For years, fashion brands chased younger consumers online, but Frances Valentine has found its edge by doing the opposite. Building a vibrant, social-first brand experience around women 50 and up.
In this episode of Retail Remix (and the first hosted by new Retail TouchPoints Editor-in-Chief Kate Robertson), Kate sits down with Katherine Brodie, CMO of Frances Valentine, to discuss how the brand is scaling through video-first storytelling, creator-style content and a deeply engaged community built around color, joy and personal connection. Katherine shares how Elyce Arons — who co-founded the brand with her best friend, the late Kate Spade — has become both the face and personality of the brand across social media, why Frances Valentine treats content creation like its own production studio and how the company is balancing digital growth with expanding retail and wholesale partnerships.
Key Takeaways
- Why Frances Valentine has found major success by focusing on the underserved and highly affluent 50+ female consumer
- How Elyce Arons’ authentic social presence has become a powerful customer acquisition and engagement engine
- Why the brand treats social content and video production as a separate, always-on marketing track
- How Frances Valentine balances owned digital channels with retail stores and wholesale partnerships to deepen loyalty
- Why Katherine believes today’s marketers need to understand the full business picture — not just impressions and traffic
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What is Retail Remix?
The rules of retail are constantly changing. Today, we're in an exciting new era where brands can differentiate through experience and use technology to connect with customers in new and exciting ways. Retail Remix is a new podcast series brought to you by Retail TouchPoints, the industry's leading source for news, insights and research for all things customer experience. Every week, we sit down with someone who is helping put a new spin on the retail experience. Hear from the top practitioners, analysts and innovators in retail, and see what new engagement opportunities await.