The tendency of using smartphone for almost any type of activity including travel made the brand seek the opportunity to get closer to its clients by updating the reward app. Therefore, the brand accepted the challenge to be more engaged with the consumers and try to reward their loyalty by offering them a more personalized and seamless journey. Members already enrolled into the loyalty program, which is free, as well as the app can download the app. The challenge was to increase the users’ database and expand the number of guests of the reward program.
The app got through some dramatic changes in terms of look and feel. A new experience and a whole new design. The creative strategy was to shade light of the app’s new look and user experience. The same fonts were used, but new icons for features were created and introduced in a guide for global use, in order to have a consistent communication message. As well as the app developed by Hilton, the goal was to anticipate the clients’ needs and serve them even after their accommodation period. The mobile app was created to solve digitally the usual tasks and it was spread across over 4,400 hotels globally.
The app allows users to easily book and manage reservations, the online check in as well, open rooms with the digital key developed into the app, have chats with the personnel and also enroll to the loyalty program which includes the management of rewards. The mobile implementation was not easy at all, but the brand managed to transfer the offline experience into a seamless mobile and engaging one. There was also introduced a feature to win a free travel for life, also managed through the app.
The launch of the campaign checked all the goals expressed by the company and achieved great results. There was an increase of downloads, loyalty program subscriptions and active users that reached to 2.8 million – a 40 percent increase. Also, the revenue is marking double-digit growth. The mobile check-ins have reached to over 260,000 per week (a 75 percent increase), and usage of mobile requests and chat has gone up 500 percent. Later this year, Marriott plans to add a message bot called mPlaces which will provide travelers with travel and hotel information.
Similar to Hilton or Intercontinental, Marriott, which is as well a big hospitality brand, had developed an app that allows users to make a virtual check in and open their room only at a scan of their mobile screens. A year ago, the company made some very important updates and launched a new, dynamic and more tailored to users’ needs app for Marriott Rewards members.
