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May 2007 - Strategy Magazine
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A green rebirth: how Cotton Ginny's Laurie Dubrovac rejuvenated a dead brand

by Karen Mazurkewich and Annette Bourdeau
page 22

Laurie Dubrovac is helping the Canadian retailer Cotton Ginny undergo a phoenix-like transformation. The Mississauga, Ont.-based casual clothing company, which filed for bankruptcy in 2003, is re-inventing itself as the queen of green.

In June, the retailer is launching a loft-like new concept store in Guelph, Ont., that will have an earthy, eco-friendly focus. The chain, which has 136 stores across English-speaking Canada, is also planning to roll out six more new stores over the next year.

Dubrovac, who returned as director of marketing and communications last year, is defining its eco niche in the popular new retail space. "We are coming back from the ashes with a vision of sustainability," she says.

After taking over the company in 2003, president/CEO Tony Chahine's plan was to return to the brand's earthy roots by sourcing fabrics that reflected a more sustainable approach to retail, says Dubrovac. "His philosophy - to do business to reduce the environmental footprint - made sense for me and the brand," she says.

Chahine entrusted Dubrovac with branding the company's new green mandate. "She was given full autonomy to grow the brand based on certain principles in our vision, and she just ran with it," he says. "She understands where we wanted to go."

One of Dubrovac's recent initiatives was an Earth Day guerrilla effort on April 22. She sent street teams across Toronto to "catch" people in enviro-friendly acts like cycling or using a commuter coffee mug. Those who were spotted received a free certified organic cotton T-shirt and a coupon for 15% off of the brand's organic or sustainable lines.

Even before her current involvement, Cotton Ginny was already a brand near and dear to Dubrovac's heart. She worked at the company from 1999 to 2003, before it went belly up. A former agency broadcast producer, she joined the Hudson Bay Company in 2003 and was promoted to director of in-store marketing, but returned to the Ginny fold last year so she could work with a company that she says is ahead of the curve.

"I was moved by Tony's passion for building a business that has a positive impact on people," she says. "Lots of companies say this in their mission statement, but not all really live it. Ultimately, to be a good marketer, you have to believe in your product. There can't be one atom's worth of doubt. I believe in Cotton Ginny."

She adds: "To be able to work for a brand that not only wants to be profitable, but kind to the environment and farmers, and workers in developing nations, feels good. It feels right. Also, I believed, (and still do) there was no one out there who wanted to see this brand succeed more than I do or have as much passion for the brand as I do."

Last September, Cotton Ginny launched Eco-Ganic, a 100% organic cotton clothing line that includes T-shirts, fleece clothing, and baby outfits. Dubrovac focused her resources on promoting it in mags like Viva and Green Living, as well as at cottonginny.ca, which was redesigned in-house last fall.

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