Next-Generation Careers in Branding

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LONDON, United Kingdom — In just the last quarter, Burberry unveiled redesigns of its logo and monogram, Celine lost its acute accent and now, Balmain has tweaked its typeface for the first time in 70 years. While Riccardo Tisci and Hedi Slimane might intend to mark their arrival with shaking up the signifiers, the flurry of reinvention to their respective brand's key aesthetic language reflects consumer behaviour as much as creative inspiration.

A 2017 Deloitte study of over 1,000 consumers aged 20-30 in the US, UK, Italy and China rated "quality and uniqueness" as the most important factors that attract them to a luxury brand, while marketing messages revolving around heritage and inspirational qualities were found to be lacking in drawing millennial consumers. Today, the demand is for newness and cultural relevance — which is fundamentally shifting the skill sets required in branding teams.

In a recent interview with BoF, the Kering chief executive François-Henri Pinault called the current formula for brand DNA "overrated" adding that "people imprison themselves." Citing the difference between Tom Ford's hyper-sexy empowerment of women to Alessandro Michele's explosive, technicolour renaissance odyssey of today, Pinault added: "But it is the same brand, the same consistency, the same sincerity. This demonstrates that a brand can evolve radically and still be true to itself. This is very important because some brands are not evolving because of the [false] constraints that are put on them." Indeed, "Guccy" sweatshirts exemplify the flexibility of brand iconography — once immutable, now fluid and flexible.

In an age of content and feeding the feed, brands and retailers are hiring individuals with wide cultural lenses that can incorporate a myriad of influences into established businesses. In order to satisfy this constant demand for newness, while authentically representing globally connected consumer bases through both product and messaging, careers in branding are both evolving and expanding.

Similarly, consumer interest in activism and early signs of a potential end of corporate neutrality for some brands catering to community driven markets, has led to a high profile philanthropic crossovers. For one, Balenciaga's Autumn/Winter 2018 collection saw artistic director Demna Gvasalia showcasing the luxury label's partnership with the World Food Programme, using branding as a tool to widen the lens through which the industry approaches innovation.

"As we are living through the 'Age of Experience' and 'The Age of You' in a world of proliferating touch points, the way in which brands connect with culture is a sign of a brand's belief, confidence and the strength of its point of view," says Rebecca Robins, global director of Interbrand, a brand consultancy. "Whether you're evolving your logo or you haven't evolved it in the past decade, it's now got to fight and work harder than ever within the context of seven billion brands and communications."

Here are the most exciting opportunities in branding available on BoF Careers:

Visual Brand Director, The Real Real — New York, United States

Senior Marketing Manager, Brand & Media, Coach — London, United Kingdom

Intern, Brand Partnerships & Talent Management, Digital Brand Architects — New York, United States

Global Brand Success Manager, Farfetch — Porto, Portugal

Brand Partnerships and Events Manager, Harvey Nichols — London, United Kingdom

Global Brand Quality Manager, Estée Lauder Companies — New York, United States

Head of Brand Manager Bodywear & Hosiery, Hugo Boss — Coldrerio, Switzerland

Brand Executive, Global Brands Group — London, United Kingdom

Director of Brand Merchandising, Adaptive, Tommy Hilfiger — New York, United States