Situation

A leisure- and group-focused resort located in popular Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, The Abbey Resort had lost touch with its traditional audience due to lack of branding support. After undergoing a significant $40 million makeover, The Abbey was transformed from a once-tired resort into an exciting new destination experience. Stevens & Tate partnered with the resort to create and launch an all-new branding campaign that not only announced its dramatic changeover, but also stimulated new response from both the family and leisure markets, as well as for group business.

Solution

Capitalizing on The Abbey’s strongest point of differentiation as the only true resort on the shores of Lake Geneva, we first empowered The New Abbey Resort with a tagline that offered imaging and positioning. “It’s a Shore Thing” communicated the resort’s location and credibility as the destination of choice. All new creative for a fully integrated marketing and advertising campaign was built around the many aspects of a fun-filled day at the lake – bright guest rooms, marina energy, nautical colors, casual attire, fun activities, laughter and smiles – and helped to communicate the superior service and amenities of the resort.

A redesigned website made it easier to segment their leisure and group business, with language, attitude and visual appeal that changed depending on which section the visitor entered. Efforts to promote the resort’s unique shorefront location continued online by extending their visibility through interactive ads, a strong search engine marketing program, and an intense email program to reintroduce The New Abbey Resort to consumers with impressive results.