Dive Brief:
- Wyndham Hotels & Resorts has tapped Havas to be its North American consumer marketing agency of record, according to information shared with Marketing Dive.
- The agency will handle all media, creative, social and digital marketing for the company, using the agency’s Havas Converged strategy and Village model.
- The remit covers marketing for all brands under Wyndham’s corporate structure, including La Quinta, Ramada and Super 8, as well as the company’s Wyndham Rewards loyalty program. The first work is expected to roll out later this year, with full brand campaigns expected in 2025.
Dive Insight:
Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, a hotel franchisor with approximately 9,200 hotels across 25 global brands, is looking to chart a new path after fending off a $7 billion hostile takeover offer by competitor Choice Hotels International earlier this year. By adopting an agency of record model, the company is hoping to “unlock increased efficiencies and effectiveness,” according to a release.
“It’s a transformative shift for Wyndham and one we believe will help drive meaningful, long-term consumer engagement and, in turn, greater returns for our thousands of franchisees,” said Marissa Yoss, vice president of media and brand marketing at Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, in a press statement.
Havas credited its Havas Converged model as the difference-maker in its pitch to Wyndham. Havas has been investing heavily in the model, which is designed to foster collaboration by using data, technology and artificial intelligence to bring together the agency network’s talent, capabilities, platforms and expertise.
Havas reported a 3.6% year-over-year increase in H1 revenues. The growth was driven by strength in Europe and Latin America while North America revenues dropped 6.4%
Choice Hotels in March dropped its more than $7 billion bid to acquire Wyndham Hotels & Resorts. In dropping its bid, the company issued a statement saying there was “significant” support from Wyndham shareholders for the deal, but it was “not sufficient for Choice to conclude” the transaction. In Q2, Wyndham reported a 22.8% year-over-year increase in net income for a total of $86 million.
Choice Hotels named 72andSunny New York and Dentsu X to handle creative and digital media duties in August. In appointing the agencies, the company said it was looking to take its consumer marketing to “the next level.” Outlining the chain’s marketing plans for the end of the year to Hotel Dive, Choice Chief Marketing Officer Noha Abdalla said Dentsu X would develop a media strategy that leverages the company’s currently running “A Stay for Any You” marketing campaign. 72andSunny, meanwhile, has started working on Choice Hotels’ 2025 marketing campaign.
