To succeed in the lingerie industry, it’s imperative to keep one foot in the adult biz, another in the mainstream fashion world — and both hands spinning plates of trend reports, apparel design experience and customer support.
Luckily for Canadian lingerie brand Coquette, marketing director Jacqueline Macleod can tackle it all with passion and cheer. Macleod has spent her entire career working for the Ontario-based company, and it has turned out to be a match made in lacy heaven, enabling Macleod to draw upon both her fashion design background and her personal flair for forming genuine bonds with Coquette’s clients.
I always try to play the long game when it comes to sales, with an emphasis on customer satisfaction and reinvestment instead of a quick deal.
This month’s edition of Women in Adult is an ode to Macleod and her hope of inspiring young women to shoot for the stars.
XBIZ: Tell us about how you ended up as the marketing director for Coquette.
Jacqueline Macleod: I started as a junior designer at Coquette in 2010 when I was fresh out of fashion school. At that time, we were designing lingerie, clubwear and Halloween costumes. My job was to conceptualize new pieces and develop them through pattern-making, sample stages and production. Over the course of a decade, new duties were added to my plate. I was participating in all the photo shoots, trade shows and events, where it became apparent that although I loved being behind the scenes, I also loved communicating the message to our buyers face-to-face. When it came time to choose a marketing director, it made more sense for Coquette to select someone who was already living and breathing the brand and was very closely situated with the company’s creative teams and sales team. In the past, there was often a disconnect between the creative designers and the final product presentation, so I do my best to bridge that gap and continue to strengthen Coquette’s identity.
XBIZ: How do you navigate the industry-specific challenges that come with marketing lingerie, as opposed to other fashion or retail sectors?
Macleod: Over the decade and a half that I have been with the company, I have watched our brand identity flip-flop from adult to mainstream and back many times. In the last few years, we came to the realization that we need to pick a lane. We lean into the sexy, adult space. Our customer is fierce and unapologetic with her fashion choices. Those who don’t get it or still think we’re vulgar will catch up eventually as the world is changing. Sex and lingerie are nowhere near as taboo as when I started my career in 2010.
Obviously, Meta and Google are very difficult to navigate in any sector of the adult industry, so we have been building our brand as organically as possible. Since it is much more difficult to get that initial lead capture, we work really hard to ensure that when we do capture a customer’s attention, they have the best experience and will repay us with their loyalty.
XBIZ: How do you approach understanding and connecting with your target audience, particularly in such a personal and intimate product category?
Macleod: Feedback is a must. We love to hear feedback from the store-floor level, especially when it comes to fit and sizing. Because our presidents also own the retailer Stag Shop, we have an advantage over other lingerie companies. I often consult the store managers on issues related to merchandising and communicating product features to improve the salability of all our B2B customers. We also welcome feedback from all B2B customers through their sales representatives.
XBIZ: What shifts or trends have you noticed in the lingerie market, particularly regarding what modern women are looking for?
Macleod: I’ve been here so long that trends are starting to recycle, which is normal in the fashion world. For example, our 114 Ruffle Booty Shorts that blew up on TikTok. We had that style for almost 20 years, and at one point, we began discontinuing colorways. Then, out of nowhere, the younger generation decided bloomers are everything, and we can barely keep them in stock. That being said, when we notice shifts in what women are looking for, we recognize that they are usually temporary.
XBIZ: Can you share an example of a particularly innovative or successful campaign you’ve led? What made it stand out?
Macleod: We are just launching new video marketing, which is gaining a lot of traction. Until recently, we were putting out perfectly edited images, but we have found that our customers are engaging with the sexy movement in our new media. It is so much easier to display details and features this way as well. Recently, we launched Pleasure Collection videos and Darque videos featuring a fire dancer. We encourage our B2B customers to download and use our assets for free from NuOrder to strengthen their social media platforms and websites. Even in-store video displays could be beneficial if the store has the capacity to include them.
XBIZ: With growing awareness of body positivity and inclusivity, how does your brand ensure it represents and respects the diversity of women’s bodies in your marketing efforts?
Macleod: This is something we always strive for, but we feel like there is always room for improvement. The public will always ask for more body types and more variety in models. If budget were no option, we would hire 100 models. Unfortunately, in Canada the modeling agencies we work with are quite expensive, so we do our best with the candidates we have. Moving into 2025, we are looking at collaborating more with influencers to expand our imagery into new markets.
We do always include a plus-size image if a style comes in plus sizing, and we have discussed possibly adding an in-between size model to the mix. We currently have over 1,400 SKUs, so this would be a large undertaking.
XBIZ: What advice would you give to young professionals, particularly women, seeking a career in marketing within the lingerie industry? What skills and qualities do you think are essential for success?
Macleod: The most important part is connecting with others in the industry and building strong relationships. Listening carefully to your customers regarding any challenges they are facing and creating viable solutions for them that you can actually deliver is the best way to get noticed in the industry. I always try to play the long game when it comes to sales, with an emphasis on customer satisfaction and reinvestment instead of a quick deal that a customer may not be able to sell-through without the proper support. I would also say that embodying the brand you are representing is key. You will never catch me at a trade show or a client dinner not wearing Coquette. I always encourage our sales reps to do the same. So many industry members have a special passion for lingerie, so matching that energy is imperative to shining in lingerie marketing or sales.
Each month, XBIZ spotlights the career accomplishments and outstanding contributions of Women in Adult. WIA profiles offer an intimate look at the professional lives of the industry’s most influential businesswomen.
