Marlene Ruiz

About

Brand strategy, creative direction, and growth leader with a track record of building luxury fashion, beauty, and lifestyle brands from concept to scale. Expertise in brand storytelling, influencer partnerships, go-to-market campaigns, and cross-functional leadership. Founder/branding leader with hands-on experience scaling a DTC skincare brand to acquisition-readiness in 2025, delivering performance-driven marketing across channels.

Experience

• Founder, Chief Brand Officer & Creative Director · BLANCOS2022 – 2025

  Luxury DTC skincare brand built on a lifestyle-driven community ethos, scaled from concept to acquisition readiness in 2025. Defined brand positioning, narrative, and go-to-market strategy; built and led a full-funnel marketing engine; owned marketing performance and KPI framework; orchestrated multi-channel launch strategy; established a distinctive brand world across beauty, fashion, and lifestyle; led influencer strategy, partnerships, and customer engagement; delivered executive-level insight and strategic direction.

• VIP Account Executive · PURPLE PR2021 – 2022

  Led brand narrative and earned media strategy for luxury clients; aligned storytelling with positioning and broader go-to-market objectives across US, UK, and EU markets; developed and executed integrated marketing campaigns across PR, influencer, VIP, and events; secured media placements with Vogue, Elle, Harper’s Bazaar, and more; built brand visibility and cultural relevance.

• Fractional Creative Director & Chief Brand Officer2019 –

  Advised brands on brand positioning, campaign concepts, and go-to-market strategy across entertainment, technology, and lifestyle verticals; built cohesive brand systems across identity, messaging, and creative direction; collaborated cross-functionally with product, marketing, and leadership to align brand strategy with customer experience and commercial objectives.

Education

• Fashion Institute of Design and MerchandisingA.A., Beauty Marketing and Product Development
• Fashion Institute of Design and MerchandisingB.S., Business Management

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