Red Balloon searching for CMO to continue company transition
Experiential gift company Red Balloon has begun the hunt for a new CMO who will be charged with moving the business into the travel and tourism space.
Red Balloon CEO, Nick Baker, told Mumbrella the company was seeking a replacement for Bonnie Thorn who is moving to a head of digital role in a non-competing industry.
“We are looking for someone to sit at the leadership table as we pivot the business into travel and tourism” Baker said.
Thorn: moving to a head of digital role in a non-competing industry
“We want someone who has preferably had had some experience on travel and ecommerce, but also someone who has some experience in business transformation.”
Baker said the company was entering a third phase since he joined the company two-and-a-half years ago, having returned it to a growth path it was now opening its services into new areas that complemented the existing Red Balloon model.
He said he was not looking for someone with “30 years experience”, but rather a person with an adventurous spirit who might also have experience with start-ups.
“Obviously it’s a different place to work so we’d like to have someone who can talk the language of the CTO and understand how we are moving forward.
He said the role would also be crucial for the company as it turned its view from a domestic market to international opportunities .
“This isn’t a role for anyone looking for a ‘nurturing’ opportunity, this is a role for an adventure-seeker – building on greatness is one of the hardest challenges and this is a growth specialist opportunity,” the job description said.
So “…new areas that complimented the existing Red Balloon model.”
I wonder what sort of compliments?
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Every couple of months I come across Red Balloon. I have a bit of a click around and close the window. I suspect I’m not alone.
For a brand built on delivering experiences, the actual Red Balloon website experience lacks emotion and is largely unpersuasive.
It’s a lifeless catalogue and the reviews are so scant and/or shallow the star system is meaningless. It does feel like a budget attempt at borrowing from AirBNB. Do a side by side comparison.
Hopefully the new CMO will start with a complete rethink of the existing customer experience. Until then, it’s not ready for the travel & tourism space.
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Sorry to pop your balloon Red Balloon but the statement:
“not looking for someone with “30 years experience”, but rather a person with an adventurous spirit who might also have experience with start-ups” is completely ageist and ugly.
It speaks to the stereotype created, encouraged and supported by the industry that once you attain the experience that everyone works so hard to gain, it is really of no value at all.
It very wrongly assumes that people over a certain age do not have an adventurous spirit and have never worked in start-ups in the categories outlined. Total bald faced age discrimination and by the way, this is illegal.
Looking within the bubble of Red Balloon at the faces in a staff photo, none of this should come as a surprise at all as age cleansing
is alive and well at Red Balloon.
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It’s official, people will get offended at anything
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Totally agree. The look, feel and UX is awful. They need a massive revamp. I am not convinced they are a travel company either? I love buying people experiences, however I want the experience to wow me, then it will wow the person I am buying a gift for… You need a creative mind in their to orchestrate this.
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