The Hotel Sales & Marketing Association International (HSMAI) honored Rhode Island Commerce Corporation at the annual Adrian Awards Ceremony that happened on February 23, 2023. The Bronze Adrian Award was presented to Rhode Island Commerce Corporation for their winning submission in the Advertising – Consumer/Group Sales/Travel Trade category. The Adrian Awards, now in their 66th year, are the world’s largest and most distinguished travel marketing competition.
After a nearly two-year hiatus from promoting air travel to Rhode Island in key origin markets, Rhode Island Commerce Corporation launched a creative, digital-focused airport campaign in the middle of 2022 to promote returning flights and new airlines offering service to the state. The campaign included digital display ads, paid social, and streaming audio. The campaign’s objectives included:
- Increase interest in and awareness of direct flights to Rhode Island.
- Acquire leisure and business passengers from 14 target fly markets.
- Encourage travel to Rhode Island via a fun and innovative digital advertising campaign.
In June 2022, the airport campaign debuted on Sojern, Spotify, Google Ads, Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok via gifs, digital display banners, streaming audio, and coordinated landing sites. Facebook and Instagram awareness campaigns surpassed the travel/leisure sector norms for ad recall lift in three months, achieving 15,76% and 6,56% respectively. The airport campaign generated a total of 120,909,943 impressions and 217,557 clicks across all media.
Rhode Island Commerce Corporation is thrilled to have received its third Adrian Award in five years, and it’s first in the Advertising – Consumer/Group Sales/Travel Trade category, according to Chief Marketing Officer Anika Kimble-Huntley. “We look forward to continuing to promote Rhode Island through distinctive and innovative campaigns showcasing sought-after experiences only available in the Ocean State.”
The topic “The Next Great Chapter” was chosen for the 2022 Adrian Awards Competition to showcase the travel industry’s comeback from the COVID pandemic and encourage entrants to contemplate the potential and challenges that lay ahead.
Robert A. Gilbert, CHME, CHBA, president and CEO of HSMAI, stated that the travel sector is healthy and set for fresh expansion. “The Adrian Awards celebrate the innovation and ingenuity that fuel our success and recognize the hospitality sales, marketing, and revenue optimization leaders whose extraordinary efforts literally ‘open the doors to exploration and excitement. They are writing the next great chapter of travel, and HSMAI is proud to honor them.”
The Adrian Awards Ceremony is an annual must-attend event that attracts top hospitality, travel, and tourist marketing professionals and organizations. After the February 23 Ceremony, winning entries will be displayed in the winners’ gallery on the Adrian Awards website.