Macy’s – “Love, Macy’s” Intergenerational Gifting Strategy
Brand:
Macy's
Project Type:
National retail campaign strategy (NRF Foundation Competition)
Role:
Research & Insight Lead
Strategy + Experience Design
Digital Features + Storytelling
Timeline:
February–September 2025
01 — Overview
The Ask
Macy’s wanted a Valentine’s Day strategy that deepened emotional connection, simplified gifting, and expanded relevance across generations.
The Result: Love, Macy’s
A national retail concept blending digital curation, emotional in-store experiences, and multi-generational tradition building — designed to make Macy’s the destination for thoughtful gifting every season.
02 —Challenge
Valentine’s Day is the second-highest grossing holiday after Christmas, yet gift shopping remains stressful and impersonal.
57% of consumers feel overwhelmed while shopping
+47M unwanted gifts are exchanged each year
Thoughtfulness is the #1 expectation across generations
Core Problem:
How can Macy’s turn Valentine’s Day from a transactional moment into an intergenerational tradition rooted in meaningful gifting?
03 —Audience & Insight
Generational Roles
Gen Alpha: play + curiosity
Gen Z: values, authenticity, tech
Millennials: spending power + personalization
Gen X/Boomers: loyalty, quality, ease
Primary Research
We surveyed/interviewed 100+ consumers (18–64) — revealing that gifting now spans friends, family, partners, and self-care.
77% prioritize thoughtfulness
57% want shareable wishlists
Valentine’s Day is for everybody, not just couples
Core Insight:
“People don’t want perfect gifts. They want personal ones that reflect real relationships.”
04 — Strategy
Strategic Idea
Position Macy’s as the destination for thoughtful gifting — every season, every reason — by blending personalization, emotional storytelling, and seamless omnichannel tools.
Strategy Pillars
Personal Curation
Digital Gift Guide
Shareable Wishlists
Emotional Retail
Gifting hub
Love Market events
Confessionals
Intergenerational Tradition Building
A year-round concept for every holiday
Omnichannel Integration
App features
In-store navigation
Digital storytelling
05 — Execution
5.1 Digital Ecosystem
Digital Gift Guide
A personalized mobile experience:
Discovery → exploration → decision → purchase
Digital Wishlist
A modernized registry for all ages, moments, and milestones.
5.2 In-Store Experience
A curated gifting section designed to simplify shopping, supported by smart app features that guide scanning, saving, locating items, and discovering events.
5.3 Experiential: Love Market
A 4-week flagship activation featuring:
Live music & DJs
Wine tastings
Galentine’s & Singles mixers
Family-friendly hours
Photo booth + Love Confessional
Transforms Macy’s into a destination for emotional connection.
5.4 Marketing & Media
Paid & Social
Platforms: TikTok, Meta, Pinterest, YouTube, Netflix, Disney+, Prime Video
Influencers & PR
Featuring @itsjudytime, @kikiyomimiii, @ethangaskill, @emergencyintercom
Out-of-Home
Billboards, Store Wraps, Transit
06 — Budget & Measurement
A $1.2M marketing budget allocated across paid, owned, earned, digital, influencer, and experience-driven media.
KPIs
Social interactions, CTR, conversion
Foot traffic & dwell time
Wishlist engagement & loyalty enrollment
Event participation & sentiment
07 - Impact & Long-Term Growth
Projected Impact
12–15% revenue lift
Higher basket sizes via curated bundles
Strong incremental profitability
Repeat visits tied to wishlist reminders
Long-Term Growth
Love, Macy’s scales beyond Valentine's Day:
Mother’s Day
Lunar New Year
Birthdays
Milestones
and more!
08－My Role
My Contributions
Led research, consumer insight development, and segmentation
Built core strategic pillars & campaign narrative
Designed the digital gift guide & wishlist framework
Created the Love Market experiential concepts
Supported merchandising logic and category prioritization
Developed KPIs, projections, and measurement framework
Shaped storytelling direction across slides
Tools Used
MRI-Simmons
Mintel
Statista
Google Trends
Canva
Figma
TikTok Creative Center
AI research tools
ChatGPT
Gemini
