Embassy Suites Awkward Family Photos Campaign Dakota Blake

Embassy Suites Awkward Family Photos Campaign Dakota Blake, Brittany Clasen, and Wesley Barfield

The Campaign • Partnered with Awkward. Family. Photos. com, an outrageously popular blog site • Ran from July 13 until August 2, 2011 • Budget for campaign: $245, 000 • Target audience: families “Families are our bread and butter. ” -VP of brand marketing, John Lee. The Campaign

Social Media Google +, Twitter and Facebook The connection of Awkward. Family. Photos. com to Twitter and Facebook allowed for family interaction on the sites. Grand prize winner: Patriot Games 1, 276 Facebook shares 39 Tweets First Runner-Up: Summer at the Lake 590 Facebook shares 58 Tweets

Results One of Embassy Suites’ most successful PR campaigns The contest generated more than 1, 300 submissions —a record amount for this site Contest was narrowed down to the top 20 entries More than 54, 000 votes were cast

9, 439 votes The Winner! “Patriot Games, ” received 17 percent of the votes, surpassing the other 19 finalists. “During our Fourth of July family vacation, this was apparently our patriotic duty…”

First Runner-Up Summer at the Lake “Our daughter had rebellious teen years. Now 26 and a successful young adult, this (and similar) pictures make wonderful blackmail material. ” 7, 993 votes

Third Place And Wes’ Favorite. .

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5, 321 votes Pump Up the Jam!!!! “One can only imagine what was going through my stepdad’s mind when he choose his “outfit” for a day out at Disney World. I’d like to think that his decision came down to the extreme temperatures that come with Orlando, FL in July. However, that doesn’t explain the tube socks. It’s shocking, but the girl with the duck on her head (me) doesn’t look so silly standing beside a man in a belly shirt. This picture is legendary in my family so I’m happy to share it with the world…with my stepdad’s permission of course. “

What Did They Win, You Ask? $15, 000 cash and 14 nights at Embassy Suites Waikiki Beach Walk, Embassy Suites Lake Tahoe Hotel & Ski Resort, or Embassy Suites Greenville Golf Resort. 5 runners-up won two nights at an Embassy Suites Hotel of their choice and a signed copy of the Awkward Family Photos book.

Questions!! Was social media necessary in increasing the popularity of the contest? Did awkward family photos. com benefit more from the Embassy Suites campaign than the hotel itself Did this campaign actually lead to more hotel bookings?