We are thrilled to announce NATALIE MCGRATH as our new Chief Marketing Officer. Welcome Natalie, we are excited to have you as part of the team as we embark on a new era of growth! Thank you The Wall Street Journal and Katie Deighton for sharing what's ahead for Rent the Runway and our community.
https://lnkd.in/e-JudecZ
As a long term, uninterrupted subscriber since September 2016 I’m excited to see what’s next! RTR has changed the way I dress, launder, and shop forever.
I would survey your core basis, bring back the unlimited, include more brands, listen to your subscribers. Still hanging in but it feels like you are missing your audiences need. Congratulations to Natalie, looking forward to seeing the change that will drive retention
I am so excited to welcome NATALIE MCGRATH to Rent The Runway as our Chief Marketing Officer. Natalie has 20+ years of experience at the intersections of Tech, Luxury Fashion and Retail, most recently building Afterpay to be one of the 10 fastest growing brands in the U.S. But more than her experience, I chose Natalie for this role for her innate understanding and love of our customer, her hustle, her demonstration that modern marketing has to be adaptive and move at the speed of culture and her desire to infuse the magic back into the Rent the Runway brand.
For the first decade plus of our business, the magic of Rent the Runway was based entirely on the authenticity of our customer relationships - we picked up the phone and listened to customers, we styled them in our stores, invited them into our offices, we built community networks and hosted events, we went into customers' homes and interviewed them about their dreams for their closets.....we showed up on TV, in pop-culture, in offices and therefore in our customers hearts and minds. We did all of the small things that on their surface are 'unscalable' but I would argue are the essential building blocks of any powerful brand. Our intention is to bring this back in a BIG way and modernize for the world we are living in now.
We've spent the last few years transforming our customer experience and our business model. Our fashion is better than ever. Our customer service is best in class. Our tech and operational foundations are strong. Our financial model is better than its ever been. And the category that we created is large and growing quickly. Over 11M women have rented clothes in the U.S and over 50% of women would now consider a subscription to fashion as a smarter, more self-expressive and more sustainable choice. This is something I never could have imagined when we dreamed up the idea of fashion rental in 2009.
I can't wait for Natalie and our amazing Rent the Runway team to dream big and BUILD in 2024 and beyond. While the markets may have written us and our friends in the resale market off, I am a bigger believer than ever. This is our time. Let's go!
https://lnkd.in/emf3jy2y
Strategic Advisor/Analyst Specializing in Emerging AI Tech, Sales and Marketing (Procurement) Thinkers360 Top 50 Global Thought Leaders & Influencers on Procurement! (April 2021)
I want to share this Target post with you for two reasons:
🛒 The post brought back some great memories of days long past and the elevation of store-branded products.
🛒 Comments by Jenny Patzlaff, Michael Gordon, and Melissa R. Raby on this behind-the-scenes look at the "great teams that bring Target-owned brands to life."
Here are my thoughts.
Your post made me smile, Gretchen McCarthy.
I'm turning 65 this year, and I remember the days when "store brand" meant cheap and inferior—although I liked the 10-oz cans of Zing Cola.
That perception changed when Dave Nichol introduced President's Choice for the Loblaw Companies Limited grocery chain in 1984. Here is a brief excerpt from an article at the time of his passing:
"In marketing circles, he was an iconic figure, touting the chain's foods with passion and authority. Dave Nichol, who passed away on Sunday at age 73, was a foodie before the term became popular, using a folksy style in television commercials that helped propel President's Choice into one of the country's top brands." The Globe and Mail, Sep 25, 2013
Your "I can't believe I found this at Target" phrase backed by your enthusiastic personal endorsement, e.g., my family enjoys these Target brand products, is a perfect example of personalizing the connection between brand and consumer.
Check out this 3-second President's Choice Commercial - https://bit.ly/43yDsvx
Thoughts on managing the volatility in today's market regarding commodity pricing, supply chain disruption, and supplier relationships - David BatemanMita GuptaAndrew MoriartyNick Athanis
What is the difference between sourcing for store brands versus national brands, e.g., the impact on buyer/supplier negotiations and ESG compliance?
Bill MichelsClive R HealSudripta GhoshJohn McClymontDavid ShillingfordSusan MartyJames LomosiJeremy BowleyGreg TennysonDave FoodSarah Scudder - Sales Leader Turned CMOAnna McGovern, MBA, CPIM, CSCPLisa FentonIan Freedman
I also thought it would be interesting to tag some of the top procurement people from Loblaws - Sarah Nisker Imtiyaz Kutub, MBA, CPP Robert HowellJorin PookRichard AtkinsonKatie EdwardsDenni SomersAnshul YadavVittorio Lentini
Chief Supply Chain and Logistics Officer at Target
Target’s owned brands have driven the “I can’t believe I found this at Target” feeling for years. In our house, Favorite Day ice cream and trail mix, All in Motion activewear for the family, and Wondershop for the holiday seasons, are the must-haves. In my time with Target, I’ve worked on different parts of the business to bring these brands to life—and it’s exciting to see this business continue to grow! It’s just another way we help our guests discover the JOY of everyday life.
Go behind the scenes with our new On Target video series to meet the leaders guiding this important work.
Ever wondered what happened to the retail legends who once ruled the headlines?
Let's take a stroll down memory lane and catch up with five retail game-changers who once dominated headlines.
Here's where they are now:
✅ Jenna Lyons - From J. Crew to Beauty and Beyond:
Lyons, a Parsons grad, climbed the ranks at J. Crew, becoming its president and leaving a lasting style imprint.
Post-J. Crew, she ventured into TV and beauty, launching LoveSeen, a false eyelash brand now featured at Target.
Recently, she's taken a creative leap, joining FundamentalCo as an executive creative director.
