Download Position Profile Vice President of Marketing www.sanuk.com

Position Profile
Vice President of Marketing
www.sanuk.com
THE FOREST GROUP
6181 CLARK MOUNTAIN ROAD
LOTUS, CA 95651
530.344.0100
www.theforestgroup.com
VP of Marketing
When in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for the people of the world to dissolve old
brand allegiances that have defined their past and embrace new loyalties that will define their future.
Antiquated notions of style in the absence of comfort and suffering in the names of beauty will fall by
the wayside of history. We hold these truths to be self evident that not all sandals and shoes are
created equal. Some are endowed by their creators with certain unalienable traits that among these
are fun, funk, and function. To secure these superfunktional traits, these people must open their minds
to a new dawn in footwear perspective. The collection must peruse the brand of the people, by the
people and for the people that recognize the true enlightenment of the mind comes only from
enlightenment of the foot. Freedom from the tyranny of footwear tradition will prevail. This relentless
pursuit of happiness will begin at the feet and flow upward through time until a smile is spread across
the face of every man, woman, and child. This is our vision. This is our anthem. Smile… Pass it on!
SANUK A COMPANY FOUNDED ON FUN…
“Doesn’t everybody want their brand to be fun?”
– Sanuk’s Founder Jeff Kelley
When the company’s founder Jeff Kelley came across the word Sanuk, meaning fun in Thai, he knew
he had found the word that captured the true essence of the company he wanted to build. Jeff was
focused on creating a brand that was positive, inclusive and at its core was FUN. Since the
company’s inception in 1997, these values have served as Sanuk’s guiding principles. This positive
and open environment became a breeding ground for innovation. And it was Jeff Kelley’s out of the
box thinking, to put real indoor-outdoor carpet on the foot bed of a shoe, know today as their
“trailer trash sandal” that put Sanuk on the map.
Today Sanuk continues to make innovative products that are as much about funk as they are about
function. There are no sacred cows at Sanuk…any idea is one worth investigating. From yoga mats
to beer cozy to bamboo, the product team is always willing to push the envelope when it comes to
their choice of materials. With product names like Chubby, Rubber Dubs, Shunami, Brojave, Yoga
Goddess and Fraidy Cat, it is clear that it is not just materials where the team shows their creativity.
But what really makes this brand so unique is its proven ability to successfully combine creativity
with comfort. Sanuk has been twice recognized at the SIMA Image Awards as the 2007 and 2010
Footwear Product of the Year. The brand has become best known for its Sidewalk Surfer, often
referred to as “Not-A-Shoe” for its patented sandal construction which allows your feet to bend and
flex in natural comfort.
But Sanuk is much more than cool footwear, it is a lifestyle. From surfing, to climbing, to music and
art, Sanuk is the brand that brings it all together. Sanuk sponsor a spectrum of premier athletes and
artists, including surfers like Donavon Frankenreiter and Dave Rastovich and rock climbers like
Chris Sharma and Daniel Woods. These individuals are not only top performers in their sport but
they embody the style, humor, and genuine spirit of the brand. Like their Ambassadors, Sanuk is
committed to having fun and not taking themselves too seriously. Because, for the team at Sanuk, at
the end the day it is about enjoying life and sharing a smile.
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FUNK
“If I had to compare Sanuk to other brands, I would say it is like Paul Frank swallowed
Prana”- Sanuk’s Global Creative Director, Michael Minter
Sanuk is as much about funk as it is functional, as much surfer as it is yogi, as much hip as it is
hippie, and as much humor as it is genuine. To capture all aspects of this unique brand, Sanuk has
used a variety of media to tell their story. Their website is packed with video clips, photos, and
music highlighting the fun and funky nature of the brand and the unique culture of the company.
Advertisements are yet another medium where Sanuk has been able to express the quirky nature of
the brand. Turning to their sponsored athletes for inspiration, Sanuk has captured their smiling
faces and taken them to places they could only imagine. Each of their ads is a cartoon drawing with
a cut and pasted photographed head of one of their Ambassadors. They have been able to capture
Donovan Frankenreiter in his birthday suit streaking the streets to promote their shoe line “The
Steaker” and Chris Sharma with a crew of climbers hanging off the edge of “The Steepe” collection.
This style has allowed the marketing team to be beyond creative, sketching up any scene they can
imagine and injecting humor into all they create.
