Inve$ting in the "M"agic

When thinking of stocks and investing the thought off the top of most heads are confusing tickers, random numbers, positive and negative signs, and graphs that only the smartest stock brokers can understand. However the truth is, there is more to a companies investors than confusing numbers and graphs. Investors are people like the rest of us, and like a company needs Public Relations for its consumers, they need the same to the ones investing their hard earned money into the capitol "M" that scrolls across the stock ticker everyday, or in "non investor" language, Macy's/Bloomingdales. 

Just like GQ and Vogue are the bible guides to men and woman's fashion, the bible for a company investor is of course the annual report. Like the fashionistas use their magazines to keep up on the latest fashion, the investor uses the annual report to keep up with their most important hobby, their money, and what their company is doing with it. Since Macy's/Bloomingdales excels in the area of Men's and woman's fashion their annual report portrays just that, a sleek, fun, exclusive look, making the investor feel like they part of one of the coolest clubs in town. The cover is all black with trendy white and red font, and pictures of smiling female models. The next page opens up to a spread of what the company prides itself in being and representing. Speaking about how Macy's spreads their "magic" with their deals, community events, continuing tradition, and they're increasing consumer base. Macy's goal here is to let investors know they are doing everything in their power to represent a strong  name, and put them at ease knowing their money is going somewhere. 

The letter to the shareholders creates an informative way to show how the company has improved over the past year, or quarter. The message is almost always from the CEO which holds as an essential Investor Relations move. People investing in the company want to hear from the top of the corporate offices, they want someone who understands the community inside and out, which is why the CEO is almost always the ones picked for the job. This also gives consumers and investors the idea that he/she cares about each and every investor. Macy's does an amazing job with this, highlighting improvements on all of the PR focuses and business strategies, and their plan for the future. Giving investors hope and excitement for increased profits in the upcoming year. The focus stays positive, and seems believable with all most facts backed up with numbers. 

One of the most important duties for an investor relations practitioner is to make sure what he/she says is understandable for the investors. Nothing is more frustrating then when you cannot understand where your money is going. In the latest news release on company profits, posted on Oct. 7th, 2010 Macy's talks about latest earnings on a "same store basis." For the most part the company did a great job in explaining they're breaking record in profits, however they could of had a quick explanation on what exactly "same store profits" are for the less experiences investor. The news was followed up by a quote from the CEO which read "We continue to be impressed by the ability of our My Macy's localization initiatives to address specific customer needs by location, including in those pilot markets where implementation now is in its third year. The sales growth at both Macy's and Bloomingdale's has fueled a high level of energy and spirit within our organization. We believe this momentum will work to our benefit as we approach the upcoming holiday selling season." The CEO's message is to the point and positive, giving investors comfort, and a positive outlook for the future. 

Overall I think Macy's/Bloomingdales deserves a round of applause, and some snaps. With nothing but green coming in from year to year, and a swell job from the company's Investor relation practicers, Macy's should have no problem holding their investors' shares for a very long time.