Ivana Hakola

Responsible for leading the graphic team and projects in the region of Kuwait, Morocco and Jordan. Creating layouts and campaigns from idea to production and implementation, leading the team and working within Communication and Interior design department which directly supports Retail/Sales. Strongly involved with the creation and implementation of commercial activities and campaigns.
Managing and developing team members, working on strategies and guidelines. Maintaining all the customer touch points' visual communication needs for both the existing stores in the region and future ones planned. Supporting as a member of Expansion team, on the set up of future touch points from strategical to executional points. Strong IKEA Brand ambassador for the local markets adapting the global standards towards the versatile market needs having the customer always in focus.

Responsible as a Brand Manager for a palette of alcoholic beverages including V Vodka, Blue Gin, OR Liquors and Vermutino. Also partially working on well-known brands of Gorki List and VODA VODA as a part of the Branding team for best-selling products. Working in the Marketing team in close connection with both Sales and Trade Marketing colleagues, on ensuring the brand awareness and positioning the sales products on the local market and export to other regions. Cooperating with external marketing agencies, steering creative solutions, organizing the production and implementation of POSM and other promotional materials and product placement (shelving and racking layouts). Doing promotional events in accordance to the current Covid situation. Keeping track of proper budgeting and delivery. Ordering all the POS materials and following up with the delivery and distribution. Providing leadership, motivation, direction and support to my team. Making sure processes run smooth and seamless. Developing strategical and tactical guidelines for each product, in order to reach sales targets and achieve desired company goals.

Responsible as a Brand Manager for sparkling CSD - PEPSI, Mirinda, 7UP, Evervess, Lipton, RockStar. Working in the Marketing team and closely with Trade Marketing colleagues, on ensuring brand awareness and positioning the brand on Serbia and Montenegro market. Working closely with external marketing agencies on briefing the creative solutions, creating creative solutions and directions from ideas to production and implementation of POSM materials and product placement (shelving and racking layouts). Doing promotional event organizing - fairs, social and sport/art events, making sure that all the global standards are being followed and implemented. Coordinating with promotion agencies, organizing promo materials, time-lines and preparations from the proposal to the delivery, responsible from the start to the finish. Making sure the entire organization is done within the budget, delivered on time and exceeds expectations. Working on sponsorships and cooperation with both PEPSICO and other big chains on mutual activations (KFC for example). Managing budget, cost estimation, negotiating with the external partners/suppliers (and building strong relationships with them), controlling and supervising execution quality (with event site inspections). Ordering all the POS materials and following up with the delivery and distribution. Negotiating prices and conditions with the external suppliers for the marketing services and products. Providing leadership, motivation, direction and support to my team. Setting clear goals, expectations, timelines and ways of working so the projects could be done with maximum efficiency.

Responsible for leading the graphic team in Swiss IKEA stores. Strategically and tactically combining the national and global communication directions and guidelines, adapting them to the local market. Developing the multichannel direction and closely working with the Marketing and Sales teams. Primary focus on the commercial activities, creative approach, layouts and plans how to execute the national directions and initiatives in the highly competitive Swiss market. Achieving the successful creation and implementation of the Commercial activities plan for 2017. Working on improving the team competencies and strengthening the IKEA brand perception on the market via enforcing and
supporting the country Management. Working with international colleagues and management.

Responsible for leading the graphic team in the South East Europe region (Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia and Romania). Designing creative layouts and campaigns from idea to production and implementation, leading the team and working within Communication and Interior design team for Retail, Marketing, Sales, HR, and Logistics. Managing and developing team members, working on strategies and guidelines. Maintaining all the store graphic communication needs for all the existing stores in the region and future ones planned. Working as a member of Expansion team, on the set up of future stores in the region (opened Zagreb store cca 37000m2 in August 2014). Active member of the Commercial Team, working on creating and producing all the commercial and vitality activities for the stores. Achieved forming a competent team and individuals, coaching and steering their personal development toward the future higher responsibility roles within the design department. Leading both local and international, internal and external team members, having great success recognized on the global level, as well as with the local customers in Croatia and surrounding countries. Setting up the entire SEE graphic team, drafting and developing the colleagues in both Service office Belgrade, and Bucharest and Zagreb stores. Developing and implementing numerous successful commercial and marketing activities and campaigns for the regional stores. Working as a matrix partner in the global IKEA graphic team, maintaining and developing the original IKEA concept while spreading the knowledge and experience gained. Working on establishing the IKEA brand in Serbia and setting up the Belgrade IKEA store. Working with international colleagues and management.

Responsible for being a board member for accepting the new members and organizing and participating in exhibitions and fairs as well as design events, affirmation of the new artists, protecting the values of the institution.
Achieved several highly successful exhibitions and fairs, a couple of events and gaining 3 annual best design awards, as well as coaching new artists in developing their talents and potentials.

Responsible for the entire process from finding the client to negotiating the service to the full design implementation. Finding external partners for support in certain segments for ex. coding and web site as well as external printing companies and mounting crews. Achieving multiple successful projects and brand creations, maintaining a steady workflow and a base of satisfied clients. Gaining great experience and benefiting from cooperation with other experts in the field and building a strong professional network. Learning what it means to be an entrepreneur, managing to overcome all the challenges and learn how to handle the operational and logistic side of owning a private business.

Responsible for managing the marketing budget and making marketing plans as well as organizing the execution. Working with external agencies and retail network of the store management. Organizing and leading photoshoots for new products. Working on media buying and with press and fashion magazines on product placement. Organizing events and participating in various fashion and TV shows. Working with sponsorship. Making sure all the retails points are consistent in branding and clearly communicating the marketing plan (sales, discounts, new launches etc.)
Achieved successful campaigns that were present on the local market and produced significant increase in sales. Excellent cooperation with external agency in creating a brand book and CI standard book to strengthen the perception of the brand. Coaching the internal sales and merchandising staff within the stores how to execute the marketing plan and work stronger with the given elements to improve the overall impact.

Responsible for full creative service for international brands like VISA, British American Tobacco, Durex, Telenor, P&G and many locally established brands. Working on creating all sorts of different promo materials, commercial activities and marketing campaigns. Working with Creative directors and Copy Writers as a key member of the team. Delegating and leading other designers towards the implementation. Creating presentations and conducting pitches for new clients. Maintaining close relationships with client representatives in order to produce the most efficient solution. Procuring external partners, steering and supervising their part of the work.
Achieved many successful campaign executions. Advancing to getting brand - British American Tobacco to run independently, working with their global HQ on proper implementation and localization of their visual standards on our market. Further expanding of the professional network within the marketing environment. Learning to work effectively under pressure, with short deadlines and in stressful situations linked to a fast-paced tempo of a big marketing agency.

Responsible for leading the creative process of making the communication carriers for the company. Marketing budgeting and media buying. Organizing charity and participating in different sports and cultural events. Negotiating cooperation with external partners. Working closely with the Sales Manager to coordinate and align the company’s activity and presence on the market.
Achieved the increase in sales, a couple of very successful events where the brand awareness was raised. Gained valuable knowledge in working with international clients and colleagues.

Responsible for supporting Art and Creative Directors in the execution of the marketing campaigns and creating materials in accordance to the plans. Being a part of the team that was working on ATL, BTL and POS materials. Supporting the management in client meetings with storyboards, presentations and technical info. Achieved working on several big marketing campaigns for important companies on the local market. Successfully presenting the ideas and execution plans. Learning how to maximize my
contribution to the Management team in a fast and effective way.