Marketer’s Alchemy: Turning Data Into Gold

Deluxe

Marketing is an art. Data is a science. Together they create what we call “Marketer’s Alchemy.” Join us on our podcast, as we pull back the curtain on the world of data-driven marketing and explore how to turn data into marketing gold. Discover lessons from marketing leaders and data experts as we explore how to use data to get to market faster and create powerful campaigns that win in every industry. “Marketer’s Alchemy” - brought to you by the trailblazing data and marketing powerhouse, Deluxe. Find more information at https://www.deluxe.com/resources/marketers-alchemy/

  1. Mixed Media Modeling: Understanding the Full Picture

    SEP 3

    Mixed Media Modeling: Understanding the Full Picture

    In this episode, Kathryn mixes marketing magic with Jennifer Warren, VP of Global Brand Marketing and Creative at Indeed. They discuss the intersection of brand and performance marketing, the challenge of proving the value of brand efforts and Indeed’s experiments with social listening.  Guest Quote:   “ One of the things that we have done to help build faith in things like media mix modeling is calibrate the model based on different information. So whether it's experiments, clean room experiments that we're doing or using last click data, we use that to look at what we're learning from our model, for example, and say, ‘okay, this is like out of line. So that means we should probe a little bit more on this channel and what the model is telling us’. Last click is a lot simpler to measure, so it's a lot easier to put your faith in that. When I think about performance marketing, that was for a long time the way everything was measured. But as the world has become more complicated,  I've had to really work hard at trying to demonstrate that brand and performance are things that work together.’Episode Breakdown:  [03:02] Alchemy Unveiled Attribution and proving the value of brand: While last click may be easier to measure, it doesn’t tell the full picture. There is huge value in brand initiatives, even if it is harder to calculate.  [17:34] From Nuggets to Campaign Gold Listen to the market: Indeed experimented with social listening tools that allowed them to better position and educate their customers, avoiding costly mistakes.  [24:24] Gold Rush! Brandformance is the way to go: Brand versus performance is a false dichotomy. The two functions should be in lock-step with each other, driving impact together.    Links & Resources: Connect with Kathryn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kathrynturnoff/ Connect with Jennifer: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenniferstilleywarren/ Learn more about Deluxe: https://www.deluxe.com/ Learn more about Indeed: https://www.linkedin.com/company/indeed-com/

    27 min
  2. AUG 20

    Resurrecting Partnerships: Turning Dormancy into $3M in Revenue

    In this episode, Kathryn speaks with Joshua Brost, VP of Marketing at Pie Insurance. They discuss managing dual B2B and B2C marketing strategies, highlighting key data metrics and innovative campaigns used to resurrect partners and retarget abandoned carts.  Guest Quote: “ We can acquire partners all we want. But eventually some subset of partners, and often not a small subset, go completely dormant. They stop sending business our way. And we wanted to figure out a way to understand, one, why are you not submitting business anymore? And then two, to resurrect the dead. And so we built this campaign that starts with an embedded survey in an email that gives them a very easy way to click, 'Hey, why have you stopped submitting business with us?' And then depending on that answer, they get put into unique content tracks to help get them active again. Including, uh, in, in certain tracks, uh, a meeting with our BD team to go over whatever concerns or whatever issues they've had.It's been running for, I'd say roughly a year and we've already generated over $3 million in premium from formerly dead agencies.”Episode Breakdown:  [02:06] Alchemy Unveiled When brand is done right, all boats rise: Brand attribution is challenging, but if you come into a company that hasn’t invested in brand, it is worth adjusting your strategy. [16:57] From Nuggets to Campaign Gold Resurrecting dead leads: When prospects go cold, you can find success in leveraging e-commerce strategies to retarget and re-engage.  [29:54] Gold Rush! You can’t fake caring. Authenticity, and true investment in your customers is the only path forward.    Links & Resources: Connect with Kathryn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kathrynturnoff/ Connect with Joshua: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshuabrost/ Learn more about Deluxe: https://www.deluxe.com/ Learn more about Pie Insurance: https://www.linkedin.com/company/pieinsurance/ Marketer's Alchemy Website: https://www.deluxe.com/resources/marketers-alchemy/

