Marriott is first hospitality brand to launch a media network

The Marriott Media Network will enable advertisers to deliver curated experiences to millions of travelers. Supported by an industry-leading unified stack advertising platform developed especially for Marriott by Yahoo, the new solution will offer curated content to travelers and guests throughout every touchpoint of their Marriott travel journey. 

Data about guest travel behavior, from business to leisure, will be used for ad placement, helping brands reach a more specific customer segment. The media network will enable advertisers to create curated content that aligns with the 30 brands in Marriott’s portfolio, promoting different content for, say, the W Hotel line versus the Courtyard by Marriott properties. Yahoo’s technology will match anonymous customer data with advertiser information while providing a shoppable platform for advertising inventory. The global Yahoo ad sales team will also leverage Yahoo’s expanded Demand Side Platform to lead demand generation and sales across Marriott’s paid media and the Marriott Media Network.

Marriott’s Media Network will launch initially in the U.S. and Canada, before ultimately expanding worldwide. There are more than 164 million members in Marriott Bonvoy, the company’s travel loyalty program, and the hospitality leader plans to leverage this robust and proprietary audience for key traveler insights to power the media offering. For brand advertisers, the Marriott Media Network will offer an unprecedented combination of scale and personalized media reaching an audience of in-demand, high-intent travelers. The media offering will provide a valuable solution for meeting specific customer segments with targeted content across fully-owned Marriott channels including display, mobile, video, email and in-room screens and televisions.

For travelers and visitors to Marriott properties, the more tailored experience will help drive smarter purchase decisions and support a more fulfilling travel experience through recommendations for relevant products and services throughout their stay. 

+++

This article originally appeared in the PSFK iQ report, Retail as Media.