Marriott International has launched Marriott Media, signaling a change and a new chapter in how brands engage with consumers across the traveler journey, according to the company.
“Today’s travelers expect personalization and welcome thoughtful discovery,” said Peggy Roe, EVP/chief customer officer, Marriott International. “Marriott Media is designed to enrich, not interrupt, serving guests content, recommendations and offers in ways that feel natural, relevant and aligned with their travel experience. I’m excited to announce Chris Norton, SVP, marketing, data activation & personalization, will lead this bold initiative and serve as the GM for Marriott Media.”
Norton added: “Our goal is to offer select brand partners the opportunity to create deeper engagement with customers through the lens of travel and our brands. Through sophisticated measurement, including brand lift and awareness studies, attributable conversions and advanced modeling, we empower our brand partners to align their campaigns with our travelers, ensuring meaningful engagement at every touchpoint.”
By using first-party data and more than 200 targetable attributes across the nearly 237-million-member Marriott Bonvoy program and from the company’s lodging portfolio comprising nearly 9,500 properties globally, the network helps enable targeting by combining demographic information with guest behavior, travel intent and traveler passions, the company reports. Thoughtful design of messaging and creative, coupled with targeted audience selection and robust measurement capability across the marketing funnel, will offer marketers campaign performance with closed-loop attribution. Guest data is used responsibly and in accordance with all applicable regulations. The platform is consent-based, with easy opt-out options for guests, providing transparency and trust.
Working with select brands, the network will curate brand experiences across Marriott-owned digital platforms such as marriott.com and the Marriott Bonvoy app, placement within the room and stay experience, third-party websites and social platforms. Marriott Media collaborated with select brands for an initial pilot, including PepsiCo, Visa, United Airlines, Uber, Starbucks, “F1 The Movie,” Audible, American Express and Resy.
The network bridges advertiser content and native Marriott content, making it possible for brand messaging to engage guests in high-attention spaces, from curated pre-arrival recommendations to bespoke in-room experiences and post-stay reengagement. This media model allows marketers to move fluidly with customers at points in the journey when they are most interested in relevant content and new discovery, serving not only impressions but compelling offers and memorable touchpoints, the company reports.
One area where Marriott Media’s placements will appear is alongside Marriott Bonvoy’s original content shown on Marriott Bonvoy TV. This longer-form placement gives brands a unique opportunity to connect through narrative that engages travelers with in-room content throughout their stay.
