Marketer’s Alchemy: Turning Data Into Gold

In this episode, Kathryn sits down with Tiffany Grinstead, VP of Personal Lines Marketing at Nationwide. Tiffany provides insights into innovative ways Nationwide is using data to improve customer experience and prevent losses and shares a behind the scenes look at their first-party, third-party, and zero-party data. She also talks about  how to create personalized customer journeys, why balancing data with qualitative research is essential, and dig into Nationwide's innovative weather alert opt-in pilot program.

Guest Quote:

“That message at the right time is really important. And, you know, that's where your data has to also kind of be melded. And I love the alchemy piece of it, right? With your market research…And to some extent, you can look at the data and it'll give you a certain amount of information, where they are in your journey, what might interest them, what they respond best to. And the more you sort of store those things and then use them for the next time, the better the experience becomes for the person. But it doesn't actually end up negating the need to do really good and smart research to understand what the options are in messaging for different kinds of people. And to be able to then use technology to amplify those in different ways that feel tailored more to the one to one.”

Episode Breakdown: 

[02:23] Alchemy Unveiled: Data and the customer journey

Insightful campaigns require not only data but also critical thinking, A/B testing, and an awareness of qualitative signals, which together help refine messaging and resonate with customers no matter where they are in their journeys.

[12:55] From Nuggets to Campaign Gold: Right message, perfect time

Sometimes, your customers seem to get lost in translation. Well, that’s because they are! Understanding your data and why your customers behave the way they do allows greater insights into programs that actually help them. Take Nationwide’s smart home program and their new pilot program, which notifies customers of severe weather conditions so they can prepare and protect themselves and their belongings at the exact moment it matters.

[19:35] Gold Rush: Be a partner to your customers

Nationwide is evolving beyond its traditional “repair and replace” model to a "protect and prevent" philosophy, actively helping customers safeguard their valuable memories and investments with preventive tools like free in-home monitoring devices for water and fire risks.

Links & Resources:

Connect with Kathryn

Connect with Tiffany

Learn more about Deluxe

Learn more about Nationwide

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this episode, Kathryn chats with Llibert Argerich, CMO at Thumbtack. They discuss Thumbtack's mission to connect homeowners with professionals, how the company leverages vast data resources to enhance user experience, the use of AI for personalized customer interactions, the importance of data governance, and the benefits of symbiotic partnerships with brands. Llibert also emphasizes the need for marketers to embrace change and leverage AI to increase productivity and efficiency.

Guest Quote:

“We have so many open fronts with AI…Traditional search is really telling us, I need an electrician. And then we make the matching on the backend with electricians, but you don't always know that's an electrician that you need. So allowing customers to really state their problems in a way that is natural, whether that's long query strings or uploading an image, uploading a video, and having AI  understand that and then making the right assumptions, connections, and ultimately connecting with a pro, that's a big, big, improvement and I think forward that we're basically just working on right now to really help customers get to that right solution with minimal effort.”

Episode Breakdown: 

[01:49] Alchemy Unveiled: Navigating a two-sided marketplace

On Thumbtack, there is a two-sided marketplace connecting homeowners to local pros and vice versa. By leveraging a blend of first-party and third-party data, including behavioral insights and property details, Thumbtack personalizes both the user experience and communications, making it easier for homeowners to find the right professional for their needs and for pros to grow their businesses.

[11:12] Nuggets to Campaign Gold: Marrying seasonal moments with customer needs

Thumbtack's seasonal campaigns align with key home maintenance periods, like spring cleaning, and are tailored to individual homeowner needs based on their living situations and preferences. They utilize advanced data-driven tools and personalized communication to simplify home management, proactively connecting homeowners with the right professionals, and measuring effectiveness through detailed user engagement and predictive modeling.

[31:23] Gold Rush: Don’t be afraid of change

Embrace change and don't fear AI; instead, leverage it to become more efficient, productive, and valuable, especially in creative fields where adapting can open up new opportunities. Thumbtack is focused on digitizing home services with AI-enhanced search, better homeowner-pro connections, and tools to help pros manage their businesses, aiming to bring more of this $600 billion industry into the digital era.

Links & Resources:

Connect with Kathryn Turnoff

Connect with Llibert Argerich

Learn more about Deluxe

Learn more about Thumbtack

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this episode, Kathryn chats with Dan Westhues, Executive VP of Central Bank. They discuss Dan's career journey, the evolution of technology in banking, and how Central Bank leverages data for better customer experiences. They also explore Central Bank's marketing strategies, including the use of sports partnerships, the importance of personalization, and how primacy is everything.

