CMO Spotlight | Joe Foster - Reebok
The CMO Spotlight is a chance to get an inside look into the minds and journeys of high-performing marketing leaders.
Setup CEO + Founder, Joe Koufman, spoke with the Co-Founder of Reebok, Joe Foster, about the foundation behind building a strong brand, the importance of listening as a leader, Winston Churchill, and more.
WATCH + READ THE RECAP BELOW (SCROLL TO THE END FOR THE FULL INTERVIEW)
Q1 | What advice would you share with marketers?
Foster advises that if you’re in a specific industry or type of business, then it is important to know everything about that business, “from A to Z.” Once you know everything, make sure to create an attractive brand that connects to and influences the market. If you don’t know how to influence the market, learn.
Another piece of advice that will help build your brand and your team is finding your story. “One of the other things I would say to anybody is find out what your story is. You must have a story. Stories will build your brand these days. And always refer to the brand [as to not divert attention].”
Q2 | What is your superpower?
“Listening to people.”
Foster made a point that you can only get so far alone until you need a team of brilliant people beside you to push the work forward. So it’s important as the boss to build a team and listen to their feedback. Developing the right product requires the right people on the team. People who are enthusiastic about the brand and want to influence other people to fall in love with the brand. You and your team need to want to succeed and want to be in the business, and also enjoy the effort and time you’re putting into the hard work. “You got to want something, and you can only do that if you're enjoying it.”
Q3 | What values are important to you?
Foster is not a fan of egos. He believes in the statement, “There is no ‘i’ in ‘team,’” which is why he is adamant about building strong teams and listening as a leader.
With this mentality, people wanted to work for Reebok, and they developed a winning culture. Foster thinks that when you're the boss of the company, you shouldn't have a job. “You should be there to listen to people, help people. If people have to make a decision, make a decision. If it's the wrong one, let's change it. Let's talk about it. So be in that position where you can help. Listen to people. So listening to people is very important, and making sure that they share the energy, they share that pleasure, that fun of being part of a company.”
Q4 | How do you know it’s time to diversify your brand?
At the time, the sport brands like Adidas and Nike leaned on men as their target consumer. When Reebok opened their brand up to cater to women in aerobics, it was a massive game changer. The shoe all of a sudden became about comfort and exclusivity, which led to more exposure and desire. The comfort was something everyone could relate to, and soon the shoe became street.
Not only did Reebok’s decision to market towards aerobics expand their market, it expanded their profits from 9 million to 900 million and let them take more risks. Their journey started as a running company, but then transformed into a women’s company, and then into performance. And this timeline is what caused Reebok to become the first lifestyle company.
Q5 | What is a quote that inspires you?
Foster is inspired by Winston Churchill’s journey and strength.
There’s a statue of Churchill in Paris that states, “We should never surrender.” Foster admires that Churchill always took risks.
“He took a lot of risks in life, and I think that's what probably inspired me. Just take a risk. If it doesn't work, it doesn't work. But if you don't take it, you'll never know.” If Foster never took a risk to co-found Reebok, the shoe industry as we know it would be completely different. So take those chances and believe.
For more marketing leadership advice and a view into the mindset of marketing executives in various industries, be sure to watch the full interview with Joe Foster, and keep an eye out for more thought leadership from our CMO Spotlights.
WATCH THE FULL INTERVIEW TO THE RIGHT.
Get the CMO Spotlight sent right to your inbox by subscribing to our newsletter below!
Know someone who may be a good candidate for the CMO Spotlight who embodies authentic marketing leadership, has set an example of success, and paved the way for others? Feel free to nominate them here!
Setup CEO + Founder, Joe Koufman, spoke with Trish Nettleship, the Chief Marketing Officer at NCR Voyix, about understanding your “why,” the power of relationships and listening, passion, and more.
Setup CEO + Founder, Joe Koufman, spoke with Dan Csont, the EVP & Chief Marketing Officer at Corpay, about leveraging every opportunity to gain experience in your career, the evolution of U2, the power of understanding people as a leader, and more.
Setup President, Amanda Thompson, spoke with Mika Yamamoto, the Chief Customer and Marketing Officer at Freshworks, about the power of perseverance and believing in yourself, Warby Parker’s tactful and intentional experiential marketing, the importance of listening to your team for campaign input and success, and more.
Setup CEO + Founder, Joe Koufman, spoke with DeLu Jackson, the EVP and Chief Marketing Officer of ADT, about the power of collaboration, harnessing different communication styles, Apple’s innovation, and more.
Setup CEO + Founder, Joe Koufman, spoke with Rich Honiball, the EVP and the Global Chief Merchandising and Marketing Officer for the Navy Exchange Service Command (which is also known as NEXCOM), about the power of taking risks and failing, true authenticity in a brand, and the importance of curiosity.
Setup CEO + Founder, Joe Koufman, spoke with the Co-Founder of Reebok, Joe Foster, about the foundation behind building a strong brand, the importance of listening as a leader, Winston Churchill, and more.
Setup President, Amanda Thompson, spoke with Alec Hanson, the Chief Marketing Officer at loanDepot, about how his irrational self-confidence allows him to embrace his inner nerd, the beauty of perspective, the power of sales experience, and more.
