In February 2002, the news that Stahl would join Revlon momentarily raised the ailing company's stock price -- and many eyebrows.
Here was a manager who almost certainly had his pick of positions. Furthermore, Coca-Cola had given him US$3.5 million in severance and other benefits, so he did not need the work. Nonetheless, he chose to lead a company that others might have considered a losing proposition.
As a start, he expanded the rejuvenation of display cases to drugstores nationwide. He carried out the Bond promotion. He lured top executives from Clairol and Coca-Cola and created a management structure more like the decentralized organization he set up while No. 2 at Coke. He began writing a weekly employee newsletter and said he wanted Revlon on lists of the top 100 companies for employees.
Stahl has shadowed market researchers into consumers' homes to chat about the brand and made a splash at the annual meeting of the National Association of Chain Drug Stores by seeking advice from seemingly everyone.
Suzanne Grayson, a marketing consultant who worked for Revlon in the 1960s and 1970s, sat beside Stahl at an industry dinner in October.
"He wasn't interested in talking about himself; he was interested in learning," Grayson said. "He seemed to be quite interested in what Revlon was like and what made it great and what did I think was missing now."
She told him to capitalize on Revlon's famous brand with new cosmetics.
"The most important thing Jack can do is put on lipstick," she said with a laugh. "Get into product."
Revlon is already achieving promising market-share numbers based largely on its 007 Color Collection.
Figures from Information Resources Inc. show that Revlon market share in the four weeks ended Nov. 3 rose to 23 percent, from 21 percent a year earlier, putting it ahead of P&G, which fell to 21 percent from 25 percent, but behind L'Oreal, which remained at 33 percent.
"This is the first month in years that they've really had an increase in market share," Chalhoub said.
In a good omen for Revlon's 007 products, "Die Another Day" had the best opening weekend of all 20 Bond films. But Revlon's gains in market share may not offset the money spent promoting the Bond collection.
Whether it sells or bombs, the agent held responsible will be Stahl, Jack Stahl.
RSS