Profile of a Growth Marketer: Hannah Shumate, Nisolo
Profile of a Growth Marketer is an ongoing series where we feature partner marketing industry leaders from around the globe.
We sat down with Hannah Shumate, Brand Partnerships and Acquisition Coordinator at Nisolo, to learn more about what makes Nisolo unique in the fashion industry, what got her interested in marketing and some advantages to working with Acceleration Partners.
What is your role at Nisolo, and how would you describe what you do to your family and friends?
I oversee all of Brand Partnerships, which includes public relations, affiliate marketing and influencer marketing. I am also accountable for our referral and direct mail programs.
With affiliate marketing being a fairly new field in the world of marketing, most people have heard of it, but aren’t exactly sure what it is. I always wish I could explain what I do with one word like “accounting.” The easiest way to explain it to loved ones is simply stating that I do external marketing for Nisolo.
You can see this in the tagged photos on our Instagram page and media publication round ups of “The Best Shoes for Spring.” This explanation is usually followed by the question “What do you do again?” a couple of months later.
What got you interested in marketing?
My family is full of entrepreneurs, so when I attended Auburn, Entrepreneurship was one of the majors I decided to pursue along with Fashion Merchandising. Fashion has always been an interest of mine, but I really wanted that business background.
Marketing and sales were the areas of business that I found to be the most fascinating. I loved the idea of taking something useful and communicating that to the external world. Especially in this day and age where branding and marketing can really make or break the success of a company.
What makes Nisolo so unique in the fashion industry?
At Nisolo, we really value people and the planet. Every Nisolo purchase ensures a living wage to 100% of the people creating products in our factory that we own and operate, and enables us to pursue living wages throughout the rest of our supply chain.
We are also combating climate change by reducing and offsetting 100% of our carbon emissions, verified by Climate Neutral Certification. We think third party verification is also important as sustainability has become trendier, and we are a B-Corp certified brand.
From your experience, how has the affiliate marketing model added value to Nisolo?
Affiliate marketing is consistent and will continue to drive traffic and sales even after the initial go live date of an inclusion. These affiliate links will live on the internet for long periods of time and adding to them only increases the growth of the program.
It is a reliable side of our business that also gets us significant brand awareness and recognition by having outside sources communicate the brand for us. Additionally, it is a super affordable channel with a lot of different opportunities to test.
What do you find most rewarding about working on Nisolo’s affiliate marketing program?
I love the connections I get to make and talking with new people every day. I am a natural conversationalist, so it is my favorite part of my job. I also love that each day is different—it really breaks up the monotony that a typical desk job may have.
What are some advantages to working with Acceleration Partners?
It’s awesome to have a team like Acceleration Partners to work with, especially being the sole person at my company responsible for our affiliate program right now while we work to expand. Acceleration Partners is great at execution, but also coming to the table with their own ideas.
They are always on top of conversations with me and potential partners in the pipeline. I can rest easy knowing that things are getting done by the Acceleration Partners team—not to mention their fair share of contacts that we would potentially not have access to if not for our partnership! I am very thankful for our collaboration, as it helps a ton with our stretched bandwidth.
What do you see as some of the biggest challenges/opportunities in digital marketing today?
I always find the biggest challenge is not being able to easily have links on social media. That area would be so much more trackable and visibly successful if influencers were able to add an affiliate link directly in the caption of their Instagram/TikTok. The opportunities I see are really leaning toward video content from an internal and external marketing perspective. Customers really favor it, and it’s a great way to tell your brand’s story.
About Nisolo
Nisolo supports local craftsmen and promotes a more sustainable fashion industry. Based in Nashville, with a main factory in Peru, Nisolo only uses leather that is a by-product of the meat industry and follows eco-friendly waste disposal practices. It’s also sustainable on a human level: Nisolo now has nearly 200 employees who are paid beyond fair wages, receive health care, and work in a healthy environment. Meeting the highest standards of verified social and environmental responsibility, Nisolo has become one of the world’s top-rated footwear and accessories brands among all Certified B Corporations.
Their Philosophy: The products we wear should not only look good but should enhance the lives of the people who made them, give back more to the planet than they take away, and make our lives a little more enjoyable. This is why we design great looking products that are comfortable, functional, and always made responsibly.
