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We are working with Esquel Group in their search for a Manager, Online Marketing and Acquisition based in Manhattan.
One of the coolest ecommerce manager jobs around!
Esquel’s new Manager, Online Marketing and Acquisition will be tasked with delivering the strategy and execution to ignite profitable growth across all channels. Additionally, the new hire will lead the online Marketing team in identifying new opportunities to grow existing channels, pursue new channels and bring best practices to the company.
HARRY’S COMMENTS: No one knows more about satisfying highly demanding affluent consumers than the Esquel Group — the vertically integrated, Hong Kong based manufacturer of luxury shirts for many of the world’s most famous brands, including Ralph Lauren, Hugo Boss, J. Crew, and Tommy Hilfiger. When we were first contacted by Esquel to handle this search, I confess I had never heard of them, even though my favorite shirt brand, Charles Tyrwhitt, is made by Esquel.
What I learned impressed the heck out of me.
With $1.4 billion in sales, 58000 employees, and production facilities in China, Mauritius, Malaysia, Vietnam and Sri Lanka and a network of branch offices servicing customers in key markets worldwide, the Esquel Group is one of the world’s most dynamic and progressive global-scale textile and apparel manufacturers. The company is famous (yes, famous) for its innovative and socially responsible practices designed to enrich the lives of its employees, and its retail brand, is being transformed into a world class luxury brand for the 21st century.
The Esquel Group is more vertically integrated than any company we’ve ever worked with — actually growing its own cotton to making its own buttons. Its standards for sustainability, exploration, education, and integrity are among the highest in the world of business. Truly, the company is amazing.
It’s on the back of these advantages that The Esquel Group seeks to launch their ecommerce business to affluent men throughout the United States. According to Esquel’s Dee Poon, “The men we cater to are confident, educated, and appreciative of quality and details. Our typical client actually has to do a lot of things. He’s active, he’s working, and he’s contributing to the world. We make clothes for men who have better things to think about.”
What do we know about the affluent male? According to ComScore — lots.
The affluent male is defined as an adult 18+ with a household income of $100,000. They are highly connected and engaged in a variety of devices, and they expect a seamless experience across devices and value-added features that make their lives easier. Affluent males tend to research and buy online, with the bulk of that research happening on a mobile device.
Mostly, affluent males appear to shop for themselves, and a majority of them will engage with banner ads. Search ads are a relevant, effective marketing channel, and social media is a highly consistent component of their media consumption. Affluent males tend to cite quality, style, and fun as their primary reasons for their affinity with certain luxury brands.
Here are some other statistics on this deep-pocketed cohort …
- 75% of affluent males are 35 and older
- 43% are between the ages of 45 and 64
- 69% have household incomes of between $100K and $300K
- 13% have household incomes of between $1 million and $3 million (Wow!!)
- 38% work for companies with 1000 or more employees
- 58% it in small households of 2-3 people (including themselves)
- 13% of this audience spends an excess of $30,000 online annually.
- Nearly half spend more than $4000 per year online.
Seriously, that’s a fantastic market. And it’ll be YOUR job to tap it.
Now then, here’s what you’ll be walking into: Although these are incredibly smart people with deep, relevant experience, there’s a lot they don’t know about ecommerce. Which is actually a good thing; It’s always better to work for managements that “know not and know that they know not.” That kind of humility is a sign of great intelligence.
What that means is that YOU will be expected to have a significant impact on the customer acquisition strategy for the US division. And another thing: Esquel plans to market these shirts for between $150 and $200 per unit. But don’t let that scare you. My favorite dress shirt for special occasions is made by Robert Talbott. You can see the Robert Talbott dress shirt page here.
If you think I can’t tell the difference between my Talbott shirt and one of my Jos. A. Bank shirts, you’re crazy. It’s more comfortable. It looks better after several hours. It drapes on me better. It doesn’t stretch (like, at all). It has never faded, even after several cleanings. It’s better designed. It’s like a Rolex watch for my top half. Which is precisely the point. Whenever I need to look “perfect,” there’s never any doubt as to which of my 25 shirts is my “go to” shirt.
Not many billion dollar companies’ individual products are works of art.
The fact is, there has never been a better time to launch an online business like this. Esquel just finalized their relationship with its Magento integrator, and the tentative plan is to go live with a small number of SKUs – something like 40. Ultimately, this could climb as high as 200.
What’s so great about this opportunity is that you will have the backing (clarity + ability + resolve) of a $1.4 billion organization that is 100% vertically integrated and privately held. Manufacturing 100 million shirts per year, Esquel grows its own cotton, gins it, spins it, makes fabric, garments, buttons, and ensures quality and responsible manufacturing every step of the way. In the food business, we used to describe this level of integration as “farm to fork.”
I’ve been recruiting for 10 years, and I’ve never seen a consumer company do this.
RIGHT NOW: We want YOU to be Esquel’s online acquisition linchpin, what Seth Godin describes as “an individual who can walk into chaos and create order, someone who can invent, connect, create, and make things happen.”
Cogs see a job; the linchpin sees a platform. Every interaction, every assignment is a chance to make a change, a chance to delight or surprise or to touch someone. Your job is to get the word out about Esquel in order to help every single Esquel client feel better about themselves because of their relationship with the firm. In that respect, the $150 shirt is really just a means to an end.
As always, I have compiled 50+ pages of personal notes and market research on this position. Be sure to ask my right hand, Allan Seibert, for that information when you apply below. Without it, it’s unlikely you’ll get hired.
View Harry Joiner’s profile
Principal Duties and Responsibilities
- Develop and execute customer acquisition programs principally through, but not exclusive to, online marketing channels (most prominently SEM, SEO, affiliate, display, email social, mobile, video, referral programs, and landing page/registration/email page optimization that meets the company revenue and audience development goals.
- Drive the strategic direction of the acquisition marketing program and work closely with ecommerce team to ensure a smooth transition from initial acquisition through to conversion and retention.
- Monitor and analyze key business metrics (e.g. registrations, conversions, acquisition cost, lifetime value, (LTV) on a campaign by campaign basis, taking appropriate action upon analysis.
- Demonstrate effective use of quantitative and qualitative customer insights to create differentiated segment strategies.
- Develop and implement a holistic SEO strategy designed to drive highly qualified traffic to the site., ensuring cross-channel integration and identifying synergies with paid search campaigns.
- Develop and maintain relationships with all key partners.
- Negotiate PR and advertising relationships as identified with a variety of different publishing
- Partner with both online and offline teams across multiple functions.
- Manage the marketing creative process to ensure creative is constantly optimized
- Manage photo shoot/studio to support Ecommerce channel
- Develop a measurement plan and identify KPI’s to monitor effectiveness of channel marketing activities; generate reports to demonstrate continual improvement and progress toward goals.
Requirements:
- University graduate
- Minimum 3-5 years’ experience in Luxury online marketing, customer acquisition, preferably in Men’s ecommerce space.
- Superior analytic skills with the ability to compile, analyze and leverage performance data to optimize current campaigns and identify new opportunities.
- Experience in managing, optimizing and growing multiple direct response online media campaigns and partnerships.
- Strong communication, and analytic skills.
- Experience with A/B testing
- Experience with apparel and retail is preferable but not mandatory.
- Able to thrive in a fast-paced, multi-tasking, team oriented environment.
- Detail oriented, highly organized, able to work independently, but contribute to team effort.
- Deep knowledge of advertising creative development, including an understanding of how consumers engage with direct response media and the levers that drive performance.
- Strong on-line marketing sense and business driven mentality
- Strong understanding on male on-line consumer behaviors
- Strong data and information analysis mentality
The ideal candidate will be able to demonstrate initiative, creative problem-solving skills, and the ability to prioritize. Required soft skills include proven communication and leadership skills; A desire to own and be accountable for results; and the ability to embrace Esquel’s spirit of entrepreneurship. The job requires candidates to live in the New York metro area and and travel occasionally.
UPDATE: THIS SEARCH IS CLOSED.