Guest Quote:

“ Primacy for us is everything…Most people choose their credit card based on their affiliation with maybe it's their Marriott or their Southwest or their Hilton…Well, that's always been our bread and butter as a bank is that we want to be a full service bank. So that we can have all of those conversations with you. Because once we do that, we know because of the data that we have, we know that you're ready to start thinking about owning a home. We know that you're ready to start thinking about changing your credit card or buy a car whatever else it is that the bank can add value to help you with.”

Episode Breakdown: 

[02:32] Alchemy Unveiled: Modern-day banking

Banking today is more than just where you deposit cash earned from your day job. Modern-day banking begins and ends with personalization options that extend both online and in-person at brick and mortar locations. Central Bank is focused on enhancing customer experiences to deepen customer relationships.

[14:28] From Nuggets to Campaign Gold: Build the technology yourself

Cultivating an in-house technology strategy is pure genius if you want to have a leg up on your competition. Not only does it offer your business extensive opportunities to get creative, it also allows you to provide constant updates to your apps and offer personalization options as quickly as you can deploy them, which increases customer loyalty and satisfaction over time.

[26:23] Gold Rush: Invest time and money now

Data is the lifeblood of any business. So if you take the time to build a solid data infrastructure up front, you will be much more suited to face future challenges and opportunities head on.

Links & Resources:

Connect with Kathryn

Connect with Dan

Learn more about Deluxe

Learn more about Central Bank

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this episode, we’re joined by Rachel Sterling, CMO at Identity Digital. Rachel shares her fascinating and varied career path, from production to marketing, discusses the impact of empathy in marketing, and provides insightful examples of how her unique experiences have shaped her professional approach. She also shares some fascinating insights from recent campaigns, the advantages of non-traditional domain names like .bio versus .com, and how Rachel and her team are tapping into seasonality for greater marketing efficiency.

Guest Quote:

“The reason I love talking about failure is because once you fail once, you never make that same mistake again. I would say my biggest failure was at Twitter. We did some research and we found that only 5 percent of users were creating 90 percent of the content. And so the next question you ask is, why? And the answer was fear. And so what we determined is that fear was a significant barrier to content creation. And we looked at the competitive landscape and we saw that ephemeral products like Instagram and Snapchat stories were hugely popular. And so not rocket science, let's do this too. And so we tested in lots of markets…and you know what we found?   Nobody wanted to use it…So we built something that we wanted. We didn't build the thing that people wanted, and so within eight months it failed. And so if you are building exactly what you want, you run the risk that you are not building for the person that you are trying to convert, and that is a recipe for disaster.”

Episode Breakdown: 

[08:42] Alchemy Unveiled: Building credibility through a non-dotcom domain

Why choose a domain that’s a non-dotcom? For one, they’re available. Rachel’s work focuses on marketing non-dotcom domains to help users understand all of their options for personalization with their websites.

[24:19] Nuggets to Campaign Gold: Failure is valuable

Rachel’s failures have informed something very important: how she approaches work in the future. When we make a mistake, we’re likely to never make that same mistake again. Rachel shares that her failures, alongside her successes, are what make her valuable to any organization.

[35:23] Gold Rush: Rely on the data

Gut instinct is a great place to start but it's not the end all be all. In Rachel’s case, she learned that gut instinct can mean building something users do not want to use. So start with gut instinct but always fall back on the data - what are you users telling you?

Links & Resources:

Connect with Kathryn

Connect with Rachel

Learn more about Deluxe

Learn more about Identity Digital

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this episode, we’re joined by Chris Villarreal, Global Director of Wearables at Meta, who shares his career journey and insights into the evolving world of smart glasses. Chris provides an in-depth look into marketing strategies, the importance of data in driving decisions, and how wearables Meta are pushing the boundaries in technology and customer education. The discussion also highlights the role of content creators, the synergy between art and science in marketing, and international market expansion.  

Guest Quote:

“ I think that for too long, we've said marketing can't be measured. It's both an art and a science. And I agree it is still art, but I think that if you want to be a true partner to the business, you have to be able to show your impact. And so the first thing I would do is I would sit down with whoever controls the budget, and really sit down and say, are these the goals that are important to us and this is how marketing can continue? And if you agree on the fact that, yes, do we agree that these are the metrics? If so, then you have everything you need for your decision science team, your insights team, to set up campaigns that will help you determine whether or not you achieve that goal. So I think the idea of just being really clear on the objective, having business support for that objective, and then being able to measure it and talk about it is really important.”

Episode Breakdown:

[02:27] Alchemy Unveiled: Focusing on Customer Interests

When you’re at the forefront of making products in a new category, it’s essential to connect your customers’ passions and connect them with their need for your products or services.

