Retail & eCommerce
Coaching a New Leader to a Director Role
Intensive coaching grows Vera Bradley's new digital leader into a director and reverses online decline.
Vera Bradley Designs, Inc
The Client
- Company
- Vera Bradley
- Website
- verabradley.com
- Industry
- Apparel & Fashion
- Headquarters
- roanoke, united states
- Employees
- 1000-2000
About Vera Bradley
Vera Bradley is a leading designer and retailer of women's handbags, luggage, and travel accessories, offering stylish and functional products that cater to women's everyday adventures. Established in 1982, the brand promotes self-expression through its bold designs and vibrant patterns, improving the lives of women while being committed to philanthropy…
The Challenge
Vera Bradley was on the edge of a significant transformation. Its digital marketing leader had left, handing the reins to an internally promoted successor with potential but limited experience. And while the brand had seen strong digital success in prior years, a closer look showed much of it was driven by mask sales. As mask demand fell, Vera Bradley faced real growth obstacles.
Our Approach
Chameleon Collective began an intensive coaching engagement with Vera Bradley's new leader, with guidance spanning digital marketing, leadership, and vendor management. Central to the coaching was sharing best practices across digital channels, demystifying growth metrics, and identifying the strategic levers that drive results. We also strengthened the brand's grasp of agency performance so it could question proposals and reject recommendations that didn't fit its broader vision. To round out the work, we introduced a set of forward-thinking vendors to help reveal the marketing avenues truly driving Vera Bradley's success.
The Impact
The engagement was a clear success. The coaching propelled the internal leader's growth, leading to a well-deserved promotion to a director role within months. Recognizing the value of the work, Vera Bradley extended our engagement from the initial six months to 11. By recalibrating their digital marketing strategy, we reversed the decline in online revenue, a notable result given the downturn in brick-and-mortar stores. The leadership not only expressed satisfaction but volunteered to vouch for our expertise with potential clients.
The Work
Featured Expert
The Chameleon who led this engagement.
Practice Areas
Digital Marketing