Hotwire Launches New Ad Campaign, Prepares For Global Expansion

SAN FRANCISCO— Hotwire.com, a discount travel distributor, has launched its first national advertising campaign, beginning with a dozen radio spots that feature real people taking the “Hotwire Travel Challenge.” Launched across the U.S. on April 8, the radio ads focus on individuals stopped on the street who are asked to search airfare or hotel rates on Hotwire, then compare those savings to competing travel sites. “We didn’t write these ads, we just asked real people to try Hotwire and a competing travel site side by side. Then we recorded their natural reactions,” said John Hommeyer, Hotwire chief marketing officer. With more than 6,000 hotel partners, the aim of the campaign is to drive home the amount of savings offered to travelers at major destinations through Hotwire.com, while building more brand awareness. The advertising campaign marks a first for Hotwire, which launched about two years ago, and has grown its registered user base to approximately 10 million. “To date we’ve never done a national advertising campaign. All of our marketing has been through word-of-mouth, public relations and local advertising,” said Spencer Rascoff, vp/corporate development for Hotwire. In addition to the radio spots, Hotwire also will be launching a print campaign in the near future. Rascoff added Hotwire also will continue its email marketing efforts, which have proven successful for the site. In order to search Hotwire’s inventory, users must first go through some “light registration,” he noted. “To get a quote they need to give their name and email address… Most elect to receive email, which allows us to market them effectively.” One item expected to be popping up in marketing efforts soon is the company’s planned expansion into international markets. The site added several hotels in Puerto Rico at the end of March and is expected to add about five Caribbean destinations by the end of this month. Expansion into Canada and Europe could come as early as the third quarter, said Rascoff.