[03:16] From Nuggets to Campaign Gold: How Products Become a Part of Culture

Products that offer a continuous, intimate experience allow for greater customer acquisition and ongoing engagement. The ability to incorporate thoughtful content creator strategies offers companies the priceless opportunity to showcase products and services in the wild in a unique way. This is how products become a part of culture.

[28:53] Gold Rush: Bring Value and Be Bold

Technology only becomes too much when it no longer serves who it was created for, so continue to bring value. As we continue to democratize marketing, be bold and take risks.

Links & Resources:

Connect with Kathryn Turnoff

Connect with Chris Villarreal

Learn more about Deluxe

Learn more about Meta

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this episode, we're joined by Heather Teskey, VP of Marketing at Andersen Windows & Doors. Heather shares her extensive career journey from her beginnings in advertising to her current role, and they delve into effective marketing strategies, the importance of understanding customer needs, and leveraging data for impactful decision-making in B2B and B2C markets. Heather also provides insights into Andersen's innovation initiatives and discusses the significance of authenticity and brand consistency.

Guest Quote:

“ I think you look at as a marketer as you're going through is you really have to understand your brand and the position your brand has. And I think sometimes as marketers, we get tired. We get tired of our logo. We get tired of our tagline. We get tired of our positioning, and we want to be something else. Yet those are things that our audiences really value and they don't get tired. They don't look at it every day. I think I learned from Hallmark - Hallmark never changed their logo. That crown has always been that crown. The color has always been the color. I mean, you think of the years that they were, you know, if you care enough to send the very best.”

Episode Breakdown: 

[19:40] - Alchemy Unveiled: B2C and B2C Insights

In order to have the best information about your customers, you’ve got to bring all aspects of the business to the table including sales, product, and the customers themselves. What the individual customer side needs isn’t usually what the broader company side needs. It takes voices and perspectives from all sides to make both sides of the business strong.

[36:55] From Nuggets to Campaign Gold: Certified Success

With Andersen’s Certified Contractor Program, the focus began with the foundation of good people and good work, which benefits Andersen and the contractors and their businesses. It’s a win-win.

[43:41] Gold Rush: Be a Valuable Leader

If you want to be valuable as as leader, you have to empower your high-performers to do their jobs well. Doing what’s right for the business far exceeds almost anything else.

Links & Resources:

Connect with Kathryn Turnoff

Connect with Heather Teskey

Learn more about Deluxe

Learn more about Andersen

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this episode, we’re joined by Clare Dorrian, CMO at SugarCRM. Clare shares with us how Sugar is navigating the AI landscape, marrying insights and intent signals, and how they’re listening to their customers to serve up better data. Clare also discusses the importance of starting with data and supplementing with human beings to drive impact.

Guest Quote:

“So are there signals out there in the market, in these accounts that are going to allow us to get a jumpstart on engaging with an account. Selling is hard and we come before all of that, but it can take time to convince somebody that they even have a need to help them understand how you fit. And so what we did was we married the insight from our platform about where we knew we could be successful with intense signals. And we did that to validate these long lists of accounts that sales felt like we needed to go pursue. It probably won't surprise you that the list that we ended up with looked very different  to the list that we started with. Why do I use that as a success story of how we've used data? One, because I think, it gave us the opportunity to work collaboratively with ourselves counterparts without whom we can't be successful anyway. And it also takes the bias out of who should be on that list in the first place and where, quite frankly, sales and marketing should be spending their precious dollars and their precious time.”

Episode Breakdown: 

[04:53] Alchemy Unveiled

Serving up insights within your product: If you want to encourage your sales team to work harder, faster, stronger, is you need to provide data insights front and center in your customer’s CRM dashboard.

[13:59] From Nuggets to Campaign Gold

Marrying insights and intent signals: Making sure any predictive engine you use is constantly churning through new data coming into teh backend. Allowing a clearer vision for your ICPs and the extraction of desired data.

[27:18] Gold Rush!

Get with the data program: Start with data, supplement with human beings. This is the only way to truly understand the impact of your product or service and know what is working and what is not.

Links & Resources:

Connect with Kathryn Turnoff

Connect with Clare Dorrian

Learn more about Deluxe

Learn more about SugarCRM

Chris Walker, Refine Labs

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this episode, we’re joined by Michael Freeman, VP of Marketing at Airbase. Michael discusses how Airbase aims to deliver greater value and differentiation in the market, emphasizing the importance of listening directly to customers and the role of clear positioning. He also highlights the necessity of asking the right questions about your data and how those insights can lead to increased customer success.

