Podcast Summary

Marketing Vanguard: From JCPenney to Brooks Brothers—How Marisa Thalberg Transforms Heritage Retail Brands

Host: Jenny Rooney (Adweek)
Guest: Marisa Thalberg, Chief Customer and Marketing Officer, Catalyst Brands (JCPenney, Brooks Brothers, et al.)
Date: October 16, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode spotlights Marisa Thalberg—an influential marketing leader renowned for reinventing and transforming heritage retail brands. Host Jenny Rooney explores Marisa’s career arc, lessons learned from high-stakes roles at major companies, her fresh perspective as Chief Customer and Marketing Officer at Catalyst Brands, and her approach to blending legacy and innovation in retail marketing. Listeners gain C-suite-level insights into leadership resilience, the evolving marketing landscape (including the impact of AI), and the delicate art of brand revitalization across a diverse retail portfolio.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Highs and Lows of a Marketing Career

Timestamps: 02:06–04:08

• Career Lessons & Resilience:
  Marisa candidly discusses the "biggest failures" in her career, noting the pressures to meet others’ expectations:

  "You get very preoccupied with what other people are going to think... You don't know if you don't try... I give credit to people who do try things that are unexpected and hard and not safe." (Marisa Thalberg, 02:06–03:10)

• Changing Nature of Work:
  Marisa emphasizes that today's marketing careers are defined by movement and learning, not tenure:

  "What I really think we have to stop doing... is to be super judgmental of someone who's had a short tenure... The world of work has just changed so dramatically." (03:00–03:40)

• CMO Role Volatility:
  Jenny highlights the CMO role’s inherent impermanence—sometimes lasting “16 years or six months”—and the necessity to embrace the “rocky” journey.
  Both agree that building a genuine personal narrative is essential amidst industry scrutiny.

2. The Future of Marketing—Human Ingenuity in the Age of AI

Timestamps: 06:31–08:42

• Role of Creativity Amid Disruption:
  Marisa says human skills—creativity, leadership, judgment—will remain vital even as automation accelerates:

  “There does seem to be some consensus that where the human capability, intelligence is still going to matter very much professionally…we fundamentally need to…win hearts and minds and change behaviors.” (Marisa Thalberg, 06:31–08:38)

• Leaning into Curiosity:
  The discussion urges marketers to “lean in and be curious,” learning from others and harnessing technological tools while never losing sight of core psychological truths.

3. Defining the Modern CMO: Owning the Customer Voice

Timestamps: 09:38–11:10

• Expanded Title, Expanded Mission:
  Marisa discusses the significance of her “Chief Customer and Marketing Officer” title and what it telegraphs about her priorities:

  “Who's owning the actual customer? ... representing their voice at the table. That is such the essence of the job: thinking about how we understand them and connect to them, and how you...connect the dots to the actual business.” (09:38–10:36)

• Tech as Enabler, Not Driver:
  She frames technology as a tool, not the center, in a “three-legged stool” alongside business and culture.

4. Reinventing Heritage Brands: The JCPenney and Catalyst Story

Timestamps: 11:10–17:15

• Joining as a Consulting CMO:
  Marisa describes her initial hesitance to join JCPenney, choosing a consulting role to "try it on" after a difficult prior experience.

  “I wrote a piece on LinkedIn about the value of trying something on... I was feeling a little gun shy... I started to see the possibilities.” (Marisa Thalberg, 12:18–14:00)

• Prioritizing People and Fit:
  Success hinged on chemistry with key leaders and a value-driven culture:

  “I just, I won't compromise being an authentic and values driven leader... I just don't want to swallow a poison pill to keep collecting a paycheck.” (14:15–14:45)

5. Balancing Legacy and Change—Respecting the Old, Creating the New

Timestamps: 17:28–20:55

• Strategic Duality: Marisa shares her process for discerning which brand conventions to honor and which to break:

  “It's incredibly important to discern what are the conventions...to maintain and honor. And what are...just there because they're conventions and they're not allowing you to...differentiate and break apart...” (19:03–19:38)

  • She provides practical examples about retail conventions, like prioritizing holiday marketing but approaching it with fresh tactics.

