What do you get when you mix a 70-year-old legacy brand, Gen Z tax filers, and a reality TV show called Responsibility Island?

An absolute marketing fever dream. And Jill Cress — CMO of H&R Block — is the mastermind behind it. We unpack how she’s giving TurboTax-meets-Gen-Z realness. We’re talking Roblox integrations, bold brand storytelling, and what happens when you challenge a category that’s historically allergic to change.

We cover:

– How H&R Block turned tax season into a cultural moment

– What marketers get wrong about Gen Z (and how to fix it)

– Why AI is useful, but human empathy still pays the bills

– The 4 E’s of customer experience (one of them might make you cry)

This is legacy brand marketing with ✨main character energy.✨Press play. Take notes. Maybe even call your tax pro.

Key Moments:

00:00 Introduction to Jill Cress, CMO of H&R Block

01:49 H&R Block's Legacy and Innovation

13:03 Challenges and Surprises in Marketing

19:45 Responsibility Island: A Bold Marketing Move

25:41 Measuring Success and Future Plans

30:59 Differentiation and Brand Storytelling

33:15 Life Stage Stories and Customer Experience

38:21 The Role of Empathy in Customer Relationships

44:08 AI in Tax Assistance

51:33 The Future of Brand Storytelling

53:43 Advice for Young Marketers

57:02 Relevant or Irrelevant: Lightening Round

This episode is brought to you by Lightricks. 

LTX is the all-in-one creative suite for AI-driven video production; built by Lightricks to take you from idea to final 4K render in one streamlined workspace.

Powered by LTX-2, our next-generation creative engine, LTX lets you move faster, collaborate seamlessly, and deliver studio-quality results without compromise. 

Try it today at ltx.studio
 

Mission.org is a media studio producing content alongside world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.