Dive Brief:
- As its first marketing hire, period care brand August appointed Diane Lewis as vice president of marketing, effective June 26, according to a press release shared with Retail Dive.
- In the newly created position, Lewis will be focused on expanding August’s retail channels and presence. The executive — who will report to August’s Gen Z co-founder Nick Jain — will also analyze August’s content in order to drive strategic and sustainable growth.
- Lewis brings several years of experience in marketing, most recently serving as vice president of marketing at children’s skin care brand Evereden. The executive also worked in marketing roles at Prose and L'Oréal.
Dive Insight:
Lewis joins August just a couple of years after its launch with the hope of broadening its reach.
“What August has achieved in just two years is remarkable. The company has managed to build an incredibly strong community and loyal following, secure strong retail partnerships, and build a more inclusive approach to period care,” Lewis said in a statement. “I’m excited to bring my deep expertise in placing brands front-and-center in retail to help August take up more shelf space across the U.S.”
August launched its selection of pads, tampons and liners in more than 400 Target stores across the U.S. in March.
The period care brand is focused on gender inclusivity and sustainability, with 1% of all direct-to-consumer sales going toward select nonprofits, including Point of Pride and GRID Alternatives. August was founded by Jain and Nadya Okamoto and has since grown its senior leadership team. August Vice President of Operations Jake Tackett previously served as director of supply chain at online supermarket JOKR, while Erin Burk, August’s vice president of business development, previously worked at Uber.
In the menstruation category, several brands have been focused on growth. Reusable period underwear brand Thinx in January expanded its affordable line to its website, which followed a year of changes for the company including its acquisition by Kimberly-Clark. Saalt also began selling its period underwear at Target in April, adding to its wholesale network that includes retailers such as Nordstrom, Anthropologie, Urban Outfitters and Revolve.
