Welcome to the Arena from ICR – Conversations with Today's Innovators & Business Leaders

Summary:

a.k.a. Brands have seen incredible success bringing their digitally native brands into the physical marketplace. A big part of that success comes from their 'test and repeat' retail strategy, which allows them to gauge and adapt to consumer trends extremely quickly. 

Ciaran Long has been serving as the CEO of a.k.a brands for more than two years. He was previously CFO at Samsclub.com, and held other leadership positions at Walmart's e-commerce division, as well as at CBS, CNET Networks and KPMG.

Ciaran joins us to break down the test and repeat strategy, and explains why it can be so effective at minimizing guesswork and mitigating risk. He also delves into a.k.a. Brands' unique approach to influencer marketing, their strategy when it comes to M & A, and the philosophy that will guide their expansion efforts in the years to come.
 

Highlights:
  • The a.k.a. Brands portfolio (2:05)
  • What sets a.k.a apart? (3:12)
  • a.k.a.'s evolution (4:43)
  • Expansion strategy (5:50)
  • Dealing with fickle consumers (8:56)
  • Test and Repeat (10:55)
  • Culture Kings (13:39)
  • Navigating volatility (16:02)
  • Sustainability in fashion (17:37)
  • M&A (18:53)
  • Looking ahead (21:06)

Links:
Ciaran's LinkedIn
a.k.a. Brands' LinkedIn
a.k.a. Brands' Website
ICR LinkedIn
ICR Twitter
ICR Website


Feedback:
If you have questions about the show, or have a topic in mind you'd like discussed in future episodes, email our producer, joe@lowerstreet.co.

What is Welcome to the Arena from ICR – Conversations with Today's Innovators & Business Leaders?

In the increasingly crowded and competitive corporate and financial ecosystem, it’s harder than ever for companies to break through the clutter and be heard. The media, investors, agenda-driven influencers, even customers and competitors, are defining your business story on their terms. Therefore, it is imperative that companies take control and proactively drive the conversation with stakeholders in an effort to build & maintain equity value.

In Welcome to the Arena from ICR, Co-Founder & CEO of ICR, Tom Ryan, interviews key business and financial players who influence the fate of public or aspiring public companies in the capital markets. As a former Wall Street Journal ranked sell-side equity analyst and the founder of one of the largest strategic communications firms in the world, Tom understands what it takes to navigate this complex environment.

This is a forum for CEOs, CFOs, institutional investors, sell-side analysts, financial journalists, private equity professionals and other financial community participants to share their stories and give advice in an open and candid conversation.

For more information, visit http://www.icrinc.com