Colonial Williamsburg
Brand Development • Creative • Public Relations • Social Media
Located in the heart of America’s Historic Triangle in Virginia, Colonial Williamsburg is a living museum celebrating the founding of the United States, encompassing a replica period settlement in the spot where many of the Founding Fathers once walked. This Historic Area is operated by the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, is a collection of world-class resort amenities, including five hotels, championship golf courses, a spa, and more than seventeen food and beverage outlets.
Braintrust serves as agency of record for all of the resort offerings, hotels, and restaurants at Colonial Williamsburg and is responsible for brand strategy, public relations, social media, and creative design for the destination that is located about 60 miles east of Richmond, VA. While the historic offerings at Colonial Williamsburg had broad consumer awareness, there was an opportunity to expand the message and shed light on the multitude of world-class vacation and resort experiences offered in this idyllic regional setting.
Use the amenities to empower the brand.
Given the unique array of deliverables available at Colonial Williamsburg Resorts – four hotels, Colonial Houses, seventeen restaurants, 45 holes of golf, and a world-class spa – each holding appeal for a broad target audience, from 5-star, 5-diamond luxury, to accessible family-friendly value, it was imperative that the creative direction for the brand be flexible in order to adapt to a myriad of messages and deliverables. It must be able to showcase the resort as a whole or to feature a specific hotel, restaurant, package or amenity. In addition, the creative must inform the public about the world-class vacation offerings while being respectful to the historical spirit at the core of Colonial Williamsburg.
Minutes From More
The resulting campaign revolved around the theme of Minutes From More. Colonial Williamsburg Resorts delivers more. More things to do, to experience, to learn, to eat, to drink, to play, and to explore. All within an incredibly compact vicinity. The campaign leverages this convenience and combines it with the diversity of experiences available at Colonial Williamsburg Resorts, presenting a compelling call-to-action for the consumer.
Public Relations
Colonial Williamsburg has more than just history. It is home to award-winning hotels including the iconic Williamsburg Inn, numerous food and beverage outlets, a wellness spa, and award-winning golf courses. Braintrust engaged on a robust and on-going PR campaign to secure the maximum on-target media coverage on the resort deliverables of Colonial Williamsburg.
A culinary love letter to the South
Banish thoughts of ye olde country restaurant when it comes to Rockefeller Room. While Rockefeller Room is, indeed, in the heart of Colonial Williamsburg, it’s a sophisticated culinary love letter to the South.
The dining room is warm, spacious and chic. Named for John D. Rockefeller Jr., the restaurant pays homage to the man who not only created Williamsburg Inn, but whose mission to rescue the entire 18th-century city resulted in one of the country’s greatest treasures.
Far from being stuck in the past, Rockefeller Room is a rare spot where old guard Southern families rub elbows with food-forward travelers, a place to dress up and eat well — very well.
The 76 most charming hotels in America
Colonial Williamsburg is a truly historic and patriotic destination, and with so many fascinating attractions in the area, you’ll want to find a place in town that’s the perfect complement to your trip. Overseen in its construction by John D. Rockefeller, Williamsburg Inn has become an iconic part of Williamsburg history, having hosted famous guests such as Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Winston Churchill, Dwight Eisenhower, and Emperor Hirohito of Japan. The Regency-style furnishings and décor really elevate the experience to one of luxury, and the resort is also known for its fine dining, with guests enjoying delicious Southern and English-influenced cuisine in its beautiful dining rooms or outdoor terrace.
The Best Royal Wedding-Inspired Getaways in America
Sad Prince Harry is officially off the market? The Queen’s Suite at the Williamsburg Inn is the perfect place to recover. Queen Elizabeth II came to the Williamsburg Inn in 1957 (the first British monarch to set foot in the area) in honor of the 350th anniversary of the United Kingdom’s first permanent English settlement. She then came back to the Inn in 2007 for the 400th anniversary of the founding of Jamestown. Kick back with a book on the royal family, thoughtfully displayed in the suite, or head to the spa for a restorative treatment.
28 Incredible Last-Minute Vacations That Don't Cost A Fortune
You’ve probably visited the area on a grade school trip, but there’s more to Greater Williamsburg than the Busch Gardens or the Jamestown Settlement. In recent years, the region has undergone a remarkable transformation into a hub for fine dining, shopping, and the arts. Don’t miss a tour of the Williamsburg Winery and Alewerks Brewing Company to sample some of the best wines and microbrews the country has to offer.
Splurge: Williamsburg Inn
This majestic hotel is fit for a royalty — literally. Queen Elizabeth II has stayed twice at this charming Colonial Revival-style property, acclaimed for its fine dining and impeccable service.
How to Experience Colonial Williamsburg like a Rockefeller
The newly refurbished Williamsburg Inn would have suited the family that helped build the living history museum.
In 1927, a quick visit to Williamsburg, Virginia, was enough to convince John D. Rockefeller, Jr. and his wife Abby to put their money behind a massive restoration of Colonial Williamsburg, the town’s 301-acre living history museum. A decade later, the couple made their second mark on the district with the Williamsburg Inn, created to provide an appropriate place for their upper crust friends to unwind after a day of tours.
Last month, following its most extensive renovation yet (thanks to the Puccini Group), the hotel reopened its doors with a number of modern updates to its 19th-century Regency-style digs. Among them are a reflection pool to grace the entrance, high-tech appliances installed amongst original furnishings in each of its 62 rooms, and a new fine-dining restaurant, the Rockefeller Room, with a menu inspired by Imperial British cuisine.
PR Results
The overall PR metrics for the annual campaigns achieved significant results:
7
.8Mearned media value.
5.9
Bmedia impressions.
78
+onsite media visits.
Social Media
Braintrust worked with Colonial Williamsburg Resorts to launch the hospitality brand on social media with a focus on brand awareness, fan acquisition, and audience engagement. To date, the resort’s social media channels have exceeded their estimated goals and nearly doubled their audience sizes on Facebook and Instagram.
With six hotels, over ten food & beverage outlets, golf, spa, and the historic elements, there are numerous items to feature on social media outlets. Braintrust created a comprehensive social media strategy for Colonial Williamsburg Resorts that has so far gained more than seven thousand total fans, over six million impressions, and over 60,000 engagements on Facebook. The Instagram account also has over 600 total followers and more than 9,000 engagements.
14371
%+growth of Instagram audience.
1727
%+growth of Facebook audience.
187
%YOY increase in Instagram impressions.
1
M+impressions from social influencers.
6000
+emails added to CRM
Welcome to the Spa’rty
A special FAM trip with select Virginia-based influencers, the three-day experience generated significant impact including reaching an online audience of 320,018 and driving 1,273 visits to book the Summer Getaway package via the Influencers customized referral links.
Colonial Williamsburg Lodge
The largest hotel within Colonial Williamsburg Resorts’ offerings, the Williamsburg Lodge is a four-diamond hotel that was transitioning to become part of the Marriott Autograph Collection. Braintrust developed portions of the brand identity of the property, including logo, and creative touchpoints to support the brand positioning and create a compelling narrative for the historic property.
Working with the property, Braintrust also helped fulfill various Autograph Collection brand mandatories including creating “The Mark.” An Autograph mandatory, The Mark is a relevant pull through that helps make each Autograph property “Exactly Like Nothing Else.” In this case, we employed unique historic lanterns throughout the property to connect the modern lodge experience with the original “Vacancy” sign which was a lantern hung in front of an Inn in Colonial times.
After the development of the brand, Braintrust supported the property with ongoing public relations, social media and creative design.
