Trade Marketing Manager (Merchant)
Holt Renfrew
مجموع سنوات الخبرة :28 years, 10 أشهر
* Canada’s leading shopping experience with premium designers for men’s & women’s clothing, shoes, accessories and beauty. With 2500 staff and nine enormous stores (plus two hr2 concept stores) across Canada, HOLT RENFREW is recognized as the ultimate destination for luxury and trendy style fashion in Canada.*
• Led a team of 3 merchant marketing assistants to manage the business of 10+ world-class highly reputed men’s clothing vendors (Canada Goose, Mackage, Moncler, Moose Knuckles, Paul & Shark, Polo Ralph Lauren, Hugo Boss, Canali, Ermenegildo Zegna, AG Jeans and few others).
• Coordinated with Holt’s Vendors Marketing Dept. on the entire scope of vendors’ marketing programs: traditional, digital, CRM initiatives and all in-store events; dedicating all efforts and resources to achieving the men’s clothing divisional objectives and Holt corporate objectives, whilst safeguarding the brands’ corporate image/guidelines.
• Planned and executed various types of promotional campaigns and store-level activations, Trunk Shows, Sell Days, Sale & Flash Sale, GWP, PWP, Special Offers… etc., driving high footfall and delivering an outstanding retail experience.
• Developed (in agreement and coordination with the vendors) exclusive customer-centered bundles and ingenious special offers; privileging & rewarding loyal customers and differentiating Holt from the competition.
• Built a robust business relationship with the vendors and negotiated their annual marketing co-op contributions.
• Review and analyze the monthly sales reports to evaluate the brands' performance, addressing weaknesses & areas of improvements and suggesting solutions & recommendations for business enhancement.
• Guided and assisted the floor sales team to meet and surpass the monthly sales targets, providing them with critical data-driven inputs/analyses and enhancing their brands’ knowledge and general luxury fashion retail awareness.
Key Accomplishments:
• Increased Hugo Boss co-op contribution by 25% in 2018 and 20% in 2019. Whereas, the total co-op contributions of all vendors increased by 15% in 2018 over 2017 and 12% in 2019 over 2018.
• Managed numerous themed offers and promotions from concept ideation to post-event; generating sizeable sales and enriching customers engagement:
▪ Launched the “New Manager” one-month Bundle offer for Hugo Boss; significantly increasing sales by 35% above forecasted target. The achieved success and the notable results encouraged the repetition of the offer twice in 2019.
▪ Introduced the “Couple or Double” discount deal for Moncler, increasing sales by 20% vs peak days.
▪ Floated the “No-Tax Plus Plus” joint promotion for Canada Goose, Mackage and Moose Knuckles, which ran in all HR stores across Canada and received a tremendous response, achieving complete clearance of the stock.
▪ Brought together Ermenegildo Zegna, Canali and Hugo Boss in the “Elegant Man” Tri-branded bundle campaign, raising the total sales of the three brands by 30%+ during the offer period vs regular days.
• A member of a 3 Account Directors team headed the business of Royal Bank of Canada (RBC), RBC Capital Markets and Honda & Acura with a total annual budget of more than C$ 50 million. Handled and directed a range of marketing initiatives and advertising campaigns across retail, corporate and CSR.
• Managed all aspects of the clients’ relationships including accounts administration, budgets and financial management.
• Worked diligently with clients to identify their needs & goals, taking lead on their communication plans/strategies and driving progressive approaches, concepts and solutions that support the achievement of their business objectives.
• Collaborated effectively with the colleagues of the other depts. in the agency; imparting vital data and information on the clients to inculcate a better understanding of their business natures, challenges, strategies and objectives.
• Played a dynamic role in sustaining the constructive work environment and fostering the teamwork spirit, adhering to the agency’s protocols of internal/external relationships & reporting system and committing to its guidelines and KPIs.
• Monitored and oversaw the daily operations of the accounts, stimulating and encouraging optimal performance from the team’s account executives and all involved inner parties and ensuring all jobs/chores were timely accomplished and outputs complied with the clients’ communication/creative strategies.
• Coached and supported the team’s account executives to develop their abilities in general client servicing & account handling, status reporting, creative briefs writing and internal/external follow up skills.
• Directed the team’s account planner in his contribution to the clients’ communication strategies & creative development, guiding him to conducting qualitative & quantitative competitive analyses, observing/reporting market updates & trends, researching customer insight/attitude/behavior and evaluating campaign effectiveness.
Key Accomplishments:
• Contributed to the development of a new advanced omnichannel marketing strategy for RBC, optimizing the real-time personalization and delivering seamless customer experience across all channels integrated into the automation workflow, achieving a high level of customer retention/acquisition and generating a verified higher ROI.
• Headed the total advertising activities of one of the RBC’s champs “AVION VISA Infinite”. Successfully managed the execution of all semi-annual re-launch campaigns, involving integrated online & offline communication plans across multiple media channels, boosting brand image & awareness and achieving incessant sales growth.
