Marisa Thalberg is gone as Taco Bell Corp.’s global chief brand officer, but we certainly remember some of her more notable marketing achievements.
The Irvine fast food chain collaborated with companies like Forever 21, which featured a clothing collection such as a sauce-packet looking bodysuit that said “Hot—born saucy.”
It developed “Taco Mode” for Lyft, which allowed passengers to request rides that include a pit stop at a Taco Bell drive-thru.
Then there was the $600 wedding combo at Taco Bell Cantina in Las Vegas, and most recently The Bell: A Taco Bell Hotel and Resort in Palm Springs, where the brand transformed a V Palm Springs hotel into its taco-inspired destination offering over 70 rooms earlier this month. The hotel promotion sold out in two minutes.
When Taco Bell opened its first London eatery last November, it recreated the chimes from the iconic Big Ben clock tower, which were silent because of an ongoing renovation.
Speakers were hidden inside rickshaws that were strategically placed around the clock tower so Taco Bell’s version of the chimes would sound like it was coming from Big Ben. Once the bells rang, Londoners were seen stopping in their tracks and looking around confused. Some pulled out their cellphones to snap pictures, and soon the police showed up as crowds started to gather around to hear the bell.
Thalberg said the prank was a perfect way to introduce itself to London.
“We don’t take ourselves too seriously and have been known to play a prank or two,” Thalberg said in a statement. “We hope our unique twist on Big Ben’s chimes brought surprise and humor to Londoners; this was our little arrival gift as we gratefully show up on London’s doorstep.”
Influence
Forbes named Thalberg one of the 50 most influential brand managers worldwide for three straight years. Advertising Age named her a woman to watch.
Marketing has been an executive stepladder position at Taco Bell. Two of its prior chief executives, Brian Niccol and Greg Creed, came up the marketing ranks. Niccol went on to take over as CEO of Newport Beach’s Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc. and Creed announced this month he’s stepping down as CEO of Yum Brands Inc., the parent company of Taco Bell.
Yum announced last month that it appointed Adidas vet Mark King as Taco Bell’s chief executive. Shortly afterward, Thalberg announced her departure. A LinkedIn message said she’s staying on as an adviser at Yum for a while, and that she’s preparing for a new challenge.
Thalberg’s duties are being taken over by Melissa Friebe, senior vice president of marketing, and Tracee Larocca, senior vice president of advertising and brand engagement.
Prior to joining Taco Bell in 2016, Thalberg spent eight years as vice president of corporate digital and content marketing for the Estee Lauder Cos. Her résumé also includes executive roles at Kaplan Thaler Group, Sure Fit Inc., Unilever Cosmetics International, and Revlon Inc.
Taco Bell and its franchisees operate more than 7,100 restaurants, including about 500 restaurants across nearly 30 countries outside of the U.S. The brand is aiming for $15 billion in annual sales with 9,000 restaurants in the next few years. The company in 2018 reported systemwide sales of $10.8 billion.
