Interview with Olivia Bias, VP Marketing, Goodway Group

Tell us about your role at Goodway Group and how you got here.

As Goodway’s VP Marketing, I manage a great team of people and oversee all marketing functions including brand strategy, communications, content, campaigns, design, etc.  I’m personally very focused on how we present in the marketplace and tell our story to customers.  I came to this role via an indirect path – I started as a Media Buyer nearly 9 years ago and as the company has grown and evolved, I have also grown and evolved with it to where I am today.

What’s the most fascinating aspect of leading marketing team in a programmatic ecosystem?

Anyone who has worked in this industry for any amount of time has seen how quickly companies come and go, get bought and sold and go from darlings to villains, all in a relatively short amount of time.  I analyze other companies in the space through the lens of this ebb and flow – you can see the companies that are built to last and provide real value versus those that are a flash in the pan and all hype.  This perspective absolutely informs my approach to marketing messages and Goodway’s legacy in the marketplace.

Given the changing dynamic of programmatic advertising and brand safety equations, where do you see Goodway Group fitting into a CMO’s tech stack?

We are able to execute across any paid digital media via our RealValue Advertising Platform. We specialize in algorithmic bid valuation and protection against suspicious inventory and traffic, delivering better value than a marketer might find navigating programmatic exchanges independently.

What is the ‘State of Programmatic Video’ technology in 2018?

There is very little quality, programmatic video on the open exchange available today, and what inventory there is comes at a premium price. If you have a vendor promising video pricing that seems too good to be true, that is because it is. At the same time, video channels and apps are exploding in popularity, making video one of the most effective ways to reach users.

What does your ‘Ideal Customer’ Profile look like?

We work best with digitally savvy agencies or brand marketers who are looking for a digital marketing partnership vs. just a vendor. In this way, a marketer can take full advantage of our service offering, from research and planning, to analytics and insights.

Which new geographies are you currently targeting?

We are in all major US markets and expanding internationally as well.

How do you leverage AI/ML and Data Science to scale your marketing efforts?

We use it for ourselves the same way we use it for our clients:  to increase the efficiency of our programmatic campaigns. Our algorithms work in the major areas of impression valuation, fraud avoidance and supply path optimization, ultimately delivering better performance.

What are your predictions on the most influential disruptions in B2B Programmatic industry powered by AI/Machine Learning?

I think an area ripe for disruption is the current inability to scale B2B audiences in the programmatic marketplace. The reality though is that the audiences are out there, we just don’t have them identified for scale. I think the promise of AI will help us identify B2B audiences through non-traditional signals.

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

As unsexy as it sounds, I’m extremely interested in middleware companies, mostly because they address the pain of the modern marketer. We have so many tools that tell us everything we ever wanted to know, but everything is siloed in different platforms. I love the promise of middleware for delivering a cohesive story.

What marketing and sales automation tools and technologies do you currently use?

We’re a Pardot/Salesforce shop.

Could you tell us about an outstanding digital campaign at Goodway Group?   

I think our Advanced TV launch last year was a great campaign. We took a holistic approach – banners, social, email, PR, SEO – and the effort is still paying dividends today. We targeted agencies and marketers with well-produced, informative content, which is critical for the success of such a relatively new tactic.  The content also gave us the ability to track towards a download goal, and we were able to track product sales post-campaign.

How do you prepare for an AI-centric world as a marketing leader?

In order to understand it, you’ve gotta use it – you can’t experience AI from the sidelines. Get an Alexa. Talk to Siri. Use the chatbots that pop up in help menus on websites. Learn first-hand how human-machine interaction is evolving, and use that experience to inform your marketing to the modern consumer.

How do you inspire your people to work with technology?

I find that they inspire me! I love learning about what others are using.

One word that best describes how you work.

Crock-pot

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

Excel. There is no substitute.

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

Don’t check email first thing or you’ll get sucked into that vortex. And before you know it, it’s 2pm and you haven’t gotten anything done other than email.  Spend the first hour doing your hardest task for the day, then get the rest of your day going.

What are you currently reading?

I like both reading and audiobooks and usually have a book and an audiobook going simultaneously. I love autobiographies. Just finished Beartown by Fredrik Backman – he writes people so well.

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

How people do one thing is how they do everything. Don’t ignore red flags.

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

I’m a marathon runner, both literally and figuratively. I’m not intimidated to go the distance – it’s just one foot in front of the other.

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