Retail Marketing & Merch Strategy
USC Purple Store
Brand Identity to Audience Identities: Creating Campaigns That Truly Resonate
When you respect your audience—and speak their language without trying too hard—they respond
Great brands aren’t built by being louder or more “official,” but by being honest, observant, and culturally fluent.
The Context
Homecoming is one of the most pivotal retail moments of the year, and the USC Purple Store needed a campaign that truly resonated with Gen Z’s style, preference, and campus culture. The goal is to differentiate from its main competitor and establish and re-establish its “for student, by student” identity.
What We Did
I grounded the strategy in student insights, a target market and a SWOT analysis, and translated that into trend-aligned merch, playful creative direction, and a digital-first campaign that felt native to how students already communicate.
We anchored the Homecoming Merch Campaign around three core objectives:
Differentiate the USC Purple Store through trend-aligned, student-centric designs
Reinforce brand identity among incoming students during a peak retail moment
Increase sales performance and social engagement through a cohesive, Gen Z–focused launch
I led the project end-to-end—from research and merch design to photoshoots, content production, ambassador activation, and on-campus pop-ups.
Every touchpoint was designed to feel human, self-aware, and culturally in on the joke. The result wasn’t just a better-looking campaign—it was a brand students wanted to participate in.
Campaign Impacts
Sold Out
multiple designs across the collection within 3 weeks
1.7× Increase
in Homecoming sales compared to last year
$7014.80
sales made over 14 days