Marriott Takes The Leap Into Retail Media With New Media Network | AdExchanger

"Retail media is on fire. And it seems like every company wants to fan the flames. For several years, Marriott dipped only a cautious toe in the commerce and retail media space. "It's an attractive business," Marriott SVP of Marketing, Data Activation & Personalization Chris Norton told AdExchanger. ("We're changing my title," he added.) But the hospitality behemoth wanted to ensure that if and when it opted into the ad biz, its results would be "additive to the guest experience and the travel journey.""

"Ultimately, Marriott decided that it did want in. In June, the company launched a new media network called Marriott Media (stylized as MAR RIOTT MEDIA, inexplicably), designed to connect its customers to relevant brands throughout the travel process. Target practice Marriott may have a new organization dedicated to advertising and data, but it's built on a preexisting structure. The company has done ad sales, though restrained more to its own properties, like TVs or signage at hotels, rather than across the web, CTV and socials."

"Also, Norton previously worked on "data activation and personalization" for Marriott's own marketing, he said. Now, he's applying the same processes to the media network on behalf of Marriott's clients. Ultimately, Marriott looked at over 200 targetable attributes it attaches to visitor profiles, such as hobbies, travel habits and geography of a customer's stay. The company's loyalty program and advertising identity spine is called Marriott Bonvoy, and Norton said it has more than 230 million members."

Marriott launched Marriott Media, a new media network that connects customers to brands across the travel process. The company moved from restricted ad sales on property channels to a broader advertising network using existing marketing and data activation capabilities. Marriott leverages Marriott Bonvoy as its advertising identity, citing more than 230 million members. The company evaluated over 200 targetable attributes attached to visitor profiles, including hobbies, travel habits and stay geography, to build audience segments. Advertisers can target by hotel location and brand economic tiers. Marriott enables hyper-specific personalization down to an individual guest with defined preferences at a particular hotel.

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