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To regain cultural relevance, a brand can't just claim to be cool. Using a classroom analogy, Gap's CMO explains the strategy was to stop acting like an eager 'front-row' brand and instead move to the 'back of the room,' a place where coolness is subtly earned through actions, not assertions.
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Richard Dickson's strategy treats fashion as a form of entertainment that competes for cultural attention. This belief is institutionalized by hiring a Chief Entertainment Officer, whose role is to authentically integrate the brand into music, art, and film, moving beyond traditional product marketing.
Gap's CEO, Richard Dixon, implemented a playbook centered on reinvigorating the brand's core DNA and connecting it to modern culture. This focus on cultural relevance, rather than just product, is presented as the primary driver of their financial resurgence.
To reach a wide audience without diluting its voice, Gap employs a three-pronged strategy: 'recruit' Gen Z via social media, 'retain' millennials with core products, and 'reactivate' older fans using cultural unifiers like nostalgic music.
In its turnaround, Gap resists the urge to simply recreate its '90s heyday. Instead, CMO Fabiola Torres insists on looking forward, aiming to define the brand for 2026. The company's rich archives serve as inspiration for new, current creative, not as a blueprint to be copied.
Richard Dickson argues that for brands with long histories, staying culturally relevant is a difficult, ongoing effort. It requires moving at the speed of culture and understanding that this continuous activity drives revenue, preventing decisions from becoming purely financial and disconnected from consumers.
Inspired by Nike's approach with athletes, Gap fosters deep, family-like relationships with its talent partners. This moves beyond transactional briefs to create a comfortable, collaborative environment where both the brand and talent can push creative boundaries together.
Richard Dickson diagnoses Gap's decline as a result of being "spooked" by past failures, leading to overly safe and uninteresting products. The core of his turnaround strategy is to re-embrace risk-taking, accepting that misses are inevitable but necessary to generate hits and regain cultural interest.
Consumers now expect brands to be active participants in culture, not just observers who use insights for campaigns. This requires brands to move beyond their comfort zone of brand safety guidelines and take a stance on relevant social issues, which is difficult but necessary to win consumer hearts.
To revitalize Gap, the marketing team began treating the brand as a distinct persona. This approach gives the brand a voice in meetings, making strategic decisions more tangible and aligning the team around a unified character and mindset.
Instead of a standard celebrity ad, The Gap produced a full-fledged music video with the group Cat's Eye, generating 500 million views. By creating culture (art, music) instead of just sponsoring it, The Gap transformed its marketing from an expense into a viral entertainment asset, driving its best growth in years.
