As part of its campaign to reimagine hospitality, Marriott Hotels & Resorts (MHR), the signature brand of Marriott International, Inc. (NYSE:MAR), today announced it has chosen Grey New York as its lead creative agency of record.? Grey is expected to officially begin working for the brand next month, pending a signed contract.
?We were challenged and inspired by the Grey team and the quality of its Gen Y insights,? said Susan Thronson, senior vice president, global marketing, Marriott International.? ?Our decision was based on Grey?s ability to engage consumers throughout their brand journey ? regardless of the channel used or the location of the traveler.
?The other finalists, JWT and incumbent mcgarrybowen, demonstrated that we had selected the best of the best agencies,? added Thronson.? ?As a founding client, we?re grateful to mcgarrybowen for nine years of work on MHR and look forward its future efforts on Marriott Rewards, Courtyard, Residence Inn, SpringHill Suites and Fairfield Inn & Suites.?
?The iconic Marriott Hotels & Resorts brand is reimagining hospitality and the guest experience. Grey will help us tell the story as we embark on new global innovations that are holistic, strategic, relevant and executed with purpose,? said Paul Cahill, senior vice president, brand management, Marriott Hotels & Resorts.
“Marriott is one of those brands that everyone in our building wants to work on,” said Grey New York President and CCO Tor Myhren. “Their iconic stature and rich heritage speaks for itself. But what energizes us most is their courage to change, innovate and challenge the status quo despite already being leaders in their industry. We can’t wait to get started.”
Marriott Hotels & Resorts has been reimagining the guest experience and transforming its lobbies and public spaces for a new generation of business travelers who blend work and play, demand style and substance, and desire high tech and high touch. Working with its partners IDEO and Steelcase, Marriott is introducing new concepts, such as purpose-built spaces for smaller collaborative meetings that are specifically designed for the way Gen X and Gen Y work.? As the industry leader in hosting meetings of all sizes, Marriott is also testing innovative technologies, such as applications for booking meetings on demand, that will further differentiate the customer experience at its hotels.
Marriott?s agency relationships with MEC, Anomaly, Team One and other creative and specialized agencies throughout its global operations were not affected in this review.
Marriott International retained the services of Joanne Davis Consulting, Inc., New York, NY, to assist in the agency review process.