    26 min
  3. AUG 6

    Busting Myths Through Data

    n this episode, Kathryn talks with Lindsay Hanson, Chief Marketing Officer at John Hancock and Global Head of Behavioral Insurance at Manulife. They discuss how data can dispel business-damaging myths about the customer and the ways that John Hancock is better able to understand their customers through their data. Lindsay also dives into their use of data and behavioral science to engage customers and impact their health for the better.  Guest Quote: “ We went ahead on this myth busting, myth busting trail. One, was that this was really going to be, our program was gonna be impacted by age. Older people may not want to engage over certain age groups. They're not digital, they're not gonna go onto your mobile app. And we said, okay, let's actually test that. And so we put our customers into different cohorts and we said, okay, let's separate them by decades. Every 10 years, let's take a look at it. And one of our highest engaged populations is between 70 and 80 of actually getting into our app. Four times a day, they're in our mobile app. And if I think of, as a consumer, how many apps am I going to four times a day? You don't think of life insurance or insurance in general.”Episode Breakdown:  [02:06] Alchemy Unveiled Busting myths with data: Stories that are told about groups of consumers or different demographics may be false. Look to the data to determine how to best serve your customers, you may be surprised by what you learn.  [16:57] From Nuggets to Campaign Gold Customer stories as a catalyst for change: Strong stories campaigns will have a balance between head and heart, and for John Hancock, they also empower the consumer to take control of their health.  [29:54] Gold Rush! Data and marketing is limitless: The opportunity is limitless. There are so many ways to leverage data in marketing, and the challenge is pulling the data together in a way that reaches your goals.  Links & Resources: Connect with Kathryn Connect with Lindsay Learn more about Deluxe Learn more about John Hancock Marketer's Alchemy Website: https://www.deluxe.com/resources/marketers-alchemy/

    32 min
  4. APR 30

    Empower and Delight Your Customers Through Data

    In this episode, Kathryn speaks with Liz Teran, Chief Marketing Officer at Owlet Baby Care, discussing how to market to a rapidly changing addressable market with very short buying cycles. Liz shares her insights into leveraging both quantitative and qualitative data, as well as how they tweak their messaging to accommodate for different mindsets throughout the buyers’ pregnancy journey.  Guest Quote:  “Owlet has one of the largest infant health data sets in the world. so this is really exciting. We're just getting started, but there's so many opportunities for us to use that information to, you know, empower parents further to just delight them in their product experience. For example, things we're talking about but haven't implemented yet, might be like, ‘Oh, we can see that your baby woke several times last night. It looks like you had a rough night, mom. You know, here's a Starbucks gift card on us. Have a good day.’ You know, so it's not just the product pieces of like, oh, your child might be getting sick, or this, you know, key health metric has changed for them, but also just provide them a delightful brand experience as well. And I think that's really magical.”Episode Breakdown:  [03:51] Alchemy Unveiled: Take the path less traveled Digging into the data often leads you down a path that differs from industry trends or traditional approaches. Make sure to leverage scrappy, intuitive data to truly understand buyer needs.    [11:09] From Nuggets to Campaign Gold: Nothing beats word-of-mouth When Owlet learned that 50 percent of their customers first heard of them through a friend or family member, they changed their strategy, leaning into parent stories over features.  [20:02] Gold Rush! Gain Inspiration As a Consumer  Sometimes, the best inspiration and way to get a pulse on the marketing industry, is to pay attention to what grabs you as as a consumer. Pull inspiration from other disciplines and keep your marketing hat on as you move through the world (and in the internet).    Links & Resources: Connect with Kathryn Connect with Liz Learn more about Deluxe Learn more about Owlet Baby Care

    25 min
  5. MAR 26

    Understanding the Mindset of Your Customer

    In this episode, Kathryn talks with Mary Ann Donaghy, Chief Marketing and Customer Experience Officer of ZIPS Cleaners, discussing marketing in a franchise business and understanding the mindset of your customer. Mary Ann shares how they have leveraged a consumer research project to better understand customer demographics and behavior, highlighting the significance of consumer insights. She also covers strategies for opening new franchise locations and their efforts to reach a younger consumer.  Guest Quote: "We saw that our customers bring in a broader range of items than other customers.  You know, so their whole mindset is very different. They didn't care as much about bells and whistles, you know, they didn't care about having a free bottle of water or coffee or, you know, wooden hangers or things that a higher end dry cleaner might provide. They want a good solid cleaning, they want it fast, and they want it cheap because they're bringing in, you know, a lot of items every week. So, super interesting and it also then gave us a baseline for what we would do moving forward from a messaging, and targeting standpoint."Episode Breakdown:  [01:58] Alchemy Unveiled: Understand the customer mindset  Unique and specific aspects of your customer mindset influence their buying behavior. Mary Ann discusses leveraging a consumer research project to guide marketing decisions.  [18:27] From Nuggets to Campaign Gold: Tapping into underlying emotion  Researching and tapping into emotional drivers is key to a successful campaign. Mary and her team made sure to tap into the emotional side of decisions in their UMC campaign.  [30:22] Gold Rush: Data reveals opportunities  You can’t understand the opportunities in front of you without data. It is essential to understand the direction you want to pursue.    Links & Resources: Connect with Kathryn Connect with Mary Ann Learn more about Deluxe Learn more about ZIPS Cleaners

