Marriott, the world’s largest hotel company, has launched a commerce media network, allowing brands to serve ads to its guests and loyalty program members through its mobile app, websites, and hotel guestroom TVs. This move makes Marriott the first major hotel group to monetize its customer data in this way. The company began testing ad sales with brands such as United Airlines, Uber, and Starbucks months ago and is now officially launching the platform.
The goal of the network, called Marriott Media, is to provide targeted advertising to travelers, allowing brands to reach a large and engaged audience. Advertisers can place ads on Marriott’s website and app, in marketing emails sent to guests, and on Wi-Fi log-in pages at hotels. They can also target Marriott customers as they search sites like Instagram. By leveraging its vast customer data, Marriott aims to create a powerful advertising platform that can compete with major ad networks.
According to Peggy Roe, Marriott’s chief customer officer, the potential scale of the platform is significant. If the company can scale the platform to its 1 million rooms in the US and Canada, it could become equivalent to a top-10 network. This would provide a major new revenue stream for Marriott and offer brands a unique opportunity to reach a large and targeted audience.
The launch of Marriott Media is part of a larger trend of companies monetizing their customer data through ad networks. United Airlines, Walmart, and DoorDash have all launched similar initiatives in recent months. By leveraging its customer data and providing targeted advertising, Marriott is positioned to become a major player in the digital advertising space. With its vast reach and engaged audience, Marriott Media has the potential to become a significant new platform for brands looking to reach travelers and loyalty program members.