BulletProofBlog the blog on crisis communications

Last month, market research firm StudyLogic released a report - commissioned by Sheraton Hotels and Resorts - that found 35% of the 6,500 respondents said they choose to spend time with their mobile device over spending time with their spouse. The report also found that 87% of professionals bring their mobile device into the bedroom.

This study certainly suggests a few things about modern relationships, but it also offers two very important insights into marketing and branding in today' s culture. First, it provides another clear example of how difficult it is to avoid the thousands of messages, images, and ideas we are faced with every day. When people are taking their Blackberries to bed, there are big challenges for anyone trying to get their attention.

The second lesson is how Sheraton' s marketing team took a new hotel offering - a lounge that offers free Wi-Fi and Internet-enabled computer stations, video-chats, televisions and daily newspapers - and turned it into a news event. Instead of developing a press release that says, "Hey, look, we remodeled the lounge", they commissioned a survey on technology and work-life balance to show how they help travelers stay connected - to their offices and their families. By thinking about what the news media cares about, and not just what Sheraton cares about, they got their new lounge mentioned in numerous media outlets and blogs from BusinessWeek and the Chicago Sun-Times to the Globe & Mail and New York Daily News.

Sheraton found a way to make their brand stand out, and associate the hotel chain with savvy professionals. At a time when it is harder and harder to break through the clutter, Sheraton should get an extra chocolate on their pillow.