By Adam Sylvain

Grace Chan Markus T’12 is the senior director of go-to-market strategy and brand activation for the EMEA region at Tommy Hilfiger, one of the iconic lifestyle brands owned by PVH Corp.

It’s a marketing role that involves the nuance of shepherding the proud heritage of a legacy brand while also finding creative ways to engage consumers in local markets. Helping renowned fashion and lifestyle brands meet this challenge is something Markus has excelled at throughout her career.

“I have always enjoyed representing iconic global brands that have a real story and legacy,” says Markus, who has held previous roles at luxury retail titans such as Louis Vuitton, Chanel, and Saks Fifth Avenue. “When you are in that position, you have to strike a fine balance of retaining brand DNA through and through while using insights to shape campaigns that will resonate in local markets.”

Accomplishing the second part of this goal requires understanding the more subtle aspects of consumer behavior. For example, Markus says in her current role, Italian consumers tend to respond to specific colorways in products, whereas fit and fabrications of clothing are emphasized more in marketing to German consumers.

As the role of influencer marketing continues to grow, Tommy Hilfiger has also embraced its partnerships with international celebrities such as Canadian pop singer Shawn Mendes. Beneath this level of globally recognized talent, the company will tap into regional influencers as well. This could mean bringing K-pop artists into marketing campaigns in Asia or seizing opportunities to collaborate with local influencers known for their grassroots advocacy on topics like sustainability. 

While the influencer approach can be very effective, Markus is also a strong proponent of keeping the quality, craftsmanship, and desirability of products front and center.

“A key strategy for us is focusing on our ‘hero’ products,” she says. “It could be a polo shirt or a puffer jacket or a shirtdress for women, but it always hinges on storytelling that weaves the hero product into a broader narrative about quality and innovation.”

Coordination and consistency are critical to ensuring these regional efforts harmonize within a global brand. A prime example was the deliberate planning and sequencing that went into the marketing of Tommy Hilfiger’s fall 2022 campaign.

This included the global launch of their new “TH” monogram and corresponding fall collection which debuted during New York Fashion Week last September. “In the lead-up, but really peaking during Fashion Week, we turned on our key marketing channels to create a highly synchronized campaign that was designed to uplift brand awareness and consideration globally,” says Markus. “This resulted in being the second most-searched brand during New York Fashion Week.”

Such campaigns highlight the ways that consumer understanding and strategic marketing help Tommy Hilfiger shape its direct-to-consumer business. Markus says a greater challenge is managing how the brand appears in the marketing of major wholesalers who carry the company’s products.

“We have to keep a close eye on not only the way our brand shows up on our own web page and in our own brick-and-mortar stores, but also with third-party retailers,” she says. “Maintaining the integrity of your brand can be challenging when you have other parties interpreting how Tommy Hilfiger shows up.”

This story originally appeared in print in the summer 2023 issue of Tuck Today magazine.