Building a Multi-Brand E-mail System for The Rockport Group
MY ROLES:
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Visual Design Lead
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Brand Standards
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Design System
TEAM CREDITS:
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Karen Shaheen, Brand Manager, Rockport
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Karen Pitts, Brand Manager, Aravon and Dunham
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Ashlee Benner, Creative Operations Manager
AGENCY CREDITS:
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BReel
Following its separation from Adidas, Rockport pivoted to a digital-first strategy with e-commerce at its core. As an "established" start-up, the company had strong brand equity but operated with lean resources—particularly when it came to content creation and management.
My challenge: design a flexible email framework within Marketing Cloud that could serve four distinct brands–Rockport, Aravon, Dunham, and Cobb Hill–while maintaining their individual identities under The Rockport Group umbrella. The solution needed to adapt to seasonal brand changes and content while effectiely managing shared marketing components.
The unifying concept emerged from the brand's shared DNA and heritage in comfort. "Comfort runs in the family" became the connecting thread, speaking to the literal footwear function while referencing the connection under The Rockport Group umbrella. The resulting template system enabled personalized messaging while streamlining creation processes. Its success led to expansion into a comprehensive digital style guide covering email, social media, and other digital channels, ensuring brand consistency across platforms.
With the cyclical nature of fashion retail, each season introduced new campaign visuals, from display typography to graphic treatments. The framework had to be robust enough to handle dramatic stylistic shifts between seasons while maintaining structural integrity. For example, a summer campaign might feature light, airy typography while fall demanded bold, dramatic fonts—the template needed to accommodate these extremes without compromising layout stability.
By breaking down emails into functional communication blocks—promotional headers, product features, primary calls-to-action, brand sign-offs—I created a flexible system that prioritized content structure over rigid design. This architecture allowed each brand to maintain its distinct seasonal identity while following a consistent communication hierarchy, effectively balancing creative freedom with operational efficiency.
A unique challenge emerged from retailer relationships: campaign photography often couldn't feature specific products if they weren't carried by certain retailers. This required developing a creative solution for maintaining engaging visual storytelling without relying on product-specific imagery, ensuring each brand could craft compelling campaigns while respecting retail partner agreements.
All work
