Gen-Z Opps: Tommy Hilfiger parts ways with CBO (Score 54)

Sales Lead: Tommy Hilfiger recently confirmed that its former president and CBO, Avery Baker, has resigned.

• Baker joined the company in December 1997 as its global marketing and communications EVP and was promoted to her most recent position in November 2020.
• Though she was located in Amsterdam, Baker led brand strategy, global product design and merchandising, consumer experience, marketing, and go-to-market strategies.
  • Baker also helped to expand the globalization of Hilfiger's core product assortments.
  • She led partnerships with influencers such as Lewis Hamilton, Zendaya, Gigi Hadid, Vetements, and Kith.
  • Hilfiger credited the success of its "see now, buy now" fashion movement, as well as its brand image and overall positioning, to Baker.
  • Hilfiger's most significant shift under her leadership is rapidly evolving its technology, purpose, and value, which led to a spike in digital and social media efforts.
• She has not yet announced her next steps, and Hilfiger hasn't yet announced a successor.
  • We will, of course, keep you updated as we learn more.
• The company will likely:
  • Need additional branding assistance in her absence
  • Shift strategy
    • ​​​​​​​This will hopefully involve a return to higher spend.
  • ​​​​​​​Seek new agency partners, especially once it finds a new CBO
• Target demographic: 
  • ​​​​​​​Gen-Z

Additional spending insights:

• Digital and social insights (digital ad spend, effectiveness, impressions, and performance)
  • View recent digital spend data for Hilfiger's apparel and fragrance businesses here.  
• Additional channel insights  
  • The company utilizes Google Ads along with digital, OOH, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and online video (via Youtube.com, Youtube Android, and Youtube IOS) ads.
  • Hilfiger sponsors podcasts such as kPod - The Kidd Kraddick Morning Show, The Kyle & Jackie O Show, The GaryVee Audio Experience, Elvis Duran and the Morning Show ON DEMAND, and Stu Does America.

Additional agency insights:

• Opportunity: Get in touch soon to see if Hilfiger conducts agency reviews if and when it selects a new CBO.
  • ​​​​​​​We still haven't heard of any additional roster shifts following December's creative AOR hire.
• Current agency roster:
  • ​​​​​​​In-House: Media
  • Sunshine: Creative AOR (December 2022)
  • Crossmedia: Media agency partner

Insight Sources: Digital spend insights estimated by Pathmatics; additional channel insights estimated by Vivvix; podcast insights by Podchaser.