Though fun and games are a large piece of the culture at Sanuk, this playful nature is accompanied
by a big heart. In following their tag line “Smile… Pass it On” the company has recently become a
supporter of Operation Smile, an international children's medical charity that heals children's
smiles. In 2012, Sanuk created the “Smile Collection” an assortment of merchandise which can be
purchased at retail and on their website. The proceeds from these sales will help support the efforts
of Operation Smile. This is just one of many ways Sanuk passes on their smile.
In additional to their philanthropic efforts, Sanuk holds themselves to a high standard when it
comes to sustainability and their environmental impact. In 2009, Sanuk launched the RASTA
(Recycled and Sustainable Trade Alliance) Project. This initiative is aimed at reducing impact on the
world by providing footwear that is truly impact free. The RASTA Project has not only allowed
Sanuk to explore new methods and materials (organic hemp, natural cork, recycled tires, etc.) but it
has provided a forum to apply what Sanuk is learning to all parts of their business. From their
manufacturing and shipping to their warehouse and marketing, Sanuk is constantly looking for
ways to green their efforts. For Sanuk, this is not a cliché marketing ploy but rather an ongoing
commitment to find legitimate sustainable solutions.
FUNCTION
Whether it is surfing, climbing, traveling or any activity that benefits a healthy lifestyle, Sanuk is
building footwear to fit the needs of their active consumers. These are the everyday sandals you
can’t live without. They get you from point A to point B, with a quick stop off at point Z for surf.
Because the foundation of Sanuk’s products is comfort, the Sanuk team goes to great lengths to
ensure that every shoe they make not only feels like a sandal but optimizes your foots ability to
walk naturally. The original Sanuk sidewalk surfers feature a patented technique for attaching a
shoe upper to a sandal bottom. This combines the year round style and protection of a shoe with
the natural flexibility of a sandal.
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Unlike traditional shoes, sandals don’t have rigid stitch-down boards and shanks. Sanuk took the
basics of a sandal, essentially a second skin to protect your feet and offer some cushy comfort, and
combined it with the protection of a shoe creating a product that allows consumers to wear sandals
all year long.
Twice recognized at the SIMA Image Awards as the 2007 and 2010 Footwear Product of the Year,
Sanuk makes creatively inspired and distinctively designed footwear for the global outdoor
community. They are best known for their Sidewalk Surfers, often referred to as "Not-A-Shoes", for
their patented sandal construction which allows your feet to bend and flex in natural comfort.
“After my first pair of Sidewalk Surfers, I am a loyal Sanuk owner. I recommend them to anyone, and
everyone. I cannot find any other sandal or shoe that is as comfortable and unique as the sidewalk
surfer. I really cannot put it into words how much I love this company and their Sandals. You will NOT
be disappointed!”- Loyal Sanuk Customer.
IRVINE, CA
Noted in 2011 Businessweek as the 5th best city in the US, Irvine CA is a city like no other: a masterplanned balance of urban living and preserved natural space at the center of Orange County in
coastal Southern California. Sunny days and mild nights, Irvine is less than half an hour from 15
beautiful, sandy miles of Orange County's best beaches: Laguna Beach to the south, Huntington
Beach in the north and everything in between.
When you're in Irvine, you never have to look (or drive!) far to find things to do with over 44 miles
of off-road bike trails and over 280 miles of on-road cycling lanes, a plethora of farm-to-table
dining, museums, shopping, and so much more.
At Sanuk headquarters, the office is one big room with no walls. This structure mirrors the work
environment. The graphic team, viral marketing and media team, design and development team are
all are in the same room, all can see each other, all can interact with one another, and they all have a
whole lot of fun together! There is a constant flow and exchange of ideas and product innovation in
this room. “We’re really out of control,” say Jeff Kelley, “it is so fun and I’m so blessed I work with so
many talented people.”
DECKERS
Deckers Outdoor Corporation, with corporate offices in Goleta, CA, the company remains close to its
origins. It was there, as a University of California, Santa Barbara student that founder Doug Otto
began producing sandals in 1973. Since then, Deckers has grown into a leading global company
with locations on three continents and six footwear brands - Ahnu, Mozo, Teva, Tsubo, UGG
Australia, and Sanuk. Deckers also recently made an investment in the footwear brand Hoka One
One.
