Marriott

Helping Marriott pivot, recover and grow

How We Did It

Maximized share of bookings

vs. Marriott’s hospitality competition

Boosted branded search queries and sales

And increased qualified site traffic

Maximized purchase funnel efficiency

Along a safety-conscious customer journey

For recovery, we had to start from scratch. We had to define a new traveler and build a playbook that enabled us to recover and capture every available booking.

Andy Kauffman, SVP, Global Marketing Channels & Optimization at Marriott International

Background

Hospitality hit hard

When COVID-19 struck in early 2020, hotels suffered cancellation after cancellation. At one point, Marriott International saw a 90% decline in revenue per available room. Many travel companies weren’t sure how to respond to this daunting reality. But Marriott International maintains their agility, partnering with Yahoo to pivot their media strategy. We put together a playbook and partnership, ready to define and meet the demands of a new type of traveler — one whose intent was changing by the week.

Solutions

A full-funnel approach

Marriott immediately implemented a full-funnel Browse, Shop, and Buy marketing strategy and data-driven media operating model. Capturing every available booking was critical, so constant iteration was key. To keep a pulse on ever-changing government regulations, mobility updates, and customer sentiment, they created a dashboard which pieced together a real-time “heat map” for recovery. They also rapidly built out a new audience-based messaging and creative platform, unifying their brands with Marriott Bonvoy™, their travel loyalty program with over 145 million members.

Results

Revenue on the rise

By leaning into opportunity and revamping their approach, Marriott International generated ROI at-par with pre-COVID levels. With the ability to measure and optimize performance in real-time for each step in the customer journey, they succeeded in engaging audiences, deepening loyalty, and driving revenue in a highly competitive market.