Dive Brief:

• Crocs has named a pair of new CMOs to lead marketing at its namesake footwear brand and Heydude, Women’s Wear Daily first reported.
• Carly Gomez is jumping from Fabletics to serve as senior vice president, CMO for Crocs, while Amondo Redmond, most recently of Foot Locker, is joining Heydude with the same title. Both executives will report to Terence Reilly, who was promoted to the newly created role of executive vice president, chief brand officer for Crocs in May. 
• Reilly’s focus is elevating the creative direction for both brands while weaving a global narrative that can connect with consumers. The news follows Crocs’ Q2 earnings earlier this month, which saw revenue declines at Heydude and a heavy amount of tariff talk.  

Dive Insight:

Reilly is moving quickly to install new marketing leadership at Crocs after taking the reins as chief brand officer in May. Gomez and Redmond both carry backgrounds in the footwear and apparel categories, with the former previously spending over 15 years at Vans and the latter most recently acting as head of marketing for Foot Locker in North America. Gomez is jumping from activewear maker Fabletics just months after being named CMO.  

Crocs is looking to level up creative executions for its core brand and Heydude while reaching more consumers in global markets. Heydude has been a drag on company performance, with Q2 revenue declining 3.9% year over year to $190 million, including a 12.4% drop in wholesale. That’s despite the brand producing some eye-catching marketing. Heydude last August launched a campaign starring Gen Z actor Sydney Sweeney, who has become something of a fixation in the advertising world, particularly for male-targeted products. 

Crocs acquired Heydude in 2022 for $2.5 billion. Heydude has tried to win over more women shoppers of late and is shifting more resources from lower-funnel performance marketing to upper-funnel tactics. Those moves resulted in a 35% jump in brand awareness in North America, executives have said.

Crocs’ namesake brand is faring better, with revenue up 5% in Q2, but the marketer is contending with how to mitigate the impact of tariffs. Marketing could play a larger role in retaining loyalty as consumers pull back on discretionary spending. Crocs is known for a cult-like following thanks to its collaborations, including several in the high-fashion realm, and sale of charms, called Jibbitz, that can be used to customize its clogs.

“We remain laser-focused on our digitally led social-first marketing playbook as this is a key ingredient in sustaining brand heat,” said Crocs CEO Andrew Rees on a call discussing the “solid” Q2 results with analysts. 

Rees added that Crocs will continue to lean on its strength in the emerging area of social commerce. The brand is No. 1 in footwear on TikTok Shop in the U.S. and recently debuted on the marketplace in the U.K.

“Our plan is to continue to expand social commerce and live streaming platforms globally, and we expect this to drive new growth opportunities,” said Rees.