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Last week I showed how active Marriott is in the field of diversity, and that this is not about pinkwashing but about a well-intentioned and well-executed diversity policy, including in the field of marketing and communication. Of course, this also means that a lot of money can be earned from it.

After introducing equality for employees in the 1990s, collaborating with various LGBT charities and (literally and loudly) outspoken support for the rainbow community, the brand also started Marketing the Rainbow. Good order, which enhances credibility!

Be You, With Us

In June 2012, a first marketing campaign was launched specifically aimed at LGBT travelers, their friends and families: ‘Be You, With Us‘. Launched in cities around the world hosting pride parades and festivals, it was filled with images and messages inviting all guests to be themselves during their stay at Marriott.

The campaign came to life through travel packages and hotel experiences and culminated in a contest where a grand prize winner and guest received a $5,000 trip to the 2013 Gay Pride festivals in New York, San Francisco or Berlin.

“We are proud of this campaign and our long-standing reputation for our commitment to diversity and inclusion,” said Joanna Todd, VP at Marriott. ‘Our core strength lies in our ability to embrace differences and ensure that everyone feels respected and valued when they visit and stay at our hotels. Later this year, we will also launch new campaigns to reach African American and Latino audiences.” Their diversity is therefore broader than just that related to the rainbow, which also makes it more credible.

#LoveTravels

In 2014, they commissioned photographer Braden Summers, known for his project All Love Is Equal, to take photos for the multi-year #LoveTravels campaign. Ex-NBA player Jason Collins, who was the first openly gay man in one of America’s four major sports leagues, and transgender model Geena Rocero were among those who played a role in the campaign to highlight how Marriott offers hospitality to all.

Collins called the campaign “important not only for the LGBT community, but for society in general.” When I travel with a friend, we really want to feel that sense of inclusivity, regardless of our sexual orientation or religion. We want to feel like we are welcome.”

Some of the photos used were revealed as building cladding (a type of scaffolding cloth without scaffolding) in five hotels in Washington, D.C.

Families were also taken into consideration: there was a video and photo series of two fathers with their family.

The campaign strongly contributed to the brand’s LGBT-friendly image, lifting them to the top spot in Community Inc.’s survey. in 2015 with 41% of the votes, while in 2009 they were in fifth place with only 7% of the votes.

Christian websites were shocked: ‘The Marriott hotel chain actively promotes homosexual lifestyles through the #LoveTravels campaign, seemingly ignoring the Mormon base. The company even offers gay lifestyle packages, including wedding destinations and local activities.” Storm in a teacup, because no one else took offense. And they were talked about again (think: Oscar Wilde).

A DC wedding

In 2015, Marriott served as the official sponsor of the 40th anniversary of the D.C. Capital Pride Parade, with a record attendance of more than 350,000. During the event, Marriott hosted the first ever “gay wedding” at DC Pride. The happily married groom and groom were George Carrancho (who, as National Sales & Marketing Manager LGBT for American Airlines, had created their rainbow program) and Sean Franklin: they were married by E!’s flamboyant Ross Mathews.

On the day of the wedding, same-sex marriage was not yet recognized as a legal partnership in Texas, where the two men first met in 2007, but that of course changed with the SCOTUS ruling that year.

More weddings

In 2020, when corona first subsided, Marriott set up a micro-website for L and H honeymooners, or rather weddings (which of course bring in a LOT of money). Marriott is a member of the IGLTA.

Several other promotional videos ‘casually’ feature same-sex couples (always a couple, otherwise you have to resort to stereotypes to get the message across, e.g. in Find the Unforgettable and Romantic Caribbean Getaways.

Gay Games 2023 Hong Kong – Feel Your Pride and Share Your Love

The massive international sporting event Gay Games XI took place for the first time in Asia from November 3-11, 2023, in Hong Kong. Interestingly, this was co-hosted with Guadalajara in Mexico, where it is also a first for a continent. 21 sports were organized here, compared to 15 in HK. Some sports, such as badminton and football, took place in both cities. There were 7,000 participants and 25,000 spectators in HK.

Marriott was a Platinum Partner of the event. The Bonvoy program had launched packages, happenings and staycation experiences to invite international visitors and Hong Kongers to celebrate Games. The campaign was known as ‘Feel Your Pride and Share Your Love‘ and featured 13 hotels from the Bonvoy portfolio in the city, including The Ritz-Carlton, St. Regis, W Hong Kong and JW Marriott Hotel. They wanted to provide participants with an unforgettable, rainbow pride-filled Hong Kong experience. Each hotel stay offered a wide range of unique extras, from Pride-themed welcome gifts and attraction tickets, to drinks and more.

Conclusion

The attention to the LGBT target group is sincere and structurally woven into the DNA of Marriott, which has become a role model for the hotel industry. This started well before it was fashionable or PC. They don’t care about trolls or political turbulence, and this has resulted in colorful, multi-year campaigns. They work with LGBT organizations, and their attention is not limited to Pride or other events. Marriott scores a 10!

Alfred Verhoeven is a marketer and is in the final phase of his PhD research Marketing the Rainbow.
He previously wrote for ILOVEGAY about Marriott part 1, Super Bowl Ads: What Would Jesus Do?, Zalando’s journey from activism to size-inclusive shoes, Zalando goes from controversies to hidden stories, Get woke, go broke, Spain has 6.8 billion reasons to love rainbow tourists, How Spain markets itself as rainbow destination, Everyone’s gay in Amsterdam, I Amsterdam, Gay Capital, The Ideal Traveler, Diversity & Language, Playing with Pronouns, Abercrombie & Fitch : The Rise & The Fall, Play the gayme: about SIMS and Candy Crush, Diversity in Toys, LEGO does the rainbow, Barbiemania, Bud Light and the 4 bln dollar woman, Dutch retailer HEMA loves everybody, Pronouns, About those rainbows, Alphabet soup, M&M’s and the lesbian invasion, Magnum and the lesbian wedding, Marketing the Rainbow: the process and all that came before it, Sport and (un)sportmanship,  Why you need a supplier diversity program, BeNeLux LGBTIQ+ Business Chamber (BGLBC), From B2C and B2B to B2G and G2G (oh, and G2C), The Men from Atlantis, The other kind of cruising, Booking.com, Home Deco, Haters and trolls: the ‘letter to the editor’ of the 21st century, 5 Bizarre LGBT Videos, TRANSparency, Transgender persons as a target group, Matchmaking, 5 videos that went viral, From Representation To Respect, Cultural sensitivities and social involvement in marketing, 4 reasons to practice diversity and The Rules of Market Segmentation.