Peer-to-peer car-sharing company Turo relies on customer behaviors and preferences of users on its platform to identify patterns and make specific product recommendations. Here’s what the company has learned about consumer behavior on digital platforms, according to an article in AdExchanger, and how it’s strategizing to “stop the scroll” with ad content that cuts through the clutter.

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Consumers expect highly-personalized experiences when interacting with brands today—particularly if they’ve volunteered their time, money and personal information in exchange for them. But it’s what you do with that data that counts.

For first-party data-rich companies like DoorDash and e.l.f. Beauty, the key to leveraging consumer data to create exceptional brand experiences—while also adhering to privacy stipulations—is honoring that “implicit value exchange,” according to DoorDash CMO Kofi Amoo-Gottfried, who spoke on a panel at the POSSIBLE marketing conference in Miami last month.

The two companies have mined scores of data sets to fuel innovative marketing programs as creative solutions for their customers. For instance, the data insights team at DoorDash noticed that some consumers were ordering twice on the platform from different stores within a short period of time. So to solve the problem—and ultimately enhance the user experience—the brand created a new service called DoubleDash, which allows users to purchase items from nearby stores without the added service or delivery fee that incurs from multiple orders.

The advantage of having access to a trove of first-party data is that it’s actionable, which inspires marketers and their cross-functional teams to make decisions as close to real-time as possible. “We have something like 25 million monthly active users on our platform, so we have an enormous amount of first-party data,” Amoo-Gottfried said. “It’s coming right from the platform; it’s coming from behaviors.”

Another data point DoorDash is monitoring is communications to drivers, whom they refer to as “Dashers,” in real-time. “If a Dasher goes to a store and a store’s closed, we actually get a note,” Amoo-Gottfried explained. “But then how do we get the feedback from the Dasher that the store is closed? And in real-time, and take that store down and say, ‘this store’s closed, here are some other options that you have.’ We’re constantly learning as we go, from everything [in the app].”

First-Party Data Magic

Similarly, e.l.f. Beauty draws insights from its passionate community of loyalty members. “That’s where the first-party data magic really comes into play,” according to Ekta Chopra, the brand’s Chief Digital Officer, who spoke on the conference panel alongside the DoorDash CMO. “Our app has 1.2 million downloads, and 95 percent of our loyalty members love to shop in the app. So we learn how they like to shop, and which channel… As a brand that is in every single retailer, we don’t care where the consumer shops. But we do want to have that relationship with the consumer. The first-party data really allows us to do that.”

Honoring that relationship by providing an enhanced experience while adhering to data privacy regulations is critical, however. “The most fundamental thing is the implicit value exchange,” Amoo-Gottfried said. “How do we help use this data to actually create a better experience, and how do we ensure there are a ton of guardrails?” That translates to actively deciding not to use certain subsets of data if they don’t serve that purpose, he said. “There’s entire categories of things that we won’t target on, even though we might be aware of what they are, because we think it’s problematic to target on that identity factor… Get the things that you actually need and don’t touch the other stuff. We try to figure out which pieces are most predictive.”

Chopra agreed that the relationship between brand and consumer starts with trust, and that’s something she takes very seriously. “As marketing leaders, you have to pay attention to that, because one data leak is something that will really hurt your reputation, and especially as a public company, it becomes a bigger responsibility.”

Data Privacy Hacks

For marketers who are laser-focused on data privacy and compliance, Chopra has a few tips. First, she recommends working with your legal team to ensure there are data privacy considerations when crafting your data processing agreements (DPAs) with vendors. “Depending on how big you are and what kind of data you’re storing, it can get really complex,” she said. “So having that strong partnership with your legal team is important.”

Second, your cyber security policy should include a data privacy component to it and be right-sized appropriately—depending on the size of your customer base—so that you have adequate insurance in case any data leaks occur.

Third, consider the sensitivity of the data consumers are sharing with you and practice good data hygiene accordingly. “They’re giving you certain information that’s really private in some cases, depending on if you’re in the medical field—and beauty there’s some elements, too,” Chopra said. “You should know where that data is transferring in your ecosystem, whether it’s this system or that system. There are tools, of course, that can do that. But from a good data hygiene perspective, understanding that is super important.”

While companies seek to mine more and more consumer data, great responsibility comes with that exercise. “As you become bigger, of course you want more data… but you should also know that it adds a layer of complexity with private information,” Chopra said. Moreover, at a certain point you may be asked to delete it—and you need to be ready for that and have the tools in place to prove it, she said. “So when people do come in and do an audit, you can show it to them.”

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The results of our AI in Marketing Pulse Survey are in: 51 percent of marketers surveyed are using generative AI tools to drive the business, and 23 percent use them frequently. Moreover, 65 percent of respondents believe that these tools will supplement—rather than replace—human work.

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Data clean rooms have risen in importance amid the post-cookie digital marketing landscape, as a means for marketers to extract value from user data while protecting consumer privacy preferences. But for marketers new to the concept, evaluating the variety of options that exist in the space today could feel a bit overwhelming.

