Round 1 of the coolest summer marketing campaign just ended, and the results sound fabulous.
The Balsams Grand Resort Hotel in the White Mountains announced their first-ever “In-Bedded Resorter” Search (great play on words) earlier this month, and they’re reporting 12,000 unique visitors to the campaign site during the two-week open application period. Not to mention the 300 applications they have to choose from between now and July 1st.
It’s like a reality show screening situation: The application (no longer available online) asked people detailed personal profile style questions and gave them the opportunity and encouragement to post videos explaining why they should be picked for the position. Applicants’ social media credentials were part of the review, too – another indicator of how important personal branding is becoming in the world of business.
So, why is this whole thing so cool? In a “show-don’t-tell” world, the Balsams are raising the bar. The Inn-Bedded Resorter’s task will be to live at the resort for two months, enjoying every amenity the Resort has to offer, and share it across multiple social media platforms. Blogs, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, foursquare…you name it, you’ll see the Inn-Bedded Reporter on there this summer.
From a marketing perspective, this campaign hits on several levels. It’s already generating social media buzz and traditional earned media coverage. During the two months it goes live, it’ll drive traffic thanks to reality-show-style watchability – what will the Inn-Bedded Reporter being doing next? The culinary school? The pro golf course? Children’s activities? And in the long tail, The Balsams will have expanded their online empire, giving them additional search-engine fodder and content they can repurpose all year long.
(Heck, if this works out for them, they could do a winter version, too. Who wouldn’t want to ski in the White Mountains on The Balsams’ dime and be treated like a VIP, just for sharing the joy of it with the rest of the world?)
All in all, it’s a fantastically bold idea, put into joy-filled action for powerful results. Props to The Balsams and the party peeps at BobDonPaul, the creative team behind this inspired campaign. Can’t wait to see how this blossoms, guys!