• Administered the successful launch campaign of RBC Rewards “Start a New Holiday Tradition”, producing 4 TVCs, printing materials, direct mail and public activations in major malls across Canada, along with extensive digital & social media coverage; resulting in over 1 billion points redemption and triple of view forecast with 5.5 million views.
• Led to perfection the entire operations of 2015 Honda FIT launch campaign “#FITwhatever”, strikingly represented by a giant Guerrilla super Uni-pole in Toronto downtown and supported by 3 TVCs, press ads, printing materials, direct mail and full digital & social media plan; increasing traffic to FIT site by 60% and FIT sales by 40%.
• Directed the 2016 Honda Utility (Pilot, HR-V, CR-V, Ridgeline) launch campaign “Go where you want to go with Honda Utility”, comprising of an award-winning 30 sec TVC aired on major Canadian TV stations and YouTube, plus OOH, print advert, direct mail and social media; achieving 63% Ad recall and increasing total sales by 25%.
• Contributed to the development and execution of various advertising and CSR initiatives for Honda & Acura.
• Participated (in coordination with PR & Media Depts.) in the organization of many conferences and events for RBC Capital Markets.
• Developed and directed the marketing plan of the company. Planned and executed different types of advertising campaigns, targeting potential customers in new segments, while retaining existing customers base.
• Planned and administered the annual marketing budget & calendar of activities. Managed the day-to-day retail & sales operations and drove a cross-functional team to boost brands performance and beat sales & marketing targets.
• Established the retail business framework with Big Box Retailers, Apple Stores, and all other eligible electronics stores and POS. Developed a win-win relationship with key retailers through structuring an “Annual Purchase Commitment Agreement” supported by a progressive volume rebate program and special consumer offers & trade deals.
• Re-launched BOSE, Sennheiser and Yamaha in the retail market, merchandising the brands in a new cutting-edge interactive display platform; delivering premium visibility and elevating customer engagement/experience.
• Organized periodic sales and brands training sessions for the company’s staff and the dealers’ staff as well.
• Managed the entire BOSE business process in Kuwait, communicating plans with BOSE Dubai and USA and fulfilling BOSE business needs and coverage in Kuwait, while balancing the company’s horizontal & vertical business needs.
• Administered all the construction works of the 1st BOSE Store in Kuwait at The Avenues Mall, adhering to BOSE int’l display standards and the Avenues construction criteria as well, highly commended by BOSE management in USA.
• Organized the Grand Opening ceremonies of BOSE Store in 2011 and Yamaha Music Store in 2013 at The Avenues Mall.
Key Accomplishments:
• Recommended one of the most crucial strategic decisions of the company: Discontinuation of a DODO product from its portfolio “Franklin Electronic Dictionary”; preserving the company’s resources, reducing expenses & overheads, improving cash flow and generating profit while eliminating the product from the market.
• Developed a first-ever Corporate Identity Manual (CIM) for the company in Kuwait and the parent company in KSA, covering all aspects of communication. In parallel, launched aDawliah official website and initiated the digital & social media marketing, raising the company’s competitive-edge and instilling major milestones in its growth journey.
• Spearheaded the transformation processes of BOSE Business Model in Kuwait. The new business model was developed and set by BOSE Corporation HQ in USA and applied worldwide starting April 2010.
• Fostered the business and personal relationship with BOSE executives, resulting in various benefits and privileges; better credit facilities, discounts on FOB rates, free products & accessories, preferential volume rebate... and more.
• Initiated, planned and coordinated a regional co-branded promotional campaign with LG; achieved a significant sales increase of BOSE Home Theatre products across the region and received praises from BOSE and LG management.
• Awarded for “The Best Business Volume Growth” and for “The Best Marketing & Promotion Performance” in Middle East & Asia Pacific at BOSE Annual Marketing Meetings in Monaco 2011 and Boston 2013 respectively.
• Accomplished a remarkable increase in BOSE sales in the retail market: 100% in 2009 over 2008, then 140% in 2010 over 2009 and afterward around 20% YOY.
• Achieved outstanding growth in the business volume with BOSE Corporation: 300% in 2010 over 2009, then 60% in 2011 over 2010 and afterward 20-25% YOY.
• Boosted YOY the total sales of Sennheiser and Yamaha, hitting 300% growth at 2013 year-end vs. 2009.
*A giant diversified trading and contracting group with 6 companies under its umbrella. The business of the group involves Retail Electronics & IT, Kitchen & Fittings, Heavy Equipment, Water Systems, Electromechanical Projects and Specialized Projects such as A/C Systems, Agriculture Projects, Construction & Building Materials and others.*
• Developed and directed all the group’s marketing & advertising plans as well as all media, PR & CSR initiatives. Headed a team of marketing executives and product specialists and ensured all marketing opportunities were well exploited.
• Initiated and executed various bespoke marketing/sales promotions in compliance with market trends/demands.
• Directed and controlled the advertising agencies, production companies, media houses and the other third-party suppliers, ensuring all tasks and deliverables were executed as per the corporate & brands guidelines.
• Collaborated with the finance department and the companies of the group to set and plan the marketing budgets and the annual calendar of activities for 2007 & 2008, adhering to the policies and protocols of the group.
