Kevin McIntosh Jr. on Community and Entrepreneurship

Global PR Director Kevin McIntosh Jr. sees fashion magic happening for brands that embrace a broad range of creative voices, deploying a 360° strategy to promote their vision. A full-spectrum approach is nonnegotiable in today’s hyper-connected fashion landscape. As the chief executive officer at KMJR.World, Kevin shares with Christopher Michael his front-row perspective on why PR today encompasses everything from dressing celebrities and athletes to staging runway events and publishing a blog post or an interview in print or online. While social media and digital platforms have vast worldwide reach, Kevin still sees brick-and-mortar and real-life interactions as critical to cultivating honest consumer connections and building brand loyalty. He also weighs in on where the industry stands in terms of DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) and how, now more than ever, contemporary culture is both shaped by and reflective of a melting pot  of influences. For Kevin, bringing diverse voices together is the way to shift culture, make noise, and have fun.

Episode Highlights:

• The mastheads of fashion magazines are limited and without much turnover, which prompted Kevin to cultivate his career in the vaster world of communications.
• The dynamism and exposure to global travel were a large part of what made Karla Otto a happy home for Kevin until he ultimately made the entrepreneurial leap to launch his namesake fashion consulting firm, KMJR.World
• Working with Virgil Abloh influenced Kevin and opened doors for him, putting him “in a position … to be taken seriously and respected.”
• Creating Space: As a Black man, Kevin had no illusions about the landscape he joined, but he’s encouraged by the growing community of color influencing the fashion industry.
• Fashion is built on fantasy and selling the dream, which Kevin allows space for even when working with authenticity and positive impact as his driving pillars.
• Nice guys do finish first! Kevin credits his reputation as a positive team player to a loving upbringing and an open, easy attitude.
• He sees increasing demand among brands for smaller, more agile communications partners who offer intimacy, personalization, and hands-on, accessible collaboration.
• He sees contemporary culture as reflecting a robust mash-up of influences, ranging from music, art and fashion to athletics and a life experience on any given city block.
• Branding today requires a 360° approach: Dressing celebrities, fashion sites and publications, working with partners to stage exceptional events—all of it.
• Runway shows as a global marketing tool that—while expensive—pay huge dividends in terms of exposure and reach.
• Digital has its selling points, but real-life events and brick-and-mortar offer irreplaceable energy.
• The metaverse is emerging, but Kevin is not ready to weigh in.
• Is it possible to build a heritage brand in today’s environment? “Yes,” says Kevin, “if you’ve got a compelling product and the storytelling to perpetuate it.”
• Defining PR: What does it really mean to publicize a brand—all kinds of packages and a variety of means designers and brands often don’t fully register.
• A global marketing strategy today requires a nuanced conversation that considers regional influences and how social media amplifies messages and shapes cultures globally.
• Kevin closes with thoughts on where Black creatives are in the industry today and the need to transcend performative gestures and optics to offer opportunity to the richest, most diverse possible tapestry of talent and lived experiences.

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