Hilton urges customers to "Stop Clicking Around" in largest ever marketing campaign

As part of the campaign, Hilton HHonors members can receive a discount on room rates by booking directly through its brand websites, Hilton HHonors mobile app and reservation call centres, or through preferred corporate travel partners and approved travel agents. A discount for direct booking was introduced last October for hotels in select markets (including New York, Miami, Houston, and San Diego), but is now available at more than 4,500 hotels around the world. The biggest advertising campaign in Hilton’s 97 year history also features a minute long advert with music by The Rolling Stones. The advert was filmed in New York, London, Tokyo and Thailand, and will air in 22 languages. You can view it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=A1iJxMyCujs The new campaign will also emphasise the other benefits of booking direct and being an HHonors member. These benefits include HHonors Points that can be used for free nights, free Wi-Fi, and the ability to check-in, choose your own room from a digital floor plan and use a Digital Key, all via the HHonors mobile app on a smartphone. In addition, Hilton say that hotels are able to provide a more personalised and memorable experience when HHonors members book direct with them. "Our customers don't need to worry about sorting through a dizzying array of websites, enduring hundreds of clicks and wasting hours of time. They can be assured that booking a room directly with us at any of our hotels doesn't require extensive searching and price checking to find the best prices online," said Geraldine Calpin, chief marketing officer at Hilton Worldwide.

Customers often assume that they are getting cheaper rates when booking through a third party, which is generally not true, especially with chain hotels. The launching of this huge campaign also reflects Hilton’s desire for direct booking, which would erase the typical 10% commission hotels usually have to pay when bookings are made through third parties. "Last year, 57 billion Hilton HHonors Points - or more than 1.6 million free nights - went unearned because guests booked their stay through a third party. There is a huge misconception that third parties always offer lower prices for our hotel rooms, which is simply not true,"said Mark Weinstein, global head of Customer Engagement, Loyalty and Partnerships at Hilton Worldwide. Hilton Worldwide enlisted the help of Fold7, a London-based marketing and advertising agency, to launch the "Stop Clicking Around" campaign. A promotional event in London is also planned for later this month.