Health-conscious Consumers
As more consumers start to seek healthier lifestyles, healthy products are now entering mainstream outlets. Yet transparency is paramount.
EXECUTIVE APPOINTMENTS
Top Unilever FMCG executive poached to head up fashion brand
By our News Team | 2021
Leena Nair to leave senior role at Unilever to take over the day-to-day running of luxury fashion house Chanel.
In a surprise move, one of the world’s top luxury goods brands has poached a senior executive from FMCG giant Unilever to be its new CEO.
Leena Nair, who is currently global head of HR at Unilever, joins French-founded but UK-based fashion house Chanel from early in the new year. She has been with Unilever for three decades and filled various roles, including being a member of the company’s powerful executive committee.
Top-end fashion houses like Chanel rarely make such appointments from outside their tightly knit industry, and often CEOs will come from the families that traditionally control many of these brands. There are occasional exceptions, though, with the Wall Street Journal reporting that Estee Lauder recruited Fabrizio Freda, a snack-food executive at Procter & Gamble, to become its Chief Executive in 2009.
Leena Nair photo by Shinykatie, via Wikipedia
Wertheimer brothers have held the reins
Chanel is a privately run business, with brothers Alain and Gerard Wertheimer holding the reins. Alain has been its CEO, but moves on to become Executive Chairman.
“In swapping fast-moving consumer goods for luxury, Ms. Nair joins a sector that analysts say is poised for rapid post-pandemic growth,” the Journal reported. “Bain & Co. forecasts that global luxury revenues will rise from an estimated €283-billion, equivalent to US$320-billion, this year to around €370-billion, or $418-billion, in 2025.
“Chanel, whose lines include fashion, fragrances, jewellery and skin care, was the world’s sixth-largest luxury group by revenue in 2020, according to Deloitte, with sales of $10.1-billion. Like other big luxury groups, Chanel’s sales took a hit from the pandemic, declining 17.6% in 2020 relative to the year before. That compared with an 11% decline for LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton and a 17.5% decline at Kering SA.”
Nair is a British citizen of Indian descent and her appointment has caused widespread excitement in India. She will be based in London.
Retail Strategy
More than half of consumers say they are giving more thought to the social and environmental impact of their purchases before they buy.
Data Protection
Latest penalty means that embattled Meta has been fined around US$1-billion by the European Union since September last year.
Marketing Trends
Almost all marketing respondents to a Warc survey say the impact of the recession is affecting their planning.
Black Friday
In-store purchasing remains notably more popular than online shopping, but with virtual card usage on the rise.
The Internet
Online users in almost every country surveyed want better control over how their personal data is collected, used and sold.
Advertising Spending
But the silver lining is that October outperformed all other months so far in 2022. Digital, OOH and newspapers are among categories that grew.
Consumer Research
We’re so worried that the people we’re buying gifts for will be offended by our present, that we overspend or get them what they don’t want.
Brand Acquisitions
Study finds brand acquisitions may not work out as planned, as consumer perceptions of the brand become tainted. But this can be mitigated.
Supply Chain
Consumer-packaged goods industry in Africa is being ‘systematically transformed’ by Ramani’s ‘huge ambition’, investor says.
Executive Appointments
Zayd Abrahams joins from banking group FNB, where he currently leads marketing for the Personal Banking and Private Banking segments.