high engagement rate, brand loyalty, and the overall success of the Hyatt
Centric brand.
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Table of Contents
Executive Summary.....................................................................................................................................2
Hyatt’s Background......................................................................................................................................4
Hyatt Hotel Corporations.........................................................................................................................4
Hyatt Centric............................................................................................................................................5
Swot Analysis.............................................................................................................................................10
Target Audience........................................................................................................................................11
Campaign Objectives & Strategies.............................................................................................................14
Integrated Creative Strategy Statement....................................................................................................15
Creative Brief.............................................................................................................................................16
Creative Sample Execution........................................................................................................................17
Paid Media Plan.........................................................................................................................................18
Media Flow Chart..................................................................................................................................20
Earned Media Plan....................................................................................................................................20
Owned Media Plan....................................................................................................................................21
Measurement and Evaluation...................................................................................................................23
Conclusion.................................................................................................................................................24
References.................................................................................................................................................25
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Hyatt’s Background
Hyatt Hotel Corporations
Hyatt Hotels is not just any corporation. Hyatt is built on being a family. Jay Pritzker, the
founder of Hyatt, bought the Hyatt House in 1957, across the street from Los Angeles
International Airport (Hyatt history, 2022). Buying this location started the chain of Hyatt Hotels
being placed near airports. In 1967, Hyatt Hotels opened its first Hyatt Regency property in
Atlanta, Georgia (Hyatt history, 2022). Once the first Regency property opened, Hyatt began
opening many locations all over the world.
Hyatt Hotel Location Timeframe
Here are some of the different timeframes and properties Hyatt Hotel has produced since they
were founded (Hyatt history, 2022):
1969- First International Regency, located
in Hong Kong.
1980- Opens the Grand Hyatt in New
York and the Park Hyatt in Chicago.
1995- Opens Hyatt Sunset Harbor, located
in Key West, Florida.
2013- Debut of Hyatt Ziva and Hyatt
Zilara in Mexico
Park Hyatt
Chicago
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Hyatt Centric
Hyatt Centric first launched in Chicago, Illinois, in 2015. The Centric line is unique and
attractive due to Hyatt wanting to specifically focus on building a brand that is a central location
for all travelers. The Hyatt Centric hotels are upscale, upper-upscale, and customizable (Hyatt
Centric, 2022). They focus on building long-lasting relationships and a high-quality experience
with guests. Hyatt Centric is known for its slogan, “unique hotels for unique travelers." Their
target market for this brand of theirs is those who travel for leisure and business (Hyatt Centric,
2022).
According to Hyatt’s press release from 2015, the critical features and benefits of Hyatt
Centric are the following (Hyatt, 2022):
An authentic entryway to the
destination: each location offers
artwork, unique furniture, food, and
beverages to create an authentic
experience (Hyatt, 2022).
A focus on simplicity, thoughtfully
crafted: offers a welcoming environment that provides essentials in the most simple and
efficient way possible (Hyatt, 2022).
A human touch in a digital world: offers advanced technology but still has access to
someone if needed. This is beneficial for those who travel for business (Hyatt, 2022).
Hyatt Centric Prime Destinations
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Hyatt Centric has 70 locations around the world in 48 different cities. There are 38
locations in the Americas, 16 in Europe, Africa, & SE Asia, and 16 in the Asia Pacific.
Currently, only 52 of the locations are open (Hyatt Hotels, 2022). Each of these locations is
strategically placed in the center of prime destinations. Since the locations are in prime
destinations and the center of the action, this attracts a lot of those who love leisure travel. Some
prime destinations include Chicago, Shanghai, Venezia, Santa Clara, Miami, etc. (Hyatt Hotels,
2022).
Hyatt Centric Charlotte SouthPark
Main Competitors
Hyatt Hotels Corporation's main competitors are Hilton Hotels, Wyndham, and Marriott Hotels.
Hyatt Centric has its specific competitors.
