Bring in a recognizable face to represent the brand and reach younger markets in an innovative and authentic way.
Why This Will Work
Recently, multiple brands have been naming influencers or celebrities as creative directors. This move takes the partnership beyond co-branded merchandise with a celebrity, designer, or influencer. This type of partnership provides the influencer with authority in the eyes of the brand's desired audience. Brands like Pretty Little Thing have partnered with Molly-Mae Hague, who has 6.3 million followers and gathered fame on the show Love Island: UK. After the show's closing she created a co-branded line with the direct-to-consumer retailer, but Pretty Little Thing took this further when they realized Molly-Mae's reach to a younger, fashionable audience and the impact it had on sales. Around a year later, they announced her as the full fledged creative director for Pretty Little Thing. She now is directly involved in product development, continuous product releases and fashion shows, brand vision, and marketing. Other brands are following suit. FWRD, an online-only high end retailer has hired Kendall Jenner as a creative director for the brand. Jenner wears and submits her 'picks' for each season, as well as continually expresses her oversight on the brands' trend choices and vision. More examples are popping up, from a health drink brand called Kin Euphorics that appointed Bella Hadid as its creative director to Emily Ratajkowski serving as creative director for Loop Beauty. This practice can be traced back to 2010, when Lady Gaga served as the creative director for Polaroid (which Kanye had a few words to say about this). This piece of promotion strategy is tried and true in online retail spaces, but has not been attempted in this way by a department store retailer like Macy's. This is a great opportunity for Macy's to be seen as a department store that is forward thinking, and unafraid to break the mold to appeal to consumers and step away from their snoozy perception.
Who Should It Be?
I do not recommend that Macy's appoint a completely random creative director. Some brands have attempted to align themselves with influencers who have absolutely no connection or expertise in the matter, like when Kendall Jenner partnered with Proactiv endorsed its products, while also admitting she has never used them.
In the case of Macy's, I recommend that they select a creative director who has very public ties to the brand. I recommend that they seek out this person by looking to individuals who have appeared in multiple Macy's parades and fall within the age demographic they are seeking to reach and also have valuable input on clothing, home, beauty, and other relevant goods. Macy's may want to select someone who walks the line of generation z and millennials, or may benefit from selecting two individuals who could respectively represent each group. Personally, I believe the brand would receive a stronger response with one clear endorser to reduce confusion and present a focused vision that Macy's Polaris has not been doing so far. I recommend they partner with stars like Leah Michelle, Laurie Hernandez or Chloe and Halle Bailey. Each of these celebrity influencers have significant followings and cultural status with young consumers, but also have attended multiple Macy's Parades and events. Macy's may also want to consider appointing a similar role for their men's clothing category, and selecting an individual like John Legend who is relevant with generation z to millennial consumers and has performed at multiple Macy's Parades.
Ultimately, this could provide Macy's with a competitive advantage if this is an exclusive partnership that brings in cultural currency to their product assortment and reviving the overall brand image.
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