Netherlands-based travel site Booking.com opened 20 Resolution Suites in NYC this month, each based on one of the 20 most popular New Year’s resolutions. The experiential pop-up was sparked by Booking.com’s finding that 72% of Americans are interested in taking a trip to carry out one of their resolutions. The themed hotel rooms and accompanying activities were centered around resolutions such as Become Financially Savvy, Learn to Code, Be Adventurous, and Read More. For USD 20.20, travelers could book a two-night stay beginning January 17. For those who didn’t manage to snag a suite, Booking.com held a social sweepstakes and rewarded 20 guests with a resolution-themed trip valued at USD 2,020.
Okay, this is yet another whimsical pop-up. But the scale of this campaign – opening a physical hotel, however temporary, is a significant effort – reflects two deep consumer expectations:
ASSISTED DEVELOPMENT. With ever-changing attitudes, economic pressures, incessant smartphone pings and more, it can feel ever-harder to set and focus on longterm goals. In response, brands have been leading customers by the hand: see how Pillar is helping students conquer their student debt, how the Equal Parts cookware brand’s text service guides new chefs and how Landed is helping Portand’s teachers purchase homes. Albeit for only two days, Booking.com also followed this trend by immersing guests in an intensive experience centered around their goals. Whether your solution is a pop-up or a full-blown business model, how can you fulfill this emerging expectation that brands offer ASSISTED DEVELOPMENT by reaching out and helping consumers to achieve key lifestyle goals?
TREND BABIES. A multitude of fantastical hotel stays have popped up recently. Booking.com rival Hotels.com opened suites with a range of quirky themes, from Lisa Frank to carbs. Yes, carbs. Booking.com’s popup themed around lifestyle goals combined this kind of FANTASY IRL with some ASSISTED DEVELOPMENT that helped consumers turn their fantasy lives into a reality. It’s a useful reminder that mashing trends together is a powerful tactic when it comes to generating new ideas. So here’s one challenge to get you started: what does it look like if you apply a mashup of FANTASY IRL and ASSISTED DEVELOPMENT to your offering?
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