She Made Icy Hot Cool Again

Author

Carlo Palomino
December 06, 2024

Welcome back to The Friday Fortune! As the holiday season kicks into full gear, consider this your weekly escape from the frantic search for matching gift wrap or that coworker’s 37th ugly sweater party invite.

Each week, we deliver fresh insights from top CMOs, marketing pros, and a few genius-level minds to keep you ahead of the game.

From bold brand strategies to actionable holiday marketing tips, we’re here to make your campaigns a little sharper—and yes, we promise to keep it fun because good humor never goes out of style.

Here’s what’s on deck this week:

  • A sit-down with Opella CMO, Claudine Patel

  • Smell-O-Vision (intriguing, I know)

  • The secret to higher college enrollment numbers

📈 Marketer of the Week

If there’s anyone who knows how to modernize legacy brands while keeping their authenticity intact, it’s Claudine Patel, the CMO of North America at Opella.

With a career spanning Asia and North America, Patel has developed a marketing approach that blends creativity with analytical precision. Her journey began in Singapore, where she managed lean teams and budgets, fostering an entrepreneurial spirit.

Reflecting on this period, she noted, "In Asia, your budgets are much smaller, and your teams are not as big. And so what it teaches you is that you need to roll up your sleeves, be in the trenches with the team, do the work, but also set the tone and the vision for what you want the culture and shaping your brands to be."

Patel’s approach to marketing combines a deep understanding of cultural trends with a relentless focus on consumer-centric storytelling. From reimagining sleep aids like Unisom to injecting fresh energy into household staples like Icy Hot, Patel has made her mark by ensuring these legacy brands resonate with today’s audiences.

Patel’s leadership exemplifies how legacy brands can tap into cultural moments to stay relevant. For example, Unisom’s partnership with Mandala leveraged the growing mindfulness movement, using creative storytelling to reframe sleep aids as essential to overall wellness. Similarly, Icy Hot’s integration into sports culture modernized the brand by aligning with athletes and influencers, positioning it as a recovery staple for active lifestyles.

Claudine’s Leadership Takeaway:

“You always need to push each other to be better, but at the same time make sure it’s a safe space for people to share opinions, debate, and then, when we decide, we’re a united front that just keeps going.”

To learn more about how Claudine uses data, storytelling, and cultural awareness to keep legacy brands at the forefront of consumer minds, tune into the full episode of CMO Weekly.

Crack open a handful of the week’s best marketing links—because good fortune favors the curious.

That’s a wrap for this week’s Friday fortune.

If you enjoyed the read, pass it along to your favorite marketer who could use a little extra inspo in their inbox.

Until next time, may your marketing be memorable and your cookies always be fortunate!

— The OpenFortune team