Dive Brief:
- JCPenney has named VaynerMedia as its social media and influencer marketing agency of record, the latest step in a strategy revamp for the department store chain, according to a press release.
- The retailer will tap into VaynerMedia’s creative and production capabilities, as well as a social influencer seeding offering focused on boosting relevance. The first fruit of the partnership is an Instagram post promoting an auction for a pair of JCPenney jeans worn by Marilyn Monroe.
- VaynerMedia will work with the brand’s media agency of record Dentsu and lead creative shop Mischief, another recent hire. JCPenney plans to launch a large-scale integrated campaign next month that will provide a clearer view into its new marketing approach.
Dive Insight:
JCPenney continues to round out its agency roster with shops focused on social-first and disruptive tactics that could grow the retailer’s appeal with key young shoppers and reverse sliding sales. VaynerMedia is tasked with amplifying the range of fashion available at the department store chain to encourage discovery, along with messaging around value.
How and why products in categories like apparel take off in popularity is very different than even a few years ago. TikTok has reshaped retail trends, with low-production videos of influencers and even everyday users getting dressed causing items to go viral overnight. The TikTok effect has been a boon to other legacy retailers in search of renewed relevance, and JCPenney could be looking to tap into the same magic through VaynerMedia offerings like its influencer seeding service.
Gary Vaynerchuk, the entrepreneur behind VaynerMedia, said that the firm digs deep to find out what makes consumers tick across different social platforms and emphasized a mandate to drive “significant business growth” for its new client.
“VaynerMedia’s track record in modernizing brands is undeniable," said Marisa Thalberg, chief customer and marketing officer at JCPenney’s parent Catalyst Brands, in a press statement. “[JCPenney is] confident that putting social at the center of our marketing is an essential part of awakening people to all that is, perhaps surprisingly to some, in store at JCPenney.”
Thalberg spearheaded VaynerMedia’s appointment. The move follows JCPenney hiring upstart Mischief @ No Fixed Address as its creative agency at the start of the year. Five-year-old Mischief is known for headline-grabbing stunts, and is working with JCPenney on “big swing” creative projects for 2025.
Thalberg originally joined JCPenney as consulting CMO in October after prior stints at brands like SeaWorld, Lowe’s and Taco Bell. JCPenney in January combined with Sparc Group, an operating entity that owns brands including Aéropostale, Brooks Brothers and Eddie Bauer, to form Catalyst Brands, with Thalberg landing the top marketing role. One benefit of the deal is granting JCPenney access to a wider customer data set that can inform personalization, marketing and loyalty efforts.
