Doug Zarkin is a visionary leader in the retail and brand marketing industry, known for his unique “thinking human” approach. This philosophy is centered on treating every customer as if they were the only customer, ensuring that each interaction is personalized and meaningful. Currently, Doug serves as the Chief Brand Officer for MPRBrands (Modern Performance and Recovery Brands), where he spearheads the development of a comprehensive Center of Excellence.
Doug Zarkin | Chief Brand Officer | Modern Performance & Recovery Brands
This model is designed to modernize media, creative, and strategic capabilities across a diverse portfolio of health and wellness brands. In his role, Doug oversees various critical functions, including Global Performance and Brand Marketing, Visual Merchandising, Influencer Marketing, Product Promotion, Store Design, CRM, and Retail Experience. His mission is to create a cohesive brand strategy that resonates globally, ensuring every touchpoint delivers exceptional value to consumers. At EliteX, we are proud to have Doug Zarkin as Cover Story of the edition: Marketing Maverick: Inspiring Leaders to Watch, 2024.
Doug’s journey in marketing began with a deep fascination with consumer psychology and the emotional triggers that influence purchasing decisions. This passion led him to co-found G-WHiZ!, a youth and lifestyle marketing division at Grey Advertising, where he honed his ability to craft brand experiences that connect deeply with consumers. His career continued to flourish through roles at renowned brands such as Victoria’s Secret PINK, Warnaco, and Kellwood, where he applied his principles to drive significant brand growth. At Pearle Vision, Doug further refined his approach, focusing on the brand value equation—Brand Value = Experience / Price. By elevating the customer experience, he was able to justify a premium price, a key driver of the brand’s success. This simple yet effective formula, which Doug elaborates on in his book, has been instrumental in his ongoing efforts to build brands that are not only chosen but loved by their customers.
One of the most significant turning points in Doug’s career at Pearle Vision was the development and launch of the “Small Moments” campaign. This initiative connected with consumers on an emotional level by highlighting the everyday moments that make life meaningful, such as reading to a child or clearly seeing a loved one’s smile. By tapping into these emotional drivers, Doug was able to inspire the rational decision of scheduling an eye exam at a neighborhood Pearle Vision. The campaign, guided by Doug’s brand value equation, significantly increased unaided brand awareness by 12% and led to a 15% rise in scheduled eye exams. The success of this campaign underscored the power of emotional storytelling in influencing consumer behavior and inspired Doug to write his book, “Moving Your Brand Out of the Friend Zone,” where he shares his insights on building emotional connections with consumers and using simple frameworks like the brand value equation to drive marketing success.
“Strive to enhance the customer experience at every touchpoint, and you’ll build a brand that not only attracts customers but also earns their loyalty.”
Doug draws inspiration from the potential to blend creativity with data, crafting stories that resonate emotionally and deliver real value to consumers. His “thinking human” approach drives him to see beyond the numbers and understand the people behind them, ensuring that every customer interaction adds value to their experience. The feedback from his team and consumers, along with the ever-evolving nature of consumer behavior, continues to inspire Doug in his work. Writing his book also provided a profound source of inspiration, allowing him to reflect on the core principles that have guided his career and share them with others who aspire to build strong, meaningful brands.
Doug’s leadership style is centered on the “3 A’s”: Authority, Accountability, and Autonomy. This approach aligns with his “thinking human” philosophy, empowering his team with the authority to make decisions, holding them accountable for their actions, and giving them the autonomy to innovate and execute with an entrepreneurial spirit. This leadership style fosters a culture of trust and creativity, where team members feel valued and motivated to deliver exceptional experiences that add value to every consumer interaction. Doug’s commitment to building a team that shares a common vision and strives to create meaningful brand experiences is a testament to his dedication to the “thinking human” approach.
Doug Zarkin is particularly proud of the “Small Moments” campaign he led at Pearle Vision. This campaign was a standout example of how emotional storytelling can effectively drive consumer action. By focusing on small, everyday moments that require clear vision—like reading a bedtime story or seeing a loved one’s smile—the campaign connected deeply with the audience, highlighting the importance of regular eye care. The results were impressive, with Nielsen reporting a 12% increase in unaided brand awareness and a 15% boost in scheduled eye exams. This success story exemplifies the principles Doug discusses in his book, where he emphasizes the importance of moving a brand beyond mere transactions to build lasting, meaningful relationships with consumers. The campaign also demonstrated the power of the brand value equation, ensuring that every aspect of the campaign delivered more value than the cost to the consumer, reinforcing Pearle Vision’s position as a trusted provider of eye care.
In his marketing career, one of Doug’s biggest challenges was repositioning Pearle Vision from a discount, sales-focused retailer to a trusted eye care provider. This required a complete shift in consumer perception, which he achieved by applying his “thinking human” approach. Doug and his team focused on delivering exceptional experiences at every touchpoint, from communicating expertise to redesigning store environments to feel more welcoming and professional. By emphasizing the quality of care and the value of clear vision, Doug was able to elevate the customer experience and justify a premium price, aligning with his brand value equation. This holistic, consumer-centric approach helped overcome initial resistance and successfully reposition Pearle Vision as a leader in the optical space.
