Brooke Doucha Director, Corporate Communications Orange Lake Resorts, home to the Holiday Inn Club Vacations® brand

Panelist

My role

My role

Back to basics: Defining PR

Core competencies of PR & how the C-suite can benefit

PR challenges specific to our industry

PR planning method

PR planning at work: A case study

How to tie stories together with editorial planning

PR: building a strong offense

Agenda

Management function that establishes and maintains mutually beneficial relationships between an organization and the publics on whom its success or failure depends.

Defining PR

Trusted counsel: advise and anticipate

Internal communication: engage employees and build trust

Media relations: develop public trust and support

Community relations: establish public trust and support

External communication to customers/stakeholders/investors, etc.: build public trust and support

Other functions may include: Publicity and special events Issues management Crisis communication

Core competencies of PR

PR challenges in timeshare Unethical practices that precede current regulations and industry standards

Communicating value

Brand differentiation (from hotel stays especially)

Ever-changing owner base (audiences)

PR Plan Outline

Problem Situational analysis Goals Audience Objectives Communication strategy Key messages

PR planning method

Tactics & tools Budget Staffing / responsibility Timeline Evaluation / SWOT analysis Recognition Future considerations

Case study: PR planning at work

Problem: As a new brand established through the marketing alliance between Orange Lake Resorts and InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG), Holiday Inn Club Vacations® did not yet possess the mind share to make it a known and understood brand to consumers.

Opportunity: Engage in a Guest Blogger program

Research: IHG focus group on HCV brand (qualitative) Online research on travel bloggers (secondary) Targeted blogger research (primary)

Case study: PR planning at work Summary of findings & opportunities: Consumers trust earned media above all other forms of advertising.

While reporters report the news about brands, bloggers share the brand experience.

Case study: PR planning at work

Goal: Drive brand “love” amongst key influencers to generate consumer awareness and trial.

Audiences: Moms, 30-45, who are decision-makers in booking travel (Harvard Business Review 2010)

Research: IHG focus group on HCV brand (qualitative) Online research on travel bloggers (secondary) Targeted blogger research (primary)

Case study: PR planning at work Short-term: To confirm 5 Guest Bloggers on a two or three-night stay with their family at one of our resort locations in 2011 and report on their experience on their blog.

Long-term: To continue our Guest Blogger program in 2012 and beyond, confirming 5 blogger stays per year.

Communication strategy: Engage targeted bloggers on the idea of vacation resorts as a viable approach to family travel. Expand media visit focus outside of our flagship Orlando location to highlight the unique experiences available across our brands. Educate media about the attributes of the resort they’re visiting and allow them to convey the Holiday Inn Club Vacations experience from their perspective. Share blogger experiences through social media.

Case study: PR planning at work Key messages: Vacation value Family-friendly amenities and conveniences Spacious accommodations Not just timeshare; nightly rentals available Newest addition to Holiday Inn brand family HCV resorts = smarter way for families to vacation

Tactics, staffing, budget and timeline were developed…

Case study: PR planning at work Evaluation: Doubled output objective of 5 bloggers in 2011, hosting 12 bloggers and generating 100 million+ online impressions Utilized social media to gain larger audience Adjusted budget to cut / add as necessary Reached target audiences / messaging outcomes via key influencers

View our Guest Blogger program posts here: http://corporate.orangelake.com/media_GuestBlogger.php

This blog post, “Confessions of a Cabana Mama” made the Huffington Post!

Editorial planning across audiences

Gather copywriters, employee communications, social media team, owner/member communications team together and hash out editorial topics annually, revisiting quarterly, monthly, bi-weekly.

PR: building a strong offense Integrating social media into communication plans

Continuously tightening up incident/crisis manual, SOPs and response templates

Strengthening communications planning templates

Continuing media training for executives and general managers

Increased editorial planning across communications team

Ensuring a “seat at the table” on issue management and organizational changes