Future Commerce Primark’s Global Expansion Playbook: The Customer is Hero
Rene Federico, US Head of Marketing at Primark, joins Future Commerce to discuss the international retailer's first major marketing push in America after a decade of organic growth and physical retail expansion. Drawing on over 20 years at heritage brands like Nike and Converse, she shares insights on building brand relevance in a performance-obsessed era, translating the "joy of shopping" to different US markets, and why the customer should always be the hero of the story.
Stat Chasers Never Win
Key takeaways:
- Brand relevance makes you less interchangeable with competitors in the market
- The marketing funnel has collapsed—social media now operates across all stages
- Innovation thrives under constraints; limited resources drive creative solutions
- True brand equity isn't measured on a 30-day dashboard; free yourself from over-measuring creative campaigns
- Customers deserve brands that enable participation, not just transactions
- [00:12:28] "You can stat chase or you can build strategies that help you win as a team. The outcomes will be different depending on your approach." – Rene Federico
- [00:33:06] "Consumers don't shop your org chart, they shop your brand. Business models don't shop—customers do." – Rene Federico
- [00:45:31] "When you get someone to buy something, that is an exertion of power. It means somewhere in their conscience, you've been able to affect a choice. We're in a moment where the customer is the hero of the story." – Rene Federico
In-Show Mentions:
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