VIA Outlets
Brand Marketing Director

VIA Outlets

VIA Outlets was originally set up as a fund in 2014 to acquire existing outlet centres across Europe and, using the expertise of its operating partners, enhance their performance to provide strong investment returns for its stakeholders.

VIA Outlets grew its portfolio to 11 centres across nine European countries in leading tourist locations, making it the fastest growing owner-operator of outlets in Europe. In 2018, its total portfolio brand sales amounted to € 1.07 billion and saw over 30 million guests visit its centres.

VIA Outlets’ principal stakeholders include Dutch pension fund asset manager APG and UK REIT Hammerson plc.

When VIA Outlets was originated, it was set up primarily as a fund with main focus on asset management and the acquisition of assets with a healthy return. Over the last years the company has converted to a full operating business, focused on creating a unique retail experience. At VIA Outlets it is all about Guest Centricity and Brand Partnership. The consequence is Asset Management, and not the other way around.

VIA Outlets currently operates eleven outlet centres across Europe: Oslo, Gothenburg, Amsterdam, Wroclaw, Prague, Frankfurt, Zurich, Porto, Lisbon, Palma, Seville.

Vision, Mission, Values

Vision
We welcome our guests to experience best-in-class, beautifully local, premium shopping destinations across Europe.

Mission
We create experience-driven outlet centres for our guests and brand partners through the dedication of our talented teams. We are committed to transforming our centres into “premium fashion outlets”, proactively driving footfall, and in partnership with our brands, growing sales and creating value for our investors.

Values

• We place our people at the heart of what we do
• We do the right thing, always
• We like to work in a constantly changing, fast paced environment
• We manage our centres with care and for a sustainable future
• We are decisive, transparent and always collaborative

Brand Marketing Director

Purpose of the position
A well-rounded Brand Marketing Director who thinks globally but will also add value on a local level. An individual who is action oriented and who has a passion for tactical and detailed marketing execution and has working experience in retail, branding. In this position the Brand Marketing Director is responsible for building the VIA Outlets brand but also generate incremental sales and footfall in the centres through the delivery of efficient and effective marketing programs/campaigns.

The Brand Marketing Director is responsible for driving awareness, acquisition, and retention, bringing this through the launch of global and local go-to market strategies in order to achieve global and local KPI’s.

Place in the organisation
The Marketing Director reports to the Head of Marketing & Tourism.

Key Responsibilities

BUILD VIA OUTLETS’ BRAND IDENTITY (30%)

• Further develop the brand identity of VIA Outlets as the fastest moving owner/operator of outlet centres in Europe
• Guarantee consistent messaging in all B2B and B2C touchpoints
• Develop briefings and coordinate creative agencies in order to produce all collateral needs to support cross functional departments (i.e. Tourism, Retail, Leasing)
• Adjust strategy of central driven marketing initiatives based on results of effectiveness (ROI)
• Create more scale of economies by analysing third party contracts (e.g. creative agencies, PR agencies, cross-marketing partners)
• Act as the main marketing liaison for a selection of key brand partners
• Provide group functions with regular analysis of market trends and consumer behaviour

ACHIEVE COMMERCIAL SUCCESS FOR THE CENTRES (70%)

• Set strategic direction and lead the development process for all creative designs (e.g. seasonal, tactical, tourism campaigns) and guest-facing communication approaches supporting the centres in order to maintain consistency within the portfolio
• Define, with the support of local market teams and based on local research, target groups and customer journey touchpoints
• Review all local marketing initiatives and refine in order to drive new affluent guests and maintain existing ones. Propose and implement ongoing process improvement
• Work closely together with local Retail and Marketing teams to optimise the centre’s retail-marketing calendar planning (balance between tactical and branding campaigns) and come up with aspirational marketing activities in order to achieve centre KPI’s
• Come up with cross-marketing partnerships which can drive new affluent guests to the centres
• Monitor social media communication (B2C and B2B) and advise where necessary
• Cross functional collaboration, leading and partnering with the Centre, Retail and Leasing Directors to ensure that the marketing initiatives are supported and fully integrated by the whole team
• Continually identifying emerging trends in advertising across all platforms and work proactively to turn them into innovative new marketing opportunities
• Share and implement marketing best-practices across the VIA Outlets portfolio
• Come up with new creative, innovate, and out-of-the-box approaches to drive average spend per visit in the centres

Ideal Candidate Profile

Functional capabilities

• At least 10 years of working experience developing creative and innovative marketing strategies that heavily leverage offline and online mediums/channels in facilitating effective brand marketing programs and messages
• Have experience in demand generation marketing tactics and strategies to drive qualitative footfall
• Have proven and successful experience managing international decentralized marketing teams from the conceptualization of a strategy to its close
• Commercial understanding of retail and retail marketing
• Excellent oral and written communication skills at all levels
• Proficiency in the use of Adobe Illustrator and/or InDesign
• Willingness to travel extensively (60%) within Europe
• Candidate can be based in any country where VIA Outlets is currently present
• Fluent in English is mandatory. Any additional European language

Personal competencies

• Creative skills and good understanding of design
• Have proven and successful relationship building skills, having an ability to leverage partnerships across the business
• Entrepreneurial and international mind–set
• Strong leadership and management skills
• The ability to enable data-driven decisions and show a deep interest and comfort working with ROI and metric-driven models