Vice President of Consumer & Brand Insights
The Company
Profile
Kohl’s mission is to be the leading family-focused, value-oriented specialty department store offering quality exclusive and national brand merchandise to the customer in an environment that is convenient, friendly and exciting.
Strong Financial Performance
2006 was a record year for Kohl’s. Net sales increased 16.0% to a record $15.5 billion, while comparable store sales rose 5.9%. Net income increased to a record $1.1 billion.
Company Initiatives
Of course, Kohl’s means brands and this is where Kohl’s continues to excel. Kohl’s was built on the concept of emphasizing national brands that project quality and value and have wide customer appeal. National brands such as Levi’s, Columbia, Kitchenaid, Nike and many others across the store are the foundation of the merchandise offerings. Exclusive national brands (Chaps, Daisy Fuentes), available “Only at Kohl’s,” and our own private brands (Apt. 9, Sonoma, Croft & Barrow) further broaden the mix and set Kohl’s apart in the market.
In 2007, Kohl’s will build on the 2006 successes and launch even more new brands. In the fall, Kohl’s will launch Simply Vera by Vera Wang (designed by the iconic American designer Vera Wang), a full lifestyle brand with products in sportswear, intimate apparel, handbags, leather accessories, jewelry, footwear, linens and towels. Also coming in the fall, in another exclusive licensing arrangement, is a Food Network-branded line of home goods, including cookware, dinnerware, kitchen gadgets, cutlery, pantryware, food storage, kitchen gadgets and table linens.
Expanding the Presence
The story of Kohl’s is a story of profitable expansion. Kohl’s plan is to open approximately 400 stores over the next four years, operating more than 1,200 stores by the end of 2010. Over the last 10 years Kohl’s has grown from 128 stores to 817, to become a leading national retailer. Kohl’s will continue to build on this momentum through a well-defined expansion strategy that includes both new builds and takeovers of existing retail sites. With three store formats – suburban, small and urban – there is flexibility to add stores in markets of all sizes.
Inspiring the Customers
Kohl’s is the source of inspiration, guidance and style at great value that lets our customer transform the way she looks, lives and feels in the many roles she plays.
Kohl’s appeals to a broadening customer base. Kohl’s customers can be a busy mom shopping for herself, her family and her home. She can also be a single woman looking for updated and contemporary fashions or a working woman without children. The styles and looks she wants and needs are constantly changing and Kohl’s is in tune with those changes.
Regardless of her lifestyle, Kohl’s customers are smart shoppers who know there is more to value than price. Customers can find what they want in a single trip where compelling merchandise and in-store graphics help put together the look wanted in a short amount of time.
Kohl’s strategy is to encourage the customer to shop more frequently and attract new customers to the stores by offering great new fashion and styles in an exciting, easy-to-shop environment.
Building the Brands
Kohl’s collection of national brands is strategically evolving to meet the desires of Kohl’s customers and the “Only at Kohl’s” exclusive brand portfolio continues to grow.
Kohl’s brands appeal to different customer lifestyles. Some may want to dress “classic” during the day and “updated” or “contemporary” at night. That’s why Kohl’s has focused on those lifestyles in the merchandise mix. For a classic look, she can find the traditional styling she wants in Chaps for her, designed by Polo Ralph Lauren exclusively for Kohl’s, or our private Croft & Barrow brand.
The updated customer’s roots are in traditional styling, but with modern fabrics and a more body-conscious fit. National brands such as axcess and Nine & Company in women’s and axcess and Axist in Men’s satisfy this customer. For a fashion forward contemporary look, Kohl’s offers daisy fuentes and apt.9. Kohl’s also balances assortment of basics and wardrobe fundamentals with fresh styles, exciting silhouettes, new fabrics, trendy colors and unexpected pieces that surprise her.
Position Summary
Reporting to the SVP of Marketing, the VP of Consumer and Brand Insights will identify and respond to the informational and analytical needs of the Company as it relates to all consumer, associate, merchandise, operations and brand information for the purpose of developing and executing strategies which drive sales and differentiate Kohl’s.
Key Relationships
Reports to: SVP, Marketing
Direct reports: Team of six (6)
Major Responsibilities
• Oversee the design and execution of company-wide research and consumer information projects to assist in the formulation of the company’s strategic plans.
• Oversee the design, execution, and communication of primary marketing research studies to evaluate company wide and department specific performance, company positioning, competitive positioning and customer profiling.
• Manage the analysis and interpretation of secondary research data to provide direction for strategic and tactical plans.
• Create and maintain 3-year plan to proactively monitor consumer, company and merchandise trends/performance.
• Act as internal consultant on all company projects which require testing prior to roll out.
• Responsible for keeping abreast of new data sources for the development of new research and information sources and approaches to better meet analysis/information needs for the company.
• Responsible for maintaining and communicating customer profiles for company and major competitors.
• Responsible for maintaining and communicating competitive intelligence information.
