The award was for the Dr Von Paris Facebook competition, which turned a bad incident (a customer left without paying the bill) into a fun and innovative social media competition that really resonated with the social media followers. Owner Susan Huxter said, "We realize that the key to creating a connection between the brand and our fans via social media is using fun and interaction. This campaign was successful because it allowed our followers a chance to get creative with a bad situation and choose their own alias if they were going to skip out on their bill."
"The travel industry has taken to social media in creative ways over the past year," said Nancy Novogrod, editor-in-chief of Travel + Leisure. "The SMITTYS aim to spotlight those in our industry that are developing engaging campaigns that provide value to their consumers in this new landscape."
Travel + Leisure accepted nomination submissions for the SMITTYS from hotels, cruise lines, airlines, airports, tour operators, convention & visitor bureaus, travel agencies, attractions, and car rental agencies. A distinguished panel of social media and travel experts in the following categories determined the winners:
