The news: JCPenney and Nordstrom are taking different approaches to holiday marketing, but with the same goal in mind: cutting through the noise and giving shoppers a reason to choose them during a season crowded with promotions.

• JCPenney is using its ads to frame itself as a solution to the deal fatigue shoppers are experiencing as they navigate an extended holiday shopping season.
• Nordstrom is steering clear of traditional holiday marketing with a David Bowie-inspired campaign and merchandise assortment designed to set it apart from competitors.

The strategy: The conundrum for both retailers—as well as marketers writ large—is how to stay visible. The lengthening of the holiday season has added to the sense of the period as a marathon, not a sprint, pushing companies to space out their campaigns and look for ways to highlight their unique advantages.

For JCPenney, that means moving away from “fantastical” campaigns and highlighting “real people, real life, and showing how those real people can—and deserve to—enjoy” better deals from the retailer, Marisa Thalberg, executive vice president and chief customer marketing officer at JCPenney’s parent company Catalyst Brands, told Marketing Dive. By focusing on everyday value over limited-time promotions, JCPenney is hoping to make the case to shoppers that it can consistently deliver stylish merchandise at affordable prices—messaging that could resonate beyond the holiday season.

While JCPenney’s campaign reinforces its everyday value proposition, Nordstrom’s strategy is to present itself as the ultimate gifting destination while playing up limited-edition and exclusive partnerships. The Bowie campaign will simultaneously promote Nordstrom’s holiday offerings as well as an exclusive partnership with the late singer’s estate to create merchandise tied to what would have been his 80th birthday.

Implications for marketers: While it may be tempting to see all of Q4 as a single holiday period, marketers need to think about how to segment their advertising and promotional efforts to remain relevant and avoid fatiguing shoppers. Staggering campaigns and merchandising throughout the season, like Target and Nordstrom are doing, can give customers more reasons to visit stores and allow brands to tailor their messaging to specific holidays such as Halloween or Thanksgiving.

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