Vol. 13 - Giovanni Zaccariello, Coach
Say 'ello to Giovanni Zaccariello, the brains behind Coach's exceptional visual experiences and activations popping off all around the globe!
Meet Giovanni:
Where to even begin here.
Visual Experience has long been a point of fascination for me. The art of it. The science of it. The ability to create unique experiences and spaces for brands to show up for their customers and leave long lasting impressions and emotions beyond the products. It’s genius.
And I am excited to have sat down with one of the best in the business. Giovanni is the SVP of Global Visual Experience at Coach and has been with the brand for the past 14 years, helping to position them as one of the leaders in this realm.
He comes armed with years of experience having previously served at Mexx, M&S, Topshop, Espirit and others all across the world. And this experience and geographical diversity has sculpted him into the creative he is today.
Was so great to learn more from Giovanni about this part of the marketing matrix and get his take on the hows, whos and whats of the visual brand world. Hope you enjoy as much as I did.
The Interview:
What drew you to the fashion industry?
Well, it's funny. I actually got into fashion and visual merchandising by accident. I studied branding and marketing at Oxford University but I was following my parents' dream and was originally destined to be a banker. I even started a banking internship but quit on day two. It was just not my forte.
I then started working part-time at Uniqlo where I began to understand the industry and what Visual Merchandising (VM) was. I added extra hours to further my understanding of VM and then, to be honest, through networking and word of mouth I got myself a job in it.
From there I worked in different VM roles in London until somebody I knew got a role in Amsterdam and moved me with him to be on his team. Then came Hong Kong and Coach. That was 14 years ago. In that time I have moved from Hong Kong to New York to manage the Global VM team looking after everything from product to experiential retail, hospitality, gaming and more. And the business has developed so much with amazing people like Stuart Vevers joining the ranks. It’s been a journey.
What do you wish you knew before entering the industry?
I think my branding degree and business courses at school were very helpful. But something I think everyone should know is how to manage the magic and logic of this world.
What I mean by that is, yes, we work in this cool creative world but we need to make them profit driving. So you have to think about timelines and budgets as well as the creative and beautiful ideas. It’s a role that is very much 50% magic and 50% logic. This is only increased with seniority so it’s vital to be able to see both sides.
Best piece of advice you have received?
I always say, when I get asked this question, just be yourself and follow your gut.
I've had so many great mentors over the years and I think I've kind of become a little bit of a melting pot of all those leadership skills I've learned and witnessed. Whether it is through people in Holland, in London, in Hong Kong, now in New York City. I have been helped by diverse leadership. But each of them have always installed the importance of being yourself and trusting yourself. Don’t emulate or copy anyone else. Create your own legacy.
What does Visual Experience mean to you?
This is marketing jargon but, for me it's really to create that emotional connection with the consumer. Whether they are shopping with us or just experiencing and spending time with Coach. Whether it’s a store window design, an experience on Zepeto and Roblox, a concert series like Boiler Room, a VIP endorsement. Whatever. It has to create an emotional response or that ‘oh my god Coach is so cool’ moment.
I love seeing a customer's face as they walk into Coach Play stores, our experiential stores that we have around the world. Seeing first hand those surprise and delight moments I think is the biggest joy for me.
How do you know what's going to resonate from a visual experience perspective?
So, it's a little bit of a trick of the trade which I'm not gonna mention. Ha! Just kidding. The truth is that Coach leads with the consumer in mind. So there is a lot of consumer data that we work in.
Take as an example Coach Play. Hyper localised, immersive stores all around the world. Before we launch, we actually meet with the Gen Z audience within that specific neighborhood through our consumer data team and we try to learn what resonates with them. Of course we have a base of creativity but then we localize it based on some of those insights.
But some of it is really pure gut, right. That magic and logic combo again. By walking the street, walking the neighborhood, observing what people are wearing, how they are reacting, what else is out there.
But the reality is it is hard when trying to capture the GenZ audience. Experimentation and constant iteration is needed. They're the fastest moving generation whether it's because they have their mobile phone, because of TikTok and because of how social media works. So to stay relevant and give ourselves the best chance of creating something that resonates, we need to move at that same speed.
Moment you are most proud of in your career to date?
I would say more than one particular moment, I am most proud of this ongoing experimentation we employ at Coach. Because what was relevant a month ago might not be relevant today. I keep saying this but gone are the days of just putting bags on shelves and expecting people to come in, buy them and be part of the brand. Since Covid, everybody, including my 86 year old mom, can shop for a bag on the website.
