Burberry appoints new CMO to ‘strengthen’ brand amid sales slump
Ex-Gucci CMO Jonathan Kiman will lead Burberry’s global marketing team as the brand attempts to turn around plunging sales.
Burberry has appointed Gucci marketing boss Jonathan Kiman as its new CMO, as the fashion house fights to “strengthen” its brand in a declining luxury market.
He replaces Rod Manley, who has been in the CMO role for almost six years. Kiman will join the executive committee next week (9 September), reporting to CEO Joshua Schulman.
Kiman joins from Gucci, where he spent 12 years in various senior roles, most recently as CMO. He was previously chief brand officer at Versace.
Reacting to the appointment, Schulman highlighted Kiman’s experience in “rejuvenating brands and building digital-savvy marketing organisations.”
“I look forward to working closely with him to enhance our marketing capabilities and strengthen the Burberry brand,” he added.
The news comes as the luxury British brand dropped out of the FTSE 100 for the first time in 15 years this week. Burberry experienced a disappointing first quarter, with retail revenue for the 12 weeks to 29 June 2024 down 21%. Over the last 16 months alone the brand has seen its share price drop by almost 75%.
Jonathan has a wealth of experience in rejuvenating brands and building digital-savvy marketing organisations.
Joshua Schulman, Burberry
On the release of its first quarter results in July, Burberry identified opportunities to “reconnect” with its core customer base and “refine” its brand communications to emphasise the “timeless, classic attributes” of the brand. October will see the launch of a dedicated outerwear campaign, the first phase of Burberry’s “refocused marketing plans”, which also includes improving customer conversion online.
The business announced in May it would be shifting focus towards brand building and advertising “more on the top funnel”, with former CEO Jonathan Akeroyd admitting there was “more work to be done” on the turnaround.
Six months on, the brand is clearly still in turnaround mode. Kiman’s appointment is the latest in a series of senior role changes at the fashion retailer. In July, Akeroyd was replaced by Shulman in the face of plummeting sales. Speaking at the time, Burberry chair Gerry Murphy praised Shulman’s “outstanding record of building global luxury brands and driving profitable growth.”
