MarTech Interview with Scarlett Shipp, CEO at AnalyticsIQ

Scarlett Shipp, CEO at AnalyticsIQ comments on the state of martech while taking us through a few typical B2B marketing painpoints:

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Welcome to this MarTech Series chat, Scarlett, tell us about your time over the years at AnalyticsIQ and more about your new role as CEO:

Thank you very much for having me.

I joined AnalyticsIQ at the beginning of 2019 as the company’s first Chief Product Officer, overseeing the development of our predictive data products, audiences, and analytic services. In 2021, I transitioned to Chief Operating Officer and my role grew to encompass our entire operations strategy which included product development, compliance, IT, and more. Shortly thereafter, I was also named President of the company by our founder and former CEO Dave Kelly.

Since our founding in 2007, it has been our goal to make a positive impact with data, and as AnalyticsIQ enters this new chapter, things have never been brighter. In my role as the second ever CEO, I will continue to drive our innovation with data, support and develop the people on our team, and further our mission of achieving better outcomes for all. I am a committed steward of the company, placing utmost importance on the well-being of our customers, associates and the company. Through the strategic utilization of data and technology, our team is poised to drive exponential growth for the company.  By harnessing the power of data driven insights and leveraging cutting edge technology, we will unlock new opportunities, optimize operations, continue to develop quality data products, and propel the company towards unprecedented levels of success.

I also very much intend to be a positive force within the martech industry as it continues to evolve. I am extremely honored to have the opportunity to lead our organization and look forward to sharing continued success with our team.

What would you say to women in martech / women in tech when it comes to climbing organizational hierarchies?

To women in martech, tech, and business at large, my message is this: Strive for excellence, always. Persevere with confidence when confronted with obstacles or biases, and always deliver your best work. Stay the course while also standing firm in your beliefs.

I would advise individuals – regardless of gender – to carefully evaluate and assess the organizations they are a part of. If you find yourself in an environment that inhibits your personal or professional growth, it might be time to seek out a better fit. There certainly are glass ceilings in our society and in our industry, but it’s crucial that you don’t unintentionally impose one on yourself by remaining in situations that are not optimal for you. Aim to be in an inclusive environment that embraces and elevates the best person for the job.

It’s important to recognize that you deserve an environment that fosters your growth, recognizes your contributions, and also aligns with your core values. Once you’re clear on what those values are, you must have the courage and determination to pursue your goals.

While the journey may have its hurdles, the rewards will far exceed the challenges along the way. For me, I’ve navigated numerous obstacles and detours, influenced not just by my gender, but also by my quest to find a work environment that resonates with my fundamental values and ethics.

As long as you stay true to who you are and constantly seek out situations that align with you and your values, you will set yourself up for success. Each step you take paves the way for those who come after you.

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Take us through some of AnalyticsIQ’s core brand and marketing strategies and how that’s evolved over the years to meet changing customer needs?

Our marketing strategies have and continue to evolve in order to meet and exceed changing industry and customer expectations. We went through a rebrand several years back and that was an invaluable exercise where we truly nurtured and developed a story around our brand identity and purpose and began injecting that into everything we do. A major component of that is data for good – or using data as a tool to achieve better societal outcomes.

As an organization that serves some of the biggest and best marketers in the world, we try to practice what we preach. That means taking a data-driven, customer-centric approach and offering value at every turn. As consumers ourselves, we think about the experiences we want to have with brands and recognize that people want seamless value when they need it, and that is what we strive to offer in all of our marketing efforts. From our website to our content to our social media and more, our intention is that our prospects and customers see themselves in our stories and leave an interaction with our brand inspired to take action.

What in your view can brands and SaaS teams as well as SaaS providers or service experts within the martech space do better to understand more about their end user needs and journeys?

I believe the key lies in the concept of customer-centricity. It’s about hearing, understanding, and prioritizing the voice of the customer (VoC). Brands in the martech space should be active listeners and empathetic towards their customers, and constantly translate the feedback and insights into effective strategies and solutions.

Think of your customer’s end goal as the destination of your journey. It’s important to start there and then work backwards. Otherwise, it’s like navigating a complex maze without a clear endpoint, and it becomes an exercise in guesswork and potentially wasted effort.

Customer needs and behaviors should be the things driving our solutions and strategies. A solution isn’t truly a solution if it’s not addressing a real problem faced by the customers. The challenge lies in aligning what we perceive to be the solution with what the customer perceives as their needs. And that’s where the VoC and customer-centric approaches become indispensable.

However, simply responding to current needs is not sufficient. It’s essential to also be forward-looking. We must keep our fingers on the pulse industry trends, emerging technologies, incoming regulations, and changes in the broader business and social environment. This will enable us to anticipate future needs and start working on solutions for them today.

Ultimately, our focus should be on preemptively solving tomorrow’s business problems today. The ability to anticipate future challenges and opportunities – from both a customer needs and an industry standpoint – is what will set us apart in a highly competitive market. We must strive to lead the wave, rather than simply ride it.

What type of martech features will become more prominent in this segment in your view in the near-future?

In my view, there are several key trends and features that will become more prominent in the near future.

First and foremost, the ability to deeply understand consumers and cater to their needs precisely at the right moment is a capability that will be more critical than ever. The customer journey isn’t linear anymore, and the challenge for brands is to offer a seamless, personalized experience that caters to the customer’s needs at every touchpoint.

Furthermore, the role of emerging channels and technologies, such as Connected TV (CTV), audio marketing, and various digital experiences, will become increasingly important. These avenues not only provide more opportunities for customer engagement, but also allow brands to deliver tailored messages in real-time, taking personalization to the next level.

In addition, the martech space will be influenced significantly by larger industry shifts, such as the deprecation of third-party cookies and evolving privacy regulations. With an impending cookie-less future and the rise of privacy-conscious consumers, we’ll need to look for solutions that allow us to understand consumer behavior while always respecting their privacy and meeting regulatory requirements. I believe predictive analytics will play a pivotal role here. By utilizing tools like predictive modeling, machine learning, and AI technologies, we’ll be able to anticipate customer behavior and preferences, thereby providing a more personalized and relevant customer experience, while adhering to privacy norms.

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If you had to share five thoughts about the state of martech in the next decade, what would it be?

Reflecting on the future of martech, I believe we’re heading towards a significant and exciting transformation in the next decade. Here are my thoughts:

1. Regulation Adherence: The industry will increasingly be driven by organizations’ ability to adhere to stringent privacy regulations. Compliance isn’t just a legal necