Business

Gap Hires a Chief Entertainment Officer as Retailers Chase Attention

Gap Inc. made an unconventional hire this year: a chief entertainment officer. The retailer tapped former Paramount executive Pam Kaufman to run a newly created

By Alistair Sterling

November 14, 20261 min read

Gap Hires a Chief Entertainment Officer as Retailers Chase Attention

Gap Inc. made an unconventional hire this year: a chief entertainment officer. The retailer tapped former Paramount executive Pam Kaufman to run a newly created entertainment, content and licensing platform.

Gap is not alone. Retailers are increasingly building out entertainment divisions as the race for consumer attention speeds up, according to experts cited in the report.

What is driving the shift

Experts point to three forces. The entertainment industry has consolidated heavily, creators have multiplied, and younger consumers are shopping in different ways than earlier generations.

Compelling content or immersive experiences do not always translate into sales growth, they cautioned.

Gap's playbook

Since Kaufman's arrival, Gap has rolled out major campaigns. It has partnered with bands such as Just Your Type and built on the success of last year's ads featuring the girl group Katseye.

Kaufman said the approach is part of a broader goal to emphasize what Gap calls "fashiontainment."

"Beloved brands have value beyond the products they sell," Kaufman said in a statement to CNBC. "Consumers identify with them, trust them and want to be part of their world."

She added that authenticity is the test. "Every extension has to reflect what the brand stands for and give its fans a meaningful new way to experience it."