• Consult on all associate survey/success factor strategies: information gathering, models, surveys, recommendations, etc.
• Oversee the analysis of existing and new market results, identifying opportunities, challenges, discussing them with marketing, credit, merchandising and store operations and creating marketing plans with the VP of Marketing Communications.
• Develop communication tools to ensure an effective flow of relevant and actionable information. Effective two-way communication is the responsibility of the Vice President.
• Make regular presentations of findings to senior management and groups in and outside of the Company as appropriate (i.e. advertising agencies).
• Direct the development and coordination of internal and external analysis of all marketing activity, regularly seeking input from marketing, merchandising, credit and store operations.
• Direct the analysis of advertising activity, evaluate ROI and make recommendations.
• Mentor, coach and develop consumer & brand insights/research staff.
• Oversee staff’s ongoing analysis and conclusions.
• Directly responsible for annual research budget of approximately $3.7 million
CANDIDATE SPECIFICATION: KEY SELECTION CRITERIA
Ideal Experience
This senior executive will be a seasoned consumer marketing research/insights professional with a proven background in leading the marketing research initiatives for a large corporation known for best in class brand and consumer insights practices. He/she will be skilled at initiating and tracking multiple studies simultaneously as well as managing ad hoc projects. Must have experience partnering with business unit leaders, providing strategic consumer/brand insights and on-going analysis of data.
This background will likely include:
• Minimum of 8-10 years of experience in research, analysis and integrated marketing within a consumer driven company/industry.
• 4 year degree with statistics training.
• Solid understand of modeling and statistical analysis as it pertains to marketing research.
• Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written.
• Minimum of 5 years of managerial experience.
• Thorough understanding of research methodologies.
• Experience as focus group moderator.
• Strategic orientation and experience.
Critical Competencies for Success
The successful candidate will be keen to accept the challenges of a significant business poised for growth and of championing Kohl’s approach to understanding the consumer.
• Strategic Agility: Strong strategic ability, having been an outstanding performer in a dynamic organization that is regarded for progressive consumer insights. He/she will possess both a keen attention to detail and a strategic/creative orientation to formulate and achieve overall strategies within a complex, multi-billion dollar enterprise. He/she is recognized as a leading edge thinker who has provided the insights for winning marketing strategies. Strategic, analytical and intellectually aggressive, he/she has a track record of leading multifaceted consumer & brand insights initiatives.
• Broad and Balanced Expertise: Balancing strategic, analytic, planning, creative, and execution skills, the ideal candidate brings capabilities in all fundamental areas of marketing, including: research, consumer behavior, loyalty, advertising, creative, branding, etc. He/she relies on disciplined processes and tools for evaluating opportunities and measuring results of consumer insight studies.
• Catalyst for Change: This individual is unafraid to chart a new direction, is driven to build and grow the organization, and can create an environment where established ways of thinking can be provocatively challenged and evolved. The individual we seek has demonstrated the ability to manage, lead and develop results across a large, preferably multi-unit business.
• Collaborative Leader: With a team-oriented style, the successful candidate has demonstrated the ability to work collaboratively across multifunctional teams and is someone who has strong interpersonal and judgment skills and can create enthusiasm within the team and across the company. He/she has the presence and credibility to win support and buy-in. He/she possesses a sense of urgency, leads by example, and has a track record of attracting, retaining, mentoring and coaching talent at all levels. He/she is able to engender enthusiasm, creativity and teamwork to elicit results from others.
• Strong Interpersonal Skills: He/she will possess strong written and verbal communications skills and be equally effective in both formal and informal settings with senior executives, peers, business partners and other constituents. He/she has a quick intelligence, and adapts and responds quickly to inquiries and questions. The individual is polished in his/her personal presentation, confident and outgoing, with good intuition, tenacity and a passion for marketing that permeates his/her communication style.
Other Personal Characteristics
• A thought leader, someone who has demonstrated success at combining creative and strategic initiatives with well-grounded practices designed to move corporate/store initiatives forward.
• Ability to adapt to a rapidly changing, fast paced work environment.
• Outstanding communication skills necessary to present powerful conceptual frameworks in combination with compelling and supporting analytical facts necessary to introduce new consumer/brand insights.
• Results-driven manager who outlines and achieves specific performance goals by constructive “hands-on” leadership.
• A collaborative individual who is motivated by working effectively with others and forging consensus. Someone described as “good with people” and “down-to-earth.”
• A team player who can interrelate and operate effectively with peers and other associates within a collegial, yet demanding, management environment.
• A non-political team player who can quickly establish himself/herself as a trusted member of the management team and be relied upon to get things done. Identifies closely with, and is committed to, the achievement of the company’s overall mission.
Contact:
Dave Watson
Manager of Leadership Recruitment
Kohl’s Corporation
N56 W17000 Ridgewood Drive
Menomonee Falls, WI 53051
Telephone 262-703-7646
Facsimile 262-703-6373
E-mail david.watson@kohls.com
