As the public relations agency of record for LivAway Suites, Snackbox recognized the challenge of creating media traction and attention for a new, independent hotel brand with no previous media attention or marketing to support it. We needed to quickly establish credibility with industry and business media, as well as work to introduce the LivAway Suites brand to local stakeholders, chambers, and media in individual markets across the nation via groundbreaking. Bringing a brand-new hotel with little to no previous public attention into many new markets is a challenge, as the hotel market is one of the most competitive industries to tap into. The hospitality space is saturated with name-brand economy and luxury hotels that many consumers have loyalty to and prefer over new brands. The challenges and questions we faced were: How can we establish this new, rapid-growing brand in local markets? How can we position the LivAway Suites leadership team as experts in the economy extended-stay space and establish it in the hospitality industry? How can we get the media interested in a new hotel? How can we amplify media attention and position LivAway Suites as a new, reputable brand? 

When we began working with the LivAway Suites team in Q1 of 2023, the brand had significant growth plans to have 20+ locations nationally by 2025. Since the company was rapidly working on development, national and local media were not quite yet familiar with the LivAway Suites brand. To get the media interested, an educational approach was our action plan. We took the inspiring brand mission and the founders’ passion for creating newsworthy pieces for journalists and reporters around the country and in all local markets. With each pitch, national reporters were learning more about what LivAway Suites was all about. Once LivAway Suites began breaking ground on their very first locations, we used our creative storytelling to craft knowledgeable, newsworthy, and exciting pitches for each local market and national media. Local media and national trades were eager to learn more about a new economy extended-stay hotel brand and what makes LivAway different from its competitive set. Their steadfast mission of being a brand built “for developers, by developers” was a key message in our communications, as was their innovative and sleek design that gave guests “everything they need and nothing they don’t.” With an uproar in media interest as the groundbreaking rapidly continued and a LivAway leadership that was easily positioned as experts in the economy extended-stay market, Snackbox built trusting relationships with reporters in the hospitality trades. Our robust list of responsive reporters in the national trade space still enjoys receiving our consistent growth updates on the LivAway Suites company as they have been through this journey with us since the start. 

In the first 18 months of partnering with LivAway Suites, we secured nearly 7,000 placements with an audience of over 3.6 billion – Notable publications that have featured LivAway Suites include Hotel Business Magazine, Lodging Magazine, CB Insights, News Break, AOL, Breaking Travel News, Hospitality Net, Tri-City Herald, Authority Magazine, BNN Breaking, Syracuse.com, and many more. 

Our relationship with LivAway Suites is constantly growing and will continue to evolve as they become more widely known and nationally recognized. Media coverage has increased as they open their first locations in West Jordan, Utah, and Smyrna, Tennessee. With the grand opening in West Jordan, Utah, in addition to PR initiatives, Snackbox is spearheading influencer marketing and media invitations to the grand opening event. From influencer research, media lists, negotiation, contract drafting, and outreach, we have a strategic focus on getting impressive interest and coverage on the first grand opening in West Jordan, Utah.