The hotel company says the system helps it monitor relevant conversations, trends and brand reputation on social networks, enabling its marketing team to improve engagement with travellers on social networks, interact with guests in a more personalised way and create real-time content.
So far M Live, created in partnership with HYP3R, has helped Marriott tap into the travels of a backpacker from New Zealand who was travelling the world with Lego figures and documenting their adventures through the Twitter account @TheLegoBackpacker. Using M Live the hotel chain was able to host The Lego Backpacker at the AC Hotel in Seville giving its AC brand publicity through Lego's social channels and exposing it to an additional 370,000 people on Twitter.
The system, which uses geo-fencing technology to uncover untagged conversations guests are having at Marriott properties, also allowed Marriott to surprise a guest staying at the Domes of Elounda Autograph Collection hotel in Greece with Marriott Rewards points after seeing a Tweet he had sent from the hotel.
Shareable content
While it is not unusual for hotel companies to engage with guests through email marketing, or monitor their brand online, it is rare for engagement to be so fast and so targeted, says Marriott.
“We’ve turned the tables from creating general content distributed to thousands of guests to listening and leveraging a single moment that’s relevant and shareable between thousands of guests," said Matthew Glick, senior director of global creative and content marketing.
“Not only are we able to discover these moments to engage with consumers quickly, but also identify opportunities by brand, by discipline, by market and by channel to create memorable and shareable experiences.”
Now Marriott's fourth M Live Studio will monitor online content in Europe. Based at Marriott International's Europe headquarters in London, the new centre will engage in conversations in French, Spanish, German, Italian and English.
“We know that the next-generation of travellers are digitally savvy, constantly connected, and are looking for a more personalised one-to-one relationship with our portfolio of brands.” says Osama Hirzalla, vice president brand marketing and e-commerce, Europe. “The power of M Live Europe is that we can now engage with travellers in more regionally and culturally relevant ways that are meaningful to them.”