MarTech Interview with Evyenia Wilkins, VP Marketing at Traackr

Could you tell us about your role and journey into Technology? What inspired you to start at Traackr?

Funnily enough, over a decade ago, when I was pursuing my Masters, I chose to study Authenticity in Marketing. I was fascinated by how businesses were being forced to evolve in response to consumer pressure and how Marketing could no longer sell false pretenses unchecked. I was drawn to Traackr because we are building a technology that empowers brands to create more authentic relationships with their audiences.

As a woman VP of Marketing in a tech company, what’s the biggest challenge you face from within the organization and outside? What message do you have for other female VPs and Marketing professionals in the community?

I’m lucky in that I face no challenges from within Traackr. I could not ask for a more inclusive and collaborative environment – I know this is not the case for other women. My advice to others is that there are evolved employers out there and if you’re in a situation where you’re held back because of your gender, know that there are options.

Slightly off the track, tell us about your experience as an organizer of HR tech events? What did you learn in those years from the HR interactions?

Ten years ago, I worked for an HR technology startup with limited budgets and big ambitions. To generate awareness and build a community, we launched HR & Tech SF, an event series that brought together HR technology thought leaders. That experience taught me how valuable community-building can be — it’s an incredible way to get on the radar of influential people and build brand awareness.

In fact, it’s because of HR & Tech SF that I originally met the Co-founder of Traackr and I believe my experience building a community from the ground up was in part what landed me my first job at Traackr.

What drives the current competition in the ‘Personalization Economy’? How influencers fit into this ecosystem?

As consumers, we curate our own experiences in many ways, for example, based on who we follow on social media. Influential content creators and other personalities have become our go-to sources of information based on personal interests. If brands want a piece of our attention, they need to find the influencers and advocates who share common values and interests and find creative ways to collaborate, and ultimately earn our attention.

How much has Traackr’s Marketing strategy evolved in the last 2-3 years? What platforms are you currently focusing on to drive Sales and Revenue?

Our Marketing strategy has evolved significantly. Most notably, we have fully embraced an Account-Based Marketing and Sales strategy, which has enabled us to be ruthlessly focused. Our tech stack includes Pardot, RollWorks, LinkedIn Marketing Solutions, Outreach, Salesforce, Sprout Social and Traackr.

Which group of customers are the fastest to adopt Traackr’s various products and solutions?

Our customers include global organizations with large brand portfolios like Samsung, Coty and Calvin Klein and innovative direct-to-consumers brands like Strivectin and amika. What they all have in common is an understanding that Marketing has evolved and that it’s imperative that they develop new strategies for winning the attention of their consumers. They are making significant investments in Influencer Marketing and choose Traackr because they need data and insights to deliver high-performance programs.

What are your predictions on the most impactful disruptions in Influencer Content Personalization Management technology for 2019-2020? What do you think about the rise of Instagram Marketing as a unique branding platform for influencers?

I expect to see even more influencer generated content in the coming years. There are new creative platforms emerging like Facebook’s Spark AR that makes new content forms accessible to all creators. We should expect new forms of content and new platforms, with shifting forms of engagement. Just think, a few short years ago, Instagram Stories weren’t even a thing.

What startups in the technology industry are you watching keenly right now?

I’m intrigued by AI, Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality. It seems like we’re finally making progress… For example, I’m curious about forecasting and ABM technologies like Clari and 6sense. I am also watching for the next social network – we’re bound to see some new ones in 2020.

How do you prepare for an AI-centric world as a Marketing Leader?

Sophisticated technology will continue to be an important part of managing a business. The more you understand it and understand the data behind it, the more equipped you will be to leverage what matters most to you. For the foreseeable future, you will still need to ask the right questions in order to get insights to be competitive. So embrace it!

How do you inspire your people to work with technology?

Most people I work with understand the value of technology. In the past, I have brought on technologies that might not have delivered enough value to the team and you can see that in the adoption. With that said, sometimes you know there is value in sticking with something, developing new processes and encouraging your team to embrace a new way of working… you have to make the connection between the work involved and the expected value.

One word that best describes how you work.

Focused.

What apps/software/tools can’t you live without?

Google Apps, Evernote, Trello, MyFitnessPal

Which superhero character/movie do you most profoundly relate to:

Trinity from the Matrix because she’s smart, strong and always wears black.

What’s your smartest work-related shortcut or productivity hack?

Pinning tabs in Chrome. The first 5 tabs in my browsers are always Gmail, Calendar, Drive, Trello, and Salesforce. I am convinced this has saved me years.

What are you currently reading?

Three women. I use Blinkist to preview non-fiction books and only read what truly entices me. I also love science fiction, but I save it for vacations. I recently joined the Bad Bitch Book Club, started by Traackr’s Influencer Marketing Manager, Mackenzie Newcomb where we read books about strong women protagonists.

What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?

Visualize your future success. If there is something you want to do that feels daunting or impossible, imagine the end result. My mom wanted to write a book. Before she started, she went to bookstores and would imagine her book on the shelf. She has now written several books.

Something you do better than others – the secret of your success?

I am very disciplined. I understand the value of foregoing a quick win or reward today, in favor of a huge win in the future. This wasn’t always the case. As a kid, I am sure I would have failed the marshmallow test.

Tag the one person (or more) in the industry whose answers to these questions you would love to read:

Jennifer Toton, VP Marketing, RollWorks

Thank you, Evyenia! That was fun and hope to see you back on MarTech Series soon.