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Four Seasons pushes reopening of Toronto property via city imagery contest

September 20, 2012

Four Seasons #UncoverToronto Instagram contest

Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts is raising awareness for the reopening of its Toronto property at a new location by holding a contest via the Instagram mobile application for the chance to win a $1,000 Four Seasons gift card.

The #UncoverToronto contest is hosted by the hotel brand’s Tumblr blog Four Seasons Fotog. Four Seasons is looking capture what its home city means to past and prospective guests while leading up to the hotel’s opening next month.

“The strategy behind the #UncoverToronto Instagram contest is to create a digital experience that celebrates Toronto, home to our new flagship property Four Seasons Hotel Toronto,” said Felicia Yukich, social media marketing manager at Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, Toronto.

“Destination marketing is an important focus for Four Seasons,” she said. “We aim to inspire participation by Instagrammers in Toronto and beyond because we appreciate the authentic creativity and diversity that Instagram breeds.

“We felt Instagrammers would be best able to portray Toronto to the world.”

Grand opening
To enter the contest, Instagram users must take an image from the iPhone or Android app that depicts what Toronto means to them. Images must include the #UncoverToronto tag and a creative caption.

Also, users must follow @FourSeasonsFotog on Instagram to be eligible to win.

The next step is to fill out an entry form located on Four Seasons’ digital magazine.

Users must enter their name, Instagram username, email and image URL. They can also opt-in to receive the Four Seasons email newsletter.

Four Seasons is using its corporate digital channels as well as property-specific social media accounts to push the contest. Most of the posts link to the contest entry form.

For instance, contest images were posted to the Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts Facebook page earlier this week.

Contest images on Facebook

Also, a post on Four Seasons Magazine shows a curated selection of contest images and encourages Instagram users to vote for their favorites.

This page also contains links to view offers from Four Seasons Hotel Toronto and the entry form.

Post on Four Seasons Magazine

Rush of emotion
Four Seasons Hotel Toronto also tapped guests’ emotions when it closed the original location.

The hotel created a memory book Facebook app in which previous guests could memorialize the 35-year-old property by uploading photos and sharing personal anecdotes from time spent at the hotel.

The previous location closed its doors March 28 to reopen two blocks away at 60 Yorkville Ave.

This type of promotion could appeal to the emotions of luxury consumers by creating an environment to reminisce. It could also encourage patronage of the new property, claimed the brand (see story).

This time around, mobile was chosen at the corporate level to reinforce Four Seasons’ stance on the digital and social space, per Ms. Yukich.

“With over 80 million users worldwide and growing, Instagram remains a priority marketing channel for Four Seasons,” Ms. Yukich said. “More than one third of our properties worldwide manage an active local Instagram account.

“As we continue to innovate as a brand, our guests’ experience with us online, before, during and after their visit, is central to maintaining our leadership in the luxury category,” she said.

Consumer-made imagery is being used more often by luxury marketers likely to portray brand lifestyle in an authentic way.

In fact, Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts collaborated with LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton’s independent lifestyle site Nowness to host a photography contest that encourages consumers to share off-the-beaten-path venues in their home city (see story).

Instagram is an effective platform for Four Seasons because it inspires new experiences and shows information in an attractive way, per Ms. Yukich.

“By highlighting the best of Toronto on Instagram, Four Seasons is able to make users aware of announcements from the brand quickly and powerfully, as well as celebrate all that the city has to offer in honor of the upcoming opening of the new Four Seasons Hotel Toronto,” Ms. Yukich said.

Final Take
Tricia Carr, editorial assistant on Luxury Daily, New York

Tricia Carr is an editorial assistant on Luxury Daily. Her beats are apparel and accessories, arts and entertainment, education, food and beverage, fragrance and personal care, government, healthcare, home furnishings, jewelry, legal/privacy and nonprofits. Reach her at tricia@napean.com.