How Hilton Employee Communicators Drove Program Participation and Boosted Revenues

This case study is from the book Engaging Employees Through Strategic Communication by Mark Dollins and Jon Stemmle. Visit engage-employees.com to grab your copy today.

Situation

Global hospitality company Hilton in 2016 had an underused Team Member Travel Program and wanted to increase occupancy and revenue, while increasing Hilton’s competitive advantage in recruitment and retention and positioning the company as an employer of choice. The benefits team developed and launched an enhanced travel program, Go Hilton, that consisted of three programs: Team Member HHonors, a Team Member Travel Program and a Family and Friends Travel Program. Each offered unique perks to Hilton’s 325,000 Team Members and their families and friends across 104 countries.

Based on the results of a global employee survey, the team found that the existing Team Member Travel Program was being underused as a lever to increase occupancy and revenue, sometimes leaving up to 30% of inventory unused. They discovered that a paper-based authentication system made processes inefficient and inconsistent across hotels/brands/regions. They also learned the program lagged in comparison to what key competitors were offering. Hilton communicators used survey results to leverage the channels that Team Members rely on most to ensure successful delivery and receipt of campaign messaging.

Campaign

The Communication team developed an internal communication campaign for all Hilton Team Members designed to drive Team Member Awareness and excitement for Go Hilton, leveraging proven channels and tactics and to inspire action and participation in Go Hilton. The campaign included contests to show best practices from individual hotel locations that were promoting the new program, photo and story contest for employees to share how they were using the program and headquarter location displays that created excitement about the programs. Ultimately, the team sought to improve Team Member sentiment about travel perks and increase the overall workplace satisfaction in the process.

They went beyond outputs to business-based outcomes with their goals and targeted one million nights booked online by the end of 2016 that would result in at least US $50M in revenue. They also sought to increase Team Member sentiment by at least 10%, as reflected in 2016 global team member survey results, and targeted recognition as a Great Place to Work in the United States and other countries.

The team created a strategic rollout plan with five phases to introduce and sustain interest in the three programs.

Those phases included the following:

• Phase 1: Go Hilton stakeholder prep/communication prep (Duration: 4 weeks)

• Phase 2: Go Hilton announcement and launch TMHH Card Content

• Phase 3: Announce TMHH Card Contest winners, launch TMHH enrollment and continued Go Hilton teasers

• Phase 4: Go Hilton travel programs launch

• Phase 5: Steady drumbeat and reinforcement

Results

Are you interested in more details and the results of the campaign? Pick up a copy of the book today!

Get Your Copy of the Engaging Employees Through Strategic Communication Book or Contact North Star Communications Today

Take advantage of the opportunity to enhance your organizational communication strategy and engage your employees effectively by getting your hands on the highly recommended book, Engaging Employees Through Strategic Communication by Mark Dollins and Jon Stemmle. Visit engage-employees.com to grab your copy today.

If you’re looking for expert guidance in implementing change communications, talent development, and coaching in your organization, look no further than North Star Communications Consulting. Contact us today to schedule a free consultation and take the first step toward transforming your organizational communication approach