Macy's and the Media
Oct 20, 2008
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MACY'S AND THE MEDIA
In media, too, the brand shows a history of innovation. Even back in the 1800s, founder Rowland Macy made his advertising stand out against the media clutter. "He would pay an extra penny to have the [newspapers] run the star in red," Rutan says, adding that Macy also wrote his ads in poetic form. Prior to Santa's first appearance at Herald Square, he recalls, "Macy published a long poem in the paper about how Santa had arrived the night before and dropped all these gifts for his loved ones. The next day, there was a long line of people looking for Santa."
In addition, Macy's was one of the first department stores to bring glossy four-color advertising inserts to newspapers, according to Britt Beemer, chairman, consumer research company America's Research Group, Ltd. "They had a better-quality presentation than virtually anybody else."
Macy's has maintained great partnerships with newspapers through the years and has been one of the medium's biggest supporters. "The Macy's East group is always open to ideas," says Paul Davia, director of major retail and national accounts for the Chicago Sun-Times News Group. "They don't turn ideas away. They want to hear how they can merge their ideas with ours to put the message out to the reader. The fact that they still want to hear from the local markets about what's relevant takes some effort, but they're willing to do it."
"They have been a wonderful supporter of newspapers to reach their customer," adds Barbara Swanson, group vp of the Chicago Sun-Times News Group. "They understand that customers are still using newspapers to make their decision. Our readers appreciate getting their messages."
Macy's heavy use of traditional media extends to TV as well. "We buy programming that skews very high in viewership to the female 25-54 group, such as Dancing With the Stars and The View," says Martine Reardon, executive vp of marketing, Macy's Inc. "Then we buy other programs that a mom and daughter might sit down and watch together, such as Gossip Girl, Grey's Anatomy and 30 Rock. We cherry pick special programs in prime time when we know moms are either watching alone or spending time with their family."
In keeping with the brand's "star" quality, Macy's also aligns itself with TV programs that feature stars, such as the Emmy Awards show. "During the Emmys this year, we launched a new spot that has been in the making for 10 years," says Reardon. "It shows the history of Macy's and how important Macy's has been to pop culture for the last 150 years. It starts with Bob Hope and shows clips from the beloved 1947 Christmas-themed movie Miracle on 34th Street. You also see Shirley MacLaine as a majorette in a parade and [Jerry] Seinfeld and Elaine talking about the balloons. We're very much a part of American culture and everyone's life from 60 to 4. It's in everything we do and everything we think of."
The spot is the work of New York agency J. Walter Thompson, which has been working with Macy's for about 19 months, since the retailer went national. "Our goal is to put Macy's back into the center of pop culture in America," says Rosemarie Ryan, JWT co-president, North America. "It was an iconic brand, but some of that iconic status had receded. With the kind of partners they've been bringing in, they really are America's retailer, and we wanted to highlight that."
A TRUE MARKETING PARTNER
Macy's is known throughout the media and agency world as a great communicator and team player. "When we meet with them and talk about a campaign, they give us a lot of detail; they make sure we understand their creative and what they're trying to accomplish," explains John Caruso, senior vp, TV network sales, ABC. "They have given us some of the most in-depth presentations we've ever seen. We're given a lot of information to bring back to our producers and our team. That really allows us to create a customized program that's not forced; it's very organic. And they've done a great job of embracing what we do and how we do it and how we think. Because of that, we've been able to deliver for them in a very big way."
Recently Macy's pulled together Florida's six largest newspapers for a meeting in the company's Florida division headquarters (Miami). "They were very candid about where they wanted to go and how they wanted our help to get there," explains Bruce Faulmann, vp of advertising and sales for the Tampa Tribune and the Florida Publishing Group. "We got a true understanding of their business and their business challenges. That's a key to their longevity and their success."
The purpose of the meeting, he says, was to discuss how to communicate Macy's new holiday campaign. Details are still being finalized, but Faulmann says the campaign will leverage aspects of the retailer's holiday-oriented history. "We've come up with solutions to build that campaign to be the biggest and best it can be. To have a relationship like that with a key customer is really special."
"These are genuinely good people, and that is rare in retail," adds Andrew McLean, president and chief client officer of Mediaedge:cia, which handles Macy's media planning and buying. "It's an incredibly collaborative culture, which constantly challenges us, our team and the media, but I've never found a piece of business where people enjoy working with them so much. They have a great appreciation of the role for and importance of media. They are very aware of how much media influences people," says McLean.
For more Macy's 150th Anniversary Salute coverage:
Macy's: An American Icon
Macy's and the Media
The Local Angle
Macy's "five-point" strategy
Famously Macy's