From Brooks Brothers to JCPenney, Marisa Thalberg Is Transforming Heritage Retail Brands

[11:09] The Power of Customer-Centric Title — Marisa explains why her title as chief customer and marketing officer matters: “Who’s owning the actual customer? And I think that’s really representing their voice at the table. Who thinks that way first?” This perspective positions marketing as the customer advocate across all business functions.

[18:30] Balancing Legacy with Innovation — Marisa shares a crucial lesson about brand transformation: “It’s actually incredibly important to discern what are the conventions of the brand or business that are actually really important to maintain and honor, and what are the conventions that are just there because they’re conventions, and they’re not allowing you to separate and differentiate and break apart. And those are the ones you have to defy.” This nuanced approach helps build trust while driving necessary change.

[24:43] The JCPenney “Yes” Philosophy — Discussing the “Yes, JCPenney” campaign, Marisa explains her philosophy of democratizing fashion: “I love democratizing great things for people that everyone, no matter what their socioeconomic situation, can afford fashion. Real fashion. And not just cheap, but quality fashion. It makes me feel smart to be like, ‘Yeah, JCPenney.’ And that’s frankly what we want to spread is just getting more people to have that discovery moment.” This approach talks up to consumers rather than down to them.