Doug identifies personalization and consumer-centricity as the most important trends in marketing today. These trends align closely with his “thinking human” approach, which prioritizes understanding consumers as individuals and providing experiences that add genuine value to their lives. He also notes the growing importance of ethical marketing practices and transparency, as consumers increasingly demand authenticity and integrity from the brands they support. Additionally, the rise of data-driven insights allows brands to tailor experiences more precisely, enhancing the brand value equation by optimizing the experience and the perceived price.
“The future of marketing will be more personalized, data-driven, and focused on creating meaningful connections.”
Technology has revolutionized the way Doug approaches marketing, significantly enhancing the “thinking human” approach by providing more precise tools for understanding and engaging with consumers. With advanced analytics, Doug and his team can better understand consumer behavior and preferences, allowing them to create more personalized and impactful experiences. Technology also enables real-time campaign adjustments based on data, ensuring that the consumer experience is always optimized to deliver maximum value. This capability aligns perfectly with the brand value equation Doug discusses in his book, where the goal is to continuously enhance the experience relative to the price.
When it comes to engaging with customers, Doug finds that the most effective strategies prioritize building a relationship over making a sale. This approach is at the heart of his “thinking human” philosophy. Leveraging social media for genuine, two-way conversations, creating content that provides real value, and using personalization to connect on an individual level are key strategies. The “Small Moments” campaign at Pearle Vision was a perfect example of this approach in action. It wasn’t just about eye exams; it was about showing consumers that Pearle Vision understood what mattered most to them and how the brand could help them experience those moments more fully. This focus on adding value rather than just pushing a product is crucial for building lasting customer loyalty. By applying the brand value equation, Doug ensured that every engagement was about delivering an experience that surpassed the cost, thus fostering deeper connections with customers.
Doug measures the success of his marketing efforts using both quantitative and qualitative metrics. Quantitatively, he tracks ROI, customer acquisition costs, and engagement rates to ensure that value is being delivered. Qualitatively, he focuses on brand sentiment, customer loyalty, and the overall impact on brand equity. The brand value equation—experience over price—guides this evaluation, as Doug seeks to strengthen the numerator (experience) to justify the price and build a brand that consumers see as worth choosing. He also uses Net Promoter Score (NPS) and other brand health metrics to assess the impact on customer satisfaction and loyalty over time.
For those starting out in marketing, Doug advises embracing both creativity and data. He emphasizes that while data can guide decisions, the human touch makes the difference. Building relationships rather than transactions is key—treat every customer as if they were your only customer. This mindset, which Doug discusses extensively in his book, is crucial for creating a brand that not only attracts consumers but retains them as well. He encourages staying curious and adaptable, always looking for ways to add genuine value to customers’ lives. The strongest brands, according to Doug, are those that deliver exceptional experiences at every turn, applying the brand value equation to ensure that every interaction is meaningful and valued by the consumer.
Doug Zarkin believes that balancing creativity with data-driven decision-making in marketing campaigns is all about finding the right intersection between the two. In his view, data and creativity complement each other perfectly. Data offers valuable insights into consumer behavior, but creativity is what brings those insights to life in a way that connects emotionally with the audience. He emphasizes the “thinking human” approach, where data informs the creative process, and creativity enhances the impact of data. Doug’s strategy ensures that every campaign is innovative yet grounded in a deep understanding of consumer needs. By applying the brand value equation, he ensures that the creative efforts are always focused on delivering maximum value relative to the price, creating campaigns that are both effective and memorable.
Looking ahead, Doug sees the future of marketing becoming even more personalized and data-driven, with a strong focus on creating meaningful connections. As technology continues to evolve, marketers will have greater capabilities to understand and predict consumer behavior, allowing for further refinement of the brand value equation. However, Doug believes that at its core, marketing will always be about storytelling and connecting with consumers on an emotional level. He anticipates a continued emphasis on brands that prioritize the human element, treating every customer as an individual and delivering experiences that genuinely add value to their lives.
“Data provides the roadmap, but creativity is what drives the journey.”
For personal growth in a marketing career, Doug identifies several key skills that are essential. Strategic thinking, creativity, and adaptability are at the top of the list, along with a deep understanding of consumer psychology and data analytics. He also stresses the importance of strong leadership and communication skills, which are crucial for inspiring teams and driving successful initiatives. Above all, Doug believes in the importance of maintaining a growth mindset—being open to learning, evolving, and constantly seeking ways to enhance the customer experience. Balancing data-driven insights with creative intuition, as well as understanding and applying frameworks like the brand value equation, will help marketers stand out in an ever-changing landscape.
In sharing his journey and insights, Doug reiterates the importance of a consumer-first approach in marketing. He believes that understanding who your customers are and what they value is fundamental to delivering a brand experience that truly resonates. The brand value equation—experience over price—should be the guiding principle behind all marketing efforts. By striving to enhance the customer experience at every touchpoint, Doug argues that brands can not only attract customers but also earn their lasting loyalty. He encourages marketers to stay curious, think human, and always aim to create a brand that people not only choose but love.