Brand Management – the interface between business, design and development
"Why did I apply to HUGO BOSS? I wanted to position myself with broader and more international experience, and I knew that HUGO BOSS was the ideal opportunity for me to develop further, both professionally and personally.” Svenja has been Brand Manager for BOSS Womenswear since 2017. She is currently responsible for the more technical area of the outerwear collection, among other things. “I developed a concept for the strategic market positioning of outerwear and had the opportunity to present it myself to the management – that is HUGO BOSS for me. I can present ideas and they are encouraged and valued.”
Managing the product lifecycle
“I am continuously guided by the product lifecycle as my role is tied to its progression. We start with the collection framework, which is the starting point of the whole process. Then we build on the first analysis of the sales figures and the requirements from the international market. We use that to determine what the collection should include and create an efficiency-based framework plan, which is then handed over to the design team and filled with creativity."
Between analysis, efficiency, and complexity
As a brand manager, you are responsible for the collection’s commercial success. If I consider how a regular day starts for me, it usually begins with analysis. However, this depends heavily on which point we’re at in the product lifecycle. Then I meet with the designers to find out the current status of the collection, or to discuss individual products, in order to ensure we’re getting the price structure and margins right, and meeting market requirements. In womenswear we have two main collections and two pre collections each year, along with additional capsule collections. This means that on any given day I could be busy with three seasons, and that is exactly what makes this job so exciting for me.
