During the 2009 holidays, retailers across America scrambled to drive sales through discounts. However, Macy’s, America’s largest retail chain, did something different. They connected with shoppers emotionally by creating Yes, Virginia, a 30-minute animated network special inspired by a little girl who in 1897 set out to prove that Santa is real. Her name was Virginia O’Hanlon.

So in 2010, the show’s success prompted us to help Virginia live forever as a Macy’s icon by transforming her from a one-time holiday special to a holiday entertainment brand. To do this, we decided to weave Virginia into the fabric of the holiday season. By bypassing other companies competing for attention, we incorporated Virginia in ways that would get attention while seamlessly establishing her as part of traditional holiday culture.From a larger-than-life debut in one of America’s favorite holiday events, to the windows of Manhattan to a television appearance using new technology, Virginia became a recognizable holiday brand in short time. As ratings and sales followed, Yes, Virginia became a brand in of itself and a holiday franchise for Macy’s that will continue for years.

First, we sought tips that would resonate with employees across a variety of job descriptions – from floor salespeople to the legal department to balloon designers. Then we filtered, sifted and narrowed it down to tips that might actually inspire greatness. Or make stores run more efficiently. Or simply provide a clever insight. But the book goes beyond mere words on a page; there are many interactive surprises. Like a scannable page. A URL that lets you chat with CEO Terry Lundgren. Magically reversible bookmarks. We even put an animated version (screensaver) of the book on every Macy’s computer in the country. Working with a design team and talented illustrators, we sprinkled in some magic, redesigned, tossed in more magic and created something engaging and motivational.

The Macy’s brand is on a big upswing due in large part to a focus on better service, and "100 Ways to Make Magic" has been an important tool in that mission. Almost instantly this book has become the new model for employee behavior at Macy’s. A testament to its transformational power is seen in the American Customer Satisfaction Index survey conducted by the National Retail Federation. In that survey, Macy’s posted the biggest improvement among department stores in the critical 4th quarter of 2010, with scores up 7%.