Sears Holdings Corp. has handed OgilvyOne a tall order, naming the firm its direct marketing and CRM agency of record for both the Sears and Kmart brands.
This is Sears’ first CRM agency appointment. Direct and e-mail were previously handled by multiple agencies.
The appointment is part of a long-term strategic effort on Sears’ part to deliver a higher ROI from its marketing programs, according to a statement from WPP Group-owned OgilvyOne.
The agency has been charged with developing and managing the strategic redesign, execution, testing and ongoing optimization of targeted marketing programs for both brands.
The appointment comes as the retail community is facing declining sales and consumer confidence. Sears’ struggles began before the holiday season when the multichannel retailer posted a 4.6% decline in total domestic comparable store sales for the third quarter of last year and 4.1% decline for the second quarter. The retailer also has come under scrutiny recently for its online privacy practices. OgilvyOne referred requests for comment to Sears, who declined to be interviewed for this article.
