In its quest to reclaim its cultural cachet, Gap Inc. has created the role of chief entertainment officer and tapped former Paramount executive Pam Kaufman to fill it.
The move comes at a good time for the apparel retailer, which is getting its groove back culturally, especially at its namesake brand, and in terms of product improvements, according to Jessica Ramírez, co-founder and managing director of The Consumer Collective.
“I’ve heard that from fashion people, which, you know, that's a tough crowd,” she said by phone. “So hiring someone for fashion entertainment is the right move for Gap. I think Dickson as a CEO is good with strategy and understands – and then hires the right people to do the job.”
Kaufman, who arrives Feb. 2, is tasked with building and scaling Gap Inc.’s entertainment, content and licensing platform. That includes music, television, film, sports, gaming, consumer products and collaborations, building on campaigns like Gap’s “Better in Denim” with Katseye and work with Harlem’s Fashion Row, and Old Navy’s Disney collab, the company said in a press release Thursday.
Most recently Kaufman was at Paramount, where she was president and CEO of international markets, global consumer products and experiences with “a track record of extending iconic IP into fashion-forward expressions through design-led partnerships, licensing, retail and experiences,” the company said. She has also served on the boards of Stella McCartney, Lindblad Expeditions and the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
She will be an executive vice president, reporting to Gap Inc. Chief Executive Officer Richard Dickson. The job was created because “fashion is entertainment,” or “fashiontainment,” according to Dickson.
“As we reinvigorate Gap Inc.’s house of iconic American brands to drive relevance and revenue, we recognize entertainment is a critical link to the consumer,” Dickson said in a statement. “One we can lean on to create fandoms, inspire movements, and fuel sustained growth.”
