How Crocs Made a Punchline Into a Competitive Advantage

Crocs chief brand officer Terence Reilly once hung a meme on his sparse office wall that read: “Those holes are where your dignity leaks out.” 

It was the only piece of decor.

And it was a reminder that mockery could be used as a signal, because it meant that people are paying attention. It only becomes a problem if you try to flee from it.

Reilly’s career has spanned Stanley, HeyDude, and Crocs, and he’s never fled. In so doing, he’s built one of the most culturally-resonant brands of the last decade.

Reilly’s overall philosophy is that he trusts his team and when something lands, he moves quickly and decisively. 

And great ideas can come from anywhere. The Post Malone movement he describes came from an intern with a photo on their phone. The Stanley car-fire video didn’t go through multiple rounds of approval. 

The best and brightest brand moments, Reilly says, come from organizations that treat marketing like a competitive sport, where you have to be willing to occasionally lose a few in order to win big.