Today we’d like to introduce you to Kimberly Devitt.
Hi Kimberly, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
My name is Kimberly Devitt and I have the privilege of overseeing brand partnerships and key accounts for Corkcicle, a global lifestyle brand that makes cool things. As the second employee at Corkcicle, I have had the opportunity to build the marketing team from the ground up along with our Creative Director Dylon York and Co-Founder Stephen Bruner, who both remain involved to this day. Before serving in a business development capacity, I supported our marketing team through external communications initiatives for the brand. This included social media, digital marketing, media relations, charitable partnerships, ambassador strategy, influencer seeding and more. It was definitely interesting being the first female team member, especially with four male owners and a male creative director, but these guys are great. The owners have truly adopted an “innovate or die” mentality for product growth and category expansion.
Prior to joining Corkcicle, I consulted for more than a dozen brands. Today I serve on the University of Florida Masters of Arts in Mass Communication Social Media Advisory Board as well as the Board of Directors for the Orlando Regional Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA Orlando). I like to say that I am a “Double Gator.” I graduated from the University of Florida in 2012 with a Bachelor of Science in public relations and again from UF in 2016 with my Master’s degree in Mass Communication. Go Gators!
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Ha! This is a great question. I feel so grateful to have had the opportunity to partake in all sorts of cool things in my career. Whether it was dropping a million rose petals from a helicopter at Rose Day in 2019 or building our charitable program from the ground up through Corkcicle’s partnership with charity: water, I don’t take a minute of it for granted. It definitely hasn’t always been rainbow and butterflies, though. 2020 was one for the record books.. Prior to 2020, most of our business was brick and mortar. Due to the pandemic, most all of our retailers closed their doors overnight – and still some have not reopened. Everyone is using the word “pivot” and I hate that word now because I’ve heard it so many times but I feel like it fits perfectly. As a result of organizational restructuring due to COVID-19, my role on the marketing team was eliminated. It was a tough pill to swallow, but I feel so grateful to have had the opportunity to continue my career at Corkcicle, now serving in a business development capacity for the sales team. In this role I have the chance to build, cultivate and maximize relationships with Corkcicle’s local retailers as well as premium partners across the globe.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I love this question! I hear “Why Corkcicle?” a lot and it’s a great question. We are physically differentiated from our competitors in both design and functionality. Made from Stainless Steel, our Tumblers and Canteens are patent-protected, triple insulated and designed with flat sides for easy grip. We’re also differentiated by our international presence and premium partnerships. We are currently represented across multiple market segments. I like to say that we’re “local but global.” In addition to our local retail shops such as Good Crowd, Primrose and Chloe Lane, you can find our products in more than 5,000 retail doors across the United States and over 50 countries around the world.
What matters most to you?
Relationships. I am definitely a people person. The pandemic has definitely shifted the way we interact with one another. Zoom land and digital-only interactions can be overwhelming for the extraverts like myself. When I start to feel overwhelmed, it is helpful to take a breath and remember my WHY. Why do I do what I do? Sure, the amazing influencer trips were unforgettable, our brand partnerships and collaborations are insane, there are just so many things I am proud of… but I think I have to say I am most proud of is the announcement of our partnership with charity: water to provide clean drinking water for those in need. In addition to donating 5% of our total revenue to the organization, we also donated every dollar from the sale of our special charity: water Canteen on Giving Tuesday. We are more than a global lifestyle company. We are leaving our planet a better place for future generations and that makes me proud. The entire charity: water team is incredible and it has been an honor of a lifetime to cultivate that partnership and nurture that relationship. My hope is that every time someone refills their favorite Corkcicle Canteen or Tumbler, they can feel proud to be eliminating single use plastic while supporting the amazing work of organizations like charity: water.
Pricing:
- Please visit Corkcicle.com for more information.
Contact Info:
- Email: service@corkcicle.com
- Website: www.corkcicle.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/corkcicle
- Facebook: facebook.com/corkcicle
- Twitter: twitter.com/corkcicle
Image Credits
Image credit: Corkcicle Headshot credit: Lucy MacLeish
