Sure, Tech’s Important, But Don’t Forget The People, Too!
In this guest post, Mailee Creacy (pictured below), country manager at Rocket Fuel ANZ, says too many Aussie marketers are being bogged down by the latest tech, and, in doing so, we’ve forgotten the poor old customer…
When I think about the adtech industry – one whose very existence depends on influencing customer behaviour – it’s ironic that so much of our marketing to brands and agencies is driven by our technology, and not our customers.
While cutting-edge technology and innovative new features are exciting to talk about, it’s too often through these features and technologies that we frame our conversations about how we can improve business, solve problems or drive solutions for our customers. In the process, the very people we’re trying to reach get buried under all these technology “stacks,” and have a harder time understanding what is being offered.
If we want our industry to succeed, we need to get back to focusing on the customers. There isn’t an app for that – it’s about effectively changing the relationships between key function areas, and in order to do this, it’s time to start listening differently.
It all starts in the responsible hands of sales. When a seller works toward making a sale, they actively listen to what the customer is saying so that they can turn that feedback into action for their own company – action that informs not just how you sell, but also what you build.
For example, many marketing teams are heavily focused on an inordinate number of events that typically treat the customer as a secondary concern. Instead, the time and money spent on these could be put back into focusing on customer accounts and learning from them. In marketing there are a lot of constant iterations. We have all worked on customer case studies and references before, but how do we use these when we’re thinking in terms of an account-based approach or looking at feedback from the perspective of a vertical, a particular product offering or solution? Marketers need to learn from our case studies and ask the necessary questions. How does the seller provide value to the customer? How does marketing help the customer understand the value? How does marketing help the seller understand the customer? This is where the marketing team needs to work closely with the sales team to put the customer first.
Today, engineers are seen as the brains behind the projects. They build the products and they know them best. Then they share their creations with the product teams, who know the technology slightly less. The product teams share their knowledge with the marketing team, who know it slightly less than the product team, and so on, all the way down to the customer. Marketing and sales then, should filter all the information they gather up to the product and engineering teams. If the customer feedback dies with the sales and marketing teams, was there really an action or effort taken to improve a product or service?
Today’s businesses are often so technology-driven that some have created labs or think tanks to fuel the creation of new products and ideas. As marketers, it is our job to begin thinking about how to package and position the innovations stemming from these labs and develop a plan for how to take these new products to market.
This is the difficult part and often the moment of translation when much of the larger, customer-oriented message is lost. You end up instead with a message laden with acronyms and rich with detail, and not a coherent, comprehensive, easily understandable picture. Ultimately, all of the hard work and dedication of every team involved — engineering, products, marketing — trying to promote all the new technology being created goes to waste.
To ensure that a circle of communication is happening, one that links and aligns every group in the organisation to listen to and act for the customer, give each team one point of contact in charge of making sure the rest of the team is aware of what is going on with other divisions. Their focus is on guaranteeing transparency and communication internally so that no one department is dropping the ball.
If we can all come together to make this cycle a reality, it won’t be long before we evolve from an industry narrowly focused on technology, to a more customer-centric industry. In the end, this will lead to more effective products, happier customers, and a more successful adtech industry.
Latest News
History Has Arrived: It’s The Cairns Crocodiles Inaugural Shortlist
Pen the acceptance speech and ready your best thongs and muumuu, because the Cairns Crocodiles shortlist has arrived.
IAS Launches First-To-Market Integration With Roblox To Provide 3D Immersive Measurement
Integral Ad Science, a global media measurement and optimization platform, today announced a market integration with Roblox, a global immersive platform for connection and communication. Available for advertising campaigns on Roblox later this year, IAS’s Viewability and Invalid Traffic (IVT) Measurement products will provide advertisers increased transparency into the quality of their Immersive Ads within […]
Fast And Furious: Top Gear Australia Launch Thrilled Motorheads, Car Entusiasts And Guests
B&T is still no closer to knowing who the new Stig is, except that she is a woman and a ridiculously fast.
TV Ratings (02/05/2024): Seven’s The 1% Club Wins The Night
The 1% club did not live up to its name when it comes to TV ratings last night.
TRA Welcomes Raft Of New Hires; Bolstering Expertise Across Markets
Insights and research agency TRA announces slew of new hires. Still no news on the return of marble wash denim, however.
CX Lavender Hires Boston Consulting Group’s Kim Verbrugghe as Chief Strategy Officer
CX Lavender announces new strategy hire and channels 'acoustic folk act at local RSL' for the publicity pic.
Opinion: Community standards, will they be the death of us?
This columnist is talking community standards. Sadly not those people who put dogs in trolleys in supermarkets.
Tegel gets heads bobbing with new free-range chicken platform
Sure, there's a lot of moral considerations when buying a chook. Yet, not as baffling as buying eggs or canned tuna.
Study: 66% of Aussie men believe masculinity is under attack
Two-thirds of Aussie blokes say masculinity's under attack. That said, sales of Solo lemon drink appear robust.
