Renovating a Premiere Brand

Situation

The Ambassador Hotel, built in 1928, was once considered one of Milwaukee’s premier hotels. Over the years, the building and the neighborhood deteriorated, the hotel gained a negative image in the community and vacancy rates increased.

Under new ownership and after a major renovation costing millions of dollars, the hotel was restored to its original Art Deco grandeur and re-opened to the public. The re-opening included Envoy, a destination restaurant with a unique menu and jazz lounge.

Challenge

With the renovations nearly complete, Zizzo Group Marketing + Public Relations + New Media (ZGM+PR+NM) was challenged with repositioning the image of the hotel in the marketplace and informing potential hotel guests, both within and outside of the Milwaukee market, that the hotel had returned to its classic state and would provide guests with a unique experience.

Results

The results of ZGM+PR+NM’s integrated campaign exceeded expectations. The Ambassador Hotel and Envoy both received significant public relations exposure and were featured in numerous articles in local and regional media as well as in Northwest Airlines and Midwest Airlines magazines. The total dollar value of the PR was $400,000 and was valued at over eight times the investment in the campaign. This was complemented with powerful advertising messages in print and outdoor media that reinforced the PR message and repositioned the hotel in the community.