Through strategic design and engaging copy, learn how Casual Astronaut helps Marriott’s luxury brands create personalized communications for their residence owners, all while catering to 12 distinct brand voices and guidelines.
Challenge: Residences by Marriott International, a leader in luxury branded residences, sought to deepen engagement and inspire their community of 12,000 residence owners. Recognizing the strong connection these owners have with the brands’ lifestyles and Marriott’s commitment to service excellence, the Residence team asked Casual Astronaut (C/A) to develop a communications program to maintain and strengthen brand engagement post-purchase.
Solution: C/A recommeneded an email strategy, allowing instant delivery to residence owners wherever they are in the world. Each quarter, Marriott residence brands dispatch themed email newsletters designed to inspire and engage residence owners. These themes are curated to reflect seasonal trends, exclusive events and unique travel experiences that align with each brand’s luxury positioning. For instance, a summer issue might focus on family-friendly destinations and summer retreats, while a winter issue could highlight cozy getaways and holiday celebrations.
Editorial Planning
Since 2016, Casual Astronaut has helped develop an annual thematic lineup for each of the 12 brands we support, including Autograph Collection, Bvlgari, EDITION, JW Marriott, St. Regis, The Ritz-Carlton, W Hotels and Westin. This strategic approach ensures content remains timely and relevant throughout the year:
- New Property Openings: Highlighting newly launched properties to generate excitement and provide early insights.
- Seasonal Content: Tailoring themes to match seasonal activities and travel preferences, such as summer escapes or winter retreats.
- Travel Trends: Incorporating trending travel destinations and experiences to keep content fresh and engaging.
Content Curation
Each email is meticulously crafted to reflect the distinctive voice and visual style of the respective brand. The content strategy focused on three key elements:
- Voice and Tone: Each email’s voice is tailored to reflect its brand’s unique sensibilities, from Autograph Collection’s sophisticated and personable storytelling to W Hotels’ vibrant and edgy energy. Content is crafted to resonate with the brand’s identity, ensuring a consistent experience across all communications
- Articles: Curated features pieces delve into travel destinations, unique experiences, and current trends. These articles provided valuable insights and inspiration, such as Caribbean island getaways for The Ritz-Carlton or family-friendly summer trips Westin.
- Metrics and Engagement: Embedded links and clear calls to action were strategically placed to drive conversions and engagement. For example, a call to action might direct recipients to book a stay at a brand property.
Design
To ensure the emails were not only visually appealing but also effective, several best practices were implemented:
- Layout: Using a clean and organized layout that made the content easy to read and navigate. Each email featured a visually striking header, followed by well-structured sections and a strong call to action.
- Visuals: High-quality images and graphics were used to capture the essence of each brand, showcasing luxurious suites, picturesque locations, and exclusive amenities. This visual approach helped create a compelling and immersive experience for the recipients.
Property Email Templates
Dynamic email templates empower individual properties to regularly connect with their residents.
To further engage this network of owners, C/A created branded email templates individual properties could use to easily communicate with residents. Each template in the Mailchimp follows a similar layout but is tailored to fit the brand’s individual guidelines. Attention to small design details — display fonts, color schemes, image selections, graphic patterns and elements — allow each property to highlight its destination and unique amenities while maintaining a cohesive brand identity. This approach ensures that every communication feels both personalized and consistent with the overall luxury experience that owners expect from their chosen brand
Impact & Results
The strategic approach to email marketing, guided by a thorough understanding of each brand’s identity and recipient preferences, has resulted in highly engaging and effective campaigns since 2016. The annual thematic lineup not only kept the content fresh and relevant but also enhanced the overall brand experience for residence owners. By showcasing the unique sensibility of each brand and utilizing best practices in email design, C/A successfully drove high engagement rates and fostered a stronger connection between Residences by Marriott International and its luxury residence owners.