JC Penney's new "Joy of Giving" push, which touts the retailer's holiday gift assortment across its stores, site and catalog, is resonating well with consumers. According to market research firm YouGov's BrandIndex report. The ads sent JC Penney's value score soaring from 29.8 to 35.6 last week.

The Brandweek Buzz Report by YouGov is a weekly consumer perception report. This week, it analyzes brands based on value: Does it give good value for what you pay?

YouGov interviews 5,000 people each weekday from a representative U.S. population sample. Respondents are drawn from an online panel of 1.5 million individuals. A score can range from 100 to -100 and is compiled by subtracting negative feedback from positive. A zero score means equal positive and negative feedback.

The report spotlights:

•    JC Penney, Kohl's
•    Target, Wal-Mart, Cosco    
•    Gap, American Eagle Outfitters, J. Crew


New Campaign Brings JC Penney Joy
Between two fierce rivals, JC Penney rocketed out of the gate first with its new “Joy of Giving” campaign, having an immediate impact on the day it launched (Oct. 29). The new campaign, which has slogans like “Merry Christmas to all, and to all a great price” and “Give like Santa, save like Scrooge” enabled JC Penney to pass Kohl's value score during the first week of November. Kohl's is right behind JC Penney with a value score of 34.3.




Wal-Mart, Costco Gain on Target
The big box national retailer holiday battle has begun. Aggressive price-cutting, combined with the debut of a homey traditional series of TV spots echoing the Great Depression, has split Wal-Mart from Costco in value perception since early October, and positioned them closer to the peer group leader Target. On Oct. 6, Wal-Mart's value score was neck and neck with Costco at 38.2, but it has risen dramatically since then to 46.2. Target, remaining steady with its current score of 49.9, has yet to debut a holiday campaign. It did, however, roll out a set of mobile phone offerings to help shoppers find gifts. Costco has drifted slightly downward to 37.2.




J. Crew Value Score Sinks
Even public endorsements from First Lady Michelle Obama and a recent “Do you love J. Crew?” e-mail marketing campaign haven’t stopped a notable value perception drop for J. Crew since Oct. 1. The retailer sunk from 6.4 on Oct. 1 to its current 1.4 value score. Sector leader Gap's sprite “Holiday Cheer” campaign hasn’t moved the value needle yet either, drifting downwards modestly from 16.2 to 13.9. But American Eagle Outfitters was able to pull itself up from an October swoon on Nov. 11, jumping from 6.7 to 9.6 two days later, as it gears up for its Times Square flagship opening. The chain’s hoopla kicked in by consumers posing in its makeshift indoor digital studio for “15 Seconds of Fame,” and then watching their images project on 15,000-foot LED screens outside moments later.