Marketing Operators Podcast Episode E057: Inside Tecovas: Reporting, Merchandising & Growing the Brand with CMO Krista Dalton

Release Date: April 29, 2025

In Episode E057 of the Marketing Operators podcast, hosts Connor Rolain, Connor McDonald, and Cody Plofker engage in a comprehensive discussion with Krista Dalton, the Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) and Senior Vice President of Digital at Tokovos. The episode delves into Krista's strategic approach to reporting, merchandising, and brand growth, offering valuable insights for marketing professionals and brand managers.

1. Introduction and Background

The episode kicks off with light-hearted banter among the hosts and Krista Dalton, establishing a friendly rapport. Krista shares her extensive experience in the retail and e-commerce sectors, including her tenure at Target and Overstock, before joining Tokovos, a brand specializing in cowboy boots and western apparel with 36 stores across 22 states.

Notable Quote:

Connor McDonald [00:00]: "Julie, I have a quick question for Krista. Just a friendly thing. I heard you lived in Utah for seven years or something."

2. Krista's Role as CMO

Krista provides an in-depth overview of her responsibilities as CMO at Tokovos. Her role encompasses overseeing all marketing and e-commerce teams, long-range planning, and strategic problem-solving. She emphasizes the importance of setting clear objectives and key results (OKRs) to align her team with the company's growth goals.

Notable Quote:

Krista Dalton [12:11]: "My day starts with an executive KPI dashboard on Monday... I spend about 60% of my week meeting with my team and setting long-term priorities."

3. Reporting Practices and the Role of AI

A significant portion of the conversation focuses on Krista's approach to reporting. She details her meticulous process of preparing weekly reports that analyze performance across various channels using pivot tables and AI-driven tools like Zapier. Krista discusses the balance between leveraging AI for efficiency and maintaining hands-on involvement to ensure data accuracy and contextual understanding.

Notable Quotes:

Krista Dalton [16:34]: "I pull the report for the last trailing two years... Now with AI, I'm building an agent that is doing this for me and just popping out, 'Hey, this is really working for you.'"

Krista Dalton [24:32]: "I'm very worried that like it's, it's part of who I am with, businesses. I know my numbers, I love data... It's gonna be hard to remember the numbers as well."

4. Merchandising Strategy and Category Growth

Krista elaborates on Tokovos' merchandising strategy, emphasizing the importance of aligning new product categories with the brand's core identity. She explains how the company expands its offerings—such as entering the women's boot market and introducing accessories—by ensuring each new product reinforces their commitment to quality and the western lifestyle.

Notable Quote:

Krista Dalton [52:36]: "Every item that adds to it needs to be true to 'Honor the West, Craft Its Future,' which is our vision of who we are."

5. Overcoming Challenges in Product Expansion

The discussion highlights the challenges Tokovos faced when launching new product lines, such as women's boots and additional accessories. Krista shares lessons learned from past missteps, including the unsuccessful launch of watches, and underscores the necessity of understanding customer needs and maintaining brand integrity during expansion.

Notable Quotes:

Krista Dalton [62:14]: "The watches didn't land on a lot of fronts... It's a matter of quality and ensuring that new products align with what our customers expect from us."

Connor McDonald [69:00]: "The EDC space is like that too... Or the watch was like trash by the EDC community because they were like, this is a $400 quartz movement watch from a wallet company."

6. Integrated Marketing and Campaign Strategies

Krista discusses the significance of integrated marketing campaigns in driving brand growth. She emphasizes the need for coordinated efforts across all marketing channels to create cohesive and impactful campaigns that resonate with target audiences.

Notable Quote:

Krista Dalton [85:04]: "Integrated marketing planning and buying is really important. Launching something that doesn't need paid ads? Phenomenal. Bank that money, give it to CRM."

7. The Future of AI in Marketing

Both hosts and Krista explore the evolving role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in marketing. Krista expresses excitement about AI's potential to enhance backend efficiencies without compromising the personal touch in customer interactions. She advocates for leveraging AI to automate routine tasks, allowing her team to focus on strategic initiatives and creative problem-solving.

Notable Quotes:

Krista Dalton [78:25]: "I have never seen someone succeed by disrespecting what it took to get the company where it is today."

Krista Dalton [91:31]: "At checkout, we built an ML to suggest related products, but it created customer confusion. It shows that while AI can process data, the human touch is essential for optimal customer experience."

8. Strategic Priorities and Growth Tactics

Towards the end of the episode, Krista outlines Tokovos' strategic priorities to scale effectively. She highlights four key areas:

1. Role Clarity: Ensuring team members focus on their primary responsibilities without overextension.
2. Integrated Marketing: Coordinating marketing efforts across all channels with a unified calendar.
3. Capitalizing on Key Moments: Focusing resources on impactful opportunities that align with the brand's goals.
4. Omnichannel Expansion: Enhancing the customer experience across both online and offline platforms.

Notable Quote:

Krista Dalton [84:58]: "Role clarity, integrated marketing planning, capitalizing on key moments, and meeting the customer where they are through omnichannel strategies."

9. Closing Thoughts

The episode concludes with Krista emphasizing the importance of continuous learning and adaptation in the rapidly changing marketing landscape. She encourages her team and fellow marketers to embrace AI tools thoughtfully, ensuring they complement rather than replace the essential human elements of strategy and creativity.

Notable Quote:

Krista Dalton [90:25]: "Play with AI, explore what's out there... but always keep the customer experience at the forefront."

Key Takeaways:

• Balanced AI Integration: Utilize AI for efficiency in reporting and data analysis while maintaining human oversight to ensure contextual accuracy and customer-centric strategies.

• Strategic Merchandising: Expand product lines thoughtfully, ensuring each new category aligns with the brand’s core identity and meets customer needs.

• Integrated Marketing Campaigns: Coordinate efforts across all marketing channels to create cohesive and impactful campaigns that drive brand growth.

• Role Clarity and Team Focus: Clearly define team roles to enhance productivity and focus on strategic objectives without overextending resources.

• Continuous Adaptation: Stay abreast of technological advancements and market trends, adapting strategies to leverage new tools and insights effectively.

This episode provides a rich exploration of modern marketing strategies, emphasizing the harmonious blend of data-driven decision-making and creative leadership. Krista Dalton's experiences and insights offer valuable lessons for brands aiming to scale effectively while staying true to their core values and customer expectations.