Leonardo Hotels
Hospitality
Branding
PR
Marketing
Exeter
2022
We partnered with Plymouth’s largest hotel to strategically manage the local rollout of their massive national rebranding campaign. The historic Jurys Inn brand was phased out across the UK and Ireland following an £800 million acquisition by the Fattal Hotel Group and Pandox. The goal was to seamlessly transition the 247-room, 8-storey property into the rapidly growing European Leonardo Hotels portfolio.
Summary
We managed the public relations and experiential marketing rollout, which centered around a high-impact branded tour bus exhibition at the city Piazza to give corporate clients, university partners, and locals a physical sneak peek of the new hotel rooms. Alongside the public campaign, we coordinated the marketing communication strategy surrounding the massive physical transformation—including a four-day external signage overhaul and a complete uniform redesign for 64 staff members. Our targeted marketing efforts successfully drove widespread local engagement, minimized customer confusion during the transition, and helped the 247-room hotel maintain high occupancy rates throughout the launch.
Challenge
Overcoming Brand Confusion:
The hotel had operated as Jurys Inn since 2007. The sudden shift to "Leonardo Hotel" risked confusing loyal customers, causing anxiety over existing bookings, and losing established local brand equity.Sudden
National PR Disruptions:
The critical tour bus launch at the Piazza was unexpectedly cancelled and delayed due to the period of national mourning following the death of the Queen. This disrupted the pre-planned media and logistics schedule
Fragmented Target Audience:
The marketing strategy had to target two vastly different groups simultaneously: high-value corporate clients (like Devonport Dockyard and the University of Plymouth) and weekend leisure guests.Synchronising with Heavy Operations: The marketing and PR timeline had to perfectly align with a chaotic, four-day physical overhaul on-site, which included heavy machinery swapping five massive building signs and 64 staff members changing uniforms.
Solutions
Experiential Public Engagement:
We leveraged the rescheduled Leonardo tour bus at the city Piazza as a physical marketing hub. By inviting the public inside a mock-up bedroom, we replaced brand confusion with hands-on excitement.Agile Media Re-scheduling: When the launch was delayed, our team immediately pivoted the PR timeline. We re-secured local press coverage, coordinated with city officials for new Piazza permits, and built up fresh momentum for the new November launch date.
Segmented B2B and B2C Messaging:
We split the campaign into two targeted narratives. Corporate clients received direct communications emphasizing continuity in premium business facilities, while leisure audiences were targeted with social campaigns focusing on the modern "staycation" upgrade.
Seamless Operational Alignment:
We created a synchronized communication calendar that matched the physical transformation step-by-step. Public announcements dropped exactly as the cherry pickers arrived, turning a disruptive building site into an exciting live teaser for the new brand.