In October 2014, Hilton Hotels announced a new hotel brand called Canopy. They are
aimed at business and leisure. The first location they launched was in Iceland. Their brand
markets, “Offering simple pleasures, thoughtful extras, and nice surprises. For a stay that’s
positively yours (Canopy by Hilton, 2020).” There are only 38 Canopy locations around the
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world (Hilton Hotels, 2022). Other competitors are Marriott Hotels, Wyndham TRYP, and IHG
Kimpton.
Hyatt Centric Marketing
Hyatt Centric Markets its brand in many ways. The two different channels are their
website and social media. Their website is designed to be easily accessible and aesthetically
pleasing. According to Havana, when they launched their brand, they wanted their hotel concept
to be an “off-the-beaten-path experience (Our Man in Havana, 2022).” The website supports the
concept by creating that visual experience. Everything is pinned point when it comes to eateries,
late-night adventures, arts & entertainment, and retail therapy (Our Man in Havana, 2022).
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(Our Man in Havana, 2022)
Hyatt Centric also markets its brand through its social media. Their Instagram currently
has 9,474 followers (Hyatt Centric, 2022). Their content includes UGC from travel and business
influencers, images of food made from their hotel restaurants, local activities near their hotels,
and more. When you go to their page, it feels inviting. It gives a natural feeling which is what
their brand is all about.
(Hyatt Centric, 2022)
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Covid-19 Response
When it comes to how Hyatt responds to the impacts of Covid-19, they believe in safety first.
“Providing safe and clean
environments for our guests and
colleagues is always a top priority for
Hyatt hotels globally, and we remain
committed to enhanced levels of
cleanliness (Covid-19 travel updates |
Hyatt Hotels & Resorts 2022).”
They ensure face masks or covering may be
required in certain hotel places. These places
are the hotel’s indoor public areas and
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around the perimeter of Hyatt Hotels,
depending on mandates and guidelines in
that location (Covid-19 travel updates |
Hyatt Hotels & Resorts 2022).
Mock Design of Mask Required Sign
for Hyatt Centric
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Swot Analysis
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Target Audience
Hyatt Hotels’ target audience is travelers, businesspeople, and corporate housing (hyatt
centric, 2022). The target audience of this proposal is those who love to travel for leisure and
business purposes, as well as those who like to have an authentic experience at the location they
are visiting. The target segment is those who range from ages 25-35 years old. The target
audience is single and married middle-classed men and women. They live in an urban area. They
have the career and income to travel to these destinations. They are extroverts and live a quality
lifestyle. They are professionals, influencers, and travelers.
Their psychographic profiles show that their target audience is ambitious and driven
achievers. They have a vast knowledge of social media and understand every aspect. They value
living in the moment and enjoying a quality experience. They value the local food and
surroundings. The target audience loves a place that is in a convenient location. Their needs
involve quality and reasonable prices.
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Target Audience Persona
The target audience persona is Sasha, a
single 25-year-old black woman from
Oakland, California, who attends the
Culinary Institute of America in New York.
Outside of school, she works as a food and
travel influencer. Her annual income is
around $70k and does fluctuate. She makes
content on various social platforms such as
YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram. When she
is in school, she makes food content from her
apartment. She receives many partnerships with food brands but always wanted one with a travel
brand.
When Sasha is on school breaks, she loves to travel. She loves to be in the center of
everything when she travels, eats local food, and creates fun experiences. When traveling, it is
for Sasha to choose the best hotels, stay hydrated, arrive at the airport early, and enjoy herself.
Regarding hotels, she must have a high-tech destination room with internet, tv, cable, and
plug access. She does not want to feel like she is in a modernized hotel room. She wants her
hotel room to give off an authentic vibe. She wants to be able to come back from breaks and say
she enjoyed herself. It is also essential for these destinations' food to be excellent. In school, her
major is Professional Studies in Culinary Arts, so she loves trying new dishes and being able to
create them when she gets home. After exploring locally, experiencing new foods, and meeting
new people, she loves to come back and enjoy cocktails at the hotel.
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In her downtime, when she is not in school, traveling, or making content, she loves going
to the local bars with her friends. Sasha is a huge extrovert and loves making new associates
when out. She goes to brunch socials, pop-up shots, festivals, and more. Besides cooking, Sasha
loves to pamper herself at home with a self-care night.
