A marketing festival extending far beyond retail alone.

NRF2024: Retail’s Big Show, the world’s largest convention in the retail sector hosted by the National Retail Federation (NRF), which boasts a 113-year history. The three keywords for 2024 are "Begin with Brands," "Start with Stores," and "Play with People." How will traditional retail and marketing transform? Mr. Hitoshi Kimura, who supports BX and DX initiatives for the retail industry at Dentsu Inc., delivers the latest topics and trends only accessible by being on-site in a report format.

※This article is based on content from AdverTimes.

<Table of Contents>
▼NRF2024's Third Keyword: "Play with People"

▼For Brand Growth, Enjoy Creativity Born from Human Relationships

▼The Essence of "Play with People" Seen in Drew Barrymore's Keynote

▼NRF Evolves into a Global Festival for Marketing and Promotion

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NRF2024's third keyword: "Play with People"

So far, we've explored the keywords "Begin with Brands" and "Start with Stores" from "NRF2024: Retail's Big Show" by reflecting on the keynotes.

Now, as the pandemic subsides, we are witnessing a paradigm shift in the retail industry. It is essential to accurately grasp the context of the times and to communicate in ways that position brands as highly resilient.

Against this backdrop of emerging trends, we now turn to the third keyword revealed at NRF2024: "Play with People." This signifies that human relationships significantly contribute to enhancing a retail brand's strength. This is an era where brand building succeeds through individual power, not within the confines of traditional value chain frameworks. What's essential here is purpose and like-minded allies who share that vision. This article will unravel what this means, revisiting the keynote presentations.

For brand growth, enjoy the creativity born from human relationships

The keynote speech on the second day, which has become a staple, coincided with MLK Day(*) and featured former NBA superstar Magic Johnson. The closing keynote on the final day featured Hollywood actress Drew Barrymore (along with Martha Stuart and others). The 2024 NRF featured an even more impressive lineup of celebrities than in previous years.

*MLK Day: Short for Martin Luther King Jr. Day, a national holiday honoring the late Reverend King, who made significant contributions to the American civil rights movement. It has become a tradition to hold the event on the middle day of the NRF and invite black speakers.
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The diverse lineup of speakers at NRF 2024. From left: Martha Stewart, Magic Johnson, Drew Barrymore & Shay Hong.

After retiring from the NBA, Magic Johnson founded Johnson Development Corporation (JDC) in 1993. He became CEO of the company and developed the Magic Johnson Theater cinema complex, while also operating a coffee chain called Urban Coffee Opportunities, a joint venture with Starbucks. He is a true entrepreneur and co-owner of several sports teams, including the Dodgers, to which Shohei Ohtani transferred.

He emphasized the need for a trusted elder or mentor (a business master) outside the court, an unfamiliar territory for him, as his "basketball connections" from his NBA Lakers days evolved into "business connections" with age. He also stressed that those on the younger, frontline side should listen attentively to the various advice and words of wisdom offered there.

It was striking to see this former superstar athlete deliberately step down from the podium, sit among the audience, and candidly discuss workplace dynamics—specifically the relationships between superiors and subordinates, management and the field—within an organizational context. Speaking not as an athlete but as a businessperson, he embodied DEI itself with his level-headed perspective and approachable manner. These qualities feel like the ultimate testament to his innate leadership and heartwarming personality.

Indeed, not just Magic Johnson this time, but many so-called celebrities in the US—athletes, entertainers, actors—often pivot from their careers to launch personal brands or businesses. Drew Barrymore, who spoke at the end of this session, is precisely one such example. While possessing a glamorous side as an actress, she also wears the hat of an entrepreneur. Having overcome various adversities, she generously shared insightful perspectives and facts as a marketer and producer.

The Essence of Play with People Seen in Drew Barrymore's Keynote

Drew Barrymore produces and operates her brand "Beautiful" under the concept of "accessible premium." Collaborating with the product design firm Made By Gather, led by young entrepreneur Shay Hong, she offers a stylish and charming range of kitchen products at reasonable prices across 19 markets, over 1,500 stores, and through D2C Inc.

In this keynote, Drew Barrymore shared the backstory behind the product design philosophy and development secrets that sparked the collaboration between "Beautiful" and Made By Gather. The content was highly intriguing, with many aspects holding potential that could also drive growth in the retail distribution industry.

The closing keynote was titled "From Wild Inspiration to Beautiful Creation."

The key points were threefold: "① Creating categories with differentiation as a premise," "② Openly maximizing partnerships with other companies (and individuals)," and "③ Unlocking a brand's inherent potential through creative methods." Please see the photo introduced during the session below.

"Beautiful" ~ Drew Barrymore × Shay Hong Collaborative Design Kitchenware

&nbsp;These photos projected during the keynote session illustrate the three points mentioned earlier. Looking at the products, we see a chic, high-end category created using colors not typically found in kitchens ( Point ① ). Furthermore, they show a sincere partnership with young entrepreneur Shay Hong, where their distinct expertise complements each other ( Point ② ). Moreover, to unlock the brand's potential, they expanded into the furniture market—a space differing in size, function, and price point from kitchenware—to produce new products ( Point ③ ).

As one of the audience members, I found this "Beautiful" brand growth strategy—flexibly creating markets based on human connections—highly creative. She herself seemed to genuinely enjoy the process.

She concluded by stating:

"Our ideal is to be a partner where you have your dreams, you make them and you continue to move forward — and you don’t let each other down. Also, an ideal partnership is one that’s honest."

~ Our ideal is to be a presence that stands alongside people who have dreams and the will to constantly nurture and realize them. If we are both conscious of this, we won't disappoint each other. In other words, we recognize that an ideal partnership should fundamentally be Honest.

Drew Barrymore's second career has been rich with inspiration as a marketer and has achieved great success. However, it was never something she achieved alone; it was created through her interactions with others.

I believe that strong brands in the post-COVID era will not emerge from the traditional value chain framework described in the previous draft, but rather from a "purpose" born from the inner motivations of the "individual." And it is only when accompanied by the creativity of "colleagues and teams" who resonate with that purpose that it truly grows stronger.

Watching her speak with such evident enjoyment reminded us of the fundamental joy inherent in brand creation and brand building—the very essence of the phrase "Play with People."

NRF Evolves into a Global Festival of Marketing and Promotion

For a long time, NRF has historically focused its participants on the retail distribution sector. However, driven by the trend of data/technology-driven retail DX that became prominent even before 2020, its overall landscape has been changing in recent years. The past few years during the pandemic saw rapid growth in e-commerce, broadening the range of participating companies. While the market entrance widened, it is also well known that platform giants like GAMS (Google/Amazon/Microsoft/Salesforce) significantly expanded their influence.

Booth displays of the four major platform providers driving Retail DX, "GAMS" (clockwise from top left: Google / Amazon / Salesforce / Microsoft).

NRF 2024, effectively the first major event in the post-pandemic era, saw participation extend to manufacturers and brands, drawing over 40,000 attendees. It even gave the impression of having transformed into a global festival for marketing and promotion, no longer confined solely to the retail sector.

In 2024, "NRF APAC 2024" will also be held for the first time in Asia in June. Developments surrounding the retail industry will become increasingly unmissable not only for the industry itself but also for marketers at brands and manufacturers.