Legacy retailers are always looking for a comeback.
Catalyst Brands is betting that marketing plays a big role in larger turnarounds for retailers. At Brandweek 2025 in Atlanta, Catalyst Brands’ Marisa Thalberg, EVP, chief customer and marketing officer, and Ken Ohashi, brand CEO of Brooks Brothers and Eddie Bauer, outlined the retail holding group’s strategy.
In January, JCPenney and SPARC Group joined forces to form Catalyst Brands, a retail holding company that owns Aéropostale, Brooks Brothers, Eddie Bauer, Lucky Brand, Nautica, and JCPenney.
Reinventing retail
Thalberg took on the role of chief customer and marketing officer of Catalyst Brands this year after previously holding the role of consulting CMO at JCPenney. Thalberg admitted that leading marketing for the clothing retailer was initially “really daunting.”
“It wasn’t a brand that I was like, ‘I love JCPenney,’ although a lot of people did feel it,” she said.
One of the challenges JCPenney faces is that its stores are often in shopping malls that can look outdated. To change the brand’s perception, Thalberg is focusing on communities like TiKTok where women talk about the brand. The larger strategy is to invite people into stores.
“What I’m saying implicitly, not explicitly, is get past the concrete walls — we should be your destination,” Thalberg said. “Then, don’t gatekeep it when you figure out that this is actually worth sharing.”
JCPenney’s marketing strategy is split between targeting longtime shoppers who look for private-label products and deals, and younger consumers like millennials shopping for big brands like Nike and Adidas.
To appeal to younger shoppers, JCPenney is leaning into culture with moments like offering a $10,000 wedding to a couple in Venice, Calif., spoofing Jeff Bezos’ high-profile wedding in Venice, Italy.
Plus-size model Ashley Graham is also working with JCPenney to develop products and star in marketing campaigns.
