May 25, 2018 Owner & Franchise Communications

Updates Regarding Marriott Digital Services (MDS) Contracts

Franchise Management Companies | On Jan. 1, 2018, Marriott successfully launched the new Americas Brand, Marketing & Digital (BMD) Field Marketing organization in the U.S. and Canada. As we expand and evolve Field Marketing support and offerings, hotels currently participating in Marriott Digital Services (MDS) or hotels interested in gaining digital marketing services are welcome to enroll in Field Marketing for more holistic, strategic marketing support focused on your hotel’s business objectives and top-line performance.

Current MDS agreements will expire at the end of the current contract period for participating hotels and are not eligible for renewal. Going forward, hotels currently participating in MDS will receive options for continuing digital marketing support through Americas BMD Field Marketing. Service options have been developed to ensure hotels maximize marketing opportunities through owned, earned, and paid channels. Hotels will learn more about these options through upcoming communications, detailed below.

Timing for Enrollment:

Impacted hotels have the option to enroll in Field Marketing Services:

Starting in October 2018: This services start date is reserved for hotels with existing MDS contracts expiring before September 30. If your hotel’s MDS contract ends before the Field Marketing services start, the team will offer a digital “bridge” solution until full Field Marketing services begin.
Starting in January 2019: All other hotels will need to enroll for Field Marketing services starting in January 2019. 2019 budget guidance, enrollment timing, and additional details, will be released this summer.

Next Steps and Upcoming Communications

The BMD Field Marketing team will present during the upcoming Franchise Management Company webinar (at 12 p.m. ET, today, May 25) to provide additional details on this transition and answer any questions. Additionally, if your hotel has an existing MDS contract, the team will distribute an email communication within the next week to provide additional information specific to your options for enrolling into Field Marketing, and any interim “bridge” digital support that may be needed. Shortly thereafter, the Field Marketing team will also hold a webinar for hotels currently participating in MDS to walk through the implications of these changes, options for enrolling into Field Marketing, and answer questions.

To learn more about our Field Marketing organization in the meantime, please visit the Americas Field Marketing page on MGS.