Vera Bradley:
Project Restoration
Background & Challenge:
This heritage brand had been in distress for 10+ years with a declining customer base. The previous strategy was focused on product margin and driving outlet channels by relying on heavy discounting. Brand recognition and awareness was also at an all-time low.
Strategic Approach:
Brand Work: Re-defined brand positioning, including new consumer targets
Agency Partnership: Collaborated with Ziba Design, a global and innovative brand firm
Stakeholder Alignment: Developed and shared the new direction with founders, leadership & board for alignment and socialized the vision with all teams for engagement and development
Execution & Results:
Within 6 months of launch, we realized: +700bps in awareness, strong brand attribute gains with target consumer viewing Vera Bradley as stylish, colorful and fun, +9 percentage points in brand penetration with the core target, +7 percentage points in new customer acquisition from higher income households, 105m organic views with #VeraBradley hashtag
New Partnerships & Collaborations: Zooey Deschanel campaign: driving traction and sell-outs for select products
Licensed collections success: partnerships with “Wicked” line and Disney IP have performed strongly—fueling revenue and bringing in new, higher‑value customers
Urban Outfitters limited-edition launch: early sell-through and positive uptake at higher-tier wholesale accounts leveraging updated vintage and heritage pieces
Product Design & Development: Team of 22
Searched archives and defined a new fashion direction to create a fresh, modern & relevant approach
Created seasonal concepts in support of new brand narrative "your muse is you" in relationship to the cultural zeitgeist
Addressed materials, function, quilting, hardware, & shapes while establishing standards to streamline the PD process, reducing calendar by 3 months
Brought in updated shapes and materials connected through “softness” & “movement” designing the bags to look beautiful to the eye, soft to the touch, and feel good against the body as she wears it throughout her busy life
