Pre-tested YouTube storytelling made Coach Gen Z's preferred handbag brand, driving record revenue.
This case describes how the fashion retailer Coach refreshed its appeal to the Gen Z market. From 2023 onwards, the brand increased creative pre-testing across production phases to optimise its storytelling in digital environments. This data-driven approach was then used to direct global media spend, investing in YouTube as the key channel.
Evidence that this was effective includes by 2025, Coach had increased its lead as the preferred handbag brand of Gen Z shoppers. Further, in early 2026, the brand achieved a record $2.14 billion revenue quarter with Gen Z spending rising 46% year-over-year and this demographic accounting for more than a third of new customers.