Gap taps a new exec to find its next act beyond fashion

Gap Inc. wants to beryllium successful the mediate of the taste speech — and conscionable tapped a caller exec to turn its business beyond clothes.

Gap has hired Jamie Drew arsenic its caller caput of strategical partnerships and growth, reporting to main intermezo serviceman Pam Kaufman, the institution exclusively told Business Insider. Drew is tasked pinch helping push Gap's brands — including Old Navy, Banana Republic, and Athleta, arsenic good arsenic Gap — beyond apparel to different user touchpoints.

Her instruction is to look beyond accepted manner partnerships to areas wherever the genitor institution aliases its individual brands could scope caller audiences and create caller businesses. The institution said those areas could see experiences and destinations, hospitality aliases travel, sports and fittingness communities, gaming, and nutrient and beverage.

Drew was astir precocious EVP of user products and experiences astatine Paramount Global, besides Kaufman's alma mater, pursuing 15 years astatine its kids transmission Nickelodeon. She helped build the kids' franchise Paw Patrol into a unit business, get Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, return SpongeBob SquarePants to Broadway, and unfastened the first Nickelodeon Hotel.

Drew said her astir successful initiatives embodied the brand's DNA.

"Brand partnerships only activity erstwhile they're genuinely authentic to the brand's ethos and widen its user relevance," she said.

Reimagining Gap has been a apical privilege for Richard Dickson, who has revived the unit elephantine since becoming CEO successful 2023.

This year, Gap tapped Kaufman for its first main intermezo role, Walmart alum Justin Breton to thrust original content, and Paramount alum Lourdes Arocho to caput up licensing.

Gap has made headlines for its taste marketing

The institution has already been inserting itself into civilization — and the Gap marque is its star.

Over the past year, the Gap marque has tapped into celebrities and cultural events to tie attention. It formed world popular woman group Katseye successful an ad, produced a video pinch Puerto Rican creator Young Miko astir Bad Bunny's Super Bowl halftime show, became Coachella's exclusive apparel sponsor and merch partner, and dropped a buzzy postulation of jeans pinch Hailey Bieber.

Meanwhile, Banana Republic is bringing backmost nostalgia pinch refurbished vintage styles. Old Navy has besides been moving pinch stars for illustration Paris Hilton and influencer Haylee Baylee, and launched a postulation of apparel pinch luxury designer Christopher John Rogers.

Gap Inc. besides launched a loyalty programme pinch exclusive drops and different benefits.

Working pinch influencers and extracurricular designers has been a predominant strategy for large retailers. J.Crew, for instance, worked pinch respective designers to reimagine 1 of its classical sweater styles and formed net prima Emma Chamberlain for its latest collection.

Other user brands person gotten creative, too, by moving beyond trading products complete the years. Nike and Ralph Lauren are experimenting pinch cafés and dining, Lululemon acquired fittingness institution Mirror, and JPMorgan Chase bought nutrient reappraisal tract The Infatuation to springiness customers dining-related perks.

Jumping into caller areas tin beryllium risky

Brands person to beryllium observant astir launching extensions aliases moving into caller areas wherever there's stiff title aliases the marque doesn't adhd immoderate caller value, though, said Kevin Lane Keller, a trading professor astatine Dartmouth's Tuck School of Business. Such moves person worked for some, for illustration Ralph Lauren, whose defined marque translated good into location decor, but location person been immoderate notable flops, for illustration McDonald's foray into luxury hotels successful the 2000s.

The Gap marque had a yearslong gross slump earlier Dickson's arrival, which it attributed successful portion to having excessively galore products and styles. That history could impair Gap's expertise to return much than mini steps, Keller said.

"Over time, if you haven't carved retired a beardown personality and reinforced it, that's not going to make it easy to move into unrelated categories," he said. "They besides haven't stretched retired of apparel that much."

Gap whitethorn beryllium astir to look the first trial of its expertise to widen its brand, having conscionable made a concerted push into accessories nether the activity of Coach alum Reed Krakoff.