Tuesday, November 24, 2020

Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in a Covid World

For as long as I can remember (and for 93 years), the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade has been part of my Thanksgiving experience. But this year, it will be different. The parade is fully virtual, for television audiences only, with a mix of live and pre-taped performances. A lot will remain the same – musical and dance performances, mega balloons, and floats. But this year, tractors will operate the balloons, instead of hundreds of handlers. This year’s Parade will feature performances from other major NYC parades that were canceled earlier this year due to Covid, including the Puerto Rican Day and St. Patrick’s Day Parades.

The Parade will air on NBC, who has also partnered with Verizon to livestream the event on YouTube and on Twitter. Verizon will offer 360 degree views from the flagship Macy’s store, where the Parade is taking place. This will allow viewers to feel in control since they can't be there in person to experience the scale of the balloons firsthand. 

It’ll be interesting to see how this virtual parade impacts Macy’s brand and profitability compared to prior years.

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