VP-Global Marketing Carla Raynor on Why You’ll See Lewis the Duck Parading Again

Carla Raynor has been with Homewood Suites for 10 years, and for the past two years has been VP-global marketing, overseeing marketing efforts for the chain of extended-stay hotels within the Hilton Worldwide portfolio as it seeks to gain greater prominence in a competitive category.

Carla Raynor

Look no further than Homewood Suites’ inaugural participation in last year’s Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade as evidence of its newfound enthusiasm for exposure: A giant yellow duck named Lewis, its mascot, rambled down the street in the company of Smurfs and Dora the Explorer in an effort to reintroduce — indeed, largely introduce — himself to a broad audience on a very visible stage. It was part of a three-year partnership with the parade that cost $950,000. In the first year, the coverage resulting from Homewood’s participation in the parade had a combined advertising equivalency of $1,039,158.

Homewood Suites has incrementally decreased its measured media spending over the past three years, according to Kantar. It spent $6.9 million in 2010, $7.5 million in 2009 and $8.4 million in 2008. But it is making its dollars work overtime under Ms. Raynor’s leadership. And it has to, she said: “It is such a quality product, but it has such low awareness” — 12%. In articulating her strategy for the brand, she explained, “We wanted to look at a way to really open up the awareness around the brand, make it sexier, showcase the quality of the product,” she said. “One way as an ad campaign, another was events, being more aggressive online. So we put several things into play.” Read the rest of this entry »