Welcome to this episode of the Marketing Vanguard podcast. Today, Jenny Rooney speaks with Marisa Thalberg, Chief Customer and Marketing Officer at Catalyst Brands, in a candid conversation about leadership, risk-taking, and brand transformation in retail marketing.

Marisa discusses her career journey across diverse industries - from Estée Lauder and Taco Bell to Lowe's, SeaWorld, and now JCPenney. She opens up about learning from failures, dealing with short tenures, and why marketers must take calculated risks. The conversation explores her current role transforming JCPenney and the broader Catalyst Brands portfolio, which includes Brooks Brothers, Aeropostale, Lucky Brand, Nautica, and Eddie Bauer.

What You'll Learn:

• How to navigate career missteps and build resilience as a marketing leader
• The dynamic nature of the CMO role necessitates a particular mindset and strategy.
• Strategies for transforming legacy retail brands while honoring their heritage
• The importance of talking up to consumers rather than down to them
• How to balance innovation with brand conventions that actually matter
• Why customer-centric titles and thinking can transform marketing's role
• Lessons from managing a diverse portfolio of heritage retail brands
• The power of creative constraints in driving better marketing outcomes

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