Yes Virginia, There is a Backlash…

You're not Santa...You're a Macy's marketing tool,

and a poor one at that!

It’s officially fall, so now I can be officially depressed until May.

Then I hear the sad news that the name Marshall Field’s will be removed from all stores, including the flagship on State Street in Chicago. Is nothing sacred? Wait; let me go catch a game at U.S. Cellular Field and think about it…

Nothing like a 153-year-old brand name that withstood the Chicago fire going out with a whimper! Some 62 stores will now be dubbed “Macy’s”.

A friend has told me she is cutting up her Field’s charge card, and will not shop at Macy’s*. She plans to open a Nordstrom’s account. I applaud her decision and will do the same--just as soon as I find out if there are any Last Field’s Days Ever sales. Talk about Time is Running Out!

And what of da Mayor’s pronouncement, “…we should never be afraid of change”? If I were O’Hare airport, I’d be sleeping with one eye open….

The too-little-too-late award goes to Frango Mints, which may be returning to Chicago. Macy’s Mints? I think not.

I support Al Ries, author of The 22 Immutable Laws of Branding, when he observes:

“I’d rather have a name that no one has heard of with potential rather than a name like Macy’s that everyone has heard of but has no potential. People know about it, but it will never be perceived as a high-end brand.”

What of that gorgeous clock? Are they going to put up a Casio digital?
Will the Walnut Room becomes the Beer Nut room?
Might one-third of the felt elves laid off from Christmas window displays?
Who wants a tacky Macy’s shopping bag?
No more Field Gear? What now, Made by Macy’s?
Macy’s Mini-Mints?

Why can’t they spend the extra forty-nine cents to keep printing bags and ads that say Marshall Field’s? Will all money saved on standardized advertising be passed to the customer in the form of upscale designer clothes, stupendous service and reasonable prices? Or will it just go to Terry Lundgren’s next bonus check?

Can no compromise be reached? Macy’s Marshall Field’s is unwieldy, but better than nothing. How about fine print saying, “a Federated holding” or something?

Chicago deserves better!
Go to http://www.keepitfields.org/ to voice your displeasure!

This beautiful website shares customer reaction and loyalty to the brand name. Unfortunately, they are no longer taking testimonials. However, it does ask users to pledge they will take their business elsewhere if plans to change the store’s name proceed as planned.

Another tactic is to write Terry direct:

Mr. Terry J. LundgrenChairman, President and CEO
Federated Department Stores, Inc.
7 West Seventh St.Cincinnati, OH 45202


* How unlike KaneCitizen, who doesn’t understand the fuss and noted he only shops at stores with hyphens: Wal-Mart, K-Mart…