We test at speed. We execute at speed. We learn at speed. This speed has impacted our internal culture at Coach with full buy-in across the organisation and has accelerated some of the strategies across the group.
But, if i were to pick moments, i would say most of the things that we've been doing in Coach Play have been some of the highlights including the evolution of our creative. And the Tabby bag, our biggest icon, and everything we have done there. So the Tabby pop ups have been incredibly rewarding.
A book you think all aspiring fashion leaders should read?
I do read a lot but I'm more of a podcast type of guy. But right now I'm reading a book called ‘The Right It’ by Alberto Savoia, somebody that we're working with in the realm of innovation.
As I mentioned the testing and learning experimentation agenda is pretty big for us and for my team so I would recommend it to anybody coming into this world. Creativity can be so subjective and I think this book teaches you how to make it objective.
It’s a great book, super easy to read and he also has classes online you can look at too!
1x resource you use to stay ahead?
So everybody will say this but I spend a lot of time on social. Whether it is LinkedIn, Instagram or Tik Tok. I think that's definitely my first source of inspiration but also a way to stay connected and tuned in with peers.
But this year, after four years, I travelled to Milan with my team for the Salone del Mobile Milano which was incredible. It is a place that reminds us there are places to gain inspiration outside of fashion. At that show there were so many creative people, a wealth of knowledge and a great opportunity to get out of the office. I think creative people need time away from their desks. The whole team were blown away so we will definitely be going back.
What’s one skill you are actively working on to improve?
I think there's maybe two.
One is to get better at this idea of ‘Global Local’. We are such a big global brand but how do you get a whole team on to have a global mindset and embed themselves into these wildly different local cultures? How do we tap into that localised GenZ mindset and make our experiences resonate? And how do we scale that?
The second one is more around data and the analytics side of things. We do a lot of great things and have a great team. I think as creatives, truly understanding the data and taking into account all the various KPIs and objectives will help you, and the campaigns you work on, go even further.
Activation you wish you had come up with?
I think the big one that comes to mind that I loved is the full campaign and activation the Barbie team put together around the movie. I think it is an example of the first time we saw a franchise like that become bigger than the movie itself. There were so many takeovers, so many partnerships, so many amazing campaign moments. I don’t really need to say more. It is definitely one of those examples outside of fashion I was inspired by.
I also love the work the team over at Jacquemus are doing. It is so incredibly consistent and also out of the box in a big way.
Also loving the return of Nike and how they have refound their roots and what they stand for. I have really enjoyed some of their latest work in stores as well as their ads focused on women empowerment and other subject matter they have historically stood up for.
And then finally the GAP. They are definitely coming back in a big way, creating a brand world and bringing back the heritage of what the brand stood for for so many years. I know how long it’s taken Coach and I think I see them on the same kind of journey and transformation. So I am curious and excited to see how far they’re going to go.
Your one to watch? An individual in the space killing it?
Zac Posen at the GAP The speed in which he is recreating the brand is pretty significant.
Brand / product you can't live without?
I mean I can't live without coffee. Does that count as one?
I'm a sneaker head. Currently loving the vintage Asics and New Balance. I am lucky to travel a lot with work so I try to find the cool and unique ones when I'm in Japan or Korea. So yeah sneakers and I’m really excited that Coach is really getting into the sneaker game as well.
Lastly, Soulcycle. I go three times a week - I’m a big fan. If you are in New York you need to be there because it’s less about the riding and more about the big community they’ve built. They’ve created this entire world. And they have the best instructors.
Industry hot take?
The brands that are going to succeed are those that take risks and don’t follow the status quo. GenZ's are unpredictable and moving incredibly fast. The brands that win, especially with that generation, will be the ones who surprise and delight in a real way, experiment with them and bring them on a journey.
It’s why I am particularly excited about the consumer first strategy we are employing at Coach and getting to spend more time with our customer. Through those moments and continued testing, learning, innovating and thinking outside the box, we will learn faster and cut through the noise in a strong way.
Follow Giovanni
Giovanni is excellent at posting his and Coach’s latest creations on LinkedIn so is a must follow. be sure to click that follow button on his profile! You won’t regret it!
Also give Coach a follow on Instagram or TikTok to stay up to date with all the latest activations and experiences. Make sure you go because they’re awesome.
Til next time x