436: How to Hack Culture, Pick Influencers, and Stay Relevant with Patrick Buchanan, SVP of Marketing at Lulus

Marketing Today with Alan Hart

Patrick Buchanan is from Lexington, Kentucky, and went to Western Kentucky University, where he studied journalism broadcasting with the dream of being a VJ. After graduation, Patrick moved to LA to pursue those dreams, but instead fell into marketing through a side hustle as an assistant at Creative Recreation. He found he had a knack for it, embraced his new path, and over the next 7 years, worked his way up to become Marketing Director at Creative Recreation before he moved on to Global Marketing Director at K-Swiss Global Brands, then Senior Director of Brand Marketing for Bravado at Universal Music Group. In 2021, Patrick became Vice President Marketing at GOOD AMERICAN, and today, he serves as Senior Vice President of Marketing at Lulu's, a women's fashion business with a mission to make women feel special and beautiful for all of their life's moments.

On the show today, Alan and Patrick talk about what Lulus does, who they serve, and the kinds of altruistic disruptive campaigns they are implementing to get organic attention. Patrick also tells us how brands should be thinking about the types of partners and influencers they invest in to most effectively and authentically speak to their target audience, as well as his lived experience being a young black head of marketing and what he hopes to do with his platform.

I

n this episode, you'll learn:

• Examples of disruptive campaigns to get organic attention
• How to pick and leverage the right influence partners
• Patrick’s experience as a young black man and head of marketing

Key Highlights:

• [01:40] A brush with fame alongside Kelly Clarkson
• [03:10] Patrick’s career path
• [08:30] What Lulus does and who they serve
• [10:00] How to get your brand noticed
• [12:30] Leveraging partnerships to bring brand missions to life
• [17:35] How to engage with influencer marketing as it evolves
• [20:10] Patrick’s experience as a young black man and head of marketing
• [23:30] Learning to maneuver creatively and never accepting no as an answer
• [25:20] Advice to his younger self
• [26:55] Always be learning more about your customers and what they like.
• [28:50] Trends and subcultures to watch
• [30:30] Opportunities and challenges with AI

Looking for more?

Visit our website for the full show notes, links to resources mentioned in this episode, and ways to connect with the guest!

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