As Senior Vice President of Brand Marketing at Veronica Beard, Rachel Goldflam leads the fashion company’s global marketing strategy across communications, influencer partnerships, and creative development. With previous roles at fashion and jewelry houses including David Yurman, Burberry, Dolce & Gabbana, and Calvin Klein, she brings deep expertise in luxury fashion marketing to her current position. She serves on the Board of Directors of the Women’s Jewelry Association, which focuses on advancing women’s careers in the jewelry and watch industries. Named to our 2024 Marketers to Watch Series in partnership with The Wall Street Journal, Goldflam spoke to us about her team’s use of AI, Veronica Beard’s recent groundbreaking NFL collaboration, and her approach to building lasting influencer relationships.
What book or podcast do you recommend to marketing leaders today?
I highly recommend the “Acquired” podcast hosted by Ben Gilbert and David Rosenthal. I find the mix of storytelling, interviews, and practical business lessons a valuable resource for any marketing leader.
How are you and your team using GenAI? In what ways is it most effective?
GenAI has been a game-changer in sparking creativity and accelerating idea generation within my team. Whether we’re exploring new ways to engage with a specific customer segment or crafting our brand’s narrative for a particular market, the speed and precision with which GenAI delivers hyper-targeted, personalized insights has been an invaluable asset. It allows us to quickly refine our approach and connect with customers in a more meaningful and relevant way. We’re also exploring new ways to leverage AI solutions to support creative development to maximize our assets, and create efficiencies in product copy descriptions.
What’s a prediction you have for brand marketing and brand strategy over the next few years?
The use of AI in customer engagement is rapidly transforming the way brands interact with consumers through their purchase journey – from the discovery stage when consumers are fed highly personalized product recommendations to the purchase phase when consumers are met with incentives and loyalty programs. This type of customization and personalization is key for Veronica Beard and it’s going to continue to accelerate and evolve as more and more brands embrace AI, especially in the luxury space.
Can you share a recent marketing insight you’ve learned and why it excites you?
I recently came across a statistic highlighting the importance of retention in influencer marketing, which suggests that around 80% of a brand’s influencer marketing efforts should focus on retaining talent. The key takeaway was that maintaining consistent influencer partnerships is more effective than constantly shifting between new talent. I find that sometimes the urge to bring in fresh faces can overshadow the value of nurturing long-term partnerships with proven influencers who contribute to sustained brand growth. I am excited to reimagine our influencer strategy to explore how prioritizing retention can enhance brand visibility and drive growth.
What’s an innovative or exciting project you’re currently working on?
We just launched a partnership with the National Football League to create a limited-edition collection of NFL Dickey Jackets, customized for all 32 teams. We’re thrilled to be partnering with the NFL to reach a wider audience and to provide women with a premium alternative to traditional fan apparel. It’s a very momentous partnership for Veronica Beard, as it not only demonstrates our commitment to meeting the needs of modern women, but it shows our ability to innovate and insert ourselves into conversations happening in the current cultural landscape.
What’s the most pressing business challenge you’ve faced within the last year and what have you done to solve it?
Over the last year it has become increasingly important to balance brand marketing with performance marketing. Changing consumer behavior and geopolitical uncertainty, especially in the past few months, has made it difficult to break through the clutter and acquire and retain clients. We’ve worked hard as a marketing team to ensure that we temper performance-driving tactics with top-of-funnel initiatives such as out-of-home and print media, digital direct partnerships, strategic collaborations, and influencer marketing campaigns. While immediate ROI can be challenging to measure, the long-term impact is positioned to fuel growth across all channels.
What leadership muscle is the most important for marketers to exercise?
Agility. The ability to be agile and responsive to trends and conversations happening in your industry and the culture at large is key to leading an effective marketing team. The more flexible and nimble you are, the more quickly you can seize opportunities to reach new audiences and connect with your customers
What’s the most game-changing piece of career advice you’ve ever received?
Always lead by example. It is critical to embody and practice the values and work ethic that you want to encourage in others – not through lip service, but through consistent and concrete actions. I have found that this way of leading not only builds trust and motivation, but also creates clear expectations and standards for success.
What gives you energy and inspiration outside of work?
I’m constantly inspired by the women around me — the trailblazers who embody strength, ambition, and individuality in everything they do. At Veronica Beard, we call these extraordinary women the “movers and shakers,” as they lead with purpose and redefine what it means to be modern and fearless. These are the muses of our brand, reminding us that fashion and style are not just about what we wear but about how we move through the world with intention and impact. And I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention that two of these muses are my daughters, Jolie and Jordyn, who are my endless sources of inspiration, creativity, and boundless energy!
Marketers to Watch is a recognition series to spotlight highly innovative and forward-thinking marketing leaders in the community. If you have someone you’d like to nominate for the series, apply here.
