Target holds Circle Week with revamped programs
Wiig’s ‘SNL’ character returns for ad campaign
Target is debuting a new Target Circle 360 paid membership Sunday, joining competitors including Amazon, Costco, Sam’s Club and Walmart.
Kristen Wiig is back on the job as Target Lady, her “Saturday Night Live” character, in an ad campaign for Target Circle Week.
of 12 spots across TV and online platforms, including Target.com.
“Target Lady is incredibly special to me because it’s one of the characters I created at The Groundlings and ended up on ‘SNL.’ She definitely loves Target! I mean, who doesn’t?” Wiig said in a statement. “It was so fun to bring her back after all this time, and we had so much fun imagining the world Target Lady sees inside the store today.”
Wiig’s “culturally relevant (and) iconic” character is an “intersection of culture and humor,” Sylvester said, but also informs viewers about the new Target Circle program in the ad spots. “They’re hilarious and educational because the Target Lady is so passionate about the Target brands, that she is literally advocating for all the benefits of Target Circle,” Sylvester said.
Benefits of Target Circle 360
The retailer has held Target Circle Week bargain bonanzas in the past, but they typically happen in October, although events have happened in March and July, too.
This one arrives as Target is debuting a new Target Circle 360 paid membership ($99 for one year, but $49 if you sign up by May 18) on Sunday – joining competitors including Amazon, Costco,
Sam’s Club and Walmart.
Target Circle 360 benefits include free same-day delivery on orders over $35 from Target and its retail partners through online delivery company Shipt, which Target purchased in 2017. Some deliveries are made as fast as an hour, plus you get free two-day shipping and delivery to your door. Subscribers also get all the rewards included in the basic Circle program.
“That’s for consumers that are looking for just that extra ease and convenience,” Sylvester said.
Target is also kicking off a new Target Circle Card (its previous credit card, the Target RedCard, will be replaced).
Cardholders still get 5% off purchases, free two-day shipping on some items, more time to make returns, plus they get a break on the annual Target Circle 360 membership fee ($49 annually).
Circle Week deals
The free Target Circle membership will continue and customers will now have deals automatically applied during checkout and you continue to earn rewards.
The way Target Circle works now, “as you go into the app, you’ve actually got to search and click to add deals. So what that leads to is friction in our guest experience,” Sylvester said. “We’re taking that out and so we’re really excited for our guests to actually have automatic deals applied to checkout.”
Another reason to join the free loyalty program: During Target Circle Week on April 13, you can get 10% off Target gift cards. The deal is “perfectly timed,” Sylvester says, for those shopping for gifts for Mother’s Day, graduations and teachers.
The new programs are “just the beginning. These things build on each other,” Sylvester said. “We’re going to continue to add perks and benefits for consumers and our guests. We’re going to listen and see what they want from us.”
Contributing: Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA TODAY