Foujan Volk @ Parachute

Without brand, growth and performance marketing are just flashes in the pan.

In the wake of iOS 14 privacy changes & rising CACs, we’re no longer in an era where growth at all costs is a viable strategy anymore.

I recently had the pleasure of speaking with Foujan Volk, the VP of Brand & Marketing at Parachute Home. 

She was the first marketing hire at Parachute Home and built the brand from the ground up.

Parachute Home is an emerging brand in the home goods category with a range of products.  
  

The brand started out of a home office/showroom in Los Angeles with a DTC presence.

Foujan and her team realized people love touching the bedding fabrics, which was a different experience from the typical plastic-wrapped sheets.

From that experience, she saw immense value in having customers touch and feel products.

It’s a differentiator and a brand experience.  

That home showroom expanded to 26 brand stores.  

These stores are in major markets where DTC buyers or the customer demographic is concentrated. 

Parachute invests a lot of energy in making that experience feel like being in someone’s home. 

In the last year, they have invested heavily in experiential marketing, hosting over 200 events, which have generated sales and strong brand affinity.

Foujan defines omnichannel: “Be wherever the customer wants to shop”.

To that end, Parachute has wholesale distribution with Crate & Barrel, Nordstrom, and Bloomingdales.

In addition to their DTC presence and owned retail locations.

Foujan shares that wholesale is a double-edged sword.

She has very little insight into who their customers are, but wholesale brings a big uplift in brand awareness. 

Foujan suggests entering retail with small tests with a limited selection of SKUs.

And monitoring sell-through, DTC cross-over, and brand lift to determine the next steps.   

Brand awareness is the leading indicator, whereas the DTC cross-over as measured through the post-purchase survey is the lagging indicator.

Keeping a consistent brand experience across channels is of paramount importance.

Foujan and her creative team run brand training during onboarding and invoke the brand regularly. 

Foujan is excited that brand marketing is back in the forefront in the wake of iOS 14 privacy changes and the sunset of the growth at all costs era.

Without a brand, growth and performance marketing are just flashes in the pan.

That sentiment is stronger than ever.

Thanks, Foujan for sharing your story and perspective!

#omnichannelmarketer #retail #brandmarketing