Creating the Perfect Travel Companion with Adobe Experience Cloud

Leading the way with innovation-minded hospitality that marries traveler expectations with their core values as a company, Marriott recently released a travel companion — a new mobile app that puts accessibility, hospitality, and personalization at the fingertips of the user.

Competition in the travel industry is steep. People are traveling more than ever before, and with technology at their fingertips, they have access to a lot of information. Business and leisure travellers alike are looking for immediacy and convenience without losing the five-star service they expect. Leaders in the industry willing to stand out by staying ahead of the curve will not only fulfill guest expectations, but create deep brand loyalty.

Knowing they couldn’t take their mobile placement for granted, Marriott focused on building an app that would bring value to guests from the moment they searched for their trip to how they accessed their rewards. They built the app so each step of the customer journey is an experience that adheres to the company’s core value of putting the guest first. According to Marriott Digital Marketing Director David Menda, their focus was clear, “This is a personal device, so anything we are saying in this channel either has to be mission critical or something the customer wants to hear or see.”

Good mobile messaging related to a reservation or stay requires identifying the user and the actions they have taken across platforms, as well as the context of their app access like the time and place, then applying pre-determined automation rules to deliver the right mobile message at scale.

The customer experience in the Marriott app includes tailored content based on the customer’s last applicable actions. Beyond promotions or color schemes, the mobile app user experience also includes actions possible during their stay — like the use of a digital key to unlock their room door, a text message option for communications with the concierge, and easily ordering room service from within the app. The mobile app can also help the guest connect to the wider experience of their stay with customized and relevant information about the area including local restaurants, events, or points of interest.

The number one question I get asked is: “How do I create a real-time mobile personalization activity?” Using the Adobe Experience Cloud (AEC), we worked with Marriott to build the behind-the-scenes framework that would collect the right information, create audience segments and user profiles, and personalize messaging. With AEC, they could also update and deploy new content without a new app release. The result is a highly relevant experience that appeals directly to the guest and enhances their experience.

The level of behind the scenes orchestration at scale to create these types of mobile experiences is complex, but entirely possible with Adobe Experience Cloud. Learn more about what you can do with Adobe here.