Hi Kubilay, great to have Insider involved with PI LIVE this year. What are you hoping to get out of the two-day conference?
Kubilay Sengun: We’re looking forward to meeting with like-minded performance marketers looking for ways to reduce their CAC and increase LTV. We’re excited to hear their insights on how the industry is evolving, to understand how they are using Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) to power their campaigns and to explore how they utilise these technologies to create higher ROAS from marketing channels. In return, we will share innovative strategies to attract, convert and retain customers that we’ve executed with over 600 leading brands globally.
What are you most looking forward to at the conference?
KS: We love the buzz of having so many people with the same passion under one roof. PI Live is a great opportunity to spend time with fellow marketing fanatics, to soak up new ideas and share tips for success. When you work in such a digital-focused industry, conferences like PI Live are important opportunities to put down your phone and engage people face-to-face, it often leads to long-lasting relationships and a deeper understanding of challenges and opportunities that are in front of us.
For the readers that may not have come across Insider before, could you give them a brief rundown of the company and what you do in the digital marketing space?
KS: Insider’s Growth Management Platform (GMP) helps digital marketers drive growth across the funnel, from acquisition to activation, retention, and revenue. Powered by deep AI and ML capabilities, our ever-growing GMP empowers marketers to deliver personalised journeys across the web, mobile, apps, messaging platforms and ad channels. Built on a unified data layer, GMP is easy to implement and simple to use, removing the need for complex integrations and dependency on IT teams. Insider simplifies the life of digital marketers and helps them drive growth for their brands, with zero marketing waste.
Insights and communications are key attributes for Insider while utilising multiple media channels to bring consumers and brands together. With new technologies breaking through, what channels (native, voice, programmatic etc) have stood out for you over the course of 2019?
KS: Insider provides 360o insight on acquiring traffic, converting visitors, retaining customers and maximising revenue. The channel that we see making a big impact (and which we expect to see more widely embraced over the next year) is messaging apps. Facebook is currently revamping its Messenger product to make it more business savvy. Around the world, one in seven people on the planet use Facebook Messenger and if used it well, it can be a fantastic way to interact with your customers. We’re seeing similar developments with Whatsapp too. We would definitely recommend that marketers look at how you’re leveraging the business capabilities of messaging channels. If you don’t already have a strategy to monetise messaging channels, swing past our booth to learn how easy it is.
Economic uncertainty, new privacy policies and changes to advertising ecosystems have been a few of the evolutions of impacting the digital marketing industry this year, how has Insider responded to the challenges and opportunities facing the industry?
KS: All of these factors increase the cost of doing business. While eCommerce continues to flourish, brands’ bottom lines are not necessarily reaping the benefits. As such, we focus on reducing the investment our partners are outlaying to acquire new customers and creating mechanisms to increase that customer’s lifetime value once they do.
That being said, it is important to note that GDPR doesn’t have to be a limitation. Industry standards protect the interests of the consumer and by looking after your first-party data, you can make your campaigns more targeted and ultimately more successful. Our partners find that web push notifications are a great way to engage consumers without the need to store personal data. Industry leaders like Marks & Spencer, JBL and Decathlon are currently using this technology to great effect and we expect to see the channel grow even further in 2020.
What can attendees expect from your stand this year? Anything exciting you’ll be bringing to the table?
KS: We have a “no pitching” policy. We want to our stand to be somewhere that marketers can come to share insights, learn from their peers and benchmark their marketing programs. We will be happy to walk through our experiences with brands like Estée Lauder, IKEA and Singapore Airlines. Stop by stand 28 for a beer, a laugh and to pick up some practical strategies to grow your business.
Lastly, with Q4 on the horizon, what developments can we expect to see in the coming months?
KS: Q4 is always incredibly competitive. The Black Friday mania of 2014/15 has evolved into a broader and more intense sale period with buyers researching their purchases before the sales drop. Consumers want the lowest price, but they also love experiences, convenience and to keep up with their friends. Brands with great customer programs can stand out from the crowd without discounting beyond sustainable thresholds. Any performance marketers looking for further insights, data and strategies to win customers at the end of year sales, should check out our Holiday Season webinar. We’ve crammed everything you need to survive the holidays into 45 minutes, enjoy.