BONUS: How This CMO Escaped the Broken Client-Agency Model with Taylor Morrison’s Stephanie McCarty
Last year, Stephanie McCarty, CMO at Taylor Morrison, went viral on LinkedIn with a post on her beef with ad agencies. The post ...
Chief Marketing & Communications Officer, Taylor Morrison Home
Search every verified Stephanie Mccarty interview, podcast appearance, and on-the-record quote — each transcript cross-checked by AI and human review to confirm speaker identity. Stephanie McCarty, Chief Marketing and Communications Officer at Taylor Morrison, has discussed her decision to move the company's marketing functions in-house, moving away from what she described as a "broken client-agency model." She stated that the company previously had a "hodgepodge" of agencies across divisions, which led to inconsistent brand representation. McCarty said she gradually built an internal team, starting with creative roles and expanding into social media and paid media, and noted that the company now has a team of about 45 corporate marketers with limited external agency support. She cited cost savings, such as producing annual reports in-house for a reported savings of at least $150,000, and improved clarity in creative briefs as benefits of the approach. McCarty has also spoken about Taylor Morrison's digital transformation, describing the home building industry as "archaic" and "slow-moving." She said the company shifted its website from a "pure seduction tool" to a transparent digital experience where consumers can view pricing, customize homes, and book appointments online. McCarty noted that Taylor Morrison has been recognized as America's most trusted home builder by Lifestory Research for seven consecutive years. She has emphasized the importance of brand building over short-term promotions, stating that the company has "flipped that on its head" in recent years. McCarty has also discussed her leadership style, which she described as mobilizing her team toward a clear vision and allowing them autonomy to execute.
“When I stepped into the CMO function at Taylor Morrison, we were kind of a hodgepodge where every division had their own agency from a production creative perspective, which meant our brand was being introduced to consumers 10 different ways. We had to come in and say, 'Who do we want to be? How do we want to represent...”
“We went from a team of two corporate marketers supporting the field to now we have a team of about 45 doing so, and that's insane. We don't really have any external agency support unless we want a fresh perspective because the biggest thing an agency provides is that outside perspective.”
“I think it was just gradually over time as I grew my confidence in what I was trying to achieve. After going through the agency process multiple times and losing time, energy, and resources, I decided not to put myself, my team, and my organization through that anymore and started building in some in-house support.”
“When we brought in our first designer, we were going into proxy season and annual report wrap season. Outsourcing those documents was low six figures. We said, 'We're going to do it in house.' We produced incredible documents for investors and shareholders, saving at least $150,000 minimum.”
“We started with creative because it's the visual side of marketing that you can see, feel, and touch. Then we went into social, organic social, paid media. What if we stopped paying agency commissions and fees and instead used those dollars for real media dollars?”
“The briefs have become clearer and more actionable because we are at the table alongside leaders making business strategy decisions. We get to a completed final brief much quicker, which improves time to market significantly.”
“Sometimes you get so close to the product that industry jargon makes its way into campaigns, which is not consumer-friendly. Bringing in outside perspectives helps sharpen our tools and keeps the consumer at the heart of everything.”
“I think one of the most important jobs is hiring, promoting, and firing. Getting the wrong culture fit can completely paralyze a team. I hire great people and let them do their job, which makes the whole team successful.”
“We created this consumer expectation of being promo, promo, promo, incentive, incentive but not a lot of brand building. We've flipped that on its head the last few years and it's paying off.”
“Marketing is a very misunderstood function. Not everything can be measured, and not everything is a short-term win. Communicating every step of the way what's working and what isn't has made a huge difference in building trust and credibility.”
“Taylor Morrison has been home for me for almost 10 years, and I just focused on doing really great work. As a leader, that's always been my motto: if you focus on great work and keep that fire in your belly lit, good things, good opportunities, and more responsibility tend to come your way.”
“In home building, we're a very cyclical industry. Cycles come and go, interest rates come and go, and there are many economic factors that can hinder our ability to sell and build homes. With COVID, there were tons of supply chain issues, but knowing those things can't knock me down, I apply the same belief and strateg...”
“My leadership style is to mobilize my team toward a vision and then let them execute with autonomy and creativity. It's my job to make sure that vision is crystal clear and that obstacles have been removed so my team can execute quickly, because speed is critical in business and marketing today.”
“I have very high standards and my team knows that. I would never send anything to the CEO unless I know it is the best I could do. I coach and mentor my team to think that way too, because in communications and marketing, you need to anticipate the needs of the organization and leaders before they realize them.”
“I was hired as Taylor Morrison's first vice president of corporate communications under a CEO with a tremendous growth strategy. She knew the power of communication could get the organization rowing in the same direction and believing her vision, so I had to create the infrastructure, channels, and relationships to com...”
Last year, Stephanie McCarty, CMO at Taylor Morrison, went viral on LinkedIn with a post on her beef with ad agencies. The post ...
This is episode 4 of Why-How-Impact - the series that breaks down what it takes to be a leader and why on earth they do it.
340: Building a Brand from the Inside with Stephanie McCarty, Chief Marketing & Communications Officer at Taylor Morrison With ...
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