Building Better CMOs and Marketing Leaders

Zena Arnold, CMO of Sephora US: Balancing Brand and Performance

Nov 29, 2023

Zena Arnold, CMO of Sephora US, discusses balancing brand and performance in marketing, the growing trend of online purchases picked up in-store, and the importance of merging brand identity with sales goals. She shares insights on her background in computer science, navigating career paths, and the influence of AI in marketing. Plus, she talks about enhancing the in-store customer experience and the challenges of balancing retailer versus brand equity.

54:42

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Episode guests

Zena Arnold

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Episode notes

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Quick takeaways

Balancing brand and performance is essential for driving business growth through marketing investment.

Adaptability and constant learning are crucial for senior marketing roles, showcased through transitioning between traditional retail and high-growth tech companies.

Deep dives

Marketing for Business Growth

Investing in marketing both for short-term performance and long-term brand building is crucial for driving business growth. Pricing power over the long term is linked to brand strength, showing the value of marketing investment.

Introduction

2min

Comparing Living Experiences in Different Cities

2min

Journey from Tech to Marketing with AI

11min

Balancing Brand and Performance in Marketing

12min

Enhancing In-Store Experience and Balancing Retailer vs. Brand Equity

3min

Exploring the Influence of a Computer Science Degree in Marketing

2min

Navigating Career Paths and Balancing Life and Work

20min

Exploring Sephora's CMO Role and MMA Involvement Amidst the Holiday Season

2min

Full transcript

The "brand versus performance" marketing debate happens in all industries, but no one appreciate the value of brand as performance better than Zena Arnold, the CMO of Sephora US. Her job requires her to balance the demands of both online and in-store operations ("I get emails every hour during our great sales," she notes), so performance means more than just clicks.

"One of our key roles of marketing and retail is driving traffic, whether that's into a store or whether it's to our site or our app," Arnold says. "And it's pretty awesome when you turn things on to see that having a direct effect almost immediately ... One of the things that's been growing for us a lot is buying online, picking up in-store. So people are thinking about it, they want something maybe right away, they know the store's on the way home, but let me just order it, have it waiting for me, I can run in quickly, grab it and go. So that blurring of the channels has been really good for our customer client experience."

Today on Building Better CMOs, she talks with MMA Global CEO Greg Stuart about her background in computer science, her past roles at firms like P&G and Google, and why you need to learn and adapt constantly to thrive in senior executive roles. Plus: What is the future of AI in marketing? And how do you turn customers into brand ambassadors?

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This episode was produced and edited by Eric Johnson from LightningPod.fm.