S4 E2: Kevin McCullough - Magic Carpets

Join Gordon and Ger in an information-packed episode with Kevin McCullough, eCommerce Director with Kukoon, an Irish homeware brand specialising in rugs. It’s been a phenomenal few years at Kukoon, who were able to take full advantage of the opportunity offered by the pandemic to grow sales significantly, but then faced the challenges of exuberant overstocking when the 2022 online retail downturn hit. Learn how the company rebranded and repositioned itself. The bold move to embrace a clear identity, how that paid off in spades and made it easier to talk about the business and its products. This all happened while taking the even bolder decision to leave Amazon and adopt a DTC model. You’ll hear how Kukoon escaped the ‘Amazon Trap’. More success followed as the company started using influencers to promote its rugs. But the influencer landscape has changed in the past year. What was once a surefire marketing strategy has lost its potency. That required another bold step: celebrity endorsement. But how do you keep it authentic? Kevin tells you. But brace yourself. Just like Kukoon had to overcome challenges to flourish, so does this episode of the podcast. The tech turns against us and the outro turns chaotic, leading to our most dramatic ending yet.