✅ Ye (Kanye West) - A Trailblazer in Fashion and Music:
Ye's collaborations with Adidas and Gap brought fresh vibes to retail, especially with his Yeezy brand.
Despite a successful run, Adidas ended their partnership in 2022 amid controversy.
Ye continues to innovate in fashion and music, recently named Billboard’s Top Gospel Artist of 2023.
✅ Andy Dunn - The Bonobos Success Story:
Dunn co-founded Bonobos, a pioneer in the direct-to-consumer world, later scooped up by Walmart for a cool $310 million.
Now, he's a mental health advocate and has returned to Bonobos in an advisory role, blending business acumen with personal passion.
✅ Rachel Shechtman - Reinventing Retail with Story:
Shechtman's Story, a unique NYC retail concept, caught Macy’s eye, leading to an acquisition.
Post-Macy, she's back to consulting and now spices up the visitor experience as The Brooklyn Museum’s first Entrepreneur in Residence.
✅ Mickey Drexler, The Man Behind Gap and J. Crew:
Drexler transformed Gap and founded Old Navy, leaving a significant mark in retail.
After a stint at J. Crew, he's now guiding his son's business, Alex Mill, infusing it with his legendary retail wisdom.
These trailblazers not only shaped their companies but also influenced how we shop and dress.
Their current paths show that innovation and adaptability are always in style in the retail world.
Discover the changing landscape of e-commerce with Irina Poddubnaia and TrackMage.
#advertisingandmarketing#ecommerce#sustainability#analytics#businessanalytics#dtc#retail#dropshipping
Let's talk about how your eyes don’t instantly tear up from the smell of men’s cologne when you walk into Abercrombie anymore... Read more about Abercrombie's rebrand in Halston Seton's blog post!
Imagine expanding to a new COUNTRY with no money, no brand recognition, and little time.
How would you stand out?
Jo Malone had the most BRILLIANT marketing tactic when she expanded her business to NYC.
Already a thriving brand in London, Jo was offered a contract with Bergdorf Goodman to open a concession at their iconic Fifth Ave store.
There was a ton riding on this launch, and she knew the brand wasn’t widely recognized yet in the US.
So, she asked her friends and family to “take the dogs for a walk” for the weeks leading up to the launch.
AKA… Walk empty Jo Malone shopping bags all around NYC.
Every time her friends left their home, she asked them to take an (empty) bag with them to start priming her audience for the opening.
And... it worked!
The launch ended up being super successful, and less than one year later, the brand was acquired by Estée Lauder.
My takeaways:
1/People love to help if you make it easy for them.
2/You don’t need much to be creative.
3/Don’t reinvent the wheel.
The idea of a “teaser” is not a new concept, but the application here is brilliant.
What's your favorite scrappy brand launch story?
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P.S. The Jo Malone How I Built This is one of my favorite. Definitely take a listen when you can!
#brandmarketing#brandbuilding
In this new Tactics + Insights Guide from Collective Voice, learn the critical tactics and takeaways brands and marketers need to know to create effective creator campaigns. Based on a recent webinar, this guide features the successful long-term partnership that Collective Voice helped Saks and The Mom Edit achieve — and the jeans campaign that drove results that exceeded the two teams’ expectations. Sponsored by Collective Voice.
Read the guide here: https://buff.ly/3RfyO0u
How are you using your space to attract and engage potential customers?
I think Levis has used some smart thinking here.
This ad makes a statement - Be Ad-Vised.'
Harnessing their available 'retail window space' to tell a micro story is a clever way to draw people into their narrative.
I think this concept leans into the future of retail spaces marketing to customers and becoming part of the type of content people crave.
Smart move, Levis.
#Marketing#Excellence#FutureInsights#Retail#BusinessGrowth
🍋"No one makes lemons anymore"🍋
A few years ago, amidst my quest for a new car in Toronto, I encountered an unexpected hurdle — lengthy waiting periods. 🐌
At the Shaw-Lexus showroom in downtown Toronto, I learned of a staggering 10-month wait for any new car. The root cause? Supply-side constraints were driving these unprecedented delays.
With a gracious smile, the gentleman at the showroom advised me to settle for whatever car I could find, assuring me, "No one makes lemons anymore." 😊
His words lingered in my mind.
In a market where product variance is restrictive, how does a brand carve out its identity? What role do marketing and advertising play in such a landscape? What strategies can be employed to foster differentiation?
Marketing, at its core, exists to cultivate a preference for the brand. It involves identifying consumer triggers and addressing category voids through product features, ultimately striving to elicit a sense of "😍 WOW" and differentiation.
But just when I thought I had grasped the essence of brand distinction, I stumbled upon something game-changing from the great DON 😎
👉Check out the revelation!
#BrandDifferentiation#MarketingStrategy#ConsumerPreference
Delighted to share we've been appointed as lead agency by Ringtons.
We're creating a new visual identity for the family-owned brand. This will build on their rich heritage and develop a clear positioning, ensuring consistency across all touchpoints for doorstep, online and B2B customers.
Business Director, Jess Kaye expands: “Visual Identity is often the first thing brand owners look to improve and you can see why. In categories like FMCG where attention span is short, the pack itself is a gateway to the brand. So it is essential to stand out in a meaningful way, to make a real connection with your consumer.
Our advantage at CHILLI and IMA-HOME is that we connect all our specialist skillsets and resources across the whole journey. So, we don’t just answer a packaging, PR, or media brief when it comes to us; we harness all our specialisms for a collective brand and consumer centric response. We are thrilled to be helping Ringtons in this way.”
Read more on Prolific North.
#BrandStrategy#BrandDesign#PackagingDesign
Project Manager
5moBring back the unlimited subscription, we beg