Buy 1 Coat and We'll Give 1 Coat - Macy’s and Clothes4Souls
For Macy’s, the end-of-October coat sale is critical to their fourth quarter success. To create a new marketing approach that would resonate with customers and also have a social impact, the ‘Buy 1 Coat and We’ll Give One Coat’ campaign was born. The effort offered a compelling ‘one-for-one’ message for the customer, a seamless in-store and online execution for Macy’s and thousands of brand new, fashion forward coats – as well as tremendous marketing exposure – for charitable partner Clothes4Souls.
2015 marked the third year of the effort. From October 27th through November 2nd, Macy’s pledged to give up to 50,000 brand new coats to Clothes4Souls for every coat purchased in-store or online in the outerwear departments. To help customers save while giving back, Macy’s offered 30-50% off a large selection of coats during the campaign.
The campaign was promoted via in-store signage, highlighted on Macys.com and via Macy’s email blasts and direct mail book as well as social media. Since the campaign often reached its maximum donation within a few days, in 2015 a comprehensive ‘Thank You’ strategy was employed. Once the goal was reached, in-store signage was flipped to ‘thank you’ signage and a dedicated thank-you email was sent to all participating customers. Alerts were posted to Macy’s internal news portal notifying store teams that the cap had been reached and information was posted in a variety of internal vehicles so associates could celebrate the success with customers.
To increase associate engagement and participation Macy’s employee volunteer program was engaged to organize several coat distribution events across the country. Volunteers worked closely with Clothes4Souls and the local aid agencies to distribute the new, never-worn coats to men, women and children in need.
The donation goal of 50,000 coats was reached within a day and a half – a new record – and effectively drove coat sales. More than 38 organizations in 25 markets received coat donations. Since 2013, Macy’s donated approximately $5.2 million in merchandise and $75,000 in cash donations.