360 DIGITAL MARKETING
The Madrona
ABOUT
The Madrona is a hotel & restaurant just minutes from downtown Healdsburg, California.
Formerly a private estate built in 1881, The Madrona features a small collection of classic hotel rooms and private bungalows offering an experience of uncommon hospitality. The property showcases an all-day dining destination that celebrates the cultures, flavors, and welcoming hospitality that define Northern California.
The OPPORTUNITY
Designed by Jay Jeffers and created with an impeccable brand, The Madrona was about to open as a wholly renovated and bespoke 24-room hotel and all-day dining restaurant in Healdsburg, California.
In the launch, it was important that the new Madrona announced itself as a departure from its previous iteration, as a less “special-occasion only” hotel and fine dining restaurant to a more approachable experience for everyday luxury.
To achieve this, the property’s opening marketing plan was to attract a niche audience through an underground digital marketing strategy that was thoughtful and strategic without relying on heavy grand-opening discounts or oversized ad budgets.
The Action
1AX was hired to create a stealth marketing plan that focused on identifying The Madrona’s target audience and speaking to them in a uniquely Madrona way.
We launched multi-prong digital efforts to drive hotel room nights, restaurant reservations, and event bookings.
Strategies included carefully written SEO meta-data, long-tail-keyword paid search campaigns, image-only Instagram prospecting and campaigns, and robust email collection for regular editorial and program sends. By spotlighting signature programming like Overnight Date Package, curated wine dinners, and movies on the lawn, the result was rooms, tickets, and tables consistently sold out and locals turned into regulars.
With a keen eye for consumer behavior and daily review of digital analytics, all campaigns were refined to hone the correct targeting from guest demographics, geographies, interests, and behaviors.
The Results
One year after opening, The Madrona has established a digital marketing playbook that consistently yields excellent results. In the first twelve months, the hotel averaged:
36%
Website Check Availability Rate
$26:1
Paid Search
ROAS
45%
Marketing Email Open Rate
“Leigh and the 1AX team were ideal digital marketing partners in supporting our repositioning of The Madrona’s buzzy 2022 re-opening.
Leigh’s intuitive working style and her sharp expertise in translating brand-amplifying campaigns to our desired audience helped us far exceed our direct marketing goals in our pivotal first year. 1AX’s strategic approach and seamless integration with the wider marketing and PR team allowed us to truly capitalize on our efforts from all angles.”
Christine Morairty,
Vice President, Brand + Marketing, Palisades Hospitality Group
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