6. Portfolio Approach & Brand Highlights

Timestamps: 21:21–26:00

• Catalyst Brands Structure:
  After Spark and JCPenney merged, the portfolio includes JCPenney, Brooks Brothers (“the oldest retailer in America”), Aeropostale, Lucky Brand, Nautica, and Eddie Bauer.
  • Anecdote: Brooks Brothers has dressed “all but four of the American presidents,” highlighting heritage. (21:56–22:14)
• Recent Brand Wins:
  • Aeropostale’s “summer intern” campaign produced by a young influencer.
  • Lucky Brand and Eddie Bauer fresh campaign launches.
  • Move to an “enterprise marketing function” balancing brand-specific leadership and shared services.

7. Fresh Storytelling at JCPenney: Brand Rejuvenation

Timestamps: 24:38–27:06

• The “Yes, JCPenney” Platform:
  Marisa’s approach is about democratizing fashion in a way that feels "insider" and aspirational:

  “It makes me feel smart to be like, yeah, JCPenney… That is frankly…what I want to spread is just getting more people to have that discovery moment and then want to have that sense of sharing.” (24:43–25:50)

• Smart Marketing vs. Talking Down:
  • “Some of my best marketing...has surprisingly chalked up to consumers versus talk down to them...I think they like to be in on something smart.” (26:41–27:06)

8. Risk-Taking, Campaign Controversies & Community Support

Timestamps: 27:06–28:58

• Learning from Campaign Mistakes:
  Marisa advocates for resilience and learning from controversies:

  “There is a sort of oddly salacious aspect of the CMO world... But it’s what you do with it after…that matters most. As we all try to avoid missteps, we all try, but that goes...” (27:23–28:11)

• Community Over Schadenfreude:
  The marketing community supports rather than celebrates failures.

9. What's Next: Teasing Upcoming Marketing

Timestamps: 29:46–31:37

• Future Campaigns:
  • Launch of a “multi-year collaboration” with Ashley Graham for JCPenney.
  • An undisclosed, first-ever partnership coming soon.
  • Return of the “really big deals” program with “brand stories” and product/deals integration.
  • “All our brands have some really great idea-driven marketing coming for holiday.”

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Leadership and Career Resilience:

  “Part of the journey at this point and I just have to accept it as such... I would say that that's true for all of us.” (Marisa Thalberg, 03:45)

• On Human Value in the AI Age:

  “There's still this like orchestration and vision and leadership that we're still going to need us for. And I think that's the best part of my job.” (06:31–08:42)

• On Brand Transformation:

  “You say yes to a role like this just to kind of incrementally move it forward…you have to play big with it. The case for change is very simple: the way it’s been going hasn’t been getting the results the business needs.” (15:50–16:45)

• On Marketing Smarts:

  "There is a lot of bad marketing out there because it's dumbed down and people are smarter than we give them credit for. And I think they like to be in on something smart." (26:41–27:06)

Highlighted Timestamps

• 02:06 — Biggest mistake and lessons in career resilience
• 09:38 — The evolving role: Chief Customer & Marketing Officer
• 12:18 — Why Marisa joined JCPenney as consulting CMO
• 19:03 — How to honor legacy vs. break from convention
• 21:56 — Brooks Brothers fun fact (dressed all but four presidents)
• 25:00 — Launching the “Yes, JCPenney” platform
• 27:23 — Learning from controversial retail campaigns
• 29:46 — Teasing major upcoming collaborations

Tone & Takeaways

Marisa Thalberg brings humility, candor, and energy to tough questions about retail reinvention, career strategy, and balancing legacy with bold change. She highlights the need for empathetic leadership, continued curiosity, and the power of authentic storytelling—especially in an era of technological disruption. The episode delivers a masterclass in C-suite marketing wisdom, tailored for leaders navigating rapid change and looking to inspire teams, reinvigorate brands, and drive business growth.