In a travel economy fueled by experiences and expectations, the lines between marketing, technology, and hospitality are blurring.
Marriott International sits at the crossroads of this evolution, balancing more than 30 brands, over 228 million loyalty members, and the rising demands of a mobile-native consumer.
In this episode of The Speed of Culture, Matt Britton chats with Andy Kauffman, chief commercial officer for the U.S. and Canada at Marriott International, about the convergence of sales and marketing, the power of first-party data, and how AI is reshaping personalization and operations.
Known for bridging digital, data, and brand, Andy brings a multidisciplinary mindset to transforming a global hospitality company.
This episode explores how personalization, AI, and cultural relevance are not just buzzwords for Marriott, but essential levers for growth, loyalty, and long-term brand distinction.
Episode highlights:
[03:00] The Evolving Role of the CMO — Andy questions whether CMOs will exist in the same form five years from now. At Marriott, he now leads a unified commercial team that merges marketing, sales, and loyalty, reflecting how performance media and brand storytelling now overlap. For brands, this means rethinking structure to reflect the full consumer journey, not outdated org charts.
[07:00] Purpose-Driven Personalization — Instead of pushing brand-first messages, Marriott starts with why a guest is traveling—business, leisure, or special occasion—and tailors communications accordingly. A Bonvoy member visiting with family shouldn’t get the same offer as a solo business traveler. To truly connect, brands should personalize to intent, not just identity.
[09:30] Marketing as a Service — Marriott has a long heritage of superior service, especially the luxury brands. The Ritz-Carlton trains its Ladies and Gentlemen to deliver exceptional “anticipatory service.” This same model can now apply to digital marketing and personalization, predicting what customers need before they ask. Great marketing can be like hospitality: timely, personal, meaningful.
[15:45] AI as an Internal Superpower — While AI is often framed as a guest-facing tool, Andy shares how Marriott uses small AI agents to simplify internal processes, saving hours of manual work and surfacing smarter insights. Start small, iterate fast. Even a one-day AI build can unlock exponential value across teams.
[19:00] Loyalty That Feels Like Fandom — Andy discusses his experience with loyalty and fandom both at Marriott and his time at the NFL. Marriott leans into passion points like sports, music, and culinary experiences to deepen this bond. Don’t just reward customers, make them feel seen, connected, and part of something bigger.
