Marriott
Marriott Hotels
Critical Mass | Copywriting, Content Strategy, Voice-Activated Dialogue
Check out how we checked in.
M MAgazine
To help Marriott Hotels stand out in a sea of travel sites and booking experiences, Critical Mass created a quarterly editorial experience that evokes the quality-over-quantity content of high-touch periodicals. Each issue centers on a mindful theme and incorporates content from partners like TED and VSCO, think pieces and short stories, and interviews with interesting personalities. And – of course – a recommendation of Marriott properties where the reader can capture some of those sparks of innovation for themselves.
Our goal was to create an experience that kept the brand at top of mind without feeling like an advertorial. The result is a versatile platform that can incorporate a tremendous range and variety of content while integrating the ability to book a room.
I wrote the initial articles that developed the tone of voice, co-authored the brief for hiring writers, and helped establish the content strategy.
BELLHOP
The Critical Mass Innovation Group tackled a unique challenge in 2016: creating a voice-activated, in-room travel assistant based on Amazon’s Alexa platform. “Bellhop” was intended to make the average hotel stay more convenient and enjoyable – as well as accessible for guests with special needs or accommodations. With a few simple words, a guest can change their room’s temperature and lighting, access neighborhood information, make restaurant reservations, choose movies, and even make emergency calls.
We spent six weeks building a fully functional prototype using an Alexa speaker and a TV interface – ensuring that guests always had a visual reference to help guide the conversation. I worked on the natural language interactions for the program, creating scripts for various skills ranging from dining deals to “Bellhop, I forgot my toothbrush!”
The prototype impressed key stakeholders at the Marriott and Starwood Hotels team – and in 2018, they rolled out an Alexa partnership at select locations, based in large part on the success of the Bellhop project.
For more information, check out project lead Priscilla Gomez.