The vacation exchange leader also supports its signature charity, Christel House International, with a $20,000 donation as part of the sweepstakes
Parsippany, N.J. (August 26, 2014) – RCI's Win Your Dream Vacation Sweepstakes recently came to a close, having successfully promoted the vacation ownership industry among non-owners and owners alike. The campaign garnered more than 250 million impressions through social media, marketing and public relations efforts that targeted the next generation of travelers and those interested in timeshare ownership.
" RCI has served as the vacation exchange leader since its founding 40 years ago," said Gordon Gurnik, president of RCI. "We are and always have been dedicated to promoting the vacation ownership and exchange industries through multiple initiatives annually, and we wanted to do something extra to commemorate our 40 th anniversary this year."
The RCI Win Your Dream Vacation Sweepstakes asked travelers to choose their ideal combination of vacation options for a chance to win one of 40 vacation prizes, including a grand prize dream vacation worth up to $25,000. Nearly 163,000 people registered for the sweepstakes, including many consumers who are currently not timeshare owners.
To earn multiple entries into the sweepstakes, entrants had the chance to complete activities like watching videos and taking short quizzes that promoted the vacation ownership lifestyle. They also increased their entries by sharing the sweepstakes through social media, furthering the reach of the message.
The promotion took off on social media, with the overall number of mentions of vacation ownership- and exchange-related terms increasing 120 percent during the sweepstakes period. The overall sentiment of social discussions around vacation ownership also jumped 10 percentage points, signaling that the sweepstakes fostered engagement and positive momentum for the industry.
RCI also integrated a charitable aspect to the sweepstakes by encouraging those registered to share the contest in support of its signature charity. As a result, RCI donated $20,000 USD to Christel House International , a nonprofit organization that seeks to break the cycle of poverty by providing underprivileged children with the tools they need to succeed in life, including education, nutrition and community support.
"As a tribute to our co-founder, Christel DeHaan, we were so happy to include a charitable donation to the nonprofit she founded," added Gurnik. "With the sweepstakes, we were able to fulfil a dream vacation for one traveler and provide support for the more than 4,000 children of Christel House, all while promoting the vacation ownership industry. We are all thrilled to make this happen this year, and look forward to more successful initiatives to come."
For more information, visit RCIAffiliates.com .
About RCI RCI is the worldwide leader in vacation exchange with nearly 4,500 affiliated resorts in more than 100 countries. RCI pioneered the concept of vacation exchange in 1974, offering members increased flexibility and versatility with their vacation ownership experience. Today, through the RCI Weeks ® program, the week-for-week exchange system, and the RCI Points ® program, the industry’s first global points-based exchange system, RCI provides flexible vacation options to its approximately 3.7 million RCI subscribing members each year. RCI’s luxury exchange program, The Registry Collection ® ,is the world’s largest program of its kind with approximately 200 affiliated properties either accessible for exchange or under development on six continents.RCI is part of Wyndham Exchange & Rentals and the Wyndham Worldwide family of brands (NYSE: WYN). For additional information visit our media center , rciaffiliates.com or The RCI Blog . RCI also can be found on Facebook, YouTube and Twitter.
About Christel House International
Christel House solves the problem of poverty. It doesn’t just treat the symptoms. Once that cycle of poverty is broken, all future generations benefit. Much more than a school, CHI was established in 1998 by Founder, Christel DeHaan, and currently provides over 4,000 impoverished children around the world with high quality education, nutritious meals, regular health care, character and life skills development, and career counseling. Students graduate to become productive citizens. They are confident, hardworking, responsible and ethical, with a passion for giving back to their communities and caring for their families. CHI operates six learning centers in India, Mexico, South Africa and the U.S.A., as well as a career development program in Venezuela. For more information, please visit www.christelhouse.org .
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MEDIA CONTACTS:
Steven Alessandrini (973) 753-8278 Steven.Alessandrini@rci.com
Catherine Reynolds (973) 753-4662 Catherine.Reynolds@rci.com