The "Any Hotel Anywhere" campaign rolls out under the umbrella of IHG's existing Priority Club Rewards scheme and the centerpiece is a radio promotion through broadcaster Virgin.
IHG claims that the offer is the first of its kind. From this month, Priority Club Rewards members will be able to use their club points not only for free stays at 3,600 InterContinental Hotels Group properties, but also at more than 500,000 other hotels worldwide.
The push predominantly targets middle income male business travellers aged 25-35. "As well as targeting a greater share of wallet, we are looking to create a closer link with our consumers. People may choose to stay with other companies, but this is a grown up offer that gives us a real point of difference and our guests yet another reason to stay with us," said Gavin Hawthorn, head of loyalty marketing at IHG.
The Virgin Radio campaign, entitled "Postcards from The Edge", kicks off on 18 September and runs for a week on the Christian O'Connell Breakfast Show. It features O'Connell's sidekick Chris Smith doing impressions of U2's The Edge. Each day, listeners have to guess which Holiday Inn he is meant to be staying at for the chance to win a UK Holiday Inn break, followed by a luxury overseas holiday that has a connection to the UK location. For example, winners can stay at Trafalgar Square and Times Square or hotels near Tyne Bridge and Sydney Harbour Bridge.
Virgin will be supporting the push with announcements in the week ahead of the campaign and via a microsite. IHG's wider support for the Any Hotel Anywhere campaign kicks off on 11 September and will include in-hotel POP, local and national press, radio ads and mailshots to database members through Proximity, and online ads and games created by AKQA.
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