Made-it in Direct Marketing: Da‑Hee Kim

This month we are shining a spotlight on one of our clients, Da-Hee Kim, who has connected with A&O's direct mail and fulfilment services through several upmarket brands, including Tiffany & Co and elegant market leader Chanel.

Da-Hee's career path is one that was somewhat unexpected. With a law degree in her repertoire, Da-Hee chose to take on a position at a Tiffany & Co retail store for a change of pace before moving onto their marketing team.

For those who are looking to move into the marketing space, there is a wealth of advice that can be learnt from Da-Hee’s journey.

How did you get started with your career? 

The key is to choose something that fits in with what you love. While this is a pretty obvious piece of advice, many people take a while to find what it is that they truly enjoy.

“I loved learning throughout my law degree, the content was excellent,” Da-Hee said. “However, I realised very early on that the work-life balance for a career in the field would likely not fit in with how I saw my future. It just didn’t work for my personality or resonate with who I am.”

Working as a casual, to begin with, Da-Hee’s time at Tiffany & Co took a significant step up when she took initiative and asked to work with their marketing team. In January 2019, she took on a role in the head office. Da-Hee said it is this kind of experience that enlightens young marketers on the industry and its practices.

“You learn a lot in those initial months, I think being thrown into the deep end is an excellent way to find your favourite elements of an industry,” Da-Hee said. “One of my career highlights was during the organisation of an event to open up a flagship store. I was able to get my hands dirty and really took on a variety of responsibilities.”

What is it like working as a marketer in the luxury industry? 

For those wanting to know what it is like to work as a Client Strategy Executive at CHANEL, the position has a strong focus on CRM and campaign activation covering 360 planning, client engagement, asset management and strategy. There is a strong emphasis on collaboration in their office which comes down to building the best customer experience possible.  A certain level of craftsmanship and a legacy is exercised in CHANEL items that Da-Hee tells as what makes it a luxury business.

“We are not just selling products, we are selling an experience,” Da-Hee said. “You need to make the client fall in love again and again, which is what makes it exciting. It is about sentiment and desire, which is not something that is built overnight.” How do they continuously make their customers want more? Da-Hee explains that for CHANEL, there is a significance in the brand's presentation to clients that is much more detail orientated than other options. “The detail of all the work in this industry, particularly that in client engagement, is something that I am always in awe of,” Da-Hee said. “However, every petal on every flower is quality controlled here, I think that is probably the biggest difference in working for CHANEL. There is so much care put into things that many wouldn’t even consider.”

How do you make opportunities for yourself? 

With an impressive start to her career and a bright future ahead, Da-Hee offers some advice to those who are wanting to work at a powerhouse like CHANEL. “If I had any advice to give to someone who wants to work in this industry, it is just to be patient with yourself,” Da-Hee said. “Ask for new opportunities, even if that means doing an internship.”

As for how she got to where she is? Da-Hee explains that gaining positions with two of the worlds largest luxury brands have come down to three things - hard work, taking initiative and sheer luck. “I have been so lucky in my career. However, I have made sure to make myself visible, done tasks outside my scope and have always tried to add value to my teams,” Da-Hee said. “Work hard, be optimistic and always follow your passion.”