How has your approach to customer engagement/retention/loyalty changed due to new MarTech tools and solutions?

Evolved a lot and continues to do so. Priority is to remain relevant to our audience across platforms where consumers engage. Traditional media is there though we get better conversations in more interactive media in social and various pages.

With all the new MarTech tools and solutions now available, what’s one of the critical pitfalls to avoid in the procurement process?

Objectives and data sources are not always the same and it is important to know what you’re after and how you will measure success.

How have you best managed to integrate legacy systems with new MarTech solutions?

The beauty of legacy media is that it is extremely measurable but mostly one way. Challenge is always to connect these ‘off-line’ initiatives with amplification efforts across chosen platforms.

What MarTech vendors have impressed you with their solutions and understanding of exact business needs and challenges?

Twitter insights and solutions on relevance as opposed to a reach and frequency model is definitely fresh. Our network partners IPG also continue to adapt their organization across disciplines to fit the need of specific platforms.

How has your organisation/team dealt with the challenge of the marketing industry and wider digital world evolving at such a fast pace?

Every day we look at ways to improve agility in terms of structure, mindset and being open to new challenges and opportunities.

Currently, what are you primarily looking for in your digital marketing efforts? Awareness or engagement? Why?

Engagement is key given limited attention span of the audience.

This only comes after ‘relevant’ messaging is delivered.

What is your key takeaway piece of advice that you would give when speaking to others on how to evaluate and select a MarTech stack?

Be clear on end result and work backwards. Technology is available and critical to be clear on goals.

How did your MarTech journey begin? Please let us know your top 3 findings and discoveries.

• Pre-mobile/social – we utilized pages to understand and have a dialogue with our audience, still mostly one-way
• Social and instant messaging has transformed communication to be rapid, more relevant.
• Mobile first and information overload is all about being relevant first and being omnipresent.

For you and your team, which is currently recognised as the larger challenge – MarTech integration or MarTech strategy?

Integration and execution are where the rubber meets the road. Strategies are end results of the larger goal.

Have you mainly chosen to adopt established MarTech or have you also looked into the emerging opportunities? Which?

Adopted social because of scale and establish hub (inbound/outbound) to engage a community.

What do you predict as being the top MarTech trends for 2020?

• AI is getting better every day and opportunities abound on applications across communication from chatbots to deep thinking and search/voice. Businesses need to work on ways on how to tap this.
• GDPR, CCPA…and need for transparency is a guideline/framework for both adapting to consumer relevance and keeping things human.