Welcome Susan Ganeshan, Chief Marketing Officer at Emplifi, who shares her insights into modern marketing challenges, the role of automation and AI in driving success, and the importance of a human touch in strategic decision-making.
How do you describe your job to a 5-year-old?
The CMO, or Chief Marketing Officer, is like a storyteller for a company. Imagine you have a cool new toy, and you want all your friends to know how awesome it is, so they’ll also want to play with it. The CMO’s job is to tell people about the company’s products in a way that excites people. They think of fun ways to share the story, like colourful ads, videos, or games, and they also make sure that when people play with the toy, they’re happy and want to keep playing with it.
What is the one marketing platform/app/solution you can’t live without? Why?
The one marketing platform I can’t live without is Qualified. It is an AI-based chat tool used by B2B companies like ours for inbound pipeline generation, as it enables real-time interactions with customers via our website. This tool not only facilitates immediate engagement with potential leads but also streamlines the attribution process, allowing us to track which marketing efforts are driving traffic and conversions. By using Qualified, we can identify high-intent visitors and provide them with tailored support, enhancing their digital experience and increasing the likelihood of conversion.
And honestly, while more of a generic tool not just for marketers, tools like Excel and Tableau help us report on our demand generation and they provide the detail we need to know what is working for our target audience.
Currently, what are you primarily looking for in your digital marketing efforts? Awareness, engagement, conversion, or retention? Why?
Currently, our primary focus in digital marketing is on conversion. While a successful marketing strategy aims to accomplish awareness, engagement, conversion, and retention—each interconnected—conversion is what brings revenue. Emplifi’s technology has been built and refined over a decade, and its rich and comprehensive offering provides users with tremendous value. We hope to share this value with the biggest brands on the planet, but first they have to get their hands on it. Conversion is all about that.
At your organization, what marketing tasks are suitable for automation, and which tasks still need a human touch? Is there any part of the marketing process that includes AI?
So much of marketing is automated these days, which has been a game changer in the industry. We’re fortunate that our own solution helps us automate many of the day-to-day marketing tasks. For example, through our social media listening, we can create customized queries that zero in on conversations that matter to us. Reporting can be daunting, especially with multiple campaigns running and an overwhelming number of metrics. We’ve automated our reporting, scheduling them to be sent to our inbox at regular intervals, which saves us time and keeps us informed.
Additionally, we leverage our AI Composer to assist with content creation. This tool has been instrumental for our social media team, allowing us to schedule content with ease, reducing grammatical errors, boosting creativity, and ensuring a steady flow of posts. In fact, we’ve found that posts created with AI Composer show a 5% improvement in overall performance, with engagement on Instagram increasing by nearly 9%.
Importantly, while AI and automation enhance our efficiency, they are not replacements for human involvement. Tasks such as strategy development, nuanced content creation, and personal customer interactions still require a human touch to ensure authenticity and connection. AI serves as a valuable tool to improve efficiency for our teams, allowing them to focus on higher-level creative and strategic tasks.
What are the key challenges when implementing new technologies or platforms for the first time in your company, and do you have any suggestions for making the process smoother?
Implementing new technologies or platforms always presents challenges. Change is hard, and as an executive leader, you can help mitigate the impact. One key challenge is understanding how the new technology will be implemented within your organization. Will it be used by one department, several, or the entire company? Whenever possible, choose universal tools that can be leveraged across departments to help break down silos. Of course, usability and a zero training needed intuitive product make all the difference in these vastly distributed teams. However, they ensure collaboration by creating a central place for communication, which is often a lynchpin to success when adopting new technology.
Another challenge is the time-consuming nature of introducing new tools. It can sometimes take years to fully integrate a system into existing processes. To make the process smoother, conduct thorough due diligence and seek out tools that require a light integration lift. A turnkey solution can allow your teams to get up and running quickly, enabling you to realize the tool’s potential from the moment it’s purchased.
Additionally, consider implementing change management strategies, such as training sessions and open forums for feedback, to address resistance and ensure that all team members feel supported throughout the transition. Involving key stakeholders early in the process can also foster buy-in and make the implementation smoother.
A big thank you to Susan Ganeshan, Chief Marketing Officer at Emplifi. Her commitment to fostering innovation while maintaining authenticity offers valuable lessons for navigating the ever-evolving marketing landscape. Whether it’s embracing AI tools, driving customer engagement, or implementing new technologies, Susan’s strategies provide a roadmap for marketers striving to deliver exceptional results. If you want to connect with Susan, feel free to reach out via LinkedIn!
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Last updated: November 2024
