At the 2024 CommerceNexty Awards, Coach received the Most Effective Brand Storytelling Award for the “In My Tabby” campaign. The campaign highlighted the iconic Tabby bag through personal stories from the Coach Family, including Lil Nas X and Camila Mendes, focusing on transformative moments and the strength found in what we carry.
We sat down with Kimberly Wallengren, Vice President of Marketing, North America at Coach, to learn more about the inspiration behind “In My Tabby” and the brand’s approach to marketing. Read on for the full interview.
Katja Teichmann: Can you tell us about the inspiration behind Coach’s “In My Tabby” campaign? How did your team come up with the creative concept for it?
Kimberly Wallengren: Our customer is at the starting point for everything Coach does, and we have put a refreshed focus on research and understanding our customers through consumer data to connect on a deeper, more emotional level. The concept for the campaign was inspired by the popular “What’s In My Bag” trend but taken to the next level. “In My Tabby” redefines what we carry not just in terms of physical objects, but emotions – the experiences, personal journeys and aspirations that shape who we are – that we carry with us as we continue to create ourselves.
Teichmann: What role did customer insights and data play in shaping this campaign?
Wallengren: Customer Insights and data are essential to all of the work done at Coach from the marketing campaigns launched to the constellation of ambassador talent we partner with. Our purpose-driven campaigns are derived and inspired by consumer insights from consumer conversations.
Teichmann: How do you ensure your marketing efforts stay relevant and engaging to your target audience?
Wallengren: We’re leveraging the legacy and heritage of the Coach brand to tell new and exciting stories from the consumers’ point of view, this allows us to make informed decisions and to keep the consumer at the forefront of our efforts. These stories evoke emotion and show that the product is connected to an emotional moment in their lives and we’re working to tap into this insight.
We’re constantly experimenting and exploring new platforms and technologies to reach and engage with new and existing customers. We’ve learned through our approach that our campaign messages and brand purpose can be amplified across many channels to reach new audiences in unique ways. Additionally, we recognize that social media is a prevalent part of Gen Z’s lives, and we’ve utilized it as a means to sustain our campaigns while also engaging with consumers through media partnerships with Meta, TikTok, etc.
Teichmann: What trends in ecommerce and technology do you see as game-changers for the future?
Wallengren: I believe the implementation of AI will have considerable shifts on the media landscape.
If you haven’t already, you can watch the “In My Tabby” stories here.
This conversation has been edited for clarity.
