Macy’s Targets College Crowd with Design Contest
Macy’s is out with a new marketing effort that targets college-aged students to promote its American Rag fashion apparel brand for young women.
The retailer is hitting eight campuses nationwide with a peer-to-peer campaign and contest to reach fashion-forward girls.
Brand ambassadors are spreading the word about the Design an American Rag Print contest. In it, students are asked to create a print they believe fits the brand. The prints will be uploaded to AmericanRagCampus.com, where visitors can vote for their favorite.
Campuses include Northeastern University, Northwestern University, Ohio State, San Diego State University, University of Central Florida, University of Minnesota and University of Texas and University of Washington. The contest runs through May 1.
One grand-prize winner will receive a $1,000 Macy’s gift card. In addition, the retailer will consider the winning print for production as part of the official American Rag line.
The goal behind the campaign is to enhance sales around the eight college campuses and boost the apparel with college girls.
“There’s been a tremendous shift in the way marketers think about reaching consumers,” said Nancy Slavin, SVP, marketing, Macy’s merchandising group, in a statement. “It’s no longer about reaching as many people as possible through a mass media campaign. It’s about marketing with consumers instead of at them.”
Under the campaign, Macy’s also rolled out the Be.Your.Self: Campus Looks marketing initiative. The open casting call is for students interested in being photographed for an American Rag catalog. Macy’s said it will create a custom campus looks catalog featuring on-campus students.
RepNation, New York City, handles the brand ambassadors and Campus Look campaign; Mr. Youth, New York, handles the contest judging.