In July, 2011 Deckers acquired Sanuk. In announcing the news, Angel Martinez said "Sanuk is an
ideal addition to the Deckers family of brands. It's a profitable, well-run business with a corporate
culture similar to ours, and provides substantial growth opportunities, particularly within the
action sports market where it has a large and loyal customer base of active outdoor enthusiasts. Its
authentic product collections complement our existing portfolio with minimal overlap, and it's a
brand that we believe has true global lifestyle potential."
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With the additional resources that Deckers offers, Sanuk is poised for substantial growth. Deckers
provides the infrastructure needed for Sanuk’s brand message and product line to reach a broader
audience. Jeff Kelley remains with the company heading up creative and will be working hand in
hand with Sanuk’s Brand President, Jake Brandman. Jake has extensive experience working in both
the action sports and outdoor industry. Most recently Jake served as the Vice President of Sales at
Teva and has worked with both Keen Footwear and Vans in a sales capacity. Jake is a passionate,
enthusiastic and driven leader who is the right person to lead the team and Sanuk and take the
brand to the next level.
FLAGSHIP STORE
Sanuk celebrated the grand opening of its first flagship store at the Third Street Promenade in Santa
Monica on April 20, 2013. A few blocks from the beach, the store showcases all the fun, humor and
smiles that Sanuk is known to exude. It’s made to look like an unfinished basement or garage riffing
on a “space to play” theme where customers can explore the décor as much as the product.
Other retail stores include Downtown Disney, CA, Waikiki & Lahaina, Hawaii and the Philippines.
THE OPPORTUNITY
Do you take your job seriously and yourself less so? Can you find it within yourself to smile while
doing your very best to build brand awareness of this remarkable brand…even under pressure? Do
you possess the sophisticated professionalism to present an innovative marketing plan to the Board
of a publically traded company? Does this sound like a dream job? It just may be. We need the VP of
Marketing to embody the smarts, experience, and grounded presence that will build trust with a
team and with a culture that is wholly unique.
Hard work, determination, and no fear of “rolling up our sleeves” permeate throughout the
building. As a relatively small organization with many demanding timelines, the successful
candidate must possess the unique ability to lead on the ground in any given moment and be
completely comfortable with global strategic issues the next. This is a group of professionals that
sees the inherent value of teamwork. They are hungry to learn and know how to have fun doing it.
We need a leader who sees the value of building teams and is perhaps more satisfied in the success
of others than simply their own. Make no mistake; we need the marketing leader who can define
and strengthen the role of marketing within the brand in a very aggressive way but not at the
expensive of blowing up a truly wonderful culture. This is the soul and the challenge of the role. One
we take seriously.
Below we take “serious” one step further and dive into the meat & potatoes of the daily life of the
future VP of Marketing for Sanuk:
POSITION SUMMARY
The Vice President of Marketing, reporting to the Brand President will oversee and synergize the
functions within Marketing and be a key member of the senior management team across the Brand
and Business. The VP will be responsible for the development and execution of Sanuk’s global
strategic marketing plan and brand development efforts. The position will focus on building
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consumer demand, employing marketing initiatives to facilitate profitable growth across the
company.
The VP of Marketing will be asked to help develop and/or implement mainstream marketing
strategies and programs to ensure alignment from a brand point of view. This position is
responsible for planning, organizing, staffing, training and managing all marketing functions to
achieve the brand objectives. This position assumes full P&L responsibility across all facets of the
marketing department. The individual selected will be responsible for defining and strengthening
the role of marketing within the company. The emphasis will be placed on further developing the
brand through innovative communication.
SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES:
Creative Director, Communications Director, Global Marketing Operations Manager
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
Own and execute all marketing strategies based on strong consumer insight and drivers of
the business and implement tactical plans that support the regions and channels.
Provide direction and leadership to the Creative Marketing Team, Communications
Marketing Team, and Marketing Operations Team. Trains their team to think strategically
and to be the future thought leaders of the company to work across the organization and
drive integrated marketing programs for North America and globally (when applicable) that
create demand for products, establish brand credibility and accelerate growth.
Collaborates with other brand leaders, in particular Product and Sales and Deckers DTC
division, to build an integrated growth strategy for the Brand.
Leads the development of significant new marketing growth initiatives based on
understanding the target market (both current and potential) and the potential of the
product line. Leverages strong cross-functional relationships to make these initiatives
happen quickly and seamlessly across the organization.
