Over the last several decades, we’ve experienced a significant shift. Though this statement is applicable across many different thresholds of life, one area where it perhaps applies most congruently is within the world of marketing. As technology, culture, and consumers evolve, so have the ways in which brands are marketing their products and services to people across the world. One person who has experienced this shift from their own POV is Richie Cruz. A seasoned, senior marketing leader whose resume includes the likes of PepsiCo, Foot Locker, and The SpringHill Company, Richie has seen first-hand how marketing practices, consumer interests, and brand identities have transformed. We recently had the opportunity to catch up with him to chat about everything from why he’s so passionate about leading the next-generation of talent to some of the most memorable projects that he’s been a part of. 

You’ve worked in a marketing capacity within a vast number of global enterprises, some of which include PepsiCo and Foot Locker. Throughout these experiences, what would you say is the number one secret to any successful marketing campaign? 

Especially in larger organizations that depend on cross-functional collaboration, I believe being as sharp and clear as possible with how we’re collectively defining success and then remaining  focused on what moves the needle to support those goals. All campaigns have an opportunity to achieve some degree of cultural relevance, but not all campaigns are intended to deliver value equally. Planned spontaneity is another one that I love – create and nurture the conditions for really inventive, creative things to happen as brain power is applied in your process. 

Creatively, I think it’s a few things: form teams of collaboratively-wired people that move with as much conviction and confidence as they do intellect. Live in the idea for a period of time, but then “go” – strategy is important but execution is what people are going to remember.

What would you say are the biggest similarities between a successful artist and a successful marketer? 

This may come across as cliche and obvious, but I believe it to be situational awareness, attention to detail, incessant curiosity, and a bias for action. The worlds of brand building and marketing and creation, are fluid, and constantly evolving- regularly building these muscles are one step to future proofing your efforts (whether you’re creating art, building a brand, or storytelling).

In your opinion, what is the key to keeping a brand's identity fresh and relevant over time?

There are many keys, but no silver bullets. I believe it starts with striking the right balance between leveraging the human insights available to your team or company with a joint understanding of which need we’re serving. Branding is far more than a visual exercise, there’s psychology and anthropology tethered to it as well, so getting it wrong (as we’ve witnessed so many times) is risky. In this era of attention decline, applying a mindset and processes that allow you to be adaptive is so important. 

Over the years, how has the move to digital changed the way you approach marketing and branding? 

The idea of a “shift to digital” is a very millennial notion, ha. The truth is that for over 10 years (at least) it’s hard to logically refer to the discipline as “digital marketing”, it’s just marketing. And that isn’t a futuristic take: all activity can be tracked, measured, optimized, and now, predicted and automated. I think there are active and impending shifts and transformations – generative AI being the most obvious – that will continue to impact how work gets done, and hopefully increase the volume and quality of output. That said, I’m a forward-thinking classicist, and a believer in the power of ideas and how they can create emotional connections to groups of humans.

Not only are you a seasoned marketer, but you’re also a seasoned leader. What’s your philosophy on building and leading an impactful team? 

Adaptability is an important one for me. Situational awareness (again) – in the sense of understanding the life stage across brand and business – is important because, as a leader, your team’s success hinges on you establishing the vision and setting the tone to execute that vision, which is extremely difficult if you don’t have a handle on context.

Servant leadership is important. Earning trust is important. In terms of effective communication: radical transparency, clarity and candor (straight talk) is important, especially when navigating difficult conversations. Also, DBAA: don’t be an asshole.

This will vary with every experience, every company’s culture, and individual leadership style, of course, but those are a few that immediately come to mind.

Throughout the many roles and experiences that come together to create your resume, culture and storytelling appear to be two major throughlines. What’s inspired you to work in the field of cultural branding, and how is it important to today’s marketing initiatives?

