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Julia Makhalova-Chi

I am a cultural strategist. I help brands find their place in culture.
  • Case Studies
    • Walmart
    • Marvel
    • Topo Chico
    • Philips
    • Netflix
    • Future
    • Nike
    • Nissan
    • Immigration
    • Jar Goods
    • HP
    • Weifang City
    • Wanda
    • CRRC
    • National center for the performing arts
    • CASC
  • My trend newsletter
  • 100 Days of Deflection
  • About

JULIA MAKHALOVA | creative brand strategist with global perspective and passion for design

julia@makhalova.com | Brooklyn, NY

 

EXPERIENCE

01.2017 - 05.2017

CHOBANI STARTUP INCUBATOR,  client JAR GOODS   in New York, NY

Brand Strategist

  • Member of SVA Honors Team, supervised by Elizabeth Talerman & Bret Sanford
  • Conducted brand positioning & activation: Brand Audit, Customer Empathy Research, Brand Territory Proposal, Brand Activation, Social Media Strategy development 

 

11.2015 - 09.2016                                  

IVANMAO, communication design startup in Beijing, China    

Creative Director and Speaker

  • Managed creative team comprising both founders and five freelancers 
  • Developed and implemented brand launch recommendation, digital media strategy, empathy research, resulted in successful market entry for two brands 
  • Developed brand and communication strategy for “The 7th Nights of Thelema” by Polyhedron VR - virtual reality cinematic immersive experience, resulting in film shown at Cannes Film Festival in 2017

 

Key Clients: S7 airlines, Russian-China Trade Investment Exhibition, Polyhedron VR

 

03.2013 - 11.2015                                                                             

ZHENG BANG: Brand Consulting & Design in Beijing China

Brand Strategy Consultant & Art Director

  • Managed multicultural team of three (since November 2014)
  • Developed “Utopia” methodology combining design and strategy, applied to over 20 branding programs  
  • Conducted Positioning and Branding Strategy Development: naming, trend forecasting, product innovation, corporate culture development, whitespace research 

 

Key Clients: Antonoil, Wanda Qingdao Studios, Hainan Airlines, Ford, 360 Antivirus, CASC (Chinese Space Agency), 361 Sportswear, Haier, China Rural Commercial Bank 

 

06.2010 – 05.2012

RENAULT in Moscow, Russia  

Strategy Planning Manager 

  • Implemented $20MM brand activation plan
  • Launched SUV Renault Duster 360 communication strategy, resulting in three months expectation list 
  • Successfully managed brand repositioning campaign for Renault Fluence, resulting in rise to top 6 in C class brand ranking (Millward Brown) and Renault market share increase by one position, reaching top-3 in the market           

               

  

08.2008 – 06.2010    

Samsung Electronics in Moscow, Russia

Laptops Product Marketing Manager

  • Launched retail brand activation, resulting in 48 brand zones in 17 cities, in partnership with Intel and Microsoft
  • Launched the NC10 4G Netbook & high-end X360 in Russia, the firsts of their kind

 

09.2007 – 02.2008

MSC (Glass Control Machines Producer) in Lyon, France    

  • Established marketing strategy plans for Russian and Ukrainian markets.  

 

EDUCATION

School of Visual Arts in New York, NY

09.2016 - 07.2017 (expected) 

MPS Branding

Client projects: HP 3D printers, Chobani food incubator, 

Academic projects: Urals Motorcycle: Market and Product usability;  “three and a half days project” -  Design Thinking project to decrease suicide on the Washington Bridge in NY, McDonalds: brand repositioning for the new generation 

Activities: 100 days project 

 

09.2004 - 10.2010

REA PLEKHANOV in Moscow, Russia

MS Economics, International Business  

Final paper: Samsung Notebook positioning in Russia and in the UK

Activities: Debate Club - Participant and Coach

Notable results: average score 4.8/5 | debate winner, finalist and semi-finalists of many championships, representative of the students’ self-government, marketing conference

 

09.2006 – 06.2008  

ICN Business School in Nancy, France

Bachelor of Business Administration

Activities: Musical association “Propul’son”

 

PERSONAL INFORMATION

Languages: Native fluency in English and Russian, advanced business proficiency in French, intermediate learner in Mandarin Chinese

 

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