T H E M O S T C R E AT I V E C O N T E N T M A R K E T I N G O F

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AYA KO K U R I H A R A

MARRIOTT’S CASE STORYIndustry Hospitality, TourismFounded 1927; 89 years ago

Washington, D.C., U.S.John Willard Marriott

Headquarters Bethesda, Maryland, U.S.Area served Worldwide

Revenue US$ 12.784 billion (2013)Size 4,087 properties in over 80 countries 19 brands

OBJECTIVESTo get more consumers to book a room

• Connect next generation of travelers to Marriott• A brand that’s been around since 1927 continue to evolve and adapt and stay relevant• To reaching millennials who are increasingly seeking more intimate

connections and experiences when they travel• To make an emotional connection

STRATEGY• Create content, created community around it, and then actually

driving commerce against it.• Be innovative from traditional advertisements“We don’t want to see any ‘Welcome to the JW Marriott, here’s your keycard,’ and then a closeup of the logo”

ORGANIZATION• Created a global content studio, M Live in 2014• Hired people who were previously storytellers in media, turned them into marketers• 8 sections represents a different department such as PR/Comms, Social Media, Buzz

Marketing, Creative + Content• Nine screens, showing everything from the social media campaigns of Marriott’s 19

brands to real-time booking information to Marriott’s editorial calendar• Spending time looking at the content, views, and brand perception, as well as tracking bookings that result directly rom a visit to the web site.

SHORT MOVIES

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ma3z7oYC57g

• Partner with content creators• Shot in Marriott in Paris• Viewed over 6 million times on YouTube.• A bookings related to the film drove $500,000 in revenue for the hotel.

“The reason we did that one was to tell a great story, but also to inspire people to travel. Hopefully, if we do that over and over again, they’ll think of Marriott when they go to book to stay in Paris.”

ONLINE MAGAZINE• Becoming the world’s biggest travel publisher• Articles about Culture of cities, Travel tips, Travel + Leisure• It drove over seventy-two hundred room bookings on its first ninety days

“We want to get them into our world, help them find a place to go. And once they find a place to go, the company trusts that the bookings will follow.”

SOCIAL MEDIA• Listening to customers Twitter feeds, Instagram photos and Facebook

posted from within their properties. "It's really about creating a personal relationship with our customers"

http://www.cnbc.com/2016/08/02/why-marriott-looks-at-what-you-post-on-social-media-from-your-room.html

DISCUSSION

• What do you think made Marriott successful in content marketing?• Do you agree a company make a strong connection with their

customers?