It was the convergence of two dynamics happening at the same time: the exposure to arts and pop culture which truly lit up my interests and identity as a youth (music, advertising at the intersection of youth culture, namely hip hop), and the wave of demographic and social shifts impacting our country, making effective multicultural (or ethnic-centric) marketing a huge area. Consumer groups that I belonged to were gaining in not only buying power and influence, and one of the most surefire ways for brands to reach them was through representation… not by pandering, but rather accurate and forward-looking portrayal. That was the center of my professional venn diagram, and where I focused much of my effort within the context of marketing.

One of your core values is helping to nourish the next generation of leaders and brand champions. What’s inspired you to help pave the way for the next class of marketing talent?

The sparkle doesn’t belong to any of us, as the great Virgil Abloh (RIP) said. That’s not just noble language, but a call to arms for successful people to always reach back (or, “lift as you climb”). I’m a believer in both formal and informal mentorship, and being generally available to counsel those that have raised their hand and are doing the work. During the earliest stages of my career journey, I had to really, really grind to pursue and persevere when there weren’t any immediately available employment opportunities. As proud as I am of that period, if I can reduce the amount of unproductivity (missteps, etc), issue confidence or encouragement, or just generally share information, I will take every opportunity to do so. It’s not altruism, it’s a mandate. And I’m sure every business leader who’s the byproduct of great leaders will agree.

Reflecting on your lengthy career, what’s one moment or project that you worked on that always manages to bring a smile to your face? 

There are so many. And I’ve been blessed. I don’t have favorites but think a lot of the NBA partnership work we built at Mountain Dew was game-changing, and really exposed me to the importance of influencing a complex system as an internal advocate of an idea in which culture was the tip of the spear. As a Brooklyn representer, a project the agency I was working with at the time for Def Jam and Jay-Z absolutely comes to mind. The timing of the collaborations with young talent who’ve ascended to heights in cultural leadership, Joey Badass, Bad Bunny, and Tyler the Creator, were each unique. But the ability to bring people along is everything – so many prepared, qualified people got their first reps across these experiences and I’m eternally proud of that. And consumers responded favorably, which is why we do what we do.

If you were suddenly brought back in time to have a conversation with your younger self, what’s one piece of advice that you would offer?

Assert, assert, assert. Your brand of leadership is critically important, not just your thought leadership. That takes confidence, poise, and a degree of fearlessness that only comes with practice. I was featured in a coffee table book a while back, and the focus was on marketers of color from across the industry. The photographer gave notes on each subject, and his recount of me (not knowing me from a whole in the wall) was that I gave off unsure of myself energy (in so many words) – which I probably was – but when the lights are on, you must be ready. We’re all capable of it. 

Looking ahead at the next ten years, what would you say is your big marketing prediction? Where do you see the industry heading, and how do you see it getting there?

Ha! I wish I knew, especially with so many dimensions of discourse in our industry: performance vs brand, the role or life cycle of the CMO, and so on. While I can’t predict and don’t claim to be a futurist, I’ll say this much: the art and science of brand building will take new shape, operating models and team design will as well. But addressing new need states, audiences, behaviors, and tastes through new platforms and touchpoints is all very exciting. 

What’s one skill that you don’t have right now that you are looking forward to learning? 

One that I’m building is Notion – my business partner and I use it as our workspace, and building elaborate, beautifully designed work is definitely a goal. I like to attempt to organize information in a way where retrieval is compatible with my fast moving, jumpy brain.

What’s one album that you’d take with you wherever you go? 

Very difficult question. Reasonable Doubt is my obvious, instant answer, but Extinction Level Event by Busta Rhymes is a close second because of range, versatility and pure creative genius, at the production and conceptual level. But there’s just so many: Instant Vintage by Raphael Saddiq, Mr. Morale and the Big Steppers by Kendrick, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, Lo Mato by Willie Colon, El Abayarde by Tego Calderon. Tough question.

What does the phrase “big ass kid” mean to you? 

Be youthful, seek inspiration, keep a spirit of serendipity and optimism, and be a mindful, always-on learner. The world should always seem awe-inducing, substantive and explorable to you, because it is.