For decades, Victoria’s Secret was known for scantily clad supermodels sporting sexy, glamorous looks. In a recent rebrand, the underwear chain tried to bring its brand back to earth by focusing on female empowerment and the everyday needs of consumers. Balancing the two priorities has been a challenge.
Podcast: Marketer's Brief
How Victoria’s Secret is balancing its rebrand with its history
The retailer has revamped marketing and added more digital offerings following its Adore Me acquisition
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Victoria’s Secret is gearing up for the holiday season.
Credit:
Bloomberg
“People are definitely noticing the change and some people love it, some people acknowledge it, but it’s not what they want,” said Sarah Sylvester, executive VP of marketing who has been with Victoria’s Secret since 2005, speaking on a new episode of the Marketer’s Brief podcast. “We know that and we appreciate that, but we’re going to still continue to listen, evolve and do what we know is right, which is showing up for all women in whichever way they need and taking our cue from them.”
In a recent presentation to investors, the chain’s executives reportedly spoke about the issue, noting that “sexiness can be inclusive.” Following sales declines—revenue fell 6% to nearly $1.43 billion in its second quarter—executives said the company will expand new categories such as activewear and swimwear. Victoria’s Secret recently debuted an adaptive clothing line for consumers with disabilities.
Sarah Sylvester has been with Victoria’s Secret since 2005.
Credit:
Sarah Sylvester
On the podcast, Sylvester spoke about other changes at the company, including the recent switch from an in-person fashion show to a feature-length documentary called “Victoria’s Secret: The Tour ’23,” which was released last month on Amazon Prime. The move garnered 16 million earned media impressions for Victoria’s Secret, Sylvester said, noting that though not everyone was pleased, the company is “happy with the results.”
She added, “We feel good with what we’re doing as long as we stay grounded in our values and supporting women and we definitely accomplished that.”
Along with its new marketing efforts, the retailer is focusing on adding more digital offerings and connecting its physical stores and e-commerce site in a way that makes sense for customers. This includes leveraging the technology from Adore Me, the direct-to-consumer startup lingerie company Victoria’s Secret acquired last year for $400 million.
Sylvester is also gearing up for the holiday selling season and Black Friday.
“We have amazing, beautiful new product dropping in November and we are working to make sure that our Black Friday is as compelling as possible,” she said.