A column in AdExchanger from Alliant Chief Innovation Officer Donna Hamilton provides a useful introduction to the category and shines a spotlight on what newbies should know, from setting ground rules with data governance and compliance teams to employing a flexible strategy that leverages collaboration with peers rather than building infrastructure from scratch. Read more in AdExchanger.

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The results of Chief Marketer’s latest Pulse survey on staffing are in: Twenty-seven percent of marketing departments surveyed were impacted by recent layoffs. And the areas of marketing that experienced the most cuts were events, followed by data and analytics. Here’s our infographic featuring the results of the survey. And look out for our next survey topic—AI in marketing—arriving in your inboxes next week.

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State Farm decided not to shell out $7 million or so for a commercial during the Super Bowl this year, instead opting for pre-game, in-game and post-game engagement tactics surrounding a TikTok challenge launched by creator Khaby Lame to his 154 million followers.

The ask was simple: Guess how many times State Farm Stadium would be mentioned during the Big Game broadcast for a chance to be featured in a post with him. A cool 220 million views and 18K comments later… and touchdown.

The campaign’s holistic approach represents the brand’s digital- and social-first strategy, according to its newly-minted CMO Kristyn Cook. “Given the naming rights of the stadium, we had an opportunity to step back, to think differently, and support our journey into modernizing what we do from both an advertising landscape and looking at non-traditional ways to reach consumers, especially the younger generations,” she says.

We chatted with Cook about how the brand is engaging with younger consumers, evolving its approach within the gaming space, achieving reach and connecting through music in the metaverse and supporting local communities through philanthropic initiatives.

Chief Marketer: What was the motivation for the TikTok-based campaign you created with Infinity Marketing Team this Super Bowl?

Kristyn Cook, CMO of State Farm: Given the naming rights of the stadium, we had an opportunity to step back, to think differently, and support our journey into modernizing what we do from both an advertising landscape and looking at non-traditional ways to reach consumers, especially the younger generations. The holistic aspect of the stadium on game day, how we engaged fans before, during and then after, was a significant success. Khaby Lame’s 154 million fans really helped propel us forward, combined with Jake from State Farm, who is a part of that cultural lexicon from a TikTok standpoint, and engaging other influencers. For us, it was, how do we continue to test and learn and find new ways to reach people? We’ve reached hundreds of millions of fans, not just during the broadcast, but prior to that, too. There’s a lot of good building blocks for what we will continue to test in the future.

Chief Marketer: You’ve done commercials during the Super Bowl in the past, with much success. Why go with a largely digital campaign?

KC: We’re proud of the work that we’ve done in the past. Most notably, a couple years ago when we had a commercial in the Super Bowl perform really well with “Drake from State Farm.” We’ll continue to look for ways that are relevant to what we’re trying to accomplish. This time, the guidepost for us was that we really wanted to lean into our naming rights, and we knew that State Farm Stadium in particular would provide us this venue to bring together family, friends and good neighbors on the most-watched broadcasts out there. We knew we had that, and we knew that it would be a multitude of generations tuning in.

This supports where we’re going in terms of a digital- and social-first approach. We took some learnings from last year with TikTok, but we combined it into more of an ecosystem. Prior to the game, we had this warmup “shrug” TikTok with Khaby and Jake to [generate] interest. But then leading up to that, we also engaged other influencers on TikTok that had significant reach as well. We also had Jake from State Farm out on the ground in the local community. So, there’s multiple ways to drive engagement. We believe that this was much stronger approach than just doing an ad in the Super Bowl, given all the components and some of the results that we’re seeing.

CM: What are the other ways that you’re connecting with younger generations?

KC: Our goal is to leverage the power of this brand to impact customers and communities. There are so many opportunities to leverage that iconic phrase, “Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there.” Millennials and Gen Z continue to be crucial to our future growth. We’re taking deliberate steps to ensure our brand is relevant. Jake from State Farm has been incredibly successful. He’s now part of the cultural lexicon; he’s the “good neighbor.” We’ll continue to focus on social- and digital-first and meet customers where they are on those platforms.

From an innovation standpoint, we’re trying to continue to be first movers in gaming. We’ve had a lot of success with the “gamerhood,” where we leverage and partner with some of the biggest influencers and with Jake from State Farm. We’re on Roblox as well, taking steps into the metaverse and partnering with iHeartMedia. And then we’re continuing to work with our sports platform. This brand is synonymous with sports. [For example,] the Super Bowl, the All-Star game and Jake seamlessly existing in NBA 2K.

CM: What are your opportunities for growth in the coming year?

KC: We’ll take these learnings relative to the Super Bowl and blend the physical and the digital world together to amplify our presence moving forward. But everything that we do is centered around the customer and being rigorous around audience centricity in particular, from the insights that help shape the storytelling and the narrative we put out there. We know for our brand in particular, and others in this category, price is really important, and especially given the macro environment with inflation.

In addition, the ease of doing business with us, the experience, really matters. The power of being good neighbors, and not to mention the 19,000-plus agents who live, work, play and give back in their local communities. Telling that story is very unique to our brand. Also, the evolution of Jake from State Farm in the cultural lexicon.

