This document contains an agenda and insights for rebranding the Courtyard by Marriott hotel chain to better attract Millennial business travelers. It finds that Courtyard suffers from a "cookie cutter" perception and is losing market share to boutique hotels and Airbnb. The strategy proposes positioning Courtyard as a reliable yet exciting brand that understands Millennials' desire for personalized experiences and flexibility while traveling for work.

2. Current Status
3
Brand Perception
7
Industry Trends and Insights
12
Strategy and Creative
30
AGENDA

3. Losing market share of the
Millennial audience to smaller boutique
hotels and home-sharing services.

4. Losing market share of the
Millennial audience to smaller boutique
hotels and home-sharing services.
Making Courtyard by Marriott the
prefered hotel for Millennial
business travelers.

5. KPIs
Courtyard is cookie cutter.
Ordinary.
Predictable.
RevPAR

6. BRAND PERCEPTION
Courtyard is cookie cutter.
Accommodating.
Reliable.

11. LET’S GET SOCIAL
COURTYARD
FOLLOWERS:
9,290
AVG. LIKES:
174
AVG. COMMENTS:
4

12. LET’S GET SOCIAL
AirBnb
FOLLOWERS:
3.1 mil
AVG. LIKES:
22.9k
AVG. COMMENTS:
136

14. INTERNAL

15. DIVERSE

16. DIVERSE
MULTI-
LAYERED

17. DIVERSE
MULTI-
LAYERED
SOCIAL
ACTIVISTS

18. DIVERSE
MULTI-
LAYERED
CURIOUS
COMMUNITY
MEMBERS
SOCIAL
ACTIVISTS

19. EXTERNAL

20. DISTRUST OF
“THE MAN”

21. DISTRUST OF
“THE MAN”
CSR

22. DISTRUST OF
“THE MAN”
CSRPERSONALIZED
CONTENT

23. SHAWN ROSS
young and hopeful - 26
• sales rep for a medical supply
company
• lives in a two bedroom
apartment with his girlfriend
• an adventure enthusiasts and risk
taker
• he is also passionate about the
environment
• the traveling position will get in
the way of his weekend trips,
however Shawn sees his business
trips as an opportunity

24. JESSICA ALVAREZ
uninspired & disinterested - 33
• socialite living in Austin
• single and mingling, but doesn’t
have plans to settle down in the
near future
• constantly posting instagram and
snapchat stories
• has a deep drive to climb cor-
porate ladder, which often means
missing GNOs
• spends most of her time on
business trips exhausted in her
hotel bed

26. KEY INSIGHT
Reliabilty isn’t exciting,
but it’s what Millennials wish for.

27. WHAT ARE THEY THINKING?
Courtyard?
The place my dad stays at?

28. WHAT DO WE WANT THEM
TO THINK?
Courtyard provides sexy,
personalized experiences with
uncompromised comfort and flexibility.

29. WHAT DO WE WANT THEM
TO THINK?
Courtyard provides sexy,
personalized experiences with
uncompromised comfort and flexibility.

30. Whether you know it or not, we’re there for you.
Like a helicopter mom, except an invisible helicopter, and
not your mom. We’re there when you forget your toothbrush,
and we’re still there after a long day of meetings.
So while your co-worker spends their hours between
meetings battling bed bugs at their home-share, you’re
out there discovering the taco truck parked in the
backlot of a moss-covered abandoned Baptist Church.

31. WE GOT YOU COVERED.
A stay at Courtyard affords
Millennials with the peace of mind
to seek adventure and immerse
themselves in local culture.

33. WE’VE GOT YOUR BACK
...and your front. And your side. And your other side.
Whichever side you sleep on.
Courtyard prides itself on being reliable and there for
guests, in every location, no matter the request.
Courtyard serves to make your stay seamless,
so you can explore.

34. we’ve got your back
FARM TO TOILET

35. We open on an earthy, crunchy, boutique,
hotel.
Cut to the bedroom of the hotel. Millennial Business Traveler
is sitting on the bed and calling room service.
MILLENNIAL: “Hi. There is no toilet paper in my
bathroom.”
RECEPTION: “That is correct! You should find a
bushel of leaves on the back of
your toilet. It is part of our Farm
to Toilet Initiative!”
Zooms in on millenial’s disturbed face.
Cut to bathroom and zooms in on bushel of leaves in the
bathroom.
Cut to a Courtyard by Marriott.
A Millennial Business Traveler is requesting roll of toilet
paper on Courtyard App.
SUPER: You have enough on your
plate. Let your hotel be one
less thing to worry about.
Cut to room service bringing millennial a fresh roll of
toilet paper.
TAG/LOGO
SUPER:
WE GOT YOUR BACK.
FARM TO TOILET
Courtyard by Marriott. We’ve got
your back. And your Front. And your
side. And your other side.
Whichever side you sleep on.

36. Courtyard has the opportunity
to say “We’ve got your back” to
loyal NFL Fans.
Pop-up hotel-like bathrooms
will provide an alternative to
dirty “comfort castles” lacking
toilet paper or sanitation for
those wellness-obsessed
football fans.
WE GOT YOUR BACK.
NFL BRAND ACTIVATION

37. THE REQUEST
SPECIALISTS
Any hotel can provide an extra pillow or a cup of coffee,
however, Courtyard goes to extraordinary lengths.
Featuring real life, difficult, and sometimes bizarre
requests as told by employees themselves, we will
show guests how their personal needs become
our specialization.

39. TRUST US.
WE MEAN BUSINESS.
In an effort to disassociate Courtyard from “The Man”,
we will relate to the “Peter Pan Generation” that is taking
over business travel.
Trust us. We mean business. Shows that Courtyard
understands that the young business traveler is human,
and recognizes their need to have a little fun.

40. TRUST US. WE MEAN BUSINESS.
PRETTY BUTTONS

41. We open on two coworkers entering a Courtyard elevator, on
their way down to the hotel lobby. A long day of meetings
awaits them.
The elevator doors close.. They’re all alone. For just a
moment they revert to their 6 year old selves.
One co-worker looks at the other with a “are you thinking
what I’m thinking?” look. The co-workers jolt forward and
light up every button on the elevator. Picture Buddy The Elf.
The co-workers slap hands, laughing, “That was great!”
Cut to elevator opening from lobby.
Co-workers walk out calm. Cool. Collected.
SUPER: Courtyard by Marriott. Trust us, we
mean business.
TRUST US. WE MEAN BUSINESS.
PRETTY BUTTONS

42. THANK YOU.