Another piece of my portfolio at HBC Digital, Hudson’s Bay Co. is Canada’s leading retailer and a source of national pride and identity. Here, my mandate was to update the site’s voice and tone without losing its inherent Canadian-ness. Writing for this audience, I learned, is about more than adding a u to color.

The 50,000-Foot View

Hudson’s Bay Co.’s homepage offers a look at the brand’s evolution under my leadership. Headlines were functional and subheads were lifeless prior to taking on The Bay’s editorial messaging. But by working closely with my Toronto-based copy team, I developed an editorial approach that spoke to the modern customer and retained a uniquely Canadian voice.

Quote Me!

One editorial lever I often pull is relying on customers and subject matter experts to tell a story that they’re more qualified to tell. Here, I connected HBC’s Creative Director for the Home business with a copywriter, who interviewed him and crafted an landing page using his words instead of ours.

Replicating Smart Creative

The Hudson’s Bay Co. merchandising team was so impressed by The Trendcaster feature I developed at Saks that they wanted one of their own. We Say Why Not? was the result, highlighting a variety of trends with a lively editorial voice that I established.

Talking to Men

Across my entire career, I’ve challenged my teams to approach each customer segment differently—beauty shoppers are different than home decor shoppers, and women are different than men. Each segment responds to different content, and this email is an example of how to market most effectively to men: action-oriented and problem-solving.

News You Can Use

I always looked for opportunities to leverage the inherent credibility that Hudson’s Bay Co. had with its customers. Here, I briefed my team to use a beauty editorial as a place to share tips that customers can use to bring the trends to life. Weaving usable content into our campaigns builds trust with our customers and encourages them to return for more.