Marriott used the innovation lab as both a business promotion and a consumer promotion, which served different segments with different needs. Was that a wise strategy? Explain.

Marriott set up a pop-up innovation lab at the Americas Lodging and Investment Summit (a hotel industry investment conference) to showcase its Aloft and Element hotel brands. Marriott wanted not only to get feedback from consumers (influencers) and industry professionals (potential investors and franchisees), who visited the conference on separate days and answered different questions, but also to create opportunities for both groups to share images of and reactions to their conference experiences via social media. The pop up innovation lab allowed participants to experience the two hotel properties using virtual reality. They could also interact with the Aloft’s Botlr Bellhop Robot service; use eco-friendly Element’s self-service wine tap, which can be accessed using an app or a keycard; and try the solar-powered umbrellas, which doubled as charging devices. Marriott brand ambassadors carrying iPads engaged attendees and asked them to take a survey about their perceptions and reactions to the space—or they texted people a link to take the survey later.