Legacy retail brands have something that newer brands can only dream of: decades of recognition, emotional connection, and cultural history.
But turning that heritage into modern relevance requires more than nostalgia. It takes clear positioning, product reinvention, bold creative decisions, and a strong partnership between marketing and leadership.
In this episode of Adspeak by ADWEEK, Marisa Thalberg, EVP and chief customer and marketing officer at Catalyst Brands, sits down with Ken Ohashi, brand CEO of Brooks Brothers and Eddie Bauer, to explore the strategies behind transforming iconic retail brands.
They discuss how to reposition struggling businesses, uncover new opportunities by listening to real customer behavior, and balance heritage with the need to evolve.
Ken and Marisa also explore Eddie Bauer’s shift from technical outdoor gear to a lifestyle brand, the role of cultural influencers, and why small, trusted teams can make better creative decisions.
Throughout, they share lessons on building authentic brands that turn skeptical customers into loyal ones.
What you will learn:
- How to turn around a bankrupt heritage brand
- Why creative decisions should avoid “committee thinking”
- The “off the mountain” repositioning framework Eddie Bauer used
- How to find hidden brand momentum by mining real customer behavior
- Why talking “up to” middle-America consumers builds trust and authenticity
- How strategic star power can be used as a cultural amplifier
- The importance of building CEO-CMO trust early
About the guests:
Marisa Thalberg is a globally recognized business strategist and brand-building innovator, known for inspiring teams to take brands to new heights of consumer resonance, cultural relevance, and business performance. A pioneer of digital, social, and eCommerce marketing, she has orchestrated blockbuster product launches, unexpected cultural moments, and moved with uncommon ease between industries like beauty and QSR, retail and CPG, brand and performance marketing, mass and prestige.
Ken Ohashi is Brand CEO of Brooks Brothers and Eddie Bauer, with more than 25 years of experience across fashion, consumer products, retail, and business development. He led Brooks Brothers through its acquisition and transformed the iconic brand to profitability in less than two years. Previously, Ohashi served as President of International and Global Retail at Authentic Brands Group, overseeing brand management, business development, and marketing across its international portfolio. He also held senior leadership roles at Aéropostale.
