Backstreet Boys to croon for Sears

Back - Index - Submissions - - What is RSS? Date: May 20, 2099 Source: Chicago Sun Times Submitted By: May 18, 1999 BY MARY ELLEN PODMOLIK BUSINESS REPORTER Sears, Roebuck and Co. unveiled an ambitious marketing campaign Monday to woo the teen shopper, linking its back-to-school season with the Backstreet Boys. The retailer will sponsor the 56-stop U.S. and Canadian tour of the Backstreet Boys that begins Sept. 19 and will introduce its first loyalty card program just for teens, offering special store discounts. While Sears has sponsored several tours in the past, notably Phil Collins and Gloria Estefan, this is the first time the chain is not targeting adult women shoppers. "By no means are we walking away from our primary core customer females," said John Lebbad, Sears director of event marketing and sales promotion. "But we know that during some of our key selling periods, [teens] are the key influencers and purchasers. We wanted to make sure we were connecting in this youth market in a very relevant way." A strong economy and more teens working has meant increased teen spending power. The big beneficiaries have been specialty apparel chains like the Gap, Abercrombie & Fitch and Old Navy Clothing Co., a Gap subsidiary. Old Navy "has brought a hip identity and stylish merchandise and accessible prices, which is something we don't usually find," said Richard Leonard of the Zandl Group, a New York company that tracks youth market trends. "It's cool to wear Old Navy stuff." Meanwhile, despite efforts to update its teen clothing assortment and its "mainframe" juniors' department, the same cannot be said of Sears. Last year, only 2 percent of teen girls ages 13 to 18 said they generally bought clothes at Sears. That compares with 4 percent who said they shopped thrift shops, according to the Zandl Group's consumer panel. In an effort to change that, Sears is sponsoring a pop group that has sold more than 29 million albums and has another, "Millennium," that will be released this month. Sears' tie-in with the Backstreet Boys will come in August, when its back-to-school advertising features a yet-to-be-released song, "Larger than Life," by the group. The retailer declined to disclose its financial commitment in the sponsorship deal. More than 10 million cards linked to a new teen loyalty program, called the Pulse Card, will be distributed in teen magazines and at the concerts. Comment on this item. Recent Comments Submitted by: johnanz http://imrdsoacha.gov.co/silvitra-120mg-qrms Comment on this item. Next Item: Backstreet's Back! New Album, World Tour Coming Your Way Prev Item: Brian may make a cameo appearance in 'Olive Juice'