COAST REBRAND

OVERVIEW

Role: Head of Marketing

Focus: Brand repositioning, campaign strategy, creative direction, customer insight, brand frameworks, cultural partnerships, PR and broadcast visibility.

Coast was undergoing a period of brand reset, with an opportunity to refocus the business on its heritage as an occasionwear specialist while making it relevant for a modern customer. The brief was to sharpen the brand’s positioning, reassert authority in formal dressing and reconnect product, campaign and customer insight under a clearer brand idea.

APPROACH

The repositioning centred on returning Coast to its roots around “Make an Entrance”, reframing occasionwear for a contemporary woman through confident, modern storytelling. This was supported by a combination of traditional brand campaigns and culturally driven partnerships, ensuring the brand felt both established and current.

Alongside creative development, I led the creation of customer profiles and brand foundations to ensure campaigns, web design and creative assets were built around a clear understanding of the audience and a consistent brand framework.

WHAT I DID

  • Led the brand repositioning back to “Make an Entrance”, redefining Coast’s role in modern occasionwear.

  • Project managed traditional seasonal campaigns and shoots, overseeing creative direction and execution.

  • Developed detailed customer profiles to inform brand strategy, campaign messaging and digital experience.

  • Created brand bibles and guidelines to align new web development, creative assets and communications.

  • Led a collaboration with stylist Mark Heyes, producing curated mini-shoots that reinforced Coast’s authority in occasion dressing.

  • Established annual Royal Ascot themes, aligning product, content, retail and PR around a key cultural moment.

  • Developed multimillion pound media plan incl. OOH and TV

  • Worked closely with PR to secure regular television placements, driving visibility and demand.

IMPACT

  • Delivered a 5% increase in sales following the repositioning and campaign activity.

  • Achieved sell-out lines of dresses featured through national TV exposure.

  • Strengthened Coast’s positioning as a destination for modern occasionwear.

  • Increased cultural relevance through a balanced mix of traditional campaigns and high-visibility partnerships.

  • Established brand and customer frameworks that supported future web and creative development