Interview: Megan Travale, Coordinator of Product Marketing at BECCA Cosmetics

Careers in fashion is a hot topic here at FashionUnited. BECCA Cosmetic’s Coordinator of Product Marketing, Megan Travale tells us what she loves about her job. Upon graduation from the Fashion Institue of Technology, a contact who worked at BECCA asked Travale if she was interested in doing a marketing internship with them. Travale worked incredibly hard to prove herself and let her team members know from the start that she wanted to stay full time after the internship. Soon enough, Travale received a call from BECCA's HR department saying they wanted to offer her a role with the company, and she hasn’t looked back since!

What does a workday look like for you?

It’s different every day, and that’s what I enjoy! My typical workday at BECCA starts with making coffee and catching up with my friends. After that, I head to my desk and check my to-do list to see what my priorities are for the day or week. Part of my job is to be the expert in the competitive landscape – spearheading the research by looking at competitor brands. I am also often in the NPD Sales Database to see who are the top players in categories we currently sell in or are looking to enter. I track the status and manage the process of new launch samples working with packaging and product development to ensure we can get samples to send to our retail partners on time.

What does being the Coordinator of Product Marketing at BECCA Inc. entail?

• Have an open mind: No idea is a bad idea and no idea is too big or too small.
• Be Creative: We work as a team to ideate new product innovations, thinking of the coolest technologies or ingredients we can put in our products.
• Be Observant: You always have to keep an eye on competitor brands - what are the latest trends, innovations and how are they supporting it? On top of what you’re seeing currently, you have to be aware of what is to come – who is launching a new product or brand soon, what are they launching, when and how?
• Think Strategically: You have to be sure everything we are doing is on brand, why does this product make sense for us? Why does the BECCA consumer want to use this product?

Can you tell us about your background, what led you to work at BECCA Cosmetics?

I attended the Fashion Institute of Technology for my Bachelor’s degree on a track for Fashion Business Management. During my time there I interned at Marc Jacobs for product development in their handbags and accessories division. Once I had some experience in fashion, I decided to give the beauty industry a try! I absolutely fell in love with beauty marketing during my internship with Fusion Brands – I instantly knew I had a passion for beauty.

What do you like most about your job?

My voice is heard and my ideas actually come to life. Last year when we launched our Own Your Glow campaign which celebrated our 10 permanent shades of Shimmering Skin Perfector® Pressed Highlighter, we threw an event and wanted to create an irresistible photo moment. I had an idea to make a carousel where the seats were all the shades of our highlighters and call it the Merry GLOW Round - and this incredible idea came to life at our event in LA last April!

Can you tell us of any current projects you are overseeing at BECCA Cosmetics?

Part of my role is to be in charge of BECCA’s pre-production sample process. I work with all the cross-functional teams (packaging, creative, product development, PR) in both the North America & International accounts to deliver product samples to our team and retail partners in time for their photoshoots, forecasting and meetings. I also spearhead competitive research for the global marketing team.

What is your must-have beauty item?

BECCA’s Shimmering Skin Perfector® Pressed Highlighter is my holy grail beauty product. I like my skin to be glowing so much you can see it from outer space!

What’s the best advice you've ever received?

Always plan that the plan won’t go according to plan.

Any memorable career moments you’d like to share with us?

Last year we put on a lot of events for our new product launches. I got to work on the events team to bring these launches to life by communicating our key messages and forming lasting relationships with influencers and consumers in a creative way. Some of the key launch events I helped produce for BECCA include: Be A Light influencer dinner in LA, BECCA x CHRISSY Endless Summer Glow event in Malibu, the #BECCAScape Skin Love launch in Maui, and the star-studded #BECCABFFs launch with Khloé Kardashian & Malika Haqq.

What is your advice for those who would like to work at BECCA Inc.?

Be yourself and have a passion for the brand. At BECCA, we are all about igniting your inner light and truly feeling empowered to let it shine. I am a firm believer that to be the best at your job, you have to be passionate about it. It is such a privilege to be able to wake up every morning and be excited to head to work knowing I get to do what I love all day long.

Photos: courtesy of BECCA Cosmetics