Marriott, the world’s largest hotel group, has today announced plans to launch MARRIOTT MEDIA, a media network intended to target the 237 million members of the Marriott Bonvoy program. What are the implications of this for hotel guests and Bonvoy members?
In this post:
Details of the new MARRIOTT MEDIA network
Marriott is launching MARRIOTT MEDIA, described as a new chapter in how brands engage with consumers across the travel journey. By the way, the capitalization and bolding is how Marriott markets this, so I guess the word “riot” is supposed to jump out at us, or something? I find that all to be a bit odd.
Marriott’s new media network is described as connecting relevant brands with customers at the right time, across digital and physical touchpoints, and with a contextually relevant message. For example, it’s specifically noted how one of the most compelling brand placements will be alongside Marriott Bonvoy’s original content shown on Marriott Bonvoy TV.
The intent is to use first-party data and 200+ targetable attributes across nearly 237 million Bonvoy members and 9,500 properties globally, to enable targeting by combining demographic information and guest behavior, travel intent, and traveler passions. Here’s how the idea is described:
Working with select brands, MARRIOTT MEDIA 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 ability to engage with travelers on a connected journey through digital and physical touchpoints and its seamless integration model sets the network apart. MARRIOTT MEDIA bridges advertiser content and native Marriott content, making it possible for brand messaging to engage guests in high-trust, 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.
Here’s how Marriott’s Chief Customer Officer, Peggy Roe, describes this development:
“Today’s travelers expect personalization and welcome thoughtful discovery. 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, Senior Vice President of Marketing, Data Activation & Personalization, will lead this bold initiative and serve as the General Manager for MARRIOTT MEDIA.”
Here’s how Marriott’s SVP of Marketing, Chris Norton, describes this:
“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.”
Interestingly, Marriott started trialing this concept back in 2022, and now it’s being formalized and branded.
This media network concept isn’t too surprising
At the end of the day, for major hotel groups, us guests and loyalty program members aren’t the customers, but rather we’re the product. The customers are the hotel owners that they want to convince to join the Marriott network, as well as the co-brand credit card partners (and that’s fair enough, as that’s how the business works).
Now you can take that a step further. While Marriott hasn’t historically been a media company, we’ll also increasingly be the product being sold to third-party advertisers. Frankly the hotel industry has historically had surprisingly little targeted advertising, despite offering access to a pretty desirable customer base.
Sure, hotel groups develop affiliate partnerships with complementary businesses, but that’s about it. So it sounds like we can now expect more third-party ads on Marriott’s website and mobile app, more ads on Marriott Bonvoy TV, and more marketing emails from partners, rather than just Marriott.
I suspect that these types of media networks will become the industry norm sooner rather than later. For example, roughly a year ago, we saw United Airlines launch a media network, with a very similar concept. Do I like this? Not really. Do I accept that this is just how the world is evolving? Yes.
Bottom line
Marriott is launching a new media network, named MARRIOTT MEDIA. This builds on a concept that the company started trialing around three years ago, intended to better monetize the lucrative customer base that Marriott has access to.
Expect more ads on Marriott’s website and mobile app, more marketing emails, sponsored content on Marriott Bonvoy TV, and more on-property advertising. It’ll be interesting to see just how prevalent this becomes.
What do you make of Marriott’s new media network?
Bonvoyed again by the dimmest bulbs in marketing
So more ads on the hotel room TV. Cool.
Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if they have a permanent overlay on top of whatever's playing on the TV.
This is why the first thing I do when I enter a hotel room is unplug their HDMI source, and plug in my own Chromecast.
A. Marriott TV SUCKS. I’m always happy when I hit a property that doesn’t have it.
B. Thus should be a data opt-in endeavor for members.
There better be an opt in feature as I do not want any hotel sending me any ads. This invasion has got to stop.
This must be a joke. How about not devaluing your points, how about recognizing your higher tier members? Titanium elite member here stayed three months for work at a Marriot in Asia and never could get a upgrade. The manager said that they can book a room easily at that location.
Does anyone else's Marriott TV feature someone else's name 30-40% of the time? Does that mean that I'm going to get targeted ads for Kevin or Brandy or whatever name is up there?
That should be interesting. I hope they like my targeted ads. Researching PE acquisition targets in the industrial b2b space has led to some weird ones recently.
I've worked with some really incompetent marketing leadership and on some truly clueless branding efforts but man, the Bonvoy folks are just in a class by themselves. Bravo.
I can't even fathom how the formatting of that brand identity was conceived, successfully proposed and then signed off on. 100% chef's kiss.
