1st Place Winner

1. I d. I always will
Undergraduate Marketing Competition
Bryan Brindley, Allison Dodakian, Grace McGuire,
Cassidy Moriarty, and Justin Pollock

3. AGENDA
THE CHALLENGE
RESEARCH METHODS
SWOT ANALYSIS
COMPETITOR ANALYSIS
PRIMARY RESEARCH FINDINGS
INSIGHTS
PINTEREST
THE IN-STORE EXPERIENCE
TARGET MARKETS
THE BIG IDEA
THE CAMPAIGN
IMPLEMENTATION & RESULTS

4. RESEARCH METHODS
IN-DEPTH
INTERVIEWS (IDIs)
17
174
SURVEY
1
IN-STORE
OBSERVATION
• Use innovative strategies and big ideas to drive sales and grow market share
• Make Macy’s #1 in Weddings and Wedding Registries
THE CHALLENGE

5. SWOT ANALYSIS
• Strategic partnership with wedding expert Clinton Kelly
• Personalized responses to social media posts
• Strong brand loyalty
• Positive in-store experience
STRENGTHS
WEAKNESSES
• Doesn’t carry top ring brands
• Lacks a consistent wedding presence in each store
• No separate app for registries
• "I do” campaign is not relatable

6. • Competitors have more social media followers
• Competitors have lower priced products with similar perceived quality
• New third-party registry services are emerging
OPPORTUNITIES
THREATS
• Most couples prefer an online experience to in-store
• Millennials will dominate the wedding industry for the next 15 years
• Millennials are passionate about giving back
• New markets are growing, such as LGBT
SWOT ANALYSIS

7. COMPETITOR ANALYSIS
• Bed Bath & Beyond focuses on a personal
consultant experience, offering customers
guidance every step of the way
• Fun informative videos with real couples
• Suggestions from consultants and the ability to
see consultants' sample registries
• Registry-related homepage of the app
• Target focuses on a wide selection of products
at a flexible price range, suiting customer’s
everyday needs
• Models featured in playful pictures; doesn’t
feel as forced
• Models in “real-life” situations, like in the
kitchen, rather than at weddings
• Separate app for wedding and baby registries

8. PRIMARY RESEARCH FINDINGS
Macy's should focus on product
selection, ease of registering, and
discounts/perks.
Macy's should focus on online,
social media, in-store promotions
and events.
Bloomingdale's is #1 followed
by Bed Bath & Beyond and
Macy's.
What elements matter most to you when deciding where to register?
What types of advertising impact you the most?
Of the options below, which of the following are would you consider registering at?

9. ADVERTISEMENT INSIGHTS
Current advertisements for the “I do” campaign
are not relatable to Millennials. The models
seem staged, and the wedding themes stray too
far from traditional.
The small focus on LGBT weddings shadows
the current trends.

10. IN-STORE INSIGHTS
There is inconsistency in what each Macy’s
store offers in terms of the entire wedding-
process essentials.
Online wedding registrants are surpassing
in-stores registrants, so the experiences
must both be stimulating.

11. SOCIAL MEDIA INSIGHTS
Social media platforms are very important for
Millennials when it comes to marriage, and
Macy's must take advantage of their following
and grow it in the future
Millennials must view Macy's overall brand and
their wedding registries as synonymous on
social media. In the past month, In January,
Macy’s made the following number of posts in
reference to weddings:
2/36 Facebook Posts
2/61 Twitter Tweets
1/30 Instagram Posts
3/44 Pinterest Boards
Macy’s is #2 behind Target on Facebook,
Twitter, and Instagram in number of likes and
followers

12. • Social media is the #1 way for
brides to connect with wedding
brands/products during
planning (75% in 2013)
• Pinterest is the largest wedding
research opportunity (67%
pinned content)
• Macy’s trails both Target and
Bed Bath & Beyond in followers
and boards
• Macy’s must be more digitally
social on Pinterest and engage
with customers to position
themselves above competitors

13. THE IN-STORE EXPERIENCE
Details we were told about the registry process:
Macy’s Metro Center
Washington, D.C.
• Goal is to have newly registered couples scanning within 7 minutes of entering the store
• Very few customers ask about jewelry or dresses — they don’t consider Macy’s as a provider of all-
things-wedding
• At the registry counter, there were several “Our Guest Books,” which were wedding albums from real
couples

14. TARGET MARKETS
Julia & Luis The
Millennial Marriage
Cindy and Molly The
Modern Marriage
• First-time brides tend to be older, averaging at age 29
• All types of couples
• Care about CSR
• More casual lifestyles
Things we know about our target markets:

15. THE BIG IDEA
"I d. I always will "
A wedding is one of the most important emotional experiences one person can
have with another. Macy’s will be top-of-mind for Modern Millennial Marriages by
being a part of the relationship. Macy's must introduce them to each other;
Macy's must welcome them to their first home; Macy's must walk them down the
aisle. Macy's must hold their hands through the entire process. Couples will go to
Macy’s because it offers the options they need for every emotional experience.
When Millennial couples think of Macy’s, they’ll say, "I do. I always will.”
In a relationship with

16. COMMUNICATION MARKETING
OBJECTIVES
• To make the “I do” campaign
relatable to Millennials planning a
wedding
• To convince couples that Macy’s
will give them their dream
wedding - from the ring to
everything that follows
• To incorporate Macy’s into every
milestone in couples’
relationships, creating lifelong
customers
• To encourage Millennials to share
their passion for Macy’s wedding
registries
• To increase social media
engagement of Macy’s wedding
registries by 50%
• To increase awareness of the
Macy’s Wedding Registry
Program by 30%

17. “I DO” CAMPAIGN RECOMMENDATIONS
Current Issue: Advertisements for the "I do"
campaign display models who seem too
young and whose love seems too staged.
Have newly engaged couples who register at
Macy's post videos and pictures of their
wedding planning progress on social media
with the hashtag #IReallyDo. Macy's will
narrow down the top 5 couples to be voted
on by other Macy's customers. The winners
of #IReallyDo will have professional photos of
their wedding featured in the Macy's catalog
and will have a spot on the Macy's float for
the Thanksgiving Day Parade.
Solution Campaign Idea
Macy’s should feature REAL couples
in advertisements with REAL stories.
Have REAL couples explain why they
chose to register at Macy’s. Authenticity
will appeal to consumers much more
than staged marriages. This will feature
couples from around the country with
diverse ethnicities and sexual
orientations.

18. "Why would you have your wedding registry at Macy's?"
What better way for Macy's to be a part of a relationship than for Macy's to spark
it? Macy's will host events in their flagship stores for single men and women to
meet, mingle, and maybe even find true love. Macy's wants to promote love for
everyone and proceeds from these events will support the DreamTogether Fund
to help people in need have their own dream wedding.
Macy’s Presents:
The "agic .f "eeting

19. THE MAGIC OF MEETING
Incorporate the integration of technology and dating
Hidden Benefits: Macy’s receives
access to all Facebook information.
“Cheers” sends "become
friends" signal to Facebook.
After that, singles choose their
matches!
QR code reader integrates
Facebook profile into
digitally-enabled cup.

20. THE MAGIC OF MORE
We want Macy's to be the one-stop-shop wedding destination to fit with the Millennial
lifestyle of ease, convenience and efficiency. To do so, Macy's will provide a holistic
wedding package by partnering with different segments of the wedding industry, such
as wedding and financial planners, travel agents, venues, caterers, etc. Customers can
pick and choose the services they would like and will say "I do. I always will."
Perks
• Offer discounts to couples who use
Macy’s partnerships
• Designate Macy’s Wedding
Ambassadors for targeted regions
who provide support for each
wedding segment

21. THE MAGIC OF MORE
A strategic partnership between Macy's and
Bloomingdale's will drive customer loyalty among both
brands. Our survey respondents were more likely to
register at Bloomingdale's over all other wedding registries
provided. Giving Macy’s registrants the option to add items
from Bloomingdale's will create a greater selection and a
wider range of high-end products from a store they love.

22. TACTICS
Millennials are passionate about giving back.
60% feel they are best represented by “things
they do for other people.”
CSR: Paying it Forward
• Increase wedding-related social
media posts by 50% during August
and February, building awareness
during peak wedding registry months
(Sept, Oct, Mar)
Social Media Pushes
Online AdsIn addition to buying items for the couple or
adding to the Dream Fund, guests will have
the opportunity to donate to the
DreamTogether Fund, Macy's new
foundation. Proceeds support those who
cannot afford their own dream wedding.
• Promote banner ads on wedding sites
and blogs
• Include "click away only" pop-up ads on
Macy's.com homepage about wedding
registries

23. IMPLEMENTATION & RESULTS
Timeline
February 2016
• Increase
wedding-related
social media
posts to 50%
• Semi-Annual
Magic of
Meeting
• Pop-up ads
resume
November 2015
• Pop-up ads end
• Decrease
wedding-related
social media
posts by 25% to
adjust for
holidays
May 2015
• Research, team
building, and
planning for the
DreamTogether
Fund
• Design new print
and pop-up ads
• Plan Magic of
Meeting event
August 2015
• Pop-up ads begin
• Semi-Annual
Magic of Meeting
event
• Increase wedding
posts on social
media by 50%
• Launch
DreamTogether
Fund
• Increase in social media presence
• Increase in awareness of the “I do” campaign
• Increase in couples who register at Macy’s
• Increase in life-long brand loyalty
Expected Results

24. Thank you and we look forward to
working with you!