    34 min
  6. FEB 26

    Testing Your Instincts In a Culture of Experimentation

    In this episode, Kathryn talks with Ari Sheinkin, CMO, IBM Consulting, discussing how data and testing unleashes creative potential. Ari dives into the 'data first' principle at IBM, the importance of understanding customers through data, and how this approach impacts marketing decisions. He also talks about an exciting campaign at Grand Central Station and how AI is improving campaigns.  Guest Quote: So a lot of the data science that I'm spending time now back with my old team is the idea of buying groups.  And the complexity of the buying dynamics when you have to message and engage with 17 different stakeholders and all their influencers at the same time.  And there's some really good insight that's come out of it, for instance, for us, is if we can get to four members or more of the buying group within 60 days, that's the trigger for us. Which we never really understood before. We thought there's lots of them, let's just throw our marketing out there. But it really ends up being what we call the four plus model. Four or more members of the buying group in 60 days on message, and we see a four times increase in our conversion rates. Episode Breakdown:  [03:07] Alchemy Unveiled: The data science of buying committees Buying committees are very complex and marketing to them can feel like a major challenge. Ari gives us insights into the data science that has transformed how they reach large groups of stakeholders.  [12:26] From Nuggets to Campaign Gold: Grabbing attention in Grand Central Station Taking the tension out of the demand problem - don’t rush straight to demand. Taking the approach to introduce yourself and share information, instead of selling, can drive engagement in an impressive way.  [26:01] Gold Rush: There’s no tension between data and creativity  Data should never stop someone from being creative. It should allow creativity to exist in a testable framework, allowing for experimentation.    Links & Resources: Connect with Kathryn Connect with Ari Learn more about Deluxe Learn more about IBM

    30 min
  7. 12/18/2024

    Innovating Brands in the Age of Digital Disruption

    In this episode, Kathryn talks with Alejandra Denda, CMO of The Federal Savings Bank, discussing the importance of data in marketing and strategic modernization of traditional brands. She shares insightful experiences from her time at CPG brands like Huggies and underscores the necessity for educational outreach and a holistic consumer experience in home lending. Alejandra also talks about what she’s currently teaching her students at Northwestern and what it means to build brands in today’s environment.   Alejandra: “There's like tons of data in today’s environment and sometimes it can be overwhelming. But I think the most important piece, for us, it's to start defining a clear goal. In any type of process is what are we trying to look at? So we start always with a goal in mind and then look at kind of like gather the data from the different sources. So as I mentioned, kind of like website analytics, GA, the CRM system, social media, consumer surveys. So it's a mix of really omni-channel, digital data, and also brick and mortar data from sales and from other teams and organizations and put all that together and we start working as a team understanding findings. So there's a lot of all types of whiteboarding exercises of getting all the data, consolidating, sharing, and understanding how we are going to process the data, what's kind of the insight behind that, and then building a roadmap of execution.”   Episode Breakdown:  [02:12] Alchemy Unveiled: Data is key In today's data-driven landscape, understanding customer behavior through metrics like engagement, campaign performance, and lead generation is key to developing targeted, effective solutions. By combining data from various digital and brick-and-mortar sources, businesses can refine their brand strategy, optimize customer engagement, and modernize their approach to better connect with diverse consumer segments, ensuring that values and new digital strategies are seamlessly integrated for future growth for both traditional and iconic brands. [12:59] From Nuggets to Campaign Gold: From mortgage to diapers  Don’t think a mortgage and a box of diapers have anything in common? For Alejandra, a successful diapers campaign for Huggies demonstrated the importance of timing and emotional connection by engaging expectant parents months before their baby's arrival, mirroring strategies in mortgage marketing where understanding the right moment to communicate, such as during the pre-approval process, is key. Both industries rely on tailored educational content and partnerships to build trust, enhance consumer experience, and navigate complex journeys, while also maintaining strict privacy and compliance standards. [28:26] Gold Rush: Teach what you know With a wealth of experience, Alejandra now gives back by teaching what she knows. Her "Branding in the Digital Age" class explores how to build brands in today's dynamic landscape by combining traditional models with modern tools like AI and social media, emphasizing the importance of brand fundamentals, purpose, and inclusivity. It also highlights the challenges of navigating global markets, cultural differences, and emerging technologies, particularly AI's potential to enhance predictive analytics while ensuring ethical practices and diversity in marketing strategies.   Links & Resources: Connect with Kathryn Connect with Alejandra Learn more about Deluxe Learn more about The Federal Savings Bank

    39 min

Ratings & Reviews

4.7
out of 5
23 Ratings

About

Marketing is an art. Data is a science. Together they create what we call “Marketer’s Alchemy.” Join us on our podcast, as we pull back the curtain on the world of data-driven marketing and explore how to turn data into marketing gold. Discover lessons from marketing leaders and data experts as we explore how to use data to get to market faster and create powerful campaigns that win in every industry. “Marketer’s Alchemy” - brought to you by the trailblazing data and marketing powerhouse, Deluxe. Find more information at https://www.deluxe.com/resources/marketers-alchemy/

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