Can an established French hotel company-whose brand is well-known not only in France but also throughout Europe-head off to the U.S. and expect to rub shoulders with the likes of Marriott, Hilton, Sheraton and Hyatt? When it came to brand recognition and media coverage, Sofitel was at a disadvantage. The hotel's other challenges included securing mindshare as an "upper upscale" brand for North American business and leisure travelers as well as bringing awareness to the prestige of its parent company, Accor.
NJFPR was determined to capitalize on the company's uniquely French attributes, or l'art de vivre à la française: the French art of living. Sofitel's worldwide urban, resort, and airport locations, its strength amongst business travelers, and the elevated level of luxury and visibility evident in the new North American properties offered the agency additional tactical strengths. The media relations program was comprehensive, emphasizing targeted placement pitches, individual and group press trips, and distinctive, culturally-driven hotel packages to match local museum exhibitions and festivals. NJFPR also provided support to Sofitel's ongoing corporate packages and programs.
Since the Agency began its campaign, Sofitel has seen a 40 percent increase in the volume of media coverage and a 45 percent increase in the number of impressions (more than 65 million reader impressions annually). Brand and individual property coverage has appeared on CNN, NBC's The Today Show, and CNBC as well as in The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, USA Today, Travel + Leisure, Conde Nast Traveler, Food & Wine, and many other publications. Sofitel now also enjoys high rankings in readers' polls such as Conde Nast Traveler's Gold List and Travel + Leisure's "World's Best."
