321 Worldwide & The Pod Hotel Reinvent the Guest Experience

NEW YORK, NY -Wanting guests to see the hip, fun and adventurous nature of the boutique hotel from the first moment they book a reservation until checkout, The Pod Hotel (NY) tapped 321 Worldwide, an award-winning global brand strategy and design firm, to develop an ambitious and fully immersive brand experience both online and offline.

Understanding that successful brands engage consumers on an emotional level, 321 Worldwide set out to help The Pod Hotel capitalize on their guests' penchant for social networking to provide a better guest experience and positively influence their decision-making process when making travel plans. A hallmark of this initiative includes the creation of a dedicated social network called PodCulture, available only to guests who make a reservation, where they can network with other guests weeks before and during their stay and coordinate a meet-up through pre-conceived and likely experiences such as:

• Drink With Me
• Eat With Me
• Shop With Me
• Go Out With Me

Other features of the overall brand experience initiative include personalized "Pods" to help with activity planning, such as:

• Beyond Your Pod: personalized maps, guides and concierge services to help guests navigate the city and feel at home.
• PodSpots: daily forecasts of amazing events, places, and things to do from restaurants and clubs to bars and museums, so guests are in the know on the hottest, most current events in the city.
• VibeTours: customized itineraries that offer guests a great way to tour pockets of the city, including a Downtown Crawl, Uptown Vibe and Midtown Madness to All Around Town for ambitious tourists who want to see and do it all.

"Social media is exploding in popularity as consumers turn to online networking sites to share recommendations, ideas, feedback, and files and simply keep in touch with their communities," said Alona Elkayam, founder and chief creative officer, 321 Worldwide. "PodCulture, the social network we created for The Pod Hotel, provides many unexpected benefits to guests of the property and are a testament to the hotel's fun and social image. The Pod Hotel is such as great partner and we're delighted to be able to help them build customer loyalty, boost their competitive edge and reinvent the guest experience before, during and after their stay."

"Alona and her team at 321 Worldwide were great at recognizing that this younger, style-savvy generation wants to be able to engage with a brand like ours beyond just booking a stay," said Pod Hotel General Manager David Bernstein. "So with that in mind, we set out to create more than just a website that would speak to them -- we wanted to hear what they had to say and offer a place for our guests to engage not only with our staff but with other guests in order to share their experiences, connect with one another and build fun, lasting relationships.

"In fact, PodCulture has become an integral component of our guest experience and we've learned of some interesting connections that have been made. For instance, one young couple found a witness for their impromptu wedding at City Hall while they were in town via PodCulture. There have also been a dozen or so meaningful "love connections" thanks to PodCulture as well. Lastly, with New Year's Eve coming up in a few weeks, we're seeing a lot of people connecting online and planning their New Year's Eve experiences in Times Square with one another, leading up to a truly one-of-a-kind experience that we help facilitate," concluded Bernstein.

321 Worldwide was also responsible for creating the overall look, feel and brand image of The Pod Hotel's online presence and social network, which carries over to the hotel's letterhead, notepads and envelopes offered to guests and used by hotel staff for guest.

About 321 Worldwide
321 Worldwide is a new kind of creative agency that focuses on award-winning global brand strategy and design both on and offline. Every piece of advertising creative we invent, is designed to do one thing - to position each brand with maximum power. Every person has unique qualities that make them great - so do companies. We are experts at identifying these unique characteristics and the means to tell that story. It's about finding the truth about the brand and telling the story in a way that really matters.

At 321 Worldwide we are cognizant that winning the game takes more than just a thinking cap. It takes hard work. It takes strong execution. We're more than architects of an idea — we're ambassadors and executors of your brand image. For more information visit us at www.321worldwide.com.

About THE POD HOTEL THE POD HOTEL, a 347-room budget boutique property located on East 51st Street in the heart of midtown Manhattan, was designed specifically for the stylish spendthrift traveler. The hotel provides its guests with comfortable, yet trendy accommodations that are equipped with 21st Century must-haves such as iPod docking stations, free WiFi and LCD flat screen TVs for an affordable price. Inspired by mass transit's streamlined design approach, the hotel offers a variety of room configurations including single, double, queen, double-double and bunk-bedded rooms to meet the needs of any traveler. In addition to its stylish, mod-designed furnishings, the hotel also features an exclusive POD COMMUNITY BLOG, an outdoor garden café and a rooftop deck. THE POD HOTEL is owned and operated by BD Hotels, which currently owns 15 hotels with over 4,000 rooms, and is the largest independent hotel owner and operator in New York City.