Anaheim, Calif. – BrandSource has signed celebrity Kathy
Ireland as the buying group’s “brand ambassador” as part of a renewed focus on
female customers.
According to a BrandSource spokeswoman, the
group is implementing strategic changes in its marketing and promotions
campaigns to better target the female decision-maker.
In her new role for BrandSource, the
lifestyle designer, former model and CEO of Kathy Ireland Worldwide (kiWW) will
appear in advertising and promotional campaigns, and will “leverage her
expertise in social media to generate greater awareness of the BrandSource
brand,” the buying group said.
Ireland will also
collaborate with BrandSource on new product development and expand her home collections
in BrandSource member stores.
Ireland represents a key
target customer for the group: the 90 percent of women who make final
purchasing decisions for the home and who are utilizing the Internet and social
media to research and shop for appliances, home furnishings and consumer
electronics.
What’s more, Ireland was
named one of the 20 best-branded women on Twitter by Forbes.com names. Her
company, kiWW, topped $1.5 billion in annual sales last year according to
Forbes, and was named the 28
th
most powerful licensed brand globally
by License Global Magazine.
“We look forward to
working with Ms. Ireland to support our members and build greater awareness of
our brand,” said BrandSource CEO Bob Lawrence. “Ms. Ireland relates very well
to our female customers and really understands, first hand, what it’s like to
be a busy mom who wants the best for her home, family and career. We believe
that she offers us enormous potential for influencing women and ensuring our
brand’s success.”
Ireland will
officially begin her role as BrandSource ambassador next week at the group’s
2011 Summit in Orlando, Fla., where she will meet with member dealers and
actively participate in workshops and planning sessions.
“It is very exciting to
serve as brand ambassador for BrandSource,” Ireland said in a statement.
“BrandSource members bring support, service, expertise and value to the
communities they serve. From innovative products to non-profit giving,
BrandSource is a great resource that fulfills our mission of ‘finding solutions
for families, especially busy moms.'”
Founded in 1969,
BrandSource is a 100 percent member-owned merchandising group with nearly 4,500
independent appliances, CE, flooring and home-furnishings dealers in North
America, and close to 3,000 BrandSource-branded stores in the U.S. For more
information on becoming a retail supplier or partner, call (800) 920-6984, ext.
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