A rapid-response pilot capturing a historic moment and testing brand-driven commerce

Opportunity

As the nation anticipated for one of the most significant political events in modern American history — President Biden’s inauguration and the swearing in of the first female VP, Kamala Harris — USA TODAY saw an opportunity to go beyond reporting and truly commemorate the moment. The goal: quickly launch a direct-to-consumer eCommerce pilot that aligned with our journalistic efforts, generated revenue, and tested audience appetite for USA TODAY branded products. With no internal precedent for this type of initiative, the program required rapid alignment across acquisition, commerce, editorial, and marketing, with the added pressure of a narrow window to launch to meet the moment.

Approach

I led the program end-to-end, partnering with fast-to-market vendor Breaking T to build the storefront from the ground up. I managed the vendor relationship, defined the product mix, and shaped the storefront experience to align with editorial timelines and production capabilities. Collaborating closely with newsroom partners, I translated election and inauguration coverage into timely, commemorative products. To drive visibility and sales, I developed an integrated marketing campaign across USA TODAY Network’s digital, print, and social platforms, timed to peak inauguration coverage, capitalizing on a small window of national attention. Beyond short-term sales, the program was viewed as a testing ground for infrastructure, operational feasibility, and proving out a replicable model for future brand-driven commerce.

Impact

Launched USA TODAY’s first DTC merch storefront

The storefront on BreakingT enabled seamless sales of branded merchandise and commemorative reprints, defining the blueprint for future eComm initiatives.

Validated new revenue stream & brand engagement model

The Inauguration Collection became the proof of concept that secured C-suite buy-in for a dedicated eCommerce strategy, paving the way for the launch of the USA TODAY Network store and a long-term, revenue-generating branded merch strategy.

Harris First Female VP Front Cover Reprint