Behind the Seams: Minnie Tang, Helping Wrangler® Strike a Chord in China

Minnie Tang, Marketing Manager of Wrangler® Asia Pacific, had an impressive and unique journey to the apparel industry, and it included a lot of somersaults and jam sessions along the way.

“I was a guitar instructor as well as a baby gymnastics instructor when I was in university,” she recalls, laughing. “I taught children basic stuff like cartwheels, forward rolls, balancing skills and body coordination. It was fun.”

A Linguistics major, she left that balancing act for the apparel industry, eventually joining Kontoor Brands and playing a key role in Wrangler’s recent launch in China. “Marketing is so fun; it just clicks with me,” she said. “It’s all about passion. You need to remind yourself why you chose to get into this industry in the first place. Keep your mind fresh and open. There will always be a way to grow and shine.”

We recently caught up with Minnie to discuss her career path, passion projects and penchant for traveling.

How did you get your start at Kontoor?

I started my career in event management after graduation – handling exhibitions, corporate dinners, press conferences, and fashion shows. One day a client invited me to join their marketing team, focusing on other apparel brands in Hong Kong, and it just clicked. I joined Wrangler in 2013.

What is a typical day like for you now?

There’s no typical day, to be honest. I start my day with at least 15 to 30 minutes in “do not disturb” mode with a cup of Americano – just really to wake up, review, and prioritize my to-do list for the day. Right now, meetings and planning consume most of my time. I’m involved throughout the process of aligning the product range and localizing the launch plans to market; from brainstorming sessions to market analysis looking at consumer trends and demand. Once aligned, I help publicize the launch to generate awareness with strong storytelling.

Do you have a project you’re most proud of?

Definitely our recent Wrangler China launch, which had to adapt to account for the global pandemic.  To me, anything can be a learning process even in difficult circumstances – how to stay positive, how to work pragmatically and adjust things quickly and efficiently. Also, learning how get things done on a tight timeline, is something that I'm treasuring. I love working with our global teams to adapt our rollout plans for a specific market or country. It's very challenging, but I also find this to be the most interesting part of the experience or work.

What’s in Minnie’s closet?

At this moment, definitely a Wrangler logo hoodie for the winter. I'm proud to wear this logo around and say to others, “Okay guys, this is Wrangler and I'm working for this brand.”

What are your favorite hobbies outside of work?

I love traveling. I love to visit new countries, experience their culture, food and wine. I'm definitely a foodie. I love to try new food, and good restaurants, but all these became impossible over the last 11 months. I’m interested in picking up languages too! Besides English, Cantonese, and Mandarin, I have a minor degree in German. I learned a little bit of Italian, and now I'm picking up Korean. It's fun.