Fall 2020 Trek Recap: Day Two
Written by Georgia Haak
We kicked off day two of the trek by hearing from Katherine Sullivan, Performance Marketing and Paid Social Manager at Athleta. Katherine is a 2017 University of Michigan alum with a BA in Communication Studies and a Minor in Digital Studies. She worked as president of Big Ticket Productions at Michigan before briefly working as the Bivouac social media manager here in Ann Arbor. After college, she relocated to San Francisco to work at SocialCode advertising agency where she worked on the Athleta account and soon transferred to working brand-side on their team.
Katherine took her unique acumen in the new and developing paid social media industry to the company, an activewear brand made by women for women. She explained that the social media niche of the retail industry has allowed her vast opportunities to grow and advance because it is still unfolding and being defined.
As Covid-19 rattled the retail industry, Katherine noted that the brand quickly made a game plan to positively impact the community by refocusing resources on masks that the brand continues to improve. Athleta also considered their customers’ new necessity of at home workouts and launched the Home Bodies Series on IGTV as well as various other at home classes. True to the brand’s emphasis on community, Athleta will be donating money to wellness professionals impacted by the pandemic.
Beyond Covid-19, Athleta focuses on socially responsible products. The company is constantly working to improve its inclusivity and always aims to empower women. Furthermore, Athleta continues to donate to fighting wildfires in California, and constantly strives to make its products more environmentally sustainable.
As we finished our session with Katherine, she left us with some advice about launching into the retail industry: “Be authentic, be accountable, be gentle with yourself.”
We then spoke with RRC alum, Megan Hannigan who graduated from Ross in 2019 with a focus in marketing. Always racing toward her goals, Megan interned at Intel, Shinola, and Chanel before landing at the industry re-defining brand, Rent the Runway as a Merchandising Assistant. She described Rent the Runway as her dream company as it constantly pushes the boundaries of fashion and redefines the industry. With its subscription based format and individual centric business model, Megan noted that Rent the Runway is more similar to Spotify than Macy’s.
Megan emphasized the importance of the relationship between the customer and the brand. She explained that with an online subscription service such as this, reviews are insurmountably crucial; and through word of mouth and positive feedback, the customer is the best marketer. In fact, 73% of Rent the Runway customers hear about the service through someone they know.
Megan’s favorite part of her job has been attending fashion shows and seeing what’s new in the industry. And while the ability to do this as well as many other traditional aspects of fashion have changed during the pandemic, Megan is optimistic that the fashion industry will bounce back.
This optimism has followed Megan throughout her career. She attested that even without a specific educational background in fashion, through internships and experience, you can break into the industry. She advised finding your dream company and not settling for less! She affirmed that any experience is good experience and networking is the most beneficial tool. One final piece of advice from Megan: “Stay patient, stay hopeful because it will all work out!”