Dear BAMf Podcast: Episode 52 with Julie Inouye

Dear BAMf // Episode 52: Julie Inouye of VSCO explains how to get your rebrand maximum coverage.

In this episode of the Dear BAMf podcast, we speak with Julie Inouye, Vice President of Communications and Social at VSCO - where Julie leads global communications and social media strategy. She is a crisis communications junkie at heart and has learned that change is the constant in technology. In this episode, Julie answers tough marketing and PR questions from our listeners, including this one about how to get your rebrand maximum coverage.

Dear BAMf,

My company is gearing up to launch a new website, equipped with the rebrand and new messaging around our products. The executive team is eager to quote, "Make a big splash around this campaign with our PR efforts," Yet I know a rebrand isn't exactly news. I'm under pressure to share other ideas and avenues that will help us get more eyes on the company website and product descriptions after this launch. What are some things I can consider suggesting?

Listen now to hear how Julie advises this writer to move forward.

Dear BAMf: Episode 52

Episode 52 highlights:

• (2:00) What is VSCO?

  "VSCO is a mobile app for self-expression. It's where people come to edit and make professional-grade sort of edits to photos and videos, and they do it all from their mobile phone," explains Julie. Unlike most social media platforms, VSCO has no likes, comment contributions, or audience reaction. Their creator community strays away from any form of judgment.

• (03:30) What are you most proud of accomplishing in the last 12 months?

  Julie speaks to the campaign started after the Black Lives Matter movement of 2021, "I'm really proud that we were able to, at VSCO, support a campaign called Black Joy Matters." VSCO took the advice from a Black leader who wanted to cover the entire lived experience of Black people and not just the trauma. "Being a visual platform, we used the opportunity to show joy, self-care, and black success," explained Julie.

• (06:19) Do you have a favorite way to tell a story?

  For Julie, this is an easy answer because VSCO focuses on visual stories. Julie pulls from the classic saying that goes," A picture is worth a thousand words." One of the many stories told about the company's users was the "VSCO girl" meme. Julie explains the meme herself, "It turned into of like a fashion archetype, right? You, you know, you've got your scrunchie, your Hydroflask, but If you really dig into the origin of it, it's coming from a place where a lot of high school girls were sharing their love of VSCO. And I believe they were able to show their authentic self using the Visco platform."

• (09:59) How do I get my company's rebrand maximum coverage?

  Before moving forward to obtain media coverage, Julie reminds the listener to define the company's purpose in seeking coverage and create success metrics that align with the desired outcome. She suggests making a bunch of small splashes instead of one big one, "Think about it, not as one big splash, but multiple smaller splashes. Create programming that allows you to continue to tell a story.", says Julie.

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