Are you saying you wouldn't have launched "Riot" branding the week the national spotlight shifted to the national guard being deployed against protestors?
You must be some sort of marketing and PR wizard.
@JP It's like the ad where one of those Kardashians or whoever handed the riot cop a cold Pepsi. I loved that spot. Maybe Bonvoy can remix it for 2025.
Great, more ads, because we don't have enough of them everywhere already.
Also, good luck to them implementing this in the EU, which actually has consumer privacy protections.
@Ben how do I get out of this? I'm so tired of being micro targeted within an inch of my sanity?
Seriously - I want to travel, to engage with the world, to fly, to stay in hotels, to eat good food and engage in exciting activities. I'm just tired of being analyzed, profiled and nudged.
Just opt out of all of that sh-t. Many states now have privacy laws like California's CCPA that let customers opt out of targeted advertising and the sale and sharing of their personal information.
Surprising lack of concierge or excursion type planning assistance in recent years, especially in room and synced with the app. One can visit a hotel rarely be exposed to opportunities that may be compelling. That said, when paying for a hotel room one is hopefully getting a sanctuary from the outside world and marketing.
On cruises from the moment of sign up there is support for port excursion sign ups and many third party...
Surprising lack of concierge or excursion type planning assistance in recent years, especially in room and synced with the app. One can visit a hotel rarely be exposed to opportunities that may be compelling. That said, when paying for a hotel room one is hopefully getting a sanctuary from the outside world and marketing.
On cruises from the moment of sign up there is support for port excursion sign ups and many third party companies too. At best at a hotel, there are brochures.
"The intent is to use first-party data and 200+ targetable attributes across nearly 237 million Bonvoy members and 9,500 properties globally..."
And the points-and-miles crowd are shocked, simply shocked because the Airlines Reporting Corporation is selling data to the Customs and Border Protection agency information that includes things like payment details, travel agency history, seat assignments, meal requests, contact information, and prior and future trips.
Well, I'm glad someone is interested in where I sit...
"The intent is to use first-party data and 200+ targetable attributes across nearly 237 million Bonvoy members and 9,500 properties globally..."
And the points-and-miles crowd are shocked, simply shocked because the Airlines Reporting Corporation is selling data to the Customs and Border Protection agency information that includes things like payment details, travel agency history, seat assignments, meal requests, contact information, and prior and future trips.
Well, I'm glad someone is interested in where I sit on the plane and what I have for lunch because I'm sure not.
"Marriott’s new media network is described as connecting relevant brands with customers at the right time, across digital and physical touchpoints, and with a contextually relevant message."
"The ability to engage with travelers on a connected journey through digital and physical touchpoints and its seamless integration model sets the network apart."
“Today’s travelers expect personalization and welcome thoughtful discovery. MARRIOTT MEDIA is designed to enrich, not interrupt, serving guests content, recommendations, and offers in ways...
"Marriott’s new media network is described as connecting relevant brands with customers at the right time, across digital and physical touchpoints, and with a contextually relevant message."
"The ability to engage with travelers on a connected journey through digital and physical touchpoints and its seamless integration model sets the network apart."
“Today’s travelers expect personalization and welcome thoughtful discovery. 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."
What does all that corporate doublespeak even mean?
Marriott's customers (the hotels) are in the business of selling hotel rooms (a place to lay one's head for the night) to their product (the guests). Why try to turn something as basic and simple as selling hotel nights into a mission to Mars; from what I've seen, it would appear that Marriott would be much better off spending their time and their resources getting the basics right.
"What does all that corporate doublespeak even mean?"
It means they're going to do what any Fortune 1000 company has been doing for decades through their media agency: targeting customers with as much precision advertising as they can. There's nothing in this corporate word salad that is in any way inventive. There hasn't been a single campaign or brand I've worked with where we didn't just assume that our media partners would do all of...
"What does all that corporate doublespeak even mean?"
It means they're going to do what any Fortune 1000 company has been doing for decades through their media agency: targeting customers with as much precision advertising as they can. There's nothing in this corporate word salad that is in any way inventive. There hasn't been a single campaign or brand I've worked with where we didn't just assume that our media partners would do all of this as part of their due diligence.
But marketing departments get big budgets and need to do a big song and dance to keep leadership employed, so you get dreck like this.
This is trashy as hell. How gross
Economy is good, companies are creating all these redundant departments doing what they are already doing. But they have to do it because they paid insane money to McKinsey to tell them to do something like this idea that this will make Marriott insane money. (it won't)
The real winners are executives getting a big fat bonus for this milestone.
When recession hits we'll just see more layoffs.