Gillian Kavanagh

Working as a Marketing Campaign Manager I have taken a leading role in communicating the brand's ethos into meaningful customer-facing campaigns. I have strategically conceptualized, created, and delivered both small and large marketing campaigns for Spud.ca, taking time after each campaign to analyze its success and identify areas for improvement. Reporting to the Marketing Director I joined Spud.ca as a Campaign and Copy Strategist before being promoted to manager, in February 2021, where I guide junior members of the team, who report to me, in developing campaigns, building out copy while supporting them in both individual and personal growth. I have successfully delivered marketing campaigns year on year, streamlining our messaging while improving our customer engagement and positively impacting sales.

Key tasks included:

• Working with the Marketing Director to gain insight into what the company's needs are
• From there, I develop campaigns that align with the core business requirements, seasonal focuses, and points of interest for our customers
• Liaising with internal stakeholders to identify key communication opportunities to build revenue-driving campaigns
• Building out our annual marketing calendar on both a top-level and week-by-week basis to ensure that all marketing opportunities are executed
• Working off our marketing calendar I manage campaigns, coordinate with our buying team, build out marketing and creative concept briefs for our creative department, develop our key messaging, and present the campaign to the wider business
• While at Spud.ca I have provided marketing copy for campaigns, customer-facing emails, social, and print assets, radio advertising and website updates
• Upon campaign completion, I work with our internal stakeholders to understand the wins and learnings from key campaigns to develop reports that share companywide insights
• Working with external agencies I have successfully delivered out-of-home print, billboard, digital and radio advertising campaigns that span the provinces we operate in.

Working directly with Bootlegger’s Marketing Director, I successfully built a consistent and cohesive social strategy that increased brand awareness and customer engagement that effectively drove web traffic and conversions. Instagram was a key focus of mine during my tenure in Bootlegger where I effectively grew followers by 57%. I brought a consumer-focused approach in introducing and developing marketing initiatives that strengthened the business profile and brand consciousness of our established and potential consumer base.

Key tasks included:

• Ascertaining business needs and product launches I managed a revamped strategy that developed creative concepts and content calendars which positively impacted awareness and sales while cultivating long-lasting relationships with customers
• Planned, implemented, and executed engaging digital marketing campaigns across Bootlegger’s channels in conjunction with company-wide marketing campaigns and promotions building a brand narrative that represented Bootlegger
• Conceptualized and established the organization's first companywide brand ambassador program which brought the product to life in a credible format that not only aligned with the marketing calendar but was relatable to our target consumer base
• Managed Bootlegger’s national philanthropic partnership with United Way
• Identifying a charitable network that best resonated with the company’s ethos I established a corporate relationship and annual strategy that supported fundraising and sales donations to this national institute
• Honing on my expertise in brand management and event planning I launched a field initiative, Hometown Pride, across the company’s 83 stores which brought structure and provided guidelines for store-led events that ensured brand consistency was delivered
• Created brand marketing kits, which reinforced this companywide initiative
• A three-tiered program was developed supporting initiatives from local in-store events through to wider brand-sponsored activations.

I worked with Primark, an international fashion and lifestyle retailer for nine years, seven of these years were within their International Fashion Communications department. Working from a junior assistant role through to a senior Press Officer role I was able to hone my communication skills, working with media and brand ambassadors, while also managing international agencies to ensure consistency in brand messaging was delivered across all regions.

Tasked with growing Primark's brand awareness in North America I delivered the company’s first 'always on' fashion communication strategy for the market. Reporting to the Head of Fashion Communications I built a tactical plan to ascertain, initiate and evolve relationships with North American media, marketing agencies and influencers to maximize positive brand exposure in this market for Primark

Key tasks included:

• Revitalized Primark’s fashion communications approach for the North American market
• Delivered regular brand exposure through proactively identifying media and influencer opportunities that continuously advanced the brand message
• Orchestrated the onboarding of brand-relevant lifestyle influencers to deliver timely content, partake in international campaigns and host in-store events that aligned with our global marketing calendar and enhanced Primark’s social media presence in North America
• Established Primark’s first consumer-focused events calendar which positively impacted store traffic, generated brand recognition and optimized influencer relationships
• Directed numerous US-based agencies in their interpretation and implementation of Primark's communications strategy to ensure the successful delivery of the brand global fashion message in the North American market, guaranteeing international consistency across all markets
• Forged partnerships with marketing agencies to deliver event firsts for Primark: Refinery 29: media market launch in Boston and Philadelphia, Her Campus: in-store student nights Her Campus, College Fashion Week sponsorship, College Fashionista: micro influencer partnerships for workout collection launch
• Presented a regional update of events to Primark's internal investors, such as the US retail team, Brand Communications department and the company Board of Directors on the planning and delivery of the North American communications strategy
• Managed the North American Fashion Communications budget for the department
• Mentored junior members of the team, cultivating the growth and success of the International Fashion Communications department

As a Press Coordinator for the Fashion Communications team, I organized the day-to-day running of an international press office, hosting meetings with local editors, influencers, and journalists; securing media coverage while overseeing the management of European agencies to promote Primark as the leading destination for fashion and lifestyle across our international landscape.

Joining Primark’s first Public Relations Communications department in 2011 I offered support to larger brand events learning the strategic approach in event and campaign planning. I managed the day-to-day running of the office from meeting media request deadlines to arranging press pulls for stylists and journalists. Managed Primark's first influencer partnerships.

As a trainee buyer, I ensured that all orders were processed on time, to specification and at the best price to maximize profitability. Working in conjunction with the senior buyers of the team the day-to-day administration for the department ran smoothly while developing relationships with our international supplier base.