People to Watch: April Coulter, Nike Inc.

Name: April Coulter Company: Jordan Brand, Nike Inc., Beaverton, Ore. Title: Senior Retail Brand Manager Age: 30 Education: Portland Community College, University of Phoenix (Business Administration degree in progress) Why She's One To Watch: Worked her way up from a temp at age 18 to her current role managing the Jordan Brand's retail presence. Whether it's window presentations, graphics of athletes, product-benefit signage, fixtures or permanent space, April Coulter is in charge of all in-store marketing campaigns for the Jordan Brand, from the initial design phase all the way through execution at retail. Now the senior retail brand manager, she's come a long way from what started as a two-week temp job at Nike just over a decade ago."I have been privileged to have amazing mentors who helped me develop my initial set of skills and get to where I am today," she says.Coulter's team consists of four members, who work closely with the entire Jordan marketing team that includes PR, digital, advertising and brand design. Called the consumer experience group, they fall under marketing but also collaborate with sales.Coulter says her biggest challenge in this role is "coming up with new, innovative concepts and creative 3-D executions in a limited window space." "I am always challenged to find the most creative solutions that convey our brand messaging in the right manner, ones that are visually stunning and that are also environmentally conscious."With the recent Jordan premium windows campaign, designed for mall stores, the graphic panels are reusable and can be changed out as needed. While most footwear retailers have images of featured shoes in the window, this presentation incorporated the actual shoe, creating a 3-D element. Materials were designed using customized metallic inks and multiple printing techniques for added dimensionality."If we can engage the consumer visually, even for a few moments in their busy day, then we've been successful," Coulter says. "If we can turn that brief engagement into something that actually pulls the consumer into the store to interact with our product, we have definitely been successful in our attempt to connect."Moving forward, Coulter and her colleagues are constantly trying to gain a better understanding of their consumers. "The trick is pulling out the right info and applying that to effective marketing techniques," she says. Her team is also exploring and testing new display materials and cutting-edge ways to use them so they can continue to deliver the level of excellence that she says shoppers have come to expect from the Jordan Brand.As far as Coulter's future is concerned, "I wouldn't have been able to tell you 10 years ago that I would be where I am today, so I'm really not sure where this path is going to take me. I am where I am today simply because I love what I do," she says. "What I do know is that I see myself continuing to make positive contributions to a company that I am passionate about."

People to Watch: April Coulter, Nike Inc.

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