Calvin Klein Taps Steven Waldberg
● The new consumer engagement exec previously was senior director, global communications at Bulgari.
The changes keep coming at Calvin Klein Inc.
Steven Waldberg, former senior director, global communications at Bulgari, has joined Calvin Klein as executive vice president, consumer engagement, a new post. He reports to Marie Gulin-Merle, chief marketing officer at Calvin Klein.
Waldberg will be responsible for marketing, public relations, communications, social and corporate social responsibility. He takes over some duties formerly handled by Rod Manley, who as reported, resigned his post as executive vice president, influence marketing and communications, to become chief marketing officer of Burberry, effective Jan. 7. Waldberg will also take over some responsibilities from Michael DeLellis, executive vice president, integrated global marketing, who moves into the new post of executive vice president, strategic marketing initiatives and transformation, also reporting to GulinMerle. He will be in charge of global upskilling in digital-first marketing and organizational development. This includes training and educating the teams on skill sets specific to mobile, social, content, data and e- commerce.
The communications team formerly reporting into Manley, as well as the marketing leads, will now report to Waldberg.
As chief marketing officer, GulinMerle also oversees areas such as visual merchandising, store design, e-commerce and consumer and marketing insights.
Waldberg’s hiring is a reunion of sorts. He and Gulin-Merle previously worked together at L’Oréal. Prior to his Bulgari role, Waldberg was vice president, integrated consumer communications for Maybelline
New York, a division of L’Oréal, and before that was vice president, brand communications at L’Oréal Paris USA. Before joining Calvin Klein, Gulin-Merle was chief marketing officer of L’Oréal USA, and earlier was vice president, global integrated communications at L’Oréal Paris.
These moves are part of Klein’s strategy to create a modern, digital and consumer-first brand.
As reported, Calvin Klein sent out communication in December telling magazine publishers that the company will take a new “consumer-centric” marketing strategy that will see the brand shift to a digital first, socially amplified model, with video the preferred format. Consequently, Klein will be exiting pure print advertising effective next month, and all future partnerships will be led by digital content. Klein will only consider print ads as a complement to these programs.
Meanwhile, following the departure of chief creative officer Raf Simons late last month, the company intends to ship the spring 209W39NYC collection, according to a spokeswoman. Calvin Klein won’t be showing a fall collection during New York Fashion Week, as reported. However, sources said Michelle Kessler Sanders, president of Calvin Klein and Gulin-Merle, are already at work figuring out a “halo” collection for fall, and reportedly presented their ideas to the board last month. The Klein spokeswoman declined comment about plans for the collection going forward.