How Aéropostale entertains Gen Alpha with a creator-led mini-series

Aeropostale is capitalizing on Intern Season with their new Intern Diaries mini series starring Déjà Clark. “The first two episodes of the season notched 3.5 million views across social platforms.” Catalyst Brands‘ chief customer and marketing officer, Marisa Thalberg, said it’s important to go where the fans are. The team expected YouTube, but Clark’s fans are mostly on TikTok, so they pivoted. Last year’s series with Demetra Dias boosted app downloads, and Déjà Clark’s collection will be available exclusively via the app July 16–17 before rolling out online and in stores July 18, which the brand expects will have a similar effect on downloads.

This success follows the brands’ 30% YoY customer growth amid a Gen Z/Gen Alpha mall resurgence. Per USA Today, teens are returning for a tangible social experience technology can’t replicate.

Catalyst Brands has also noticed more parents shopping with their kids, resulting in the brand tapping into a new “Next Stop” platform. Separately, the retailer introduced a joint rewards program with JCPenney and Aeropostale to make it easier to shop across its portfolio amid ongoing inflation pressures. Thalberg reported early “cross shop behaviors” as a result of the loyalty tie-up. Both moves, along with the content series, reflect a broader push to turn consumer insights into shopper behavior.

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