#107: Moving Your Brand Out of the Friend Zone | Doug Zarkin, CMO of Take 5

Great brands don’t win by being faster or louder—they win by treating every customer as if they’re the only customer.

That philosophy sits at the core of this week’s guest, Doug Zarkin, Chief Marketing Officer at Take 5, an award-winning brand builder known for transforming legacy companies into modern-day leaders.

In this episode, Doug joins Jason to break down his “Thinking Human” approach—the method he’s used to reinvent brands like Victoria’s Secret PINK, Avon, Pearle Vision, and now Take 5. He shares what it really takes to move a brand out of the “friend zone,” build trust through emotional experience, and drive growth without racing to the bottom on price.

Doug also opens up about the realities of leading transformation: overcoming fear-based resistance, elevating customer experience at scale, and why marketers must rally both consumers and employees for change to stick.

Key Takeaways

✅ Treat every customer like they’re the only customer—that’s the root of brand love
✅ Brand reinvention succeeds when emotional experience matches business strategy
✅ The frontline team is your most powerful marketing channel
✅ Small, consistent improvements (“the sum of marginal gains”) outperform big swings
✅ Great CMOs lead by casting the right team—not by being the smartest in the room

Memorable Moments

💡 “It’s not about putting a brand on the brain—it’s putting a brand on the heart.”
💡 “Think of every customer as if they’re the only customer.”
💡 “You can’t lead a brand from a PowerPoint. You have to learn the business from the ground up.”
💡 “Speed is a cost of entry. Experience is the differentiator.”
💡 “If I’m the smartest person in the room, I don’t need to be in the room.”

Brought to you by Mekanism.