Guest Quote:

“People just jump into data without spending the time to ask the right question in the first place, or to understand how is this data created? What are the assumptions behind it? What do these things mean? And so, I just see people jumping in and just start building reports and pulling things out and then making inferences off those answers, which may or may not be accurate, but they're probably often or very often they're not actually answering the underlying question that the person has. So I think the way that people can combat this is before you jump into any data, really spend the time thinking about what question am I really trying to answer? What blind spots might I have or what are the ways that this data that I'm looking at or I'm going to go ask for, how does it get created? If I can understand those things, I'm much more likely to get results that truly solve my problem or give me the insights I need to make the right decision.”

Episode Breakdown: 

[03:27] Alchemy Unveiled

Helping customers control their destiny: When customers use efficient procurement tools and systems, they better understand where they’re hard-earned dollars are going. This essentially helps customers take control of their destiny.

[09:30] From Nuggets to Campaign Gold

Small teams can move mountains: When you have a scrappy, nimble team, competing against larger companies with more money, you have to be very clever and keep asking questions and dig deeper to uncover insights that help you make better decisions.

[13:52] Gold Rush!

Don’t jump into data without asking the right questions: Before you start running and pulling reports, understand how your data is created and the problems you are trying to solve. 

Links & Resources:

Connect with Kathryn Turnoff

Connect with Michael Freeman

Learn more about Deluxe

Learn more about Airbase

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this episode, we’re joined by Andrew Fujii, Director of Digital Marketing & Sales at Legal & General America. Andrew shares specific techniques for getting it right with targeted ads, experiments LGA has conducted to reach their audience in different life stages, and why it’s important not to assume you’re always right. 

Guest Quote:

“Trigger marketing for life insurance is really about life events. And so whether it is an individual getting married, having their first child, buying their first home, those are all really big triggers for having life insurance or starting the process of looking for life insurance. And luckily there are some platforms out there, Google ads, for example, they actually have a life events category. And in that life events category, you can drill down and actually see this person is having a child, they're buying their first home, different things like that. And Google's building that based off of all the search intent that that user has.”

Segments: 

[03:03] Alchemy Unveiled: Mixing Marketing Potions

Trigger marketing for life insurance is all about life events: Andrew gives us a deep dive into why life insurance is important at any life stage and how, contrary to popular belief, it’s relatively inexpensive for most people. 

[16:42] From Nuggets to Campaign Gold

Flipping the approach on its head: Through a particular campaign, Andrew and his team were not seeing the results they wanted, so they refocused their efforts and saw the kind of success they were hoping for all along.

[20:35] Gold Rush!

Don’t assume you’re right: Actually, don’t assume anything! Sometimes, what seems like the worst product or webpage can be your greatest asset in a given moment.

Links & Resources:

• Connect with Kathryn Turnoff
• Connect with Andrew Fujii
• Learn more About Deluxe
• Learn more about Legal & General America

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

We sat down with Isabel Rittenberg, CMO of Marble. Marble is a "wallet for your insurance," allowing users to manage all their insurance policies in one place. 

Isabel shares with Kathryn her career journey from ed tech to FinTech to her current role at Marble. She discusses Marble's data-driven approach to target customers throughout their insurance lifecycle and shares insights into their data organization and processing methods.

Isabel highlights Marble's extensive use of data to personalize marketing campaigns and target specific user segments effectively. She discusses the importance of leveraging AI to enhance the user experience, such as developing an AI bot to provide personalized insurance insights. Isabel also explains how Marble utilizes data to identify business opportunities for partners, such as targeting homeowners in tornado-prone areas for specialized insurance campaigns. 

Overall, the interview provides valuable insights into Marble's data-driven marketing strategies and Isabel's approach to leveraging data to drive business growth and enhance the user experience in the insurance industry.

Guest Quote: 

“We would rather go to a small, targeted group that matches our parameters, then do that sort of spray and pray technique I mentioned before: So, really great getting granular with our queries. It's not uncommon for us to end up with a targeted campaign that might only go to, let's say, 400 people. But, those 400 people fit exactly in the parameters that we have, and then the  engagement sort of speaks to this. The fact that we're targeting correctly, you know, we'll see… 40 to 50 percent open rates.” - Isabel Rittenberg

Time Stamps:

• (01:36): Isabel’s Morning Data Routine
• (04:31): A Very Specific Customer
• (08:35): The “Self-Identifying” Customer
• (09:45): How Isabel Pulls Her Data
• (11:59): Using AI to Ask Questions
• (15:00): Going with your Gut?
• (20:32): Data Creating Business Opportunities
• (26:43): Creating a Need in the Market
• (32:59): The Gold Rush

Links:

Follow Isabel on Linkedin

Follow Deluxe on Linkedin

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.