Marriott International is promoting its in-application Mobile Request feature ? which enables users to message with staff members in real-time ? by letting tailgaters at select football games this fall Tweet their requests to the brand?s official account to have them fulfilled on-site.

The hotel chain is simultaneously advertising its longstanding partnership with the National Football League by rolling out a series of mobile-first activations centering on fall football season excitement. One of these initiatives, called #AppYourService, invites fans at select major games to Tweet various requests ? such as barbecue ingredients or folding chairs ? to the Marriott Rewards Twitter account and have runners bring the requested items directly to their tailgating areas.

?The travelers who stay in our hotels, especially Marriott Rewards members, are huge NFL fans,? said John Wolf, vice president of loyalty, digital, marketing innovation and public relations at Marriott International. ?#AppYour Service is a creative way to extend our mobile app experience and get fans excited about the Mobile Requests feature as they tailgate before the game.

?Mobile Requests has been hugely popular ? having been used more than 13 million times so far ? since we first introduced it for Marriott Rewards members who book direct on our channels. With the Mobile Requests, members have a fast and easy way to chat directly with hotel staff before, during and after their stays right from their smartphone.?

Hospitality and football
Marriott?s #AppYourService program seeks to promote the brand?s expansion of its in-app Mobile Requests platform across all of its resorts this fall. Guests can leverage Mobile Requests to ask front-desk staff for services and amenities such as extra pillows for their hotel rooms and dinner reservations at a nearby restaurant.

Marriott is ramping up awareness of the feature?s big expansion by planning to establish a presence at several major football games this fall.

The hospitality brand will have several runners on-hand at these events to fulfill fans? tailgating needs.

For example, individuals who forget to bring folding chairs or grilling tools to their tailgating areas will be able to Tweet their requests directly to the @MarriottRewards Twitter account. 

The individual manning the account will then distribute eligible requests to the runners, who will bring fans their desired items.

Details on participating game sites and hashtags will be announced within the next several weeks.

The hospitality chain?s loyalty program has recently engaged in a number of mobile-first initiatives designed to reward current members and gain new ones.

Marriott is perfecting the art of doling out real-time rewards by targeting social media users mentioning the brand and offering them loyalty points that are instantly added to their accounts, resulting in a 100 percent conversion rate (see story).

Additionally, beginning on September 8, Marriott Rewards members will receive the ability to redeem their points for various NFL-related experiences, such as Super Bowl tickets, a tour of the NFL headquarters and a weekly call with Adam Schefter, an NFL analyst.

Shaking up social media
Marriott?s NFL partnership is also extending across the hotel chain?s social networks, which have become increasingly pivotal in connecting with on-the-go travelers.

The rollout of Marriott?s real-time command center, M Live, has enabled the hotel chain to further optimize its presence on mobile and discover the importance of connecting with consumers during their travels, a strategy that has yielded 82 percent engagement with the brand?s social accounts (see story).

To complement its forthcoming tailgating perks, Marriott is also introducing the Courtyard Super Bowl Sleepover Contest, which asks football fans to upload their most passionate NFL photo to Instagram or Twitter via the hashtag #CourtyardSuperBowlContest.

One winner and a guest will earn the chance to spend the night in a Courtyard-transformed stadium suite at Houston?s NRG stadium, enabling them to be the first attendees at Super Bowl Sunday next year.

However, the #AppYourService activation will likely yield the most nationwide support for Marriott?s Mobile Requests platform.

?Travelers never leave home without their mobile devices and that?s why our popular Mobile Requests is helping make our Marriott mobile app an indispensable travel companion for our Marriott Rewards members,? Mr. Wolf said. ?Our members love the added convenience and choice to communicate directly with hotel staff before, during and after their stays, as well as being able to check-in, receive a room ready alert and checkout using the Marriott mobile app.

?As further proof of the app?s popularity and why it so critical to the guest experience, we have experienced a 30 percent increase in app downloads year-over-year,? he said.

?In August, we surpassed the one million dollars in revenue booked on the app for all of 2015. We have tripled the member adoption of mobile app services such Mobile Requests, check-in, checkout and room ready alerts and guest satisfaction scores are on the rise.?