If you’re a Marriott member, you shouldn’t think of yourself as a guest. Instead, you’re the product that Marriott sells to hotel owners. That’s why the head of one ownership group refers to Bonvoy members as “leads.”
Marriott’s asset is members that they can sell to hotels to fill rooms. But they aren’t stopping there. They saw the possibility of selling member eyeballs to other advertisers and struck a deal with Yahoo three years ago to market to customers via e-mail and in-room TVs.
But – like United, which launched Kinective Media to sell advertising with their passengers and MileagePlus members as the audience – Marriott is launching MARRIOTT MEDIA designed to monetize its Bonvoy loyalty program using ‘data-driven, contextual advertising throughout the guest journey.’
- First-party data engine: Leveraging over 200 targeting attributes from Marriott Bonvoy’s reported 237 million members and data from across its 9,500 global properties, the network tagets ads to your demographic traits, travel intent, loyalty behavior, and stay preferences.
- Full-funnel advertising: Brands can connect with travelers via digital (Marriott.com, Bonvoy app), physical (lobby and in-room digital signage, Bonvoy TV), third-party web placements, social media, and post-stay communications.
- Pilot partners: PepsiCo, Visa, United Airlines, Uber, Starbucks, Audible, and American Express are among the launch advertisers.
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.
This allows Marriott to monetize their marketing channels from in-room digital screens, lobby displays, loyalty emails, and app push notifications for brand messaging. Marriott asserts that the platform is consent-based, complies with regulations, and includes opt-out options.
It strikes me that Marriott’s attentions for several years have been cutting costs, cutting benefits, and driving down hotel owner expenses – and driving revenue from giving third parties marketing access to its members. I struggle to think of the last positive Bonvoy benefit improvement over the past seven years?
Ultimately for this effort to be successful, not just today but over time, Marriott needs brand affinity and attention from members so cultivating guest experience is a non-optional component of success. If they figure this out, then opportunities this this one can show revenue upside for program improvements. I suspect, though, that we’re seeing monetization efforts without sufficient parallel investment in actual member experience.
I just want those ‘Glengarry leads’… ‘always be closing!’
Brand affinity is not going to be a thing with the next generation of travelers. Aggregators like Expedia will make a comeback (I mean hopefully not actually Expedia but something more customer friendly)
“I suspect, though, that we’re seeing monetization efforts without sufficient parallel investment in actual member experience.” Yep good closing line, my thoughts exactly reading through this.
I noticed increased competition between Cottonelle and Charmin at Bonvoy properties. Perhaps shit-leads are the next target
@Sukwinder Dixit — Zing! “Didja ever take a dump that made ya feel like ya slept for 12 hours?”
As a Founder and CEO, I have to applaud them here. They have captive eyeballs all over the place and I am surprised it has taken them this long to figure out how to monetize that. You put the right brands and things in front of me at the right time, and I will absolutely buy it.
How many people on here are guilty of buying that thing you didn’t know you needed from a random Instagram advertisement?
If you say no, you’re just a better liar than me.
IRL why have expensive properties when you can just have a loyalty program? Why does the hotel even matter to them? That is a legacy product and just a cost of doing business
@Mike — Reminds me of the airlines like AirTran and US Airways (American West) that attempted placing ads on tray tables. Gary had a post on this: “Why Don’t More Airlines Sell Ads on Tray Tables and Overhead Bins?” from April 3, 2018. Personally, I think it’s obnoxious. I suppose if it was like Ryanair, and you’re only paying €20 to fly somewhere, then, fine, let the ad revenue subsidize a cheap flight. But, I doubt most hotels (or airlines) will reduce their rates; rather, they’ll just take more profits, and diminish the experience for their consumers. Ultimately, if it’s excessive, it’s trashy.
I don’t care about that. They can sell whatever ads they want. Just clean the room, have it free from bedbugs, have helpful staff, and pay them a wage where I don’t feel guilted into leaves tip…
Who am I kidding that’ll never happen in the US. I’ll be continue to travel to Asia and East-Central Europe and avoid the US
Nothing new from Marriott. To get a empty spot on a room desk, when they had actual desks in room, you would have to clear a ton of signs and advertisements from every flat surface. I used to swipe them off to the side or dump in a drawer and leave them the entire stay.
I also HATED the fact that the lounges, restaurants, machines only carried Pepsi. I need several in the Monday especially if out late. EVERYWHERE except Atlanta thankfully.
We truly didn’t need yet another reason to dislike Marriott but they gave us a big one anyway!
Nothing new from Marriott. To get a empty spot on a room desk, when they had actual desks in room, you would have to clear a ton of signs and advertisements from every flat surface. I used to swipe them off to the side or dump in a drawer and leave them the entire stay.
I also HATED the fact that the lounges, restaurants, machines only carried Pepsi. I need several COKES in the morning especially if out late. EVERYWHERE except Atlanta thankfully.
@Mike: You seem sharp, so please let us know if you can find a way to monetize farts. There’s an unlimited supply, 8 billion manufacturers (and potential clients) yet it’s a very sporadic product. If you do, the airlines will be first to prosper thanks to their invention of a storage device (mini pillows).Market them using corporate memphis characters and design. It’ll be perfect!
After all, it’s all about wringing every nickle out of everything, so here’s a missed opportunity that won’t actually ruin anyone’s enjoyment of perceived value. Can’t you feel the synergies? .
I find this post really amusing. Given that as I was reading, I was interrupted by multiple ads flying across the screen.
I don’t respond to advertising in general, so all their ad targeting doesn’t really have an impact on my purchases. If they want to think that it does, then fine, they are spending their money to make themselves feel better. I do objectively enjoy well done ads that actually tell you about a product’s or service’s benefit, even if I will never need the product or service myself. So many ads are trying to sell a mood or associate their product with an emotion. But when I actually need or want to buy something then I do the research myself.
By the way, you can speed up or slide the time bar to the end on those pesky Bonvoy and other ads on the airline seatback screens or the airline’s entertainment app on your personal device.
If only I could read this article, and articles all over the web without tons of ads all over the screen. AS I WAS TYPING THIS … a “Shaqalicious” took over my entire iPhone screen for some kind of candy. I know, I know … but this is free content and they gotta pay the bills somehow. But no way no how am I using me real email address or name.