Source: GAP

For years, “content” was what all brands were chasing and creating. In 2026, it is table stakes. What separates the brands that will win in 2026 and beyond from the ones that are going to disappear is no longer product quality, distribution, or even brand awareness. It is entertainment, and this week, that shift became official.

According to reporting in The Business of Fashion, Gap appointed Pam Kaufman as its first-ever Chief Entertainment Officer, a C-suite role focused on content, licensing, and cultural partnerships across music, film, television, sports, and gaming. The 56-year-old heritage brand, that seemingly struggled in the early days of culture and content moving online, is also opening a Los Angeles-based entertainment hub, signaling that this is not a campaign strategy but a structural shift in how the brand plans to stay culturally relevant. And to be honest, they needed to do something drastic.

This is not just a Gap story. It is a signal to every founder, operator, and brand leader: entertainment is no longer a marketing function. It is a core business function.

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