Setup President, Amanda Thompson, spoke with Alex Cwirko-Godycki, the Chief Marketing Officer of Human Capital and the Head of Digital Marketing at Aon, about his problem solving skills, the power of simplicity, United Airlines’ relatable motto, and more.
Setup CEO and Founder, Joe Koufman, spoke with Amy Comeau, the Vice President of Marketing for Emory Healthcare, to share about her journey from vocal performance and Opera houses to Healthcare, building collaborative bridges, passion for Publix, the power of her mother’s words, and more.
Setup President, Amanda Thompson, virtually sat down with Pam Piligian, the CMO and SVP of Navy Federal Credit Union, to discuss her admiration for Chick-fil-A, her experience at Ocean Spray, and her ability to charm consumers.
In the spirit of Black History Month, Setup CEO, Joe Koufman, virtually sat down with Sheraun Britton-Parris, the Chief Marketing Officer at Cordance, to discuss why following her gut is her superpower, the importance of customer-centric marketing, and the inspirational story of how Nathan Nearest Green, an enslaved black man, taught Jack Daniels.
In the spirit of Black History Month, our CEO, Joe Koufman, recently virtually connected with Jacqueline Woods, the Chief Marketing Officer at Teradata. Join us in this insightful conversation that goes beyond marketing strategies and delves into Woods’ journey to becoming a marketing leader, advice she would share with other marketers, where she finds inspiration, and more. Let's honor and celebrate diversity, leadership, and the impactful journey of Jacqueline Woods.
Setup CEO, Joe Koufman, virtually sat down with Ami Badani, the Chief Marketing Officer at Arm, to talk about the power of relationship building, Louis Vuitton’s powerful impact as a brand, and more.
Setup CEO, Joe Koufman, virtually sat down with Kaylin Durham, the Chief Customer Officer at The Aaron's Company, Inc., to talk about the importance of having tough conversations, how to be intentional and brave in your career, and why she admires Delta’s brand.
Setup CEO, Joe Koufman, virtually sat down with David Reid, the Chief Technology and Marketing Officer at NOV to discuss the importance of immersing yourself in the business, how to adapt your business during trying times, and more.
Setup CEO, Joe Koufman, virtually sat down with Jaclyn Ruelle, the VP Head of Brand at Papa Johns, to talk about the impact that a positive attitude can have on an organization, lessons she learned from an impactful campaign, and more.
Setup CEO, Joe Koufman, virtually sat down with Matt Preschern, the Chief Marketing and Demand Generation Officer at NTT, to talk about the importance of diversifying your marketing skills, the three quotes he lives by, and more.
Setup President, Amanda Thompson, virtually sat down with Genefa Murphy, the CMO at Udemy, to discuss the importance of seeking inspiration outside of marketing, Disney’s powerful branding, and more. This is the full-length version of the interview.
Setup CEO and Founder, Joe Koufman, virtually sat down with Colleen Murphy-Gomez, the VP of Marketing at iBwave Solutions, to talk about gift-giving as a superpower, inspirational quotes from her father, and more.
Setup CEO, Joe Koufman, virtually sat down with Amy Martin Ziegenfuss, the Chief Marketing Officer at Carnival Cruise Line to talk about the importance of creating a safe space for her team, having a sense of humor, and more.
Setup CEO, Joe Koufman, virtually sat down with Kristy LoRusso, the National Chief Marketing Officer at Kaiser Permanente to discuss the importance of building a great foundation for your team, how the book "How Will You Measure Your Life" by Clayton Christensen impacts her life, and more.
Setup CEO, Joe Koufman, virtually sat down with Joe De Sena, the founder and CEO of Spartan, to discuss the importance of sticking to your values, getting out of your comfort zone, and more.
Setup CEO, Joe Koufman, virtually sat down with Karima McDaniel, the President and General Manager for 4U by Tia, to discuss the importance of advocating for yourself, being an adaptable and flexible leader, and more.
Setup Founder & CEO, Joe Koufman, virtually sat down with Lauren Weinberg, the Chief Marketing Officer at Square, to discuss how she gained the confidence to advocate for herself in her career, how Michael Jordan inspires her, and more.
Setup Founder & CEO, Joe Koufman, virtually sat down with Jonathan Adashek, the Chief Communications Officer and SVP of Marketing and Communications at IBM, to discuss the novelty of Disney and Nike’s brand loyalty and legacy, the power of running towards solutions, and more.
Setup CEO, Joe Koufman, virtually sat down with John Ross, the Vice President of Marketing at PosiGen to discuss his career journey, the benefits of continuous learning, and groundbreaking brands.
Setup COO, Amanda Thompson, virtually sat down with Marti Walsh, the Vice President of Marketing at NAPA to discuss the benefits of hard work, empathetic leadership’s ripple effect on an organization, and Delta and Peloton’s brilliance as brands.
Setup CEO, Joe Koufman, virtually sat down with Laurie McGrath, the Chief Marketing Officer at Momentus Technologies to talk about the influential power of design, fashion, and art, her favorite quote from Pema Chödrön, and more.
Setup CEO + Founder, Joe Koufman, spoke with Ben Boyd, the Chief Communications Officer at Chobani, about designing your own career path, the importance of empathy and understanding as a leader, and more.