Meet Marijana Jakic, St. Moritz Brand Manager & Member of the Management Board at Engadin St. Moritz Tourism AG. We are delighted to continue our series of introducing and presenting some of the great people that we work with on a daily basis. This time, Marijana Jakic, Brand Manager St. Moritz. Read here what the job description of a Brand Manager includes and what Marijana’s favourite spot in the area of St. Moritz is.
Being a brand manager is a unique job title, especially for a tourism destination. What responsibilities does this position entail?
Brand management is quite unique within the tourism industry since it is usually luxury brands that will routinely use this and adopt a brand management mindset. Instead of creating short-term marketing campaigns, we will plan our activities around the brand. This especially means a long-term approach and that every single action we take must align with our brand values. In my role as a brand manager, I have the pleasure of working with a young and creative team who are in charge of overseeing fields like sales, marketing, product management, public relations as well as social media management for the town, focussing strongly on an international audience.
The St. Moritz town name and its logo have been registered as trademarks since the mid-1980s. What does the St. Moritz brand stand for?
Devised in 1930, it’s the oldest tourism logo that is still in use today. And while it took until 1987 for the St. Moritz Tourist Board to register the town’s name and logo as trademarks, it became the first geographical location in the world to do so – an innovative strategy that made global headlines, including the front page of the Wall Street Journal.
St. Moritz has always been a place for entrepreneurs, creative minds and visitors from across the globe who celebrate and enjoy the extraordinary lifestyle which St. Moritz has to offer.
Coming from a corporate banking background, what enticed you to work for a tourism destination and what have been the most exciting differences?
I have always been accustomed to managing brands when I was working in the banking sector, but never before in tourism. As St. Moritz is also a luxury brand, there are a lot of similarities with a conventional brand management approach. But I don’t think I need to mention that managing a destination brand requires much more creativity as well as emotional branding. Since I grew up in St. Moritz and have strong emotional ties with the brand, I decided to move on, leave banking and pursue what was in my heart.
What have been your personal highlights since starting to work in St. Moritz?
My banking background has helped me to set clearly defined targets, focus on those and then appraise the outcomes. Last year, St. Moritz increased overnight stays by 3.9% compared with 2018. Another personal highlight has been seeing more and more young people visiting St. Moritz. The objective is for St. Moritz to inspire and attract a discerning international, creative crowd.
If you could invite anyone, who would you ask to join you for a day’s skiing?
I would love to spend a day skiing with Elon Musk since I would have countless questions to ask about his tweets. 😊
What’s your favourite vantage point in and around St. Moritz and why?
The morning view I have enjoyed the most so far is of the sunrise from the summit of Piz Nair, as I prefer sunrises to sunsets. Sitting outside on Badrutt’s Palace terrace and looking out across St. Moritz lake fills me with joy. I am truly blessed and grateful to be working for and living in such a beautiful locality.
