Coach is successfully revitalizing its brand relevance among Gen Z consumers by shifting from transactional advertisements to long-term, authentic partnerships with influential YouTube and social media content creators.

Key points

• Coach’s North American marketing VP, Kimberly Landry Wallengren, highlighted the brand's strategy at YouTube’s IAB NewFronts presentation.
• The company utilized long-term collaborations, such as the campaign featuring YouTube creator Haley Pham, to promote the signature Tabby bag.
• These creator-led initiatives have significantly increased brand consideration and acquisition rates among Gen Z female shoppers.
• YouTube is supporting these marketing efforts by rebranding its BrandConnect platform to YouTube Creator Partnerships, utilizing Google’s Gemini AI to link brands with creators.
• Meta is simultaneously introducing new affiliate tools on Instagram and Facebook to help brands capitalize on cultural trends and drive direct shopping.

Coach’s pivot demonstrates how heritage luxury brands can successfully modernize their image by leveraging the high levels of trust between digital creators and their audiences. This strategy highlights a broader industry shift where long-term influencer partnerships are increasingly prioritized over traditional, one-off advertising to drive measurable business growth.