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Strategy Director / Lead Copywriter
Client: PG&Co
As the Strategy Director and Lead Copywriter for rebranding IHG's Rewards program, my team and I faced several key challenges. One of the biggest was creating a rewards program identity that could appeal to a wide range of brands in the IHG portfolio, from the road warriors of Holiday Inn to the ultra-luxury of Six Senses. To address this, we developed a new strategy that included a mission, vision, and purpose and a new name and naming systems for tiers and products. Our ultimate goal was to establish IHG One Rewards as a clear, consumer-facing brand that serves as the home for all IHG brands.
To ensure the rebrand's success, we conducted thorough research into the hospitality sector's rewards programs and other successful loyalty programs outside the category. Based on our findings, our Creative Director developed the 'One Bridge' icon to symbolize the connectivity between people and places. The mark could be used individually or collectively with the logomark for brand building. Additionally, we developed an innovative logomark and copy for use across social media, video, web, and out-of-home advertising.
We used several key metrics to measure the rebrand's success, including feedback from loyalty bloggers, press and industry reactions to the launch, and sign-ups through the new IHG One Rewards app. To launch, we created a teaser film co-scripted by myself to be used across social media. Throughout the rebranding process, we worked closely with stakeholders ranging from the VP of Loyalty to the Chief Marketing Officer and the leaders of each brand. Their input was instrumental in shaping the direction of the rebrand and ensuring its successful implementation. The result was a new and vastly improved rewards program that appealed to a wide range of members and delivered on the needs and expectations of IHG's portfolio of brands.