Hidden Layers

For the most recent installment of Hidden Layers, I sat down for an enlightening discussion with Alex Kubo, the VP of E-Commerce and Digital Marketing for Burrow.  Burrow is the furniture company that makes a couch that was named one of the top inventions of 2018 by Time magazine, and continues to make waves for its stylish designs and innovative supply chain capabilities.

Over the course of the episode, we talk about how Burrow has been able to bring convenience to the luxury furniture industry by innovating its “less sexy” aspects such as the supply chain and delivery, all while taking a customer-centric view of furniture design and applying a data-first, analytics-first approach to the business. Kubo and I also discuss how companies should use machine learning within their organizations, why Facebook advertising needs to be monitored and used in very specific ways, and why marketers should worry less about high-tech solutions and make sure they understand the fundamentals of their brand and their customers.

On the latest episode of Hidden Layers, I was joined by Elizabeth Bennett, the VP of Global eCommerce for CPG giant Kraft Heinz. Prior to joining the company, Bennett spent 15 years at Amazon, where she focused on ecommerce growth and innovation so her perspective on how to sell CPG online was enlightening.

The CPG space has been under particular scrutiny this pandemic, as brands and retailers have worked to reduce gaps in the supply chain and make it easier for consumers to do their grocery shopping online. I spoke with Bennett about how Kraft Heinz has risen to the challenge by increasing production while also transforming their online presence to ensure that the consumer “has everything they need for their journey”, from understanding what the product looks like on a plate to where it can be purchased. 

While the shift to online grocery shopping has put more pressure on retailers and CPG brands to offer a seamless digital experience, it has also given them the opportunity to learn more about their customers’ shopping habits and encourage brand loyalty. As Bennett noted in our conversation, in the CPG industry, “first party data is very powerful” because it allows the brand “to know consumer preferences” and anticipate future demand, as well as inform product development.

This week’s guest on Hidden Layers is Grant Farhall, the Chief Product Officer for Getty Images. As Chief Product Officer, Grant is responsible for developing Getty’s product strategy and vision, and he also oversees the company’s e-commerce platform, websites, user experiences, customer research along with the SEO strategy. Essentially, he does it all - and he somehow also finds time to do the play-by-play for the Calgary Roughnecks, the city’s official lacrosse team. 

We spoke about how Getty Images and its sister site, iStock, use data and deep learning to make it easier for clients to discover and use the brand’s powerful content to better connect with their audience. Farhall points out that Getty Images is by necessity a data-driven organization as it seeks to stay on top of trends in the types of content that customers look for and desire. The ability to leverage data is one key to the company’s success; it is what enables the company to show clients the content that is “most relevant and compelling” to what they search for. Of course, the other major factor that sets Getty apart is its exclusive access to events and occasions of all kinds, from sports to entertainment to news and beyond, which allows the company to generate a non-stop supply of engaging and often iconic imagery for its clients to use. 

To learn more about how Getty uses its content and technology to provide the best value for clients, as well as how the coronavirus has impacted the demand for images of people in suits, check out the latest episode of Hidden Layers, available here.

This week on Hidden Layers, I spoke with Huy Tran, Manager of Digital Planning for adidas, about data-driven marketing and the impact data has on the holistic media mix. Tran works closely with adidas’ wholesale partners to gather valuable insights on customers’ purchase behaviors, using deterministic data to inform messaging and ensure all branded content advertised through programmatic media and performance marketing channels remains consistent, innovative and brand-safe.

In this episode, Tran and I discuss the recent shifts in consumer consumption and purchasing patterns as a result of COVID-19, and how marketers can best leverage AI and quality data assets to improve the efficacy of advertising. Tran sheds light on several key challenges in marketing, including “trying to understand how your consumer exists and engages with your brand on different channels” and how to “put fire on the flame” through paid media amplification.  

Subscribe to Hidden Layers to learn more on AI’s impact on marketing, and listen to our latest episode today: https://cognitiv.ai/deep-learning/#podcast-player

This week on Hidden Layers, I was joined by Deepak Jose, the Digital Business Strategy and Advanced Analytics Head for Mars, to discuss how the storied CPG company is using machine learning and data analytics to transform the company internally and better reach consumers. We dive into how Jose and the rest of the Mars’ analytics team are able to use artificial intelligence to solve business problems quickly and efficiently, as well as the various types of data needed to ensure top performance across all of Mars’ product offerings.

We also spoke about the unique approach that Mars takes to digital innovation. Instead of focusing on one area at a time, Jose’s team works on many small experiments simultaneously, each one focusing on a specific business problem or product segment. Those that are successful can quickly be scaled globally, thus enabling each sector of the company to utilize AI-driven solutions to increase efficiency, maximize profit and optimize the value provided to customers.

This week on Hidden Layers, I sat down with Cory Berger, Grey Group’s Worldwide Chief Marketing Officer, to discuss the role data and technology play in the creative process and how the coronavirus has changed the way brands approach marketing. Grey Group is the renowned, much-awarded advertising and marketing agency that has offices in 96 countries and counts one-fifth of the Fortune 500 as clientele.

Berger and I spoke about how the coronavirus has necessitated a change in approach for many brands, and how Grey Group has helped them craft messaging that reflects the world we currently live in. We also explore how Grey Group utilizes data and AI in its own business, from informing the creative process to helping brands maximize the value of AI to demonstrating value to clients such as Procter & Gamble and Volvo, and the role that Berger’s own daughter played in developing the #DistanceDanceChallenge.

This week on Hidden Layers, Disha Harjani, Shutterstock's Senior Director of Product Partnerships & Growth sits down with Jeremy to discuss how Shutterstock is investing in AI technologies to ensure high quality content is delivered to their users at scale to drive real results. They dive into Shutterstock's API integration with companies like Facebook, that enables content creators to stay within the platform to source imagery and access Shutterstock's advanced technology. Furthermore, we talk about how Shutterstock leverages AI technology to enable metadata tagging on imagery for easy discoverability.

Harjani partners directly with companies such as Facebook, Google, IBM, Wix, Microsoft, and many more to provide their users with access to an extensive creative library of over 340 million assets. In fact, Shutterstock content is uploaded by one million contributors across one hundred countries.

This week on Hidden Layers, Alex Kuwada, FanDuel’s Senior Manager of Media and Demand Generation sits down with Jeremy to discuss the changing landscape of digital media, media’s impact on sports betting and how the world of sports booking is currently adapting to attract new customers in the time of COVID-19. FanDuel is the premiere gaming destination in the U.S. for betting across fantasy sports, sportsbook, racing and casino. 

Jeremy and Kuwanda dive into just how FanDuel was able to pivot away from key live sports cancellations such as March Madness, and bring focus into other core areas of the business to drive record setting performance. They also explore the importance of AI technology for automation and safety as well as the growing need for first party data integrations. Kuwada’s background in conceptual mathematics and programmatic strategy bring a nuanced perspective to performance marketing.

Jeremy Fain and Mark Fine of the Brooklyn Nets discuss AI

Jeremy Fain and Marina Suberlyak from Norwegian Air discuss AI and the airline industry