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Lindsey Kracum is VP of marketing at skin care brand Versed.
How would you describe your job to someone who doesn’t work in retail? I make stellar skin care products that consumers love and help convince them to purchase those products (time and time again) by telling and showing them how incredible and high-performance said products are.
One thing we can’t guess about your job from your LinkedIn profile? I spend a lot of time in Excel. I have always loved data (statistics was one of my favorite classes in B-school). I am a big believer that to be a powerful marketer, you have to understand data and what drives the brand, whether its retail sales or social media engagement metrics. Even if I am not building the reports at this stage in my career, I still like to dig into the data in my spare time.
What’s your favorite project you’ve worked on? I am working on something very exciting for Versed right now to come to life in early 2025—but we’ll have to wait a bit longer to talk about that. From a past job, it would have to be leading the launch strategy for Neutrogena Hydro Boost. This was during my first role at Neutrogena, and I was very fortunate to have leaders who trusted me implicitly. The launch incorporated a lot of the traditional GTM elements (TV, print, digital, in-store), but this also was the first product launch where Neutrogena incorporated a pre-launch strategy (think product seeding, review generation, etc.). That may seem like a no-brainer in today’s marketing world, but at that time, it took a lot of senior leadership convincing and coordination with our ops team to make it happen.
Which emerging retail trend are you most excited about right now, and why? I am intrigued by the Ulta Beauty/SOS smart vending machine pilot program. We all know samples are a very effective way to get products into consumers hands, but for mass brands, it is often hard to do so given the retail environment. We don’t have access to the same checkout experience that prestige brands do at retailers like Sephora. This could unlock a new opportunity for mass retailers and brands to get samples into the hands of shoppers, while also providing a new marketing vehicle in-store.
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What’s your go-to coffee order? It depends on the season. I am a sucker for Starbucks seasonal offerings—call me basic, but yes, I order a PSL in the fall. For winter, I love their Sugar Cookie Almond Milk Latte. And in the summer, their Iced Brown Sugar Oat Milk Shaken Espresso.
Worst piece of advice you’ve received? If you do great work, it will be recognized. Don’t get me wrong, I have had phenomenal managers in the past who were vocal about recognizing and praising hard work. But in general, as I have progressed in my career, I have realized I need to advocate for myself. Be your own megaphone; don’t shy away from that!
What was your favorite retail product when you were 15, and what’s your favorite retail product now? [At 15,] I was an avid Sun-In user—and I didn’t exactly use it with a deft hand. My parents allowed me to get subtle highlights, but I always wanted them to be brighter. I also loved the Lip Smacker roll-on lip glosses. They were slightly more elevated than the original Lip Smacker tubes. Now, my favorite product is Versed Smooth Landing Retinoid Eye Balm. Being a woman of a certain age—and with three tiny humans calling me Mom—my eye area isn’t as vibrant as it once was.