Following the recent hire of a former Burberry and Nike social marketing executive to run Apple’s new social media arm, a few job listings on Apple’s website point to an attempt to bolster the company’s retail marketing team. A few of the positions were outlined by ifo Apple Store earlier today and seem to point toward an increased focus on building and maintaining customer loyalty to the Apple brand.
We’ve heard time and again that Apple customers, particularly iPhone users, are among the most loyal, but it seems Apple believes there’s still more to be done in that department. One of these new job listings calls for a “Program Manager — Loyalty, Global Retail Marketing,” which would focus on creating “learning and services strategies” designed to inspire loyalty among Apple’s user base.
A listing for a Senior Event Manager also appears on the Apple website. This individual would be responsible for creating and maintaining a “brand story,” a term familiar to just about anyone who has taken a basic marketing class. Specifically, this manager would help maintain the public perception of the Apple brand through online and in-store events partnered with experimental marketing and outreach plans.
Interestingly, some of these job listings began appearing shortly after former Wolff Olins CEO Karl Heiselman joined Apple’s marketing team in an undisclosed position. Overall it sounds like retail chief Angela Ahrednts and retail VP Phil Schiller are putting plans into effect to revamp Apple’s marketing and retail efforts, as both executives have been looking to do for some time.
