Expedia, MGM, Marriot leverage mobile and social to bridge direct communication between hoteliers, guests
Brands in industries including retail and hospitality raised the bar for smartphone-based loyalty this past quarter, leveraging strategies such as proximity-based rewards, Apple Pay integrations with store credit cards and one-to-one mobile request platforms.
Marketers including Banana Republic Factory, Kohl’s, Expedia and Marriott all triumphed in rolling out customer-centric rewards programs that furthered usage of their mobile or social platforms while simultaneously driving sales. Mobile loyalty has moved beyond simple punch-card systems used to reward frequent customers, and has transformed into a must-have CRM tool for any brand seeking to raise revenue, especially among millennial consumers.
Forward-facing technologies such as artificial intelligence and proximity-based messaging also permeated the mobile loyalty sector in the last few months, although their widespread proliferation will likely occur in the next year.
Expedia facilitated direct dialogues between guests and hoteliers by allowing the former to reach out to resorts’ front desks via the PartnerCentral mobile app to request specific services or amenities, resulting in more personalized stays.
Consumers who have a question about a particular type of room or available service can simply enter their inquiry into the app and circumvent the need to call the hotel’s front desk and potentially be placed on hold.
Conversely, hoteliers can also use the service. They may confirm and manage submitted requests, offer guests information regarding on-site amenities such as spas and restaurants, bolster experiences by providing check-in details and make an overall better first impression.
Marriott revealed the results from a recent campaign that asked San Francisco residents to snap a photo of its Super Bowl-themed bus and upload it to Twitter in exchange for extra Marriott Rewards points.
The campaign, which garnered a 69 percent engagement rate, asked individuals to look for the bus in areas around the city, grab a picture of it and post it onto Twitter via the #MRpoints and #50to50 hashtags.
Each time a user activated a social trigger by using the hashtags, Marriott Rewards’ official Twitter account personally responded to that person with a mobile-optimized link to the Chirpify-powered campaign site, where they could claim their rewards points.
An MGM Resorts executive at Forrester’s Marketing 2016 Forum detailed how the hotel brand uses in-room tablet devices to serve trigger and time-based messages to guests, providing them with personalized content and encouraging last-minute purchases that enhance their stays.
MGM Resorts’ initial loyalty program was specifically geared toward casino customers, which resulted in a missed opportunity to reach a majority of other hotel guests. Its ARIA resort in Las Vegas now contains the largest installation of advanced touchscreen devices in the world.
The devices’ welcome screens and feeds are personalized based on guests’ reason for visiting, such as attending a bachelorette party. Individuals are also rewarded with the ability to use the tablets to control their room temperature, television sets, do not disturb requests and lights and drapes.