Marcom case study: the “Hyatt Shuttle” of New York’s Grand Central Station

It’s not often these days I’m stopped in my tracks (no pun intended) by an ad or related form of marketing communication. Most of them seem to fuse with the background becoming invisible in mere seconds. This week was an exception, however, and it underscores one of the core principles any marketer should keep in mind when crafting effective marketing communications…


My encounter with "The Shuttle"
As I boarded the Shuttle train this morning, half-awake from my morning coffee, I was brought to full attention by a completely transformed subway interior (for those unfamiliar, the shuttle is a train that runs between Time Square & Grand Central Station in NYC). Beyond the expected surprise I felt from entering a subway car that had been bathed in the accoutrement of a solitary theme, there were a few reasons in particular that made the experience so memorable. And, it serves as a great example of how marketers can cut through the clutter – objective number one for any marketing communication. This feat was all the more impressive given that it was competing head-to-head with the madness that is midtown Manhattan during morning rush hour.


Why the Hyatt Shuttle = effective marketing communication
So what made the experience so compelling?

For starters, the train’s interior broke any existing schema (or expectation) I had for “what the inside of a NYC subway looks like”. Instead of steely, cool panels, the train was affixed with faux wood “wall paper” reminiscent of some bachelor’s finished basement from the late 70s, pool table & wet bar not included.

In place of slick, high-design ads pressed into the metal picture frames that dot the subway’s interior were color graphs printed on basic white printer paper; graphs that reminded me of the simple bar charts Microsoft Excel spit out circa 1989 . The charts, whose effectiveness was heightened by their simplicity, depicted how much more successful face-to-face meetings are in comparison with video conferencing, email, or phone calls.

At its essence, Hyatt transformed a cold, unfriendly space (the inside of a NYC subway) into a warm, inviting place - the inference being that Hyatt Conference Centers create the type of warm, inviting atmospheres conducive to effective business schmoozing & networking.

Now I’m neither an event planner nor coordinator of large-scale meetings, so I cannot speak to the level of influence "The Hyatt Shuttle” might have on my decision-making for those upcoming conferences.

However, to some degree that’s irrelevant. “The Hyatt Shuttle” compelled me to whip out my blackberry on a crowded train and snap away - much to the annoyance of my fellow commuters. It got me to write this post with blurry crackberry photos attached for the entire world to see (or 0.00022% of the Internet world per my latest Alexa rankings). And perhaps most compelling - Hyatt was able to convert me into an online PR guy who’s apparently willing to work for free. All Hyatt had to do was serve up a unique experience that added a little bit of zest to my otherwise predictable day. Clever, high-ROI strategy… and heck of a marketing communications case study for marketers to sink their teeth into & leverage for their own business.


The Law of the Unexpected
Let’s bubble-up this mini case study and see what useful principles we can derive for you to use in your business… at its core, what made The Hyatt Shuttle so compelling is that it successfully employed the law of the unexpected, which simply states that throw something out there that I don’t expect and you’ll capture my attention... think giraffe in a field of cows, an orange in a bowl of apples, or your waiter at The Four Seasons dressed in a white t-shirt & cut-off jean shorts.


How to apply the law of the unexpected to your marketing communication
Let's get right to what you're no doubt wondering - how to apply the law to your own marcom efforts... (to be continued... coming soon...)


If you’d like to read more about the law of the unexpected and other means for cutting through the clutter, I highly recommend:

• Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die

• Metaphorically Selling