Four Seasons Reenacts Memorable Guest Experiences in Latest Campaign

With its “Based on a True Stay” campaign, the Four Seasons aims to convey how its staff goes above and beyond to entertain guests.

The recently launched campaign, which tells stories about real guest experiences, is part of its effort to target travelers who are currently only 11 years old.

“Across every touchpoint, personal and digital, consumers want to be recognized in person as a special guest and welcomed like a friend,” said Marc Speichert, Four Seasons’ chief commercial officer, the mastermind behind the company’s marketing efforts.

The Four Seasons used information from guest surveys and interviews with employees to create Based on a True Stay, which includes videos showing situations where employees surprise guests. One spot shows a hotel worker giving snowballs to a family experiencing snow for the first time, while in another, a Four Seasons employee delivers a pony to a young girl.

The company sees a tremendous opportunity to gain a foothold in the increasingly lucrative Gen Z traveler segment. Baby boomers are expected to pass on more than $68 trillion to their children by 2030, one of the largest wealth transfers in US history. As such, Four Seasons decided to launch a new marketing strategy that Speichert believes demonstrates how to create personalized experiences for travelers. He added that this will be his approach going forward.

“If we look further ahead to the next 10 to 20 years…there is an opportunity for brands…to capture the tastes of these generations with newfound wealth,” Spiechert said.

While the company has showcased the campaign on Facebook and Instagram, Speichert said it doesn’t shy away from more traditional forms of media. The Four Seasons ran the campaign in The New York Times, a newspaper it believes has given a boost to its marketing efforts.

The Four Seasons is also increasing investment in its website and app, with the latter seeing a 61 percent increase in downloads from 2021 to 2022.

“The future of luxury will be driven by data and insights and driven by human connection and imagination,” said Speichert.

Photo credit: An image from Four Seasons’ Based on a True Stay campaign, highlighting the company’s efforts to welcome guests.