Nominated for CMO of the Year 2026: Roman Reichelt Reveals What Makes Brands Great

For many people, midnight marks the end of the day. For Roman Reichelt, that’s when the next challenge begins.

«In e-commerce, we lose all our customers every day—at midnight,» he says. At 12:01 a.m., the battle begins anew. New prices, new delivery options, new user experiences, or new partnerships could call into question every achievement to date.

The Man Who Is Never Done

This perspective reveals a lot about Brack's head of marketing. For him, success is not a state of being, but a snapshot in time. Anything that worked yesterday must be proven all over again tomorrow.

Perhaps that is precisely why Reichelt has been one of Switzerland’s most influential marketing figures for years. Whether at Migros, Credit Suisse, or now at Brack: wherever he takes on a leadership role, he brings about changes that go far beyond traditional marketing.

From Commercial Fan to Marketing Visionary

His passion began early. So early, in fact, that his high school principal was once concerned.

While his classmates could name seven or eight commercials, 11-year-old Roman could name 51. Not because he had been left in front of the TV, as was assumed at the time, but because advertising had fascinated him even as a child.

Today, he looks back on a career that has taken him to the highest echelons of marketing in the country. Just this past June, he was honored with the Marketing Thought Leader Award at the Swiss Brand Congress. Prior to that, he had already won the Swiss Marketing Trophy, among other accolades, as well as numerous awards for brand management, sponsorship, and cross-media communication.

But for Reichelt, awards seem to be less of a goal and more of a byproduct. What matters most to him is how organizations and people can continue to develop.

Build Belief, Generate Momentum

When Reichelt joined Brack in 2024, he found a company with great potential. However, he did not see his most important task as creating a new logo or launching a new campaign.

«Faith and momentum» are the two terms that best describe the past few months, he says.

He initially noticed that many employees were setting limits for themselves. The idea that they could only be a solid number two in competition with the biggest e-commerce brands had become deeply ingrained.

That was exactly the mindset he wanted to change.

The results speak for themselves. Brack recorded the highest increase in brand appeal among Swiss retail and e-commerce brands, gained new customers, increased revenue and EBITDA, and doubled awareness of its sponsorship activities. At the same time, internal employee satisfaction improved significantly.

The real achievement, however, runs deeper. Reichelt succeeded in convincing an organization that growth begins in the mind.

A URL Becomes a Brand

The most noticeable change has a short name: Brack.

Brack.ch became Brack. Period.

Behind this seemingly small step lies a fundamental strategic realignment. Reichelt wanted to transform a well-known e-commerce site into a standalone brand—a brand that not only delivers but also stands for something.

The new brand promise, «Unlock Your Potential,» combines the company’s logistical strength with an emotional benefit. It transforms the classic moment of opening a package into a cultural concept: people should be able to discover what they’re capable of.

This repositioning was accompanied by one of the largest rebranding efforts in recent Swiss marketing history. The campaign was created using generative AI and was transparently labeled as such. At the same time, Brack continued to expand its community, developed new CRM programs, and strengthened its role as a sponsor of the Swiss Super League.

In its analysis, the University of St. Gallen therefore refers to a transformation toward an «emotionally charged consumer brand.».

Transformation Is Perseverance

Anyone who listens to Reichelt quickly realizes that he is less interested in the big announcement than in what comes after it.

His favorite quote is from Brack CEO Stefan Fraude:

«Starting out is loud. Persevering is quiet.»

For Reichelt, this idea captures the essence of every successful transformation. Presenting strategies is relatively easy, he says. What’s more difficult, he adds, is consistently refining processes, getting teams on board, and patiently answering even the 500th question.

This skill is becoming increasingly important, especially in the age of AI, automation, and constant change. Marketing leaders must anticipate technological developments while also inspiring people, providing guidance, and fostering a positive culture.

Roman Reichelt finds himself right in the middle of this tension.

The 11-year-old boy who used to collect commercials would probably be amazed by this. The «CMO of the Year» jury, however, clearly isn’t. It has, quite logically, named him one of the six finalists for 2026.

And perhaps that is why his personal advice is particularly fitting as the conclusion to this story:

«Listen to your heart. You should go where you have the most fun. That's where you'll thrive.»