Marketing Today With Alan Hart

On this 247th episode of "Marketing Today," host Alan Hart speaks with Julie Roehm, the chief marketing and experience officer at Party City. More than most, Party City had to make a massive pivot in response to the pandemic, as parties became all but outlawed.We start our conversation talking about Roehm's unusual path to where she is today, actually beginning with a degree in environmental engineering before moving to finance and ultimately marketing. Roehm then explains how each industry taught her to view challenges "as opportunities rather than an obstacle." Next, Roehm dives into the beginning of her marketing career at Ford Motor Company, stating, "that's where I started to get the taste for this out-of-the-box, different way of thinking about marketing." As she made the jump from company to company, Roehm stayed true to her No. 1 rule, "culture eats strategy for lunch."We then discuss the challenges presented by the pandemic to her current company, Party City, during a time when "pandemic and party we