Dive Brief:
- DTC children’s apparel brand Hanna Andersson has named former Apple executive Grace Wong its new chief brand officer, per a company press release.
- Wong, who reports to CEO Aimée Lapic, is succeeding Callie Canfield who left in February to pursue new opportunities, per the company. In her new role, Wong heads up creative development of all brand and product assets and is in charge of producing content across the company’s various communication platforms.
- Most recently Wong was vice president of global marketing for the Beats by Dr. Dre brand at Apple. Prior to that, she held a similar title in charge of all Gap brands and led efforts to launch the brand in China. Wong also held marketing roles at Johnson & Johnson, Pfizer and Coca-Cola.
Dive Insight:
At Hanna Andersson, Wong takes on her role with a legacy brand that was first launched over 40 years ago by Gun Denhart and weathered numerous changes over the decades. In 2016, it was acquired by private equity firm L Catterton from Sun Capital Partners.
“Grace is exceptional at developing strategies that not only garner brand awareness, but also drive significant business growth,” Lapic said in a statement. “Her unique expertise in taking brands to new heights without losing sight of what makes the brand special will be integral as we look towards the future of Hanna Andersson.”
The company closed its brick-and-mortar locations in 2020, but is looking to increase its “physical touchpoints again by looking at partnerships and growing their baby boutique presence around the country,” a company spokesperson told Retail Dive.
Other changes the brand made in recent years included the launch of a customer loyalty program last September. Earlier in 2023, the company launched a resale marketplace dubbed Hanna-Me-Downs, that seeks to capture market share from the rapidly growing resale market. Around the same time, the brand created an activewear line for kids that is primarily made from recycled fabrics and incorporates UV-protective, wicking fabrics.
The global children’s apparel industry has grown steadily and is projected to increase at an annual growth rate of 2.6% from 2024 to 2028, per Statista. The U.S. market is considered the world’s biggest in terms of revenue, with estimates of $54 billion for 2024.
