Gap taps a new exec to find its next act beyond fashion

• Gap Inc. just made a big hire to help the company move beyond clothes.
• Jamie Drew will seek out partnerships and new businesses in areas that could include travel, sports, and gaming.
• Gap has made notable forays into music, but it's risky for brands to go into non-core areas.

Gap Inc. wants to be in the middle of the cultural conversation — and just tapped a new exec to grow its business beyond clothes.

Gap has hired Jamie Drew as its new head of strategic partnerships and growth, reporting to chief entertainment officer Pam Kaufman, the company exclusively told Business Insider. Drew is tasked with helping push Gap's brands — including Old Navy, Banana Republic, and Athleta, as well as Gap — beyond apparel to other consumer touchpoints.

Her mandate is to look beyond traditional fashion partnerships to areas where the parent company or its individual brands could reach new audiences and create new businesses. The company said those areas could include experiences and destinations, hospitality or travel, sports and fitness communities, gaming, and food and beverage.

Drew was most recently EVP of consumer products and experiences at Paramount Global, also Kaufman's alma mater, following 15 years at its kids channel Nickelodeon. She helped build the kids' franchise Paw Patrol into a retail business, acquire Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, take SpongeBob SquarePants to Broadway, and open the first Nickelodeon Hotel.

Drew said her most successful initiatives embodied the brand's DNA.

"Brand partnerships only work when they're truly authentic to the brand's ethos and extend its consumer relevance," she said.

Reimagining Gap has been a top priority for Richard Dickson, who has revived the retail giant since becoming CEO in 2023.

This year, Gap tapped Kaufman for its first chief entertainment role, Walmart alum Justin Breton to drive original content, and Paramount alum Lourdes Arocho to head up licensing.

Gap has made headlines for its cultural marketing

The company has already been inserting itself into culture — and the Gap brand is its star.

Over the past year, the Gap brand has tapped into celebrities and cultural events to draw attention. It cast global pop girl group Katseye in an ad, produced a video with Puerto Rican artist Young Miko around Bad Bunny's Super Bowl halftime show, became Coachella's exclusive apparel sponsor and merch partner, and dropped a buzzy collection of jeans with Hailey Bieber.

Meanwhile, Banana Republic is bringing back nostalgia with refurbished vintage styles. Old Navy has also been working with stars like Paris Hilton and influencer Haylee Baylee, and launched a collection of clothes with luxury designer Christopher John Rogers.

Gap Inc. also launched a loyalty program with exclusive drops and other benefits.

Working with influencers and outside designers has been a frequent strategy for big retailers. J.Crew, for instance, worked with several designers to reimagine one of its classic sweater styles and cast internet star Emma Chamberlain for its latest collection.

Other consumer brands have gotten creative, too, by moving beyond selling products over the years. Nike and Ralph Lauren are experimenting with cafés and dining, Lululemon acquired fitness company Mirror, and JPMorgan Chase bought food review site The Infatuation to give customers dining-related perks.

Jumping into new areas can be risky

Brands have to be careful about launching extensions or moving into new areas where there's stiff competition or the brand doesn't add any new value, though, said Kevin Lane Keller, a marketing professor at Dartmouth's Tuck School of Business. Such moves have worked for some, like Ralph Lauren, whose defined brand translated well into home decor, but there have been some notable flops, like McDonald's foray into luxury hotels in the 2000s.

The Gap brand had a yearslong revenue slump before Dickson's arrival, which it attributed in part to having too many products and styles. That history could impair Gap's ability to take more than small steps, Keller said.

"Over time, if you haven't carved out a strong identity and reinforced it, that's not going to make it easy to move into unrelated categories," he said. "They also haven't stretched out of apparel that much."

Gap may be about to face the first test of its ability to extend its brand, having just made a concerted push into accessories under the leadership of Coach alum Reed Krakoff.