Marketing
Motel 6 taps Garfield as Chief Pet Officer
Motel 6 is all about providing a rewarding hospitality experience for traveling pet owners, pets and those who are big Garfield fans.
May 31, 2024 by Judy Mottl — Editor, RetailCustomerExperience.com & DigitalSignageToday.com
First off, who doesn't like Garfield? Even non-cat lovers likely love Garfield.
He's an iconic animated character who doesn't like Mondays, embraces being lazy, loves lasagna and is famous for meowing "love me, feed me, never leave me."
Now he's also the first-ever official Chief Pet Officer for the Motel 6 hospitality brand that offers rooms outfitted in Garfield style available through June 6.
The Garfield connection
The Garfield-infused customer experience is all about welcoming pet owners and their pets and those who aren't pet owners but love a whimsical and entertaining place to stay, according to Adam Cannon, chief brand officer of G6 Hospitality, the parent company of the Motel 6 brand.
It all came together via a partnership with Sony Pictures Entertainment ahead of the Columbia Pictures/Alcon Entertainment animated film, "The Garfield Movie," which hit theaters May 24.
"Motel 6 has always welcomed pets, and pet parents, across all our hotels. In fact, pets stay free. We're also passionate about supporting pet ownership and work closely as a partner to the Humane Society of the United States," Cannon said in an email interview.
"It is this love of helping pets in need that attracted Sony Pictures Entertainment to work with us."
The film aligns with Motel 6's values and highlights the brand's love for four-legged guests.
"Garfield is an iconic and beloved character across multiple generations. We knew we needed a fun and engaging element for our guests to kick off the campaign, which is how we came up with the idea of announcing that we had appointed Garfield as our first Chief Pet Officer," said Cannon.
The new role at the brand highlights how Motel 6 is making traveling with pets easier, safe and more fun as pets are always welcome at the brand's locations.
Pet travel on the rise
Another big reason for the Garfield customer experience is that more travelers are travelling with their furry friends.
In fact, 78% of American pet owners travel with their companions each year, according to an American Pet Product Association survey.
And more than half of pet owners believe their pets deserve a vacation, 68%, said their pets deserve a getaway, according to a Motel 6 survey.
"Motel 6 has been welcoming pets free for over 60 years and is one of the top reasons guests choose to stay with us," said Cannon.
What the Garfield room experience offers
Motel 6 has created a special suite themed after "The Garfield Movie" at its Hollywood hotel. The room features an orange fur wall, cat condominium and tree, cat and dog amenities and plushies of the movie characters.
There are also 10 additional Motel 6 locations that feature unique Garfield-themed rooms that include amenities like cat trees, pet bowls and food-themed blankets and pillows.
While the Garfield experience is not Motel 6's first pet-focused CX strategy, it is one of the biggest. The brand held a giveaway to win tickets to the movie premiere in Hollywood, complete with the chance to walk the 'orange' carpet and stay in the Garfield Hollywood suite. It drew more submissions than a recent contest.
"Every year, marketing to pet parents is an important part of our overall consumer marketing strategy. In the last few years, we have created several campaigns centered around our commitment to pets," said Cannon, adding the most recent is a partnership with the Humane Society of the United States to support their "More Than A Pet" campaign.
About Judy Mottl
