On-line sportswear retailer Boo.com, which is gearing up for
flotation, is hunting for an investor relations head and has just
appointed Financial Dynamics to handle its City PR.
The retailer, which launched this month, is backed by an investment
company owned by the chairman of French luxury goods giant LVMH, Bernard
Arnault, and the Benetton family, owners of the Italian fashion chain.
It is expected to float on the London Stock Exchange next year.
It is understood that the IR role could carry a salary of around pounds
120,000.
It is not clear where the IR head would fit within the company’s PR
structure, although it is likely to be one of the most senior
communications roles.
Boo.com appointed former Body Shop communications and marketing head
Marina Galanti to run its global marketing communications in July this
year. Galanti works with senior PR manager Dina Cholack and runs the
marketing department.
Galanti reports to the company’s chief executive, Ernst Malmsten, who
co-founded the company with fellow Swedish entrepreneurs Kajsa Leander
and Patrick Hedelin.
With internet company share prices suffering from a volatile market, a
number of big internet brands are currently tightening up their
financial PR.
Freeserve, which recently saw its share price fall below its flotation
price, is currently recruiting an IR director.
The retailer retains Modus Publicity to handle its UK consumer and
corporate PR, and Hill and Knowlton to manage its international profile
from its New York office. Modus won the UK work from incumbent H&K in
May.
In August, Boo.com had to delay its launch by several months because of
technical problems. The retailer sells a range of sportswear and fashion
brands including Converse, DKNY Active, FuBu, Helly Hansen, New Balance,
Puma, Fred Perry and Vans.
The retailer’s target customers are 18- to 40-year-olds in the US,
Germany, Benelux, France, the UK, Italy, Spain and the Nordic regions.
Its multilingual web site allows customers to view goods from any angle
and try clothes on a virtual a mannequin.
Web Watch, p16.
