Nordstrom brings in Edelman alum Dakota Rae Lowe as Director, Brand Social and Influencer

Nordstrom has appointed Dakota Rae Lowe to head up social and influencer marketing as the American department store chain, which was founded in 1901, looks to ramp up its TikTok presence and resonance with Generation Z. 

Lowe, whose CV includes a stint at communications firm Edelman as VP, Social Strategy, will report to Marie Langhout-Franklin, who previously led eBay’s global marketing and strategic partnerships. 

In a LinkedIn post, she said: “It's surreal to type this, even still. I've joined Nordstrom as their head of Brand Social and Influencer, serving as a Director on their marketing team.”

She added: “Ever since I can remember, clothes have brought me so much joy. My first word was "mall" (I know) and I practically grew up in department stores with my mom, so to get to join a retailer with so much legacy, heart, and customer focus is, frankly, an honour. and leading this team is not a responsibility I take lightly.”

Lowe concluded: “I'm not sure little Dakota would believe me if I told her this was her job, but I know she would be so, so excited. Let the fun begin.”

2026 RTIH Innovation Awards

Social strategies will be a key focus area at the 2026 RTIH Innovation Awards.

The awards will open for entries in April. They celebrate global retail technology innovation in a fast moving omnichannel world.

Our winners will be revealed at the 2026 RTIH Innovation Awards Ceremony, taking place at The HAC in Central London on Thursday, 15th October.

Check out our 2025 winners here.

Our 2025 hall of fame entrants were revealed during a sold out event which took place at The HAC on 16th October and consisted of a drinks reception, three course meal, and awards ceremony presided over by award winning comedian, actress and writer Tiff Stevenson.

In his welcome speech, Scott Thompson, Founder and Editor, RTIH, said: “This is the awards’ fifth year as a physical event. We started off with just 30 people at the South Place Hotel not far from here, then moved to London Bridge Hotel, then The Barbican, and last year RIBA’s HQ in the West End.”

“But I’m conscious of the fact that, to quote the legend that is Taylor Swift, You’re only as hot as your last hit, baby. So, this year we’ve moved to our biggest venue yet, and also pulled in our largest number of entries to date and broken attendance records.”

He added: “This year’s submissions have without doubt been our best yet. To quote one of the judges: The examples of innovative developments across both traditional and digital retail spaces were truly remarkable.”

Congratulations to our winners, and a big thank you to our sponsors, judging panel, the legend that is Tiff Stevenson, and all those who attended our 2025 gathering.