In 2015, Hilton’s growth strategy included the acquisition of a handful of unique “individually remarkable hotels” that had very little in common with each other. They named the collection “Curio Hotels”. But how to let the world know that the primary commonality connecting these diverse independent hotels was the name itself?
Each of the original Curio Hotels was known for its 1) remarkable character, 2) destination unto themselves, and 3) world-class culinary experiences. The highly curious would be intrigued to go on the adventure, feel the flavor of a new city and eat like a true local. Courageous went to town looking into curiosity. We discovered DRD4-7R, aka, the Curious Gene, lived in a mere 20% of humans. 100% would be candidates to learn about and discover Curio.
It was the world’s first market segmentation on genetic testing. We genetically tested social influencers and hired a handful who tested positive for having DRD4-7R. We quizzed, interviewed and researched these influencers and identified five new curiosity types: Culturalist, Spiritualist, Pathfinder, Challenger and Epicurean. We then paired each of these influencers with the proper Curio Hotel that fit their curiosity type and let each loose on sharing the new Curio brand with their followings. In just 30 days of our experiment, Curio’s global brand saw 160% growth in Instagram followers, 320% increase in Instagram engagement and unlocked over 3 million new earned video views. We also inspired over 50,000 people to get tested to discover their own curiosity type. Today, there are now 160 Curio Hotels across 38 countries welcoming those who are curious to unlock their perfect adventure.
CMO / Johnson & Johnson