‘Equal Writes’: Canyon reveals new campaign and refreshed brand for women and non-binary writers
As this brand redesign again proves, nothing beats black on white. Well, white on black in this instance.
Icon Agency bolsters consumer and integrated offer with major hires
Icon Agency unveils new recruits. As press photo confirms office moustache competition now a lay-down misère.
Clemenger launches agricultural graduate program
Has Farmer Wants A Wife triggered an interest in dagging & hay balers? This grads program may resonate.
Levi’s Appoint UM As Global Media Agency For $217m Account
Levi's are the jeans for rockstars, models & the cool kids. Although that's not stopped dads from ruining their image.
QMS Nabs Sean Rigby From oOh!media
Things set to get spicy at the next Outdoor Media Association dinner and dance as a rival gets poached.
Bumble Reveals New Brand Identity To Usher In New Era Of Dating
It's ironic that all the dating apps market themselves as having no weirdos, freaks or mummy's boys like their rivals.
Stay In The House From Up! Airbnb Introduces Icons
Airbnb is now letting people stay in "iconic" places that sadly doesn't include the house from Silence Of The Lambs.
Changing The Conversation: The Role Of Media In Ending Violence Against Women
Governments are finally waking up to the DV crisis. Here, B&T chats with Jasmin Bedir on the role media can play.
“If You Want To Listen To Something Else, Go For It”: Fifi Box On Blocking Out The Noise & Focussing On What Works
No one is at the coal face of Melbourne radio like Fifi Box. Here, she chats with B&T without coughing up a lung.
Spotlight On Sponsors: Ferrari Signs Landmark New Title Sponsor
B&T continuing our series on sports sponsorships. And, yet again, there's little good news for the ten pin bowlers.
Choose A Path Less Trodden This Cannes In Cairns
Not since Wonka opened the factory has there been such a hot ticket in town. Here's how to make the most of Cairns.
Cannes In Cairns MC Keeva Stratton Shares Her Top Session Picks
Quip boss calls out her highlights of the Cannes agenda. We're assuming B&T staff b-boy demonstration was an oversight.
Here Are The Agencies That Made AFR’s Best Places To Work List And What The Industry Can Learn From Them
Did your office not make the list? Make sure your boss shouts at least two schooners at office drinks come Friday.
Get Ready, B&T’s Best Of The Best Is Back With The Top Holding Company Executive Leaders – Creative!
Want to know who the Grandest of the Grand Poobahs in the industry are? Look no further than this exhaustive list.
How A Glittering Campaign Helped The Australian Museum Sell 400,000 Tickets
B&T thoroughly enjoyed the Ramses exhibition at The Australian Museum, despite thinking we were going to the Archibald.
TV Ratings (30/04/2024): A “Shoey” Straight From A Fish’s Mouth Launches The Cheap Seats Into 2024
Last night's TV saw horny farmers beat Lego nerds, who beat fame-obsessed home cooks, who beat a chap with a large fish.
Spotlight Extends Partnership With Starlight Children’s Foundation
B&T always happy to promote the excellent work of the Starlight Foundation. Less so the Starfish Fanciers Foundation.
Amazon’s Advertising Quarterly Revenue Soars To $11.8bn
There are so many Amazon couriers visiting B&T headquarters at the moment our office dog doesn't know who to maul first.
VML Wellington Welcomes Jacob McGregor As Pou Ārahi Māori
McGregor set to lead cultural competency and safety at VML Wellington in important new gig.
“They Grow Up So Fast”: Simon Fowler On Five Years Of ABEL
Abel's CEO talks lessons learned from the agency's first five years. Including staff nicking all the Nespresso capsules.
Kyle & Jackie O Urge Melbourne To Pick A Side
Who can stop Kyle & Jackie O's indelible march into Melbourne radio? Is Peter 'Moony' Moon waiting by the phone?
Future & Taika Waititi Feature In Striking New Global Belvedere Campaign
Not only does drinking vodka make you cool like these dudes, it also has great weight loss properties for the bone idle.
The Fall Of Bonza: A Case Study In How To, And Not To, React In A Crisis
Does the collapse of yet another budget airline hark back to a gentler time of 17 hours spent on a Greyhound bus?
Opinion: Agencies, Be Unique – Stop Using The Word “Unique!”
Trinity P3's Ellie Angell says agencies are overusing the word unique. You could add omnichannel & holisitic to that.
Ex Marketing & Advertising Exec Releases Melanoma Memoir
Ex-adlander Anne Gately has penned a tome to skin cancer. Which is a handy reminder to check your moles, people.
Mamamia Appoint Danni Wright As New Head Of Strategy
Danni Wright takes up Mamamia's strategy reins with a feng shui expert called over positioning of office chaise lounge.
From The Bureau: Championing Competency & Cross-Industry Collaboration
The IAB's Jonas Jaanimagi calls for more specialisation in adtech. Meaning you'll understand it less than you already do.