As Vice President of Branding and Communication for the Costume Designer Division at Matchbook Company, creating relationships between brands and designers is just another day in the office for Linda Kearns. After all, Linda was part of the team that helped audiences revisit 1960’s Manhattan style through collaborations with AMC, Banana Republic and her client, Mad Men’s costume designer, Janie Bryant. And have you noticed the chic looks on The Good Wife? Linda represents Dan Lawson as well. Not too shabby for a career that started in political polling, huh?
With so much of her experience in the branding and communication industries, Linda has found her niche in costume design. Past involvements in market research led Linda to discover her true passion for creative development and, even more specifically, the development of costume design talent.
Moving from a large corporation to the start-up in which she currently resides, Linda is enjoying the new challenge of working to develop talent into brands—a task not always easy, as she shares below. Read on to learn how this brand expert has built her career, and how her knack for numbers has been hugely beneficial along the way.
Her Starting Point
Let's rewind to the beginning. Where did you begin your career?
My first real job was at Penn & Schoen associates—a marketing research firm in NYC that did polling for political candidates. It was a start-up by two Harvard Law students. I thought they had great potential and it is now one of the biggest marketing research firms in the world. I didn’t stay too long though as we were working out of one of the principal’s apartments, and it was pretty strange at the time. So, after nine months, I left to go work for another big polling firm in D.C., Peter D. Hart Associates.
Why did you pursue a Master’s in Public Affairs? How has that higher education played a role in your career?
I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do after college. I had applied to law schools and to the prestigious Woodrow Wilson School at Princeton. Princeton seemed like it would be more fun and so different than MIT. All education and experiences are helpful in forming who you are, as well as developing the perspectives and thinking process you bring to your job and life. That said, truthfully, only a little of the coursework was specifically relevant.
How did you discover your passion for communications and branding?
While on the job. I was working at DuPont in marketing research, an obvious progression from my role in political polling, and I started focusing on communications research, including how to do impactful TV commercials, print ads, concept testing, etc. DuPont had some great proprietary techniques and experts in the field that helped me learn about marketing, positioning and communications directly from the analytics. However, I am a creative person so I basically just morphed into the creative development process through the consumer insights and innovative ideas I was able to bring.
Wanting to be part of a space with more creativity, I started working on the LYCRA brand, specifically with fashion media, new product uses and design collaborations with SPANX, UnderAmour, Lululemon and JBrand. I got to work with brands on their way up. I could relate to the product and use my analytical approach to help in strategic development, and my creative side helped to create campaigns and PR buzz. I was pretty good at spotting trends and those skills helped to support and grow the LYCRA brand globally. I worked with Zac Posen, Philip Lim and Derek Lam fairly early in their fashion success. I traveled to London, Paris, Geneva, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Sao Paolo, Tokyo and Barcelona. It was so much more fun than just marketing research!
Her Big Break
Can you explain the transition into your role at Matchbook? What is your approach to finding and attaining new talent?
I left DuPont after it became INVISTA apparel. After twenty years in marketing research, branding and communications for a large corporation, it was exciting to try it on my own. It’s much easier to get things done and create results in a smaller company, not to mention it’s easier to create value and seize opportunities. Talent and results attract new talent. Everyone has something great to contribute but you have to make sure that they are in the right role, with the right resources and the right attitude, and then create a supportive environment to help them succeed.
You work with top costume design talent such as Mad Men designer, Janie Bryant and The Good Wife’s Dan Lawson. How does working with talent differ from working with brands?
Talent is the brand. They are people with strong input and ideas for what their brands represent and what they manifest in their lives. Ultimately, they are the brand managers. We are lucky to work with such great people as the talented costume designers of Mad Men, The Good Wife, Pretty Little Liars, Revenge, GIRLS, The Americans and PORTLANDIA, among others.
How have collaborations between brands and costume designers impacted the industry?
I think the collaborations help bring visibility and value to the voice of the costume designers as experts in their field. It gives them a platform beyond the specific shows they are working on. It allows brands to benefit from the expertise and fan base the designers have as a result of the shows they work on. A costume designer’s work is seen in the homes of millions on the shows they design for. Now the industry is seeing how to bring this talent to consumers in their daily lives.
What is your favorite part of your job? What’s the most challenging?
I work with a great team at Matchbook and we have amazing clients. I am fortunate that we get to work with smart, talented people every day. We are able to create a lot of exciting projects, in addition to creating value for our clients. It’s exciting to be part of the momentum and growth, and to watch it all unfold.
The most challenging part is that I’m sometimes operating out of my comfort zone and I feel out of control. With our brands being people, it can be more emotional. We care about our clients.
What obstacles have you faced during your career, and how were you able to overcome them?
I live in Delaware and it’s hard to work in the world of fashion, apparel and entertainment remotely. However, the Internet makes everything possible. I travel to New York and Los Angeles often, but there is definitely a loss in not being right in the middle of things.
Her Perspective
If we had the chance to peek at your schedule, what would an average day look like?
No day is the same and definitely not a 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. job—It is never ending. I work with clients in London and Australia, with my LA clients ending hours later. I could be online 24 hours a day. In addition, in a creative job like this, everything can have a connection to work. Every article I read, every store I visit, every TV show I watch, every person I meet with—Any and all of these can spark an idea.
Do you think it’s important for marketing professionals to find a niche? What advice would you give to aspiring marketing professionals?
Find something you love. Follow your passion. Get excited and work with people you like and trust and who value your contribution.
What lies ahead for you and Matchbook Company?
I think there are still many successes ahead for our talented clients. We share in their success and grow with them.
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