Personalization for Elite Customers

Marriott International

Loyalty program members expect superior service, no matter what company is offering the loyalty program. When companies want customers to participate in loyalty programs, companies are expected by customers to deliver extra value to those who sign up. Marriott is no exception. In 2004, Marriott asked Matter to design a solution for how best to personalize the guest experience for their Elite members, including the online branding, information architecture and process flows, conceptual development, page level creative design, two rounds of user testing for the interim and final designs, and final wireframes and functional specifications.

Consultant is responsible to screen and select respondents for the user test, for developing all materials needed to conduct the user tests including coding the testing prototype, for securing and outfitting a location for the user tests, for conducting the user tests and collecting the user test data and video, and for the analysis, reporting, and documentation of the findings of the user test, including edited video clips of the interviews. Consultant is responsible for all tasks and activities needed to conceptualize and present screens solutions necessary to address the requirements and enable the user test, including IA and creative design of the Elite Enhancements solution. Consultant is responsible for incorporating results of user test and producing final IA and visual design documents.

This was our third project for Marriott that included research with their loyalty program members, and as such, we had already collected a wealth of data on the attitudes and perceptions of brand from this population, but also a good understanding of how they used the dotcom web site for hotel reservations, service, and information. With this knowledge, we first analyzed the business requirements and conceptualized possible approaches to those requirements that would resonate with the loyalty program members. From those concepts, the team created a set of user testing exercises including card sorting (for nomenclature and process descriptions), interviews, and scenario testing using a clickable prototype. We included ways to differentiate between alternate levels within the loyalty program and the perceived gradients by customers to those levels.

The feedback given by customers for this type of concept testing was invaluable. It helped us discern a gap between customers’ expectations and the extent to which those expectations could be satisfied by existing technology and business rules and process. Armed with this knowledge, the team documented where the customers were at using a series of concept boards to describe possible future states.

Once the findings from this first round of concepts and testing were reviewed, a decision was made to approach the solution in a road map fashion, with the customer’s expectations at the end of the road, and a more achievable first step at the beginning. We then redesigned our flows and page designs to accommodate this change in strategy. And we performed another round of user testing, again with a different set of loyalty program members.

After analysis of the last user test, Matter finalized all information architecture, visual design elements (including the selection of appropriate imagery for the personalized sections of the site and all branding elements), functional specifications for all interactive modules, and created final wireframe documentation for the IT group to begin implementation.

The designs rolled out on the site in early 2005 and were met with great appreciation of the business and loyalty program members. The designs established a baseline for personalization and targeted branding on the site that continues today.

“The Matter team is FANTASTIC both from a personal and professional level. They are a very talented and dedicated team and went above and beyond the call of duty to deliver the best possible product and solution for us. They were able to convey important issues and help the senior management team come to conclusions that moved the business forward. They truly are outstanding to work with. I would employ them again and recommend them to other business units both internally and externally.” – Mariana Cavalcanti, Director of User Experience, Marriott International