Motown Museum Case Study

Over the past decade, Identity has led all media relations efforts for Motown Museum—including the media management and announcement of the passing of founder Esther Gordy Edwards, the announcement of the museum’s $55 expansion, the institution’s role in Motown’s 60th anniversary and countless celebrity visits, educational programs, community initiatives, philanthropic efforts and more.

With one of the world’s most passionate fan bases and social communities, Motown Museum requires a constant stream of entertaining and informative social content that engages fans and communicates Motown history, current event opportunities and museum programming —all of which Identity has owned, executed and consistently elevated for years.

The Identity team developed a comprehensive PR and communications strategy for Motown Museum throughout Motown’s celebratory 60th anniversary year of, culminating in the museum’s signature event, the Motown 60 Weekend—a legendary series of events from Sept. 21-23, 2019, packed with Motown alumni, iconic celebrities, dignitaries, international and national media, milestone announcements, toe-tapping concerts and a red carpet press moment prior to the gala honoring the man himself, Berry Gordy.

The museum is the torchbearer of key Motown history moments, and in 2021, that moment was the 50th anniversary of Marvin Gaye’s iconic “What’s Going On” album. With the societal challenges present at the time, Motown Museum was uniquely positioned to celebrate the cultural issues present in the album and discuss how they were “still going on.” Identity assisted with crafting the vision and the message for the annual “What’s Going On/Still Going On” strategy, including milestone moments throughout the year that reflected on the iconic album and Marvin Gaye’s legendary talent, and strongly conveyed the museum’s messaging as the caretaker of the story, sharing the history and legacy throughout the world for generations to come, including a “What’s Going On Day” proclamation from Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, a special street naming dedication ceremony at the intersection near where Marvin Gaye conceptualized the album and a number of other events throughout the year.