And then, delivering best-in-class sports marketing. How do we continue to be there at those culturally relevant moments, and how do we also think about some of the emergence around that and elevate women’s sports as well? When you think about reflecting the diversity of customers we serve, there are business outcomes there as well. The community aspect of what we do is really important, too. We leverage our agents and empower them, so that amplifies the brand.

CM: What is your experiential strategy for the coming year? Will you continue to focus on virtual events as well as in-person?

KC: I think it’s both, and based on what we’re trying to accomplish. We have a strategy that’s been really successful for us called Good Neighbor Crews, essentially young people representing the brand in different marketplaces. It may be the intersection with festivals, music events or sport events, where they bring our brand to life. You’re seeing consumers value more experiences, travel and music. So, it’s how we show up and create relevance where the audience is in unexpected ways, in places where we know people spend time. We’ll continue to evolve our gaming approach and lean into our metaverse strategy, with augmented reality and using NFTs.

The post Marketers on Fire: State Farm CMO Kristyn Cook appeared first on Chief Marketer.

While marketers are often inundated with data to fuel their marketing activities and programs, it’s the quality and accuracy of the data that can make or break a campaign’s performance. According to an article in Multichannel Merchant, even for marketers strapped for resources, a solid customer data hygiene strategy can yield higher ROI through data governance, establishing quality baselines, developing a process for improvement, and more.

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Plenty of companies—particularly in the tech sector—pledged to support diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives following the public outcry over racial injustice that erupted in 2020. But according to a new report from The Next Web, 80 percent of those companies that promised to take action have shown minimal increases in diversity within the professional labor force. An article in PRNEWS reviews how businesses should approach and communicate DEI commitments—particularly if your organization’s progress is slow or has fallen short.

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If there’s one part of the business that’s connected to the consumer, it’s the marketing department. Closely monitoring shifting consumer behaviors, eyeing critical trends in the marketplace and the culture in general, and deftly communicating the value of your brand to potential customers are all table stakes for any modern marketer with C-suite aspirations.

Indeed, according to a recent PwC survey, meeting customer expectations for their brands, products and services is the biggest concern for CMOs, with 37 percent listing it as one of their top three issues. So in recent conversations with some of the best and brightest in the industry, we inquired about what it takes to land that coveted role, and how to turn those aspirations into reality.

Brad Hiranaga, Chief Brand Officer, Cotopaxi: I think for marketers that are coming up, if there’s a way to have experiences on both types of brands, legacy nostalgic brands that you learn a ton of stuff on in addition to smaller, digitally-native brands that are built that way, it’s important to have both those types of experiences. Because otherwise, you can eventually pigeonhole yourself into being just a performance-based marketer, or just a big brand marketer.

When you step up into CMO roles and C-suite roles, you don’t have to be necessarily an expert on every single thing, but you have to understand how all of those parts fit together for the bigger picture of what you’re trying to drive. You have to understand the consumer and where technology’s going. So being curious and constantly reinventing yourself and your skills is crucial. [Read more from Hiranaga here.]

Ana Andjelic, Global Chief Brand Officer, Esprit: I would recommend a strategic and holistic approach, which means looking at where the marketing connects with merchandising, where merchandise connects with design, where brand connects with the product, and where all of the above connects with physical retail and the experience. Look at the entire brand experience. That’s your job. Sure, you can use data, but why? To connect better with merchandising, to give direction to design the product better, to set the price. I recommend a holistic view in this role. [Read more from Andjelic here.]

Kristen D’Arcy, CMO of Homedics: The conversation that I’m hearing in the industry is about the cookie-less world and how do you build up your first-party data so that you can learn a lot about your consumers’ market in a personalized way. That’s number one. Number two is social shopping. That’s something that a lot of people are discussing right now. And then three is, what is the role of influencers more broadly? Going back to our strategy, which was mass diversification in terms of where we put our media, what role do influencers play in terms of helping drive sales online? [Read more from D’Arcy here.]

Tyrrell Schmidt, Chief Marketing Officer, TD Bank: Sometimes people think about their career in linear ways, like “I need to move to the next level.” It’s also about understanding what experiences you need to get to the C-suite. Be open, be willing to try new things. It doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to stay in that role forever.

I urge people to think about “the what and the how.” What you deliver is important. Taking accountability for your area is critical, but it’s also the “how.” I’m a big believer in building relationships. As companies look to build more agile structures, being able to work with different groups of people on aligned goals and aligned KPIs and outcomes is important. [Read more from Schmidt here.]

The post The C-Suite Speaks: Cotopaxi, Esprit, TD Bank and Homedics Offer Career Advancement Tips appeared first on Chief Marketer.

The results of Chief Marketer’s B2B marketing survey are in—and here’s what we’ve learned: There is a greater need for B2B marketers to measure ROI in marketing attribution. And projecting that ROI is a top barrier to gaining approval for marketing investments. The majority of respondents also confirmed that content marketing produces the greatest ROI, with articles and blog posts proving the most effective.

This year’s survey provides marketing data points surrounding which channels produce leads with the highest ROI; how budgets are faring this year; where marketers are making martech investments; how the industry is addressing consent and preference management—and much more. Enjoy our 2023 B2B Marketing Outlook Survey, co-produced with OneTrust.

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