Some might credit Crocs' turnaround to the comfort craze caused by the pandemic, but much of the 20-year-old footwear brand’s recent rise can actually be traced back to marketing chief Heidi Cooley.

In her six years at Crocs, Cooley, who was promoted to senior VP and chief marketing officer last year, has injected the brand into key cultural moments that are helping to drive record-breaking sales. Her #GetCrocd augmented reality campaign resulted in 8 billion global impressions, while collaborations with Justin Bieber and Diplo and the creation of a Crocs World in Minecraft boosted connections with customers.  

“We set out to build these powerful relationships with our fans and connect to them as individuals,” she said. “We want to make sure we’re showing up for them where they were spending time with authentic experiences.”

Cooley is planning to continue to engage with Crocs customers in the metaverse and beyond, and also is focused on brand purpose—where the company is investing in sustainability.

“We are really confident Crocs is a brand that’s here to stay,” she said.

What advice would you give your younger self? 

Be humble. Nothing keeps you more grounded than a dose of humility and it serves as a reminder that even your greatest accomplishments are never achieved without others. Be brave. Know when it’s time to think differently and get comfortable with risk because when you think about it, there’s never a bad time to make a bold decision. Be motivated. Drive comes from within, so challenge yourself to out-hustle. Coincidentally, that’s the same advice I reinforce with my two young daughters.

What’s the biggest risk you’ve ever taken? 

Joining Crocs, which at the time was an underestimated brand on the wrong end of meme culture. We knew at the onset of our transformation that we had an incredible opportunity to drive brand relevance, but what I didn’t see from the outside was this loyal and passionate fan base—they call themselves Croc Nation—standing up to defend Crocs. To this day we’re still a brand that lives for our fans, and that insight lies at the heart of our consumer-centric strategy.

If you weren’t doing your current job, what would you be doing and why? 

An architect, because architecture balances structure and strategy with creativity. Even within the confines of four walls, every project is its own blank canvas.

What should the industry do to encourage more women and people of color into its ranks? 

Stop sitting in a room and guessing. Meaningful change starts on the inside and works its way out, which means companies must broaden their perspective by ensuring everyone has a seat at the table.

At Crocs, our people are the best representation of our values and our brand. Yes, two-thirds of our senior leadership team is female and more than half of our workforce identifies as people of color, but more importantly, what we stand for—individuality, uniqueness and self-expression—has become the ethos of everything we do. When we say ‘Come As You Are,’ we mean it.

As a female leader, my path was carved by those before me, including some remarkable women that I get the chance to collaborate with today. I only hope our generation continues to pave the way for stronger, more equitable representation in the workplace.

What is the biggest lesson you have taken away from the pandemic?

Your external brand is only as strong as your internal culture. During the pandemic, Crocs never lost sight of showing up for our fans through the unknown and the uncomfortable. Now, we must continue to apply that same level of effort by showing up for each other, all around the world.