The reinvention and sale of J.C. Penney’s Direct Marketing Services unit

Abstract

This case chronicles the changing of a corporate unit’s business model, organizational model, and mindset. The reinvention process started in early 1999 when Mercer Management Consulting received a call from Bob Romasco, who had recently assumed the role as CEO of J.C. Penney’s Direct Marketing Services (DMS) unit. After completing a review of the company, he realized the need for a new vision and business design. Mercer worked closely with Romasco and his team over a two‐year period to transform many aspects of the business from its strategic direction to the implementation of sophisticated direct marketing techniques. Throughout, it was clear that a successful transformation would require more than the right vision and strategy; it also required changing the general mindset of the staff.

Citation

Slywotzky, A. and Weissel, M. (2002), "The reinvention and sale of J.C. Penney’s Direct Marketing Services unit", Strategy & Leadership, Vol. 30 No. 1, pp. 18-22. https://doi.org/10.1108/10878570210414408