Can Ellen turn things around for GapKids?

The Gap has been struggling for several years now to find its place in the world of retailing.  (Sales were down 7% last quarter.) 

Now they have announced that this year's back-to-school effort for girls will feature a new collection from Ellen DeGeneres.  The  line labeled GapKids x ED, ties into Ellen's lifestyle brand ED, which includes women's clothes, accessories and home decor.

What do you think?  Will this bring back women who have left the brand due to its style missteps?

Mahoney, S. (2015, May 7) Gap, Ellen Team Up For Girls' Line  mediapost.com.  Retrieved May 8, 2015, from

http://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/249424/gap-ellen-team-up-for-girls-line.html?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=headline&utm_campaign=82686

Is a sale by any name just as sweet? Ask JC Penny.

If you watched this year’s Oscar broadcast you could hardly miss JC Penney’s (or should I say JCP’s) new ad campaign featuring Ellen DeGeneres.  But did you get it?  I know I sure didn’t.  Here’s one of the ads they ran featuring their new strategy – month-long values. 

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VHB1ftCSdFY

This week CEO Ron Johnson told the audience at a consumer conference that “no one really understood what we intend to do is a sale; we run 12 a year.”  Really?  No wonder they had a dismal first quarter. (Zmuda, 2012)

What do you think of this ad?  Did you understand it?  Did it make you want to buy something at JC Penney’s?

Zmuda, N. (2102, June 7, 2012.  JC Penney Re-thinks its terminology, embraces ‘sales’ again.  adage.com. Retrieved June 7, 2012, from

http://adage.com/article/news/jc-penney-tweaks-terminology-embraces-sale/235184/