Abstract
- Strengthen leadership. Ranu Coleman leads PatPat with a focus on diversity and innovation, serving 21 million customers worldwide.
- Strategic marketing. Coleman's all-female team leverages deep consumer insights to drive personalized, localized marketing strategies.
- Revolutionizing retail. With a focus on digital experience and sustainability, PatPat is setting new standards in the children's clothing industry.
Ranu Coleman, Head of Marketing at PatPat, brings a wealth of experience to propel the multi-million dollar global children's clothing brand into the next phase. With a focus on capturing consumer attention through innovative marketing and product design, Coleman's leadership has helped PatPat reach 21 million customers across 140 countries.
Notably, she brings extensive experience working in marketing teams for renowned brands such as Sephora, Ariat International and Dreamwear, where she has built all-female marketing teams to drive diversity.Under Ranu's leadership, PatPat is poised to demonstrate its ability to drive brand awareness, drive growth within the fashion industry and foster meaningful partnerships through strategic collaborations and impactful campaigns.
Let’s take a look at some of Coleman’s digital marketing strategies.
The biggest challenge for a consumer brand marketer
As head of marketing for a consumer brand, Coleman says the biggest challenge is personalizing messaging for local audiences while maintaining a consistent brand image across diverse markets. Staying ahead of the curve with product development and marketing strategies is key, and a culture of innovation is required to keep offerings fresh and compelling. Coleman leverages social listening to forecast trends, gather influencer insights and understand cultural shifts. “This allows us to continually offer products that resonate with our brand advocates,” Coleman says.
Digital Marketing Strategy: Why Digital Customer Experience Matters
Digital customer experience is paramount to PatPat's digital marketing strategy, shaping its modern, customer-centric image. Coleman says, “By prioritizing an intuitive interface and engaging content, we increase satisfaction and customer retention. Additionally, online promotions and offers encourage repeat purchases, solidifying our position as a trusted, satisfying destination for our customers.”
Coleman summed up the actions he took: “We understand that children quickly outgrow their clothes, so we prioritize affordability without sacrificing quality. To increase value for parents, we offer weekly promotions, weekend specials and a robust rewards program to encourage repeat purchases.”
Related Article: Redefining Personalization in Marketing: How AI is Changing the Game
Key customer friction points in business processes
For PatPat, the biggest friction point for customers was the returns process, something Coleman realized soon after joining the company. Recognizing the need for simplification, she leveraged her experience with Happy Returns to incorporate a seamless returns system into the company's digital marketing strategy. Through this partnership, customers can easily select the items they want to return and either drop them off at a Happy Returns store or use a pre-paid shipping label.
In particular, Happy Returns’ sustainable benefits, such as reusable boxes, align with PatPat’s commitment to environmental responsibility, improving the overall returns experience while reducing the carbon footprint of both the company and its customers.
Related Article: Product-Led Growth Strategy: Are Customers Forgotten by Product Managers?
Leveraging employee experience to drive customer experience
PuttPutt leverages the insight and experience of its employees to improve its customer experience and digital marketing strategy, Coleman says. Through product testing and feedback, team members who often represent the target market provide valuable perspective on the product.
Coleman points out that by prioritizing quality and engaging in a rigorous wear-testing process, the company ensures that the products it offers meet high standards of durability, comfort and performance. Additionally, PuttPutt's social listening and community-building efforts foster deeper connections with customers, enriching the brand experience.
Related article: How to use customer insights to shape your product strategy and growth
Building an advantage with an all-female marketing department
PatPat's marketing team is made up of all women, and diverse perspectives and life experiences drive creativity and innovation. The team values collaboration and empathy, fostering effective communication, a supportive environment, and a deep understanding of their predominantly female customer base.
Although unintentional, the company's female-centric approach has challenged industry norms, setting a precedent for diversity and inclusion in hiring practices and inspiring other organizations to follow suit. “My ultimate goal as a female leader is to help my team grow into their own leaders,” Coleman said.
Drive business advantage
PatPat is revamping its digital marketing strategy to gain a competitive advantage in its industry. Through strategic influencer partnerships and user-generated content campaigns, Coleman's team is building a passionate community that resonates with its audience.
PatPat's social media strategy is focused on providing valuable resources to parents while leveraging licensed character marketing to expand its reach. Additionally, the company's latest creative, created by a new, contemporary creative team, prioritizes human connection and design principles to enhance customers' overall brand experience.
Global Brand Management
To connect with consumers around the world, PatPat prioritizes localized content, customizing its ad campaigns, social media presence, and website content to resonate with culturally diverse audiences. Additionally, PatPat uses a multilingual communication strategy to provide support and translate all digital content into customers' native languages to ensure accessibility and engagement.
By utilizing digital marketing, collaborating with influencers around the world, and maintaining social media channels for each market it serves, the company strives to promote inclusivity and ensure all fans of the brand feel valued and represented.
Parting words
Throughout my interview with Coleman, I delved into various aspects of effective leadership and digital marketing strategies in the areas of improving customer experience and brand innovation. From the importance of integrating digital customer experience and employee insights to driving brand growth, an overarching theme highlighted the need for adaptive, empathetic leadership and innovative marketing tactics.
Whether it's optimizing digital customer journeys, leveraging employee experience for product innovation, or pioneering diverse marketing methodologies like influencer partnerships and localized content, successful brands like PatPat are a great example of how cutting-edge technology and human connection can blend to drive sustainable growth and foster meaningful relationships with customers around the world.
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