Tracks, analyzes and owns marketing program effectiveness for initiatives and makes datadriven recommendations on critical marketing decisions.
Manages all brand communication including advertising, direct and online marketing, social
media and branded content. Develop benchmark criteria to measure the efficiency and
effectiveness of marketing program. Design processes to clarify responsibility, set
accountability and measure results against key performance indicators.
Work closely with the team on development of a system and process that enables Sanuk to
define and articulate the audience they serve.
Review and improve, where necessary, marketing processes, measurements, information
systems, etc. that are needed to enable the overall marketing function to operate efficiently
and effectively in pursuit of its objectives.
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REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS: The following are the required qualifications an individual needs
in order to successfully perform the duties and responsibilities of this position.
Education/Experience:
Bachelor’s degree in Marketing or related field
Ten plus years of experience with five to seven years in progressive Marketing roles
preferably in a footwear or action sports company.
A track record of performance excellence meeting targets and objectives.
Strong analytical planning, forecasting and budgeting/financial skills.
Possess a Marketing and Customer Service orientation.
Excellent communication and negotiations skills.
Respectful and outstanding leadership skills that motivates staff to exceed expectations.
The ability to articulate a vision and strategy in a way that inspires and motivates a team
and focuses their energy on achieving business goals.
The ability to manage multiple, complex priorities within demanding timeframes.
Proven ability to lead a proactive marketing and business development organization and
ensure accountability for results that maximize contributions to business objectives.
REQUIRED COMPETENCIES: The following are the required competencies an individual needs in
order to successfully perform the duties and responsibilities of this position.
Negotiating and influencing skills – The capability to work cross-functionally within Sanuk
and Deckers. The proven ability to build consensus and resolve conflict.
Strategic thinking – The ability to formulate long-term marketing strategies and brand value
propositions that connect with the overall strategy of the business. Solid understanding of
elements in the business environment and of how to establish a strategic direction.
Communication – Outstanding verbal and written communication abilities. This will include
the ability to sell Sanuk's marketing strategies throughout the Company and consumer,
generating excitement, enthusiasm and commitment.
Creative thinking – The individual should have the capability to generate new ideas and
implement them within organizational limitations, as well as to take advantage of emerging
opportunities on a global basis.
Process management/performance management – The VP of Marketing should be able to
achieve goals with attention to detail, commitment to timing and within the frame of
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available resources. This will include the ability to set clear and measurable objectives,
delegate responsibility, reward and recognize outstanding performance and take
appropriate action to correct low performance.
Interpersonal skills – They must have the demonstrated ability to build long-term
relationships and know how to motivate and develop teams and individuals to reach their
highest potential.
Functional Competencies:
The VP of Marketing will be a bright, strategic, creative marketing executive with proven
leadership skills, a capacity for innovation, and an absolute attention to detail. They will
possess excellent business instincts and acumen, along with outstanding issue identification
and problem solving skills. They will be a visionary thinker and a creative problem solver,
highly conceptual and able to think in terms of “transformational” versus merely
incremental growth. It is also important that we find an individual who can push the
envelope and help define strategic options, scenarios, and consequences.
They will have a strong intuitive sense complemented by the ability to quantify and justify
culture and branding practices. They will possess the ability to conceive/create new
thinking and ideas pertaining to overall marketing issues, particularly relating to
mainstream marketing and reaching consumers and new audiences.
The successful candidate is a team player, action- and results-oriented, who will lead by
example. Demanding of others through a collaborative, team-based approach, this
individual will have a mature demeanor and will naturally generate trust and confidence in
others.
The VP of Marketing must be self-motivated and have the ability to prioritize work load,
manage multiple tasks and move effortlessly from strategic to tactical issues. They must
exhibit strong drive and show commitment and follow-through in meeting stated objectives
in a timely manner, while also demonstrating a team approach to doing so.
They will have integrity beyond reproach and will be committed to the highest quality
standards and continuous improvement – both personally and organizationally.
For additional information, please contact Adam Forest or Mary Maliff at:
THE FOREST GROUP
6181 Clark Mountain Road
Lotus, CA 95651
(530) 344-0100 ph
(530) 344-0104 fax
[email protected] / [email protected]
All inquiries will be held in strict confidence.
The Forest Group works only with equal opportunity employers
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