Skift Podcast: Why Marriott Is So Attached to Its 30 Brands

Skift Take

One of the big questions when Marriott bought Starwood was which brands would survive. Executives at the company had the same question, and global brand officer Tina Edmundson explains what went into the decision to keep all 30.

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If anyone knows about owning a lot of brands, it’s Marriott International. The world’s largest hotel company, which acquired Starwood in 2016, now has 30 brands — and no plans to get rid of any.

Tina Edmundson, the company's global brand officer, talked about why the company believes in its brands — all of them — at Skift Forum Europe recently in Berlin.

She insisted that there was "no such thing" as too many brands.

"I believe brands help consumers make choices," Edmundson said. "The danger is having brands that don't have a very clear point of view."

She also spoke to Skift Senior Hospitality Editor Deanna Ting about how the role of luxury is changing, Marriott’s approach to millennials, and its experiment in homesharing.

Hannah Sampson

June 8th, 2018 at 12:30 AM EDT

Tags: marriott, sfe2018, skift forum europe, skift podcast, the skift travel podcast

Photo Credit: Tina Edmundson, global brand officer for Marriott International, spoke at Skift Forum Europe. Her conversation with Skift Senior Hospitality Editor Deanna Ting is the latest episode of the Skift Podcast. Skift

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