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Megan Bailey Darmody has spent more than eight years at e-commerce flower and gift company UrbanStems, serving as VP of brand marketing for the last year.
How would you describe your job to someone who doesn’t work in retail? I’ve always seen myself as a storyteller. My job is to create distinctive stories about brands, products, and experiences that deepen the customer connection and create differentiation from competitors.
One thing we can’t guess about your job from your LinkedIn profile? While my role is primarily marketing, communications, and creative, I have always operated with an awareness of logistics, operations, and execution. I see it as both a part of being an empathetic leader and colleague and as a way to move faster. If you are thinking ahead to how the campaign will affect your team, live in your different channels, or land with your customers, you are less likely to be surprised with an unexpected blocker.
What’s your favorite project you’ve worked on? I have very fond memories of bringing our Vogue partnership to life. From being in their offices for the big pitch to hand-packing the press mailer and watching the sales come in—we were a young brand at the time taking a big leap. I’m also very proud of how it has evolved years later and become a symbol of our premium positioning.
Which emerging retail trend are you most excited about right now, and why? Like many e-commerce brands we are incorporating AI into our customer communications and creative work. I’m excited about how this will give us even more touchpoints to tell our story. But maybe even more importantly, we can use this technology to listen to our customers and respond to their needs.
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What’s your go-to coffee order? My husband and I both work remotely and we are big coffee drinkers, so I typically start the day with fresh ground coffee (Lavazza is our go-to) with a touch of almond milk. If I am buying coffee, my order is usually a cold brew with almond milk.
Worst piece of advice you’ve received? While this advice was seen as negative to me at the time, it ended up really shaping my career. I had a boss who was pushing me to mirror the personality and tactics of PR professionals he’d encountered and I felt like the approach was very limiting (and maybe a little stereotypical). Not long after, I started expanding my scope into email and social media and evolved from publicity to brand marketing.
What was your favorite retail product when you were 15, and what’s your favorite retail product now? At 15, I was probably in the height of my small purse era. Coach was big in my town because we actually had a store and we would beg our moms to let us get the mini shoulder bags. [Now,] I love to cook and do a lot of it with two small kids, so my favorite retail products now are probably things that help it feel fun (my Caraway set or fancy drinkware).