The FMCG Guys 261. Erika Ferszt, CMO at Furla: Reinventing Marketing
In this episode, we speak with Erika Ferszt, CMO at Furla, the historic Italian leather goods house founded in 1927, to explore not only how brand building has transformed, but also how she’s reinvented herself along the way. From starting out in New York ad agencies to a decade shaping Ray-Ban at Luxottica, ten years running her own consultancy, and now leading Furla into its next chapter, Erika’s career mirrors the evolution of marketing itself — from big-budget campaigns to today’s fast, fragmented, always-on environment. Together, we reflect on the balance between creativity, data and AI, the enduring importance of psychology and human patterns, and why networking is as essential as strategy for modern leaders.
Tune in to learn about:
- How Furla’s “Come Play With Us” campaign sets the tone for its new chapter
- Lessons Erika learned while helping Ray-Ban thrive in the early days of social media
- How marketing has shifted from agency monoliths to agile, real-time creativity
- Why psychology, pattern recognition and data are central to brand connection
- The role AI can play in sparking ideas — but never replacing human creativity
- Moving from Corporate to self-employed and to corporate again
More
Follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/fmcgguys/ Audio Mixing by Rodrigo Chávez Voice Acting by Jason Martorell Parsekian