For retailers seeking to declare their share of greater than $1.5 trillion in anticipated vacation retail gross sales, the subsequent few weeks characterize essentially the most fantastic time of the yr. That’s definitely true for Macy’s because it makes an attempt to complete 2024 robust and get again on observe amid declining gross sales and a failed takeover try.
To have fun the season, Macy’s final month kicked off a vacation marketing campaign that anthropomorphizes its annual reward information as a human Reward Information. The skilled curator position is performed by actor Alison Brie (“GLOW,” “Neighborhood”) in a sequence of adverts airing throughout TV, digital and social channels, together with YouTube, Instagram and TikTok.
“From a shopper standpoint, these beginnings of the seasons characterize a lot hope and pleasure, however they’re additionally fairly demanding,” mentioned CMO Sharon Otterman. “Since we’re recognized for our humanity and relatability, why not make it a present information when it comes to an individual versus only a paper type to essentially be capable to deliver it to life?”
The vacation marketing campaign and the retailer’s iconic Thanksgiving Day parade are the primary underneath Otterman, who joined Macy’s almost a yr in the past after stints at Caesars Leisure, the Madison Sq. Backyard Firm and NBCUniversal’s information division.
Advertising Dive spoke with the manager in regards to the how this yr’s vacation season is totally different than earlier ones, how the retailer is working to interact with customers and what’s on her advertising and marketing watch checklist for 2025.
The next interview has been edited for readability and brevity.
MARKETING DIVE: What have been you have been on the lookout for in a model ambassador to deliver the vacation marketing campaign to life?
SHARON OTTERMAN: The joy that Allison Brie represents when it comes to the Reward Information, but additionally the relatability, was crucial for us. Each spot has that second the place we break that fourth wall, flip to the digital camera and relate how we actually really feel. I believe we have all had that feeling of wanting the vacations to be good. That thought that goes into these reward giving moments issues, however it’s tiring, and also you need it to be relatable.
Popping out of a divisive election, how is that this vacation season totally different from previous years?
With the shorter vacation interval, there’s going to be plenty of messages on the market, and we needed to guarantee that we had one which was uniquely Macy’s. We really feel like we do one thing somewhat bit totally different within the vacation season, that we kick off not solely with our nice worth and gross sales, however we throw somewhat parade to the entire nation. So the whole lot that we do has that spectacular nature to it.
It was crucial that these tales that we’re telling in our promoting have a number of chapters to them. We’re in chapter two — Black Friday — proper now, however there’s really 5 chapters. We’ve got written them like tales. We’re retaining the messaging contemporary. We’re on a set that is very uniquely Macy’s. We needed to guarantee that we had an opportunity to essentially break via, as a result of we all know that customers do have plenty of alternative throughout this time period.
Along with your background and that of latest hires to the advertising and marketing group, how are you approaching storytelling throughout channels?
There are such a lot of tales to inform. Once we get to see the entire superb merchandise, we will placed on the journalist hat like, “What story will we need to inform?” Whether or not it is in regards to the textile design or the good worth or which model it got here from. We’ve got staffed our crew with inquisitive storytellers that need to make certain the thrill that they’ve for the issues that we will promote, the expertise we’ve got in our shops and the worth that we’ve got, that they’ll translate that to our clients.
This yr’s parade has new floats from manufacturers like Rao’s Do-it-yourself, Haribo and Netflix. What do you search for when bringing new companions to the parade?
We maintain saying that we’re greater than a retailer, we’re a narrative, and that we like companions that need to inform their story, as nicely. Rao’s is an ideal instance: that float tells a whole story of Pasta Knight. All of the superb merchandise come to mild, however there’s additionally a little bit of leisure. Every a kind of floats, balloons, marching bands or clowns, all of them inform a narrative, and so we need to associate with those that need to inform their story at this actually emotional, thrilling time of the yr.
The Parade of Offers gross sales occasion is on-line and app-only. How essential is it to attach with customers on these channels, particularly across the holidays?
Parade of Offers represents that storytelling continued: day-after-day is a brand new chapter in that story. We’re fortunate that we are able to leverage the mental property of the parade, and you will see that very vividly this yr — the Reward Information might be slicing the ribbon. It was essential for us to inform one cohesive interactive advertising and marketing story, and that whether or not it was a gross sales occasion or an indication in our shops or a manifestation on-line, that all of them had these chapters to the story.
Whereas we’re usually centered on how information impacts a retailer’s media community, how is the information coming from digital channels serving to your personal advertising and marketing efforts?
Because the world continues to evolve with know-how, one of the best factor is we get to know our buyer and what they need higher. Good tales are crafted as a result of we actually perceive the client. Every chapter is a few want and need, as a result of we all know by taking a look at all the information, what are the issues that folks want [no matter the situation]. We base the whole lot round shopper insights, and that is what helps pull collectively all of the totally different elements of an organization to make it one built-in marketing campaign — we deal with the client first.
Past the subsequent week and subsequent month, what’s in your radar for 2025?
I take into consideration the impression of AI and gen AI on the whole lot from being a extra environment friendly advertising and marketing division to permitting us to get to market faster. I take into consideration the altering panorama of media and the way we need to present up with our storytelling. And I believe the buyer continues to maintain getting smarter, so we’ve got to maintain participating them with extra experiences and bringing these tales to life versus having ads or transactions with them.
