When you think of Crocs, you probably picture iconic, playful footwear that’s as bold as it is comfortable. But behind the scenes, Crocs Inc., home to both Crocs and HEYDUDE, has been shaping something just as distinctive: a globally aligned, employee-powered employer brand that reflects its people, its values, and its future.
In this latest episode of Blu Thread Conversations, Blu Ivy Group Co-Founder Leandra Harris, alongside employer brand strategist Fatima Qzilbash, sits down with Emily Morgan, Senior Talent Acquisition Manager, and Christy Kruse, Global Head of Talent Acquisition at Crocs Inc. Together, they share the inside story of how their employer brand strategy came to life—and why co-creation was the magic ingredient.
👉 Listen to the full episode on YouTube
Building a Culture as Iconic as the Brand
Crocs is more than a shoe—it’s a cultural symbol of self-expression, comfort, and fun. That same DNA is woven into the company’s internal culture. From global retail floors to HQ boardrooms, Crocs Inc. is powered by a team that values collaboration, creativity, and courage.
As Emily Morgan explains: “One of our EVP pillars is: Ideas welcome, impact expected. Everyone is encouraged to think boldly, but also empowered to drive real change no matter what role you’re in.”
Christy Kruse elaborates: “Our marketing engagement with customers and consumers is like, nothing I’ve never seen before; and I’ve been in retail for 25 years. The touch points, the uniqueness, and the frequency in which we engage, I do think sets us apart.”
This mindset has shaped how Crocs Inc. approaches everything from talent attraction to onboarding, employee experience, and global alignment across teams in the U.S., Canada, the Netherlands, India, Singapore, China and beyond.
Global Voices, Shared Story
Employer brand strategy often starts with leadership, but the most powerful stories come from employees themselves. For Crocs Inc. and HEYDUDE, this meant bringing together hundreds of voices across continents and functions (marketing, retail, internal and external operations, etc.) to craft a message that felt honest to the brand and employees.
“Employer branding isn’t something you build for people,” says Emily Morgan. “It’s something you build with them.”
With executive leadership’s backing and a global network of ambassadors, Crocs Inc. and Blu Ivy Group aligned teams behind a single, authentic employer value proposition (EVP), one that celebrates individuality, encourages bold ideas, and moves fast with purpose.
Customize Your Career: A Retail EVP with Personality
One of the most exciting outcomes of this collaboration was “Customize Your Career”, a talent brand platform that mirrors Crocs’ customizable shoes. Just as wearers add Jibbitz charms to make each pair their own, Crocs Inc. empowers employees to shape their own career paths within a culture that values agility, inclusion, and fun.
This is a game changer for employer branding in retail, an industry often challenged to differentiate. Crocs and HEYDUDE have proven that when a retail employer brand is rooted in real culture, it resonates across markets and elevates the employee experience.
“Who you’re surrounded by every single day matters,” says Christy Kruse.
Emily Morgan explains, “I think our focus is really on a kind of a shared ownership approach, both with employees and leaders. Not just as participants, but as co-creators of the brand experience. We’re empowering teams to spotlight.”
From EVP to Everyday Experience
Employer branding isn’t a poster or tagline, it’s lived culture. At Crocs Inc., the team worked intentionally to embed the EVP throughout the entire employee journey:
- Onboarding: Personalized and fun experiences that make new hires feel instantly welcomed.
- Internal communications: Clear, bold, and values-driven language employees can truly see themselves in.
- Recognition: Celebrating passion and performance in ways that feel distinctly Crocs.
- Global alignment: Ensuring every region and function feels part of one story.
The soft launch has already sparked organic adoption. Even Crocs’ Chief People Officer is using the new language, proof that the Crocs story is sticking in all the right places.
The Power of Co-Creation in Employer Branding
For Blu Ivy Group, this partnership with Crocs Inc. reflects what we believe deeply:
The most successful employer brands are not manufactured, they’re co-created.
This collaborative process has not only positioned Crocs and HEYDUDE as leading employer brands in retail, but also showcases how thoughtful culture strategy and narrative can:
- Strengthen talent attraction globally
- Deepen employee engagement, pride and alignment to mission
- Align multiple brands under one authentic narrative
A Culture with a Lightning Bolt ⚡️
When asked to describe Crocs’ culture as a Jibbitz charm, Emily Morgan didn’t hesitate:
“A lightning bolt. We are about fast change, adapting, being agile… at Crocs we have a lot of great people that bring energy and passion to everything that they do.”
That same spark runs through this employer brand journey. Proof that culture, when harnessed with the voice of talent, can electrify both business and brand.
Why This Matters for Employer Brand Leaders
For organizations, especially in retail, looking to build employer brands that cut through the noise, this is a blueprint worth paying attention to.
- Crocs Inc. and HEYDUDE have shown that when you:
- Champion employee voices,
- Anchor in authentic culture,
- Align globally with creativity and clarity,
- Champion employee voices,
…you don’t just build an employer brand, you build a movement.
And at Blu Ivy Group, we’re proud to partner with brands who want to create that kind of cultural impact.
Listen to the Full Episode
Watch “In Their Shoes: Crocs’ Employer Brand Journey” on YouTube and subscribe to Blu Thread Conversations, the #1 podcast for employer brand and culture performance.
🎧Listen
About Blu Ivy Group
Blu Ivy Group is a senior advisory and consulting partner that helps organizations turn employer brand and the employment promise (EVP) into an operating advantage. We work with COOs, private equity partners, CHROs, board leaders, and global employer brand teams to link culture, leadership credibility, and reputation to measurable business performance. Operating from Canada and the United States and serving clients globally, we’ve partnered for more than a decade with some of the world’s most recognized and respected brands. Our specialty is reputation and culture narrative development. We translate purpose, values, and leadership behaviors into a lived employment promise that improves leadership consistency, M&A integration clarity, and reputation with investors, customers, and talent. If you are searching for reputation and risk guidance, culture narrative or employer brand solutions tied to business performance, we’re built for that mandate.
Stacy Parker — sparker@bluivygroup.com
Leandra Harris — lharris@bluivygroup.com
Website: bluivygroup.com
