Motel 6 has selected Barkley, a Kansas City-based independent agency known for building modern brands for modern consumers, as its new agency of record.
Barkley will be working with Motel 6 on several key initiatives in 2021, including a ‘return to travel’ campaign, expanding its reach to guests, and aligning across multi-channel efforts.
“Motel 6 is an iconic brand with a 58-year history leading the economy lodging segment. A large part of that success has been our commitment to keeping the light on for our guests and being there when and where they need us – and that has been a considerable advantage for us in a year like 2020,” said Rob Palleschi, CEO of G6 Hospitality. “Still, you can’t continue to lead a category in today’s environment without evolving, which is why we are excited to be partnering with Barkley to advance our strategic vision for the brand and shine a fresh, new light on a legacy brand.”
In the past few years, Motel 6 has implemented a number of initiatives to restructure and evolve the business in ways that place greater emphasis on its brand management. As part of these changes, the company appointed Adam Cannon to the newly created role of vice president of brand management, and in this capacity he will be managing the Barkley relationship.
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“As an iconic and beloved symbol of travel, we’re excited to partner with Motel 6 on the next chapter in the brand’s trajectory,” said Jason Parks, chief growth officer at Barkley. “We’re excited to build on their rich history and strong foundation to bring bold new ideas to build an even stronger whole brand designed for the modern consumer.”
Barkley has a strong track record of helping travel and tourism brands connect with their audiences, as well as expertise in building inclusive campaigns that reach a broad range of consumers.
The decision comes after the motel chain was forced to conduct an agency review after Stan Richards, owner and founder of The Richards Group, made allegedly racist remarks.
Richards allegedly said a new campaign was “too Black” and would not resonate with motel chain’s “significant white supremacist constituents.”
SOURCE: Motel 6
