Marriott International’s world-class luxury brand, JW Marriott, has launched a new in-room lifestyle publication, JWM magazine, exclusively for guests of JW Marriott hotels and resorts. The quarterly publication caters to its consummate, well-traveled guests with editorial content that reflects their three greatest points of passion – culinary, culture and personal well-being.
Mitzi Gaskins, vice president, JW Marriott brand management and editor-in-chief of JWM magazine, says, “Our hope is that guests find the content so intriguing and valuable that they will take what they have discovered on their travels and integrate it into their daily lives.”
Emma Bazilian of Adweek questions whether JW Marriott will be able to accomplish this level of editorial greatness.
No hotel chain’s in-room magazine wants to read like a brochure—and if you ask any of their editors, they’d probably claim to be just as concerned with journalistic quality as JWM. But with the constant need for brand emphasis hanging over writers’ heads, it’s nearly impossible to create a product free of any advertorial bent.
I understand the journalist’s skepticism, but does she also question Travel & Leisure’s ability to deliver? As you may know, Travel & Leisure is an American Express vehicle and a newsstand mag that people gladly pay for, because of what’s inside.
To my mind, any brand-sponsored vehicle can win the favor of readers–they simply need to put readers first and the brand second.
