Old Navy
October 28, 2022
For Old Navy Communications Specialist, Mark Salupen, there’s no better way to tell stories about our brand and culture than experiencing them firsthand. The Brooklyn-based writer, designer, and all-around comms professional structures his workdays based on intentionality—getting inspiration at home by the riverside, connecting with field teams at our stores, or finding focus on a sunny couch at Gap Inc.’s New York hub in Tribeca.
Join Mark on one of his workdays hanging in and around the Big Apple.
6:45 AM – On mornings I wake up early, I make a quick breakfast and walk by the waterfront near my apartment in Brooklyn. Having something to do before the work day always helps me ease into the day.
8:30 AM – I start my work day by heading to a photo shoot in Times Square for the reopening of our Old Navy store. (Honestly, one of the only times you’ll find me in Times Square!) When I have the time, I love visiting stores and working alongside our teams. Our store teams are filled with some of the nicest, hard-working people who bring ✨ Everyday Magic ✨ to life for our customers.
10:00 AM – I jump on the subway and head to our NYC office. First, I say hi to my friends over in the Gapeteria and grab an iced coffee. I sit by the window and start editorial planning for the week for some of our owned channels. (Think: social, internal channels, Gap Inc. Newsroom, you name it!). This often involves drafting copy, working alongside our internal creative teams to design assets, or designing for my team firsthand by flexing my Illustrator and Photoshop muscles.
11:00 AM – I touch base with my manager Summer to discuss my priorities for the next week and catch up on life. Then I head back to the Gapeteria and grab something from the lunch menu. Our chefs switch it up every week, so I love seeing what they come up with!
2:00 PM – I hop on a Zoom call with my team members across North America to talk about updates in the business and ways our team can support. For example, Old Navy recently launched our Denim Fit Experience campaign this fall where our team planned employee activations, launched an employee spotlight series featuring some of the brilliant talent behind the campaign, and published stories across various channels, including our Gap Inc. Newsroom, to spread the word about the campaign! This time is also an opportunity for team members to share updates about projects that we’re working on.
3:30 PM – BeReal notifies me that it is, in fact, “⚠️ Time to BeReal ⚠️” so my other 9-5 friends and I take our obligatory desk pictures and proceed with our day jobs. Around this time, I start doing outreach with local media outlets to share some of the latest updates about Old Navy. This involves coaching our store teams through media training and crafting media alerts to share with publications to brief them on the latest about the brand!
4:00 PM – I get ready for my final meeting of the day with some team members on the enterprise side at Gap Inc. to brainstorm storytelling ideas and creative trends that we should try on our social channels! Recently, we launched our “In the News” series, a collection of the latest news and articles about our brands amplified on our page to give a snapshot of some of the latest happenings at the company.
5:00 PM – I wrap up my day and log off to meet with friends in the city at Zest Sushi (love their happy hour sushi rolls) and cap the night off with drinks at Verlaine’s in the Lower East Side!
Mark being real at happy hour with CWA Design Apprentices!
‘Fit Check with Mark
What makes you proud to work with us?
I love that Old Navy has cemented itself as a mainstay in pop culture and fashion. Starting my career here—in a communications role especially—I’ve been able to make more of an impact to ensure diverse representation in media. Gap Inc.’s purpose is Inclusive, By Design, and I’m proud to add to a company that shares the same values.
On the team level, I enjoy how closely our teams work across our portfolio of brands and I’m happy to partner alongside such an incredible pool of talented team members!
Tell us about your personal style…
I love investing in pieces that express my own creative spin to a lot of classic and minimal styles. Sometimes that manifests by playing with silhouettes and colors that are out of my comfort zone or pairing an outfit with a fun accessory or print to make it feel not only more elevated but more personal. Gap and Banana Republic's assortment have been a sandbox for me to express my individuality!
Did Mark’s workday inspire you? Learn more about Old Navy careers here.
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