Building a Better Courtyard

Go to: http://www.gocourtyard.com

Click on “Watch Brian’s Lobby Video”
If you want to go deeper, click on the “New Lobby Features” tab and click through the different videos.

Now,  I wouldn’t normally get very jazzed about Courtyard by Marriott, but I’m very impressed by how much they’re trying to evolve a pretty tired and boring brand. They thought through every last detail of a business traveler’s needs (everything from workspace, to food, to music, to color).

I think this is a great example of how more and more brands are taking the opportunity for a major redesign a step further. Beyond the old model of simply refreshing their aesthetics, brands are understanding the consumer’s needs at a much deeper level of experience and interaction. I’m seeing this trend happening across multiple categories (read up on jetBlue’s new Terminal 5 at JFK).

The key seems to be in making the experience true to the brand, but also flexible and adaptable enough for the consumer to mold it to what they want it to be. It’s beyond just a “new look and feel” to drive differentiation. Today’s consumer can sniff-out surface-level differences in brands – they need to feel the difference for a brand to earn their share of wallet. As a result, brands seem to be pushing their redesigns to a new level that goes beyond updated logos and color palettes.

I like this Courtyard by Marriott example because they’re clearly using the web to tout the news of this redesign, and they’re incorporating “digital” into the refreshed Courtyard experience. Note the digital touchscreen with prominent placement in the lobby. I think it’s a nice reminder that while these kinds of digital experiences are important, within our client’s fuller, broader perspective, they’re just part of the overall story. This is an example where digital is critical, but it’s not the whole enchilada.