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Campaign Objectives & Strategies
Objectives
● Increase social engagement by 12% in the next 12 months
● Generate a 7% improvement rate with new customers over the next 12 months
● Produce a 10% return rate with recurring customers within the next 18 months
● Increase new customers whose ages range from 25-35 by 20% in the next 18 months
● Increase occupancy rate by 5% in the next 18 months
Strategies
● Partner with travel influencers on social platforms to increase social engagement rate.
● Create and post more content on social media to build awareness around the Hyatt
Centric brand.
● Have ambassadors promote the brand on their platform to increase social engagement and
awareness.
● Make improvements based on guest feedback.
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Integrated Creative Strategy Statement
The following are possible creative strategy statements for Hyatt Centric:
Enjoy the best destinations Hyatt Centric has to offer in the
center of it all.
Enter the world full of exciting and quality experiences
with Hyatt Centric.
POV: Living lavishly in the comfort of Hyatt Centric.
The final creative strategy is the following:
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There is no destination and experience like Hyatt Centric in the center of it all.
Creative Brief
Client: Hyatt Centric
Type: Digital Ad
Pages: 1
__________________________________________________________________
Why are we advertising?
To increase the occupancy rate at Hyatt Centric.
Whom are we talking to?
Leisure and business travelers, male & female, between the ages of 25 through 35.
What do they currently think?
Hotels are not reasonably priced and are not very creative and uniquely appealing.
What would we like them to think?
Hyatt Centric has unique hotels in the center of the best destinations.
What is the single most persuasive idea we can convey?
Hyatt Centric provides destinations in the center of the action to allow you to create the best
experiences.
Why should they believe it?
Hyatt Centric hotels are in the center and perfect spots in neighborhoods in financial districts or
leisure attractions.
Are there any creative guidelines?
Yes, this includes paid, earned, and owned media.
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Creative Sample Execution
Mock Design of a Social Media Ad
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Paid Media Plan
Objectives
● Reach 14% of the target audience on social ads over the next 12 months.
● Achieve a minimum reach of 56% in the last quarter.
● Achieve a 25% increase in website impressions over the next 18 months.
Execution
Social Media
This campaign will consist of eight social media ads throughout all four quarters. These ads will
be displayed on social sites like Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, TikTok, and LinkedIn.
We will utilize influencers in paid social media ads. The influencers will consist of two
business influencers who are men, two business influencers who are women, two leisure travel
influencers who are men, two leisure travel influencers who are women, and two couples’ leisure
travel influencers. The campaign will run in five segments: January, April, July, September, and
December.
Each influencer will receive guidelines for the content they need to post to align with the
brand message. They will be given a three-day trip to the location of their choice. We will
choose which platform each influencer posts on based on the platforms they currently produce
the most engagement on. We want at least one of our business influencers to create content for
LinkedIn specifically.
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Influencers will produce the content they created on their trip after their stay with us.
Each influencer making content for Instagram and Facebook will produce one feed post, one
reel/video, and three IG story posts. Each influencer creating content for TikTok will produce six
videos. Each influencer creating content for YouTube will produce one video and two shorts.
Each influencer producing on LinkedIn will produce three posts.
Search Engine Optimization
The two search engine types we will use are YouTube ads and Google searches. For the
YouTube ads, we will have two 45 seconds videos running for two terms for 12 months. The
YouTube ad is to help promote and increase our occupancy rate within our target audience. For
the Google search, this campaign will run during the entire 12-month period. It will involve key
terms that are connected to our target audience to help increase our occupancy rate and new
customers. During the 12 months, we will need to update the information for our target audience,
performance, etc.
Television
Television advertisements will be 45 seconds for this campaign. It will include two
different commercials, which we will be producing in two separate segments. The first segment
will be from January-May, and the second segment will be September-December. Each
commercial will be played continuously during these months. The ad will appear on the
following channels: HGTV, Travel Channel, CBS, Fox, NBC, The CW, and ABC.