• Built and maintained a robust business relationship with the strategic regional & International partners, exploring the scope for business expansion and profitability enhancement.
Key Accomplishments:
• Involved efficiently in the group’s organization restructuring project, acting as the primary focal point between the companies/departments of the group and the contracted int’l experts “Booz Allen Hamilton”. Led and managed the total rebranding process of the group’s new corporate identity in accordance with the new organizational structure.
• Prepared a well-thought-out marketing strategy proposal for OSIM Singapore (the world leader in massage and healthy lifestyle products); successfully awarded the brand’s “Certified Exclusive Distributor” franchise in Kuwait.
• Negotiated the co-op contributions with vendors & manufacturers and successfully attained in 2007 a total of U$ 160K marketing support from HP, Acer, Dell and AEG.
• Developed an impeccable aggressive business plan for PC laptops products to meet the rising demand of the category. Superbly, grew sales to 5, 000 units in 2007, ranking 3rd in a very competitive market with 17% market share.
• Participated in the development and production of a top-notch Corporate Profile Book for the group, showcasing the group’s diversified business portfolio and highlighting its contributions towards the economy and society of Kuwait.
*A key player in the foodstuff industry in Kuwait with a wide variety of imported food brands in the commercial division and four locally manufactured products in the trading division. The four manufacturing plants of the company are Dairy, Juice, Ice Cream and Cake which is produced in cooperation with Lyons, UK and under their license.*
• Developed and defined the company’s marketing strategy. Planned and oversaw all marketing projects & programs, preparing and controlling the sales and marketing budgetary allocations.
• Coordinated and directed all corporate & tactical advertising campaigns with the advertising agency and the other suppliers, ensuring professional and timely execution under the budget requirements and corporate guidelines.
• Led and managed a team of 4 marketing associates, guiding them to monitor competitors’ activities, observe market updates and report customer feedback. Worked closely with Sales Dept. and Production Dept. to ensure both production and sales operations were running efficiently and harmoniously as per the pre-set sales plans.
• Liaised collaboratively with the various departments of the company on all sales promotion activities and special trade offers to ensure getting the best results and achieving the predetermined sales forecasts.
Key Accomplishments:
• Participated in the company’s strategic planning and decision-making process. Played a key role in shaping up the new corporate identity & branding strategy and substantially contributed to the formulation of a new refined product road map based on market demands & consumer needs analyses.
• Restructured and reorganized the sales and distribution network, securing full coverage of the market and enhancing in-store presence. Subsequently, total sales increased by 12% and sales returns decreased by 7% in 2004 over 2003.
• Planned and executed an unconventional sales promotion campaign tailored to an important nationwide event “The 2003 Kuwait Parliamentary Elections”; exceptionally generated extra sales of KD 450K in 2003.
• Established and delivered a special unprecedented brand awareness/loyalty program for private schools; successfully built a portfolio of 32 schools by the end of 2005 and generated additional yearly sales of KD 350K.
• Handled the advertising activities (ATL & BTL) of GALLERY ONE Furniture Store, contributing to the planning of all seasonal events and sales campaigns and participating in the development and production of all tactical TV & Radio Commercials.
• Handled the total advertising, media and PR activities of DUGGERS MEN'S WEAR (carries premium fashion labels of men's wear: ARMANI, CANALI, COPPLEY, BOSS, PAL ZILERI, KOLTE, PAUL & SHARK, ALLEN EDMONDS and many others).
• Worked on local accounts: UNIVERSAL Properties (a giant Real Estate company in Nova Scotia), IL MERCATO Trattoria and LA FRASCA Cibi Vini; two fine food Italian Cuisines of The BERTOSSI Group which consists of 4 authentic first-class Italian restaurants (THE BICYCLE THIEF, Ristorante AMANO in addition to IL MERCATO & LA FRASCA).
• Developed a comprehensive marketing plan for KTV and directed all advertising & PR campaigns/activities of the company.
• Managed a team of 6 sales executives supporting and motivating them to maintain high productivity & efficiency levels.
• Explored new business opportunities locally/regionally and negotiated & sealed tailored annual deals with international clients.
• Optimized KTV average viewership and increased advertising time usage on KTV by 75% and advertising revenue by 50%.
• Increased KTV share of the total advertising expenditures in Kuwait from 13% to 20%.
• Directed local accounts; Al Ahli Bank of Kuwait, Kuwait Automotive Imports Co. (Mazda, Peugeot, Michelin) and KNPC.
• Worked on and coordinated regional accounts with FP7 Dubai & Bahrain, Nivea, BMW, Sony and Rovers Automotive.
• Started as an Account Executive and promoted to Account Manager after thorough training & practicing in advertising strategy, media planning, creative briefing/strategy, and general account handling/planning.
• Handled and worked on local accounts from various industries; Kuwait Finance House, KFH Commercial Sector (Murabaha), Alghanim Electronics, Kuwait Flour Mills Co., National Industries Co., and Americana.
• Worked on and Coordinated regional accounts with Impact Dubai & KSA; Pepsi Cola, Energizer, CPC-Mazola and Coast Milk.