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HARRY’S COMMENTS: Last month we closed our first ever search for designer Paula Hermanny’s ViX brand of luxury resortwear, and it looks like 2013 is going to be ViX’s year. With product of the ultra highest quality, ViX sells its merchandise in upscale department stores and boutiques in over 28 countries around the world.
ViX is an aspirational lifestyle brand that is all about beautiful stories, beautiful people, and beautiful scenery – all combined to showcase the highest quality luxury resort and swimwear imaginable. Check it out …
For you Seth Godin fans, the relationship ViX has with its customers offers a fine example of a company who cares passionately about its product serving customers who care passionately about the product.
If you’re in marketing, it doesn’t get any better than that.
ViX’s customers range in age from 18 to the late 40s, and management is always shocked at the broad range of women who wear their product. Turns out, there are a lot of 40-something year old women who look fantastic in a bikini!
The typical ViX client enjoys reading Vogue and In Style, she’s savvy, she’s happy to talk about ViX, and she knows she looks great when she’s wearing ViX. She’s also a careerist. She’s busy, and she knows what works: She wears Paula Hermanny’s designs because she knows she’s going to look like a million bucks in the product. Indeed, she wants to be noticed and she’s okay with people knowing that she made the investment. None of this makes her superficial. It makes her comfortable in her own skin.
ABOUT THE ROLE:
The role will be focused on growing the existing business in all channels and pioneering new categories such as RTW. It’s a very exciting time for the brand and Paula Hermanny needs a leader with relationships and a proven track record in the apparel industry. You’ll need a deep understanding of the department store business (Nordstrom, Bloomies, SAKS, etc), along with tremendous presentation and leadership skills.
It’s important to note that you won’t be focused on swimwear; you’ll be focused on ready-to-wear. Big difference. The idea is that you will launch ViX’s ready-to-wear business, which means you’ll be targeting and prioritizing specific stores and the decision makers within them. Additionally, you’ll be advising Paula on things like pricing and margins to make the launch successful.
This is very much going to be a partnership between YOU and one of the hottest resortwear designers on the planet. ViX wants you to locate and open a showroom in NYC, so you might be able to live in NYC for part (most?) of the time. Paula would expect you to divide your time, mostly at your discretion, between NYC, San Diego HQ, and possibly LA — where another showroom is being considered.
Like Paula, you’re going to need some level of personal sophistication. And ideally, you’ll bring a ready-to-wear background and a Rolodex of current contacts at major retailers, specialty retailers, upscale boutiques and high-end stores. This role is not just about selling — although sales is essential. It’s also about getting to know what these channel partners WANT so that Paula can design it.
NOTE: PAULA WILL BE IN NYC FEB 4-8. IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO KNOW MORE ABOUT THIS ROLE, SHE’D LOVE TO MEET YOU. CALL HARRY @ (404) 281-2025 TO ARRANGE.
Sales Responsibilities:
- Direct responsibility for organization’s revenue
- Work with planning department to finalize seasonal line plans and stock position
- Oversee, motivate, and manage sales teams for Ecommerce & Wholesale
- Oversee domestic and international sales
- Management responsibilities include hiring, retaining, mentoring, and motivating the organization’s sales representatives
- Support sales teams to drive initiatives and meet company goals
- Manage in house accounts
- Oversee budgets and implement strategic plans to promote sales growth
- Work with product development to communicate opportunities to assist with future sales efforts of the organization
- Travel regionally and nationally for markets, trade shows, and road trips with sales representatives
- Increase the organization’s potential customers through leadership and individual sales
Marketing Responsibilities:
- Directly responsible for creating and implementing the strategy for branding, promoting, and selling products to achieve a corporation’s financial objectives.
- Oversee all aspects of marketing and processes for creating, communicating, delivering, and exchanging valuable initiatives to consumers, retailers, and potential business partners
- Develop the marketing strategy to: position company in the market, attract new customers, retain existing customers, while achieving the company’s revenue growth and profitability objectives
- Analyze target market such as market size, demographics, business requirements, and buying patterns.
- Work closely with sales, development, and marketing teams to translate consumer insights into seasonal marketing briefs.
- Gather feedback from customers and conduct market research to enhance the company’s product offering to meet and exceed customer needs
- Direct all competitive market analysis and ensure products provide the best overall value vs. competing companies.
Branding Responsibilities:
- Create and execute the Content Brand Marketing Plan.
- Develop and effectively communicate Brand Strategy to retailers, media, etc.
- Ensure that brand positioning and brand mission are consistently executed globally through all channels/messages.
- Manage and implement all brand focused marketing functions: Market Research; Teams programs; Advertising, PR, POP, Internet Marketing, and general Communications Plan strategies.
- Develop, manage, measure, and evaluate budget of brand marketing program.
- Achieve cohesive working relationship with Sales and R&D departments to ensure the continuity of the brand is supported and reflects the brand’s focus.
Applications for this position are being coordinated by Harry Joiner. To apply, CLICK HERE. Candidates, please be sure to email Harry for a packet of market research and company / competitive intel that will differentiate you in your candidacy. Due to the intensely competitive nature of this search, thorough preparation for these interviews with this proprietary material is strongly recommended.
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