Print
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Print ads for Hyatt Centric will be in the visitor guides of all cities in which Hyatt Centric
hotels are located. This will be a 7”x9.5” full-page, no bleed advertisement. The advertisement
will run in March, June, September, and December.
Media Flow Chart
Earned Media Plan
Objectives
Increase positive reviews by 18% over the next 18 months
Generate 100 pickups by December 2023.
Increase Hyatt Centric Impressions by 20% over the next 18 months
Tactics
Press Release on new locations
We will pitch to the press about Hyatt Centric's new location, opening in Hollywood,
California. This press release will help drive awareness of the Hollywood location opening and
Hyatt Centric brand overall. The press release will mention the number of guestrooms, meeting
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and event spaces, food & beverages from our Hyatt Centric Chefs, and more. It will also note the
event being held at the new location on the opening day.
Media coverage of the event
The event will be held at the new Hollywood, California Hyatt Centric location on
opening day. It will include a red ribbon cutting for the hotel. The event will be held for the
press, local influencers, guests, and staff. The chefs of the Hollywood Hyatt Centric location will
cater the event with finger food refreshments and drinks. Local influencers can take photography
in specific areas for their social media.
Reputation Management through reviews
We will have the proper, consistent customer relations to provide feedback to reviews
published through public platforms such as Google and Yelp. This will allow us to create a
relationship with the customer and know what is occurring at each Hyatt Centric location. This
will help create positive reviews as well.
Owned Media Plan
Objectives
Increase digital following by 20% over the next 18 months.
Increase website traffic by 25% over the next 18 months.
Increase the use of content marketing to help drive traffic to social media pages by 25%
over the next 18 months.
Tactics
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Instagram Content
Our Instagram page will implement Reels,
feed posts, and highlights. Our highlight
section will be the following: Customer
Love, Influencers, New Locations, Q&A,
Experiences, Press, and Good Eats.
Mock graphic of Hyatt Centric
Instagram To help drive traffic to the social media
pages and increase the following on each
platform, we will include content marketing.
We will repost the content that we are
tagged in and content that uses the hashtags
#hyattcentric and #hyattcentrichotels. This
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will help drive more awareness of the
company and support content creators. It
shows that Hyatt Centric recognizes its
customers. We appreciate you all for staying
with us and sharing your experience.
Video Content on Website
Since Hyatt Centric locations are known for the food locally and in the hotel, we are
creating a space on our website to watch Hyatt Centric, and local chefs create local recipes. This
not only increases website traffic from those who love watching people cook but more awareness
for Hyatt Centric overall. Our goal is for those who want to try these foods we post or already
have and love these places to travel to these places and stay with us, increasing our occupancy
rate.
Email Marketing
We will use email marketing to promote a weekly newsletter with our latest recipe, paid
influencer campaigns, customer shoutouts, and any specials we currently have. We will also
include an “ask us” section in our newsletter telling our customers to send us questions to a
specific email. We will answer them in our Instagram Highlights and the following week's
newsletter. This drives customer engagement, website traffic, digital impressions, and potentially
follows.
Measurement and Evaluation
Creative Strategy Statement
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We will utilize creative strategy by creating a focus group using the influencers we
invited to join this campaign, loyal customers, and those in our target audience. The focus group
will be conducted in a 6-month timespan. These three focus groups will see ads before it is
published and provide feedback to help guide us in the right direction.
Social Media Analytics Tracking
We will monitor the social media analytics every week. Weekly results will be
determined by accounts reached, accounts engaged, and total followers. This will allow us to
understand what content works best, if we are hitting our target audience, and if we are reaching
our engagement goals.
Conclusion
Overall, the information expressed in this integrated marketing communications plan
creates a cohesive campaign for the Hyatt Centric brand. These new campaign objectives,
strategies, and tactics will help drive awareness and promote the Hyatt Centric brand. If Hyatt
Centric commits to this 18-month campaign, the brand will have long-term success with loyal
customers, high brand value, higher engagements, gain in revenue, and overall brand awareness.
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