Behind the Numbers: Reimagining Retail – Building Your Brand While Nurturing a Loyal Following

Episode Release Date: April 2, 2025
Host: Sara Lebo | Guests: Susie David Canyon & Kristen Darcy, CMO at True Religion

1. Introduction to the Episode

In this episode of Behind the Numbers: Reimagining Retail, host Sara Lebo delves into the strategies behind building a resilient brand while maintaining a loyal customer base. Joining her are Susie David Canyon, EMARKETER’s VP on the retail desk, and Kristen Darcy, Chief Marketing Officer at True Religion, a renowned urban casual lifestyle apparel brand.

2. True Religion's Brand Longevity and Loyalty

Building a Loyal Following Through Product Consistency and Innovation

Kristen Darcy opens the discussion by addressing how True Religion has sustained its brand for over two decades. She highlights the importance of balancing core products with trend-infused innovations to satisfy both loyal and new customers.

“We are a denim brand. We are actually an urban casual lifestyle apparel brand...people keep coming back from a return or repeat purchase perspective because they know this fit, they love this fit.”
— Kristen Darcy [01:06]

Kristen emphasizes the significance of maintaining beloved product lines, such as the Becca and Ricky jeans, while integrating current trends like camo patterns and embellishments to keep the offerings fresh and appealing.

3. Marketing Strategies: Loyalty Programs and Influencer Partnerships

Revamping Loyalty Programs to Enhance Customer Engagement

True Religion's loyalty program, revamped in October 2024, plays a pivotal role in fostering customer loyalty. Kristen elaborates on the revamped program, True Rewards, which offers exclusive access to music, sports, and cultural events.

“As a loyalty member, you get early access... exclusive drop... enter a sweepstakes to sit front row at Coachella.”
— Kristen Darcy [03:44]

The program has garnered significant traction, with nearly a million sign-ups, underscoring its effectiveness in deepening customer relationships and enhancing brand loyalty.

4. Social Media Engagement and Team True Program

Harnessing the Power of Influencers and Authentic Engagement

Susie David Canyon commends True Religion for its authentic branding, likening it to strategies used by iconic brands like Tommy Hilfiger. Kristen explains the Team True program, an always-on influencer initiative featuring nearly 100 diverse partners, including pro athletes and fashion stylists.

“Team Tru is an always on influencer program of now almost 100 people... we've attracted both younger and older consumers through this program.”
— Kristen Darcy [13:16]

This program enables True Religion to engage with a broad demographic, leveraging influencers with follower counts ranging from 20,000 to 5 million to maintain authenticity and reach diverse audiences.

5. Balancing Performance Marketing with Brand Marketing

Integrated Marketing Approaches for Comprehensive Brand Growth

Kristen discusses the delicate balance between performance marketing and brand marketing. She asserts that investing in upper-funnel activities like streaming video and audio campaigns complements performance marketing efforts, leading to overall business efficiency.

“We're running streaming video, we're running streaming audio, we're running a lot of upper funnel campaigns in addition to the performance marketing.”
— Kristen Darcy [20:13]

Susie adds that integrating different marketing tiers ensures that consumers encounter the brand at various touchpoints, enhancing brand awareness and fostering non-linear shopping behaviors.

“If you don't have all the different tiers, they all work together... otherwise, you're gonna lose.”
— Susie David Canyon [21:39]

6. Key Performance Indicators in Retail Marketing

Identifying Underestimated Metrics for Comprehensive Evaluation

As the conversation nears its conclusion, the focus shifts to key performance indicators (KPIs). Both Susie and Kristen advocate for looking beyond traditional sales metrics to include the halo effect of campaigns and social engagement.

“One of the most underrated metrics is actually engagement and, of course, sentiment.”
— Kristen Darcy [23:36]

Susie highlights the importance of the halo effect, where campaigns introduce customers to new product categories they might not have considered otherwise.

“The halo effect of a campaign... helps you learn about the brand in a bigger way.”
— Susie David Canyon [22:37]

Kristen reinforces the value of social engagement, noting that True Religion's engagement rates on Instagram far exceed industry averages, indicating strong brand love and customer connection.

“Our engagement rate is 6 to 8%. Industry average is 1 to 3.”
— Kristen Darcy [24:21]

7. Conclusion and Final Thoughts

The episode wraps up with Sara praising Kristen for her insightful contributions, emphasizing the importance of authentic engagement and strategic marketing in building a lasting brand. Kristen and Susie agree that a balanced, integrated approach to marketing and a focus on meaningful engagement metrics are essential for sustained brand loyalty and growth.

“There's really no hard sell in that channel... focusing on engagement and storytelling rather than being overtly promotional.”
— Kristen Darcy [14:53]

Sara concludes by appreciating the depth of discussion, leaving listeners with actionable insights on nurturing a loyal following while expanding a brand’s reach.

Key Takeaways:

• Product Strategy: Maintain core products that customers love while integrating current trends to attract new audiences.
• Loyalty Programs: Revamped programs like True Rewards can significantly enhance customer loyalty and engagement.
• Influencer Partnerships: Diverse and authentic influencer collaborations (Team True) are crucial for reaching a broad demographic.
• Integrated Marketing: Balancing upper-funnel brand marketing with performance marketing drives overall business efficiency and growth.
• Underrated KPIs: Engagement rates and the halo effect of campaigns are essential metrics that provide deeper insights into brand health and customer connection.

This episode offers a comprehensive look into True Religion’s successful strategies in building a robust brand while fostering a loyal customer base, providing valuable lessons for marketers, retailers, and advertisers navigating the ever-evolving digital landscape.