Marriott's Moxy Hotels and Bumble app blend digital, real-life connections

Dive Brief:

Networking and dating app Bumble and Marriott International's Moxy Hotels are joining forces on "BumbleSpot #attheMoxy," experiences at certain Moxy locations that blend digital and real-life connections, per a news release. BumbleSpots are Bumble-verified places designated as inclusive for meeting Bumble connections, and Moxy is Bumble's first nationwide BumbleSpot partner.
BumbleSpot #attheMoxy launches on Nov. 13 at the Moxy Hotel in New York City's Financial District. The event will be hosted by actress and entrepreneur Jaime King with music by Coco & Breezy. Another event in Chicago on Nov. 15 will feature DJ and founder of Style Native Brandi Cyrus. An event in Denver on Nov. 29 will feature Denise Bidot, a model and founder of the "No Wrong Way Movement." Additional hotels will join through the end of the year.
The events are open to Bumble users. Guests will have access to Bumble's Profile Doctors, who will help with profile setup and offer professional headshots, as well as workshops with Upright Citizens Brigade. Other programming includes food discounts, a custom drink menu, complimentary work spaces, a giant Jenga game with Truth or Dare quotes on Jenga bricks.

Dive Insight:

Marriott is recognizing that experiences matter in attracting younger travelers. With people spending so much time glued to their phones these days, this partnership is designed to help young people bring their digital connections into real life. The experiential events are well-matched for younger audiences, like Gen Zers, who are digital natives but also seek out in-person interactions, such as in-store shopping. The experiential icebreaker and networking hacks, giant Jenga game and other features will also be appealing to younger demographics who report regularly experiencing FOMO, or "fear of missing out."

Events like the BumbleSpot #attheMoxy can heighten brand awareness and grow social media followings, as visitors are often encouraged to snap selfies to post on social media. Adding influencers to the mix could help broaden the campaign's reach, with Gen Zers and millennials finding influencers to be more trustworthy and engaging than other marketing tactics.

Bumble has embraced experiential marketing in the past to grow its user base. The Moxy tie-up follows a Bumble partnership with HBO in August on the "Stay Home To The Movies" activation that recreated the experience of a romantic night in. Bumble users were invited to attend an event in a New York City Brownstone with someone they met on the app, and experience five screening rooms with films matching their preferences, a bathtub filled with sweets, a wine wall and a quote wall.

Hospitality brands like Moxy are looking to attract travelers with unique and memorable experiences with the hopes of increasing bookings. These efforts often resonate with millennials, who prefer to spend on experiences, like travel, over products. Millennials are also avid social media users while traveling, with 83% of millennial travelers saying they access social media at least once a day, according to MMGY Global. Travel-related Instagramming among millennials has increased 375% from 2013.