 photo by steed media service
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embracing hip-hop culture
New
York native Jennifer Yu knows her business. Before assuming her current
position as marketing entertainment manager for New Era, Yu held a
similar post at Fila. Currently working with arguably the most popular
cap maker and distributor in the world, Yu is responsible for selling
her company’s product via music, television and film.
Recently, New Era partnered with rapper-actor Ludacris for the Capture
the Flag program, in which Ludacris joined drummer Travis Barker and
the two were the only musicians to be included in the company’s premier
marketing campaign. For Yu and her staff, choosing an artist like
Ludacris – a hip-hop veteran – was a no-brainer. “We really have strict
guidelines and you have to be an iconic figure, meaning 10 years or
more in the industry,” Yu says. “Ludacris definitely fits that, he’s a
man of many platforms.”
By reaching out to the hip-hop community, Yu demonstrates her
understanding of the relevance and prominence of the culture, unlike
many so-called marketing gurus. “The [hip-hop community] in general has
been a really big supporter of New Era,” she says. “[The artists]
helped our brand grow on a very organic level, so we definitely want to
keep current with trends … up-and-coming artists and established
artists.”
For Yu, who has now been with New Era for two years, the most
gratifying part of working for the fashion staple is the simple fact
that people consider her company the endgame on ball caps.
“It’s great to see how many people are really just true supporters of the brand everywhere you go,” she says.
For more information, visit www.neweracap.com.
For more info, visit www.galleryguichard.com.
–gavin philip godfrey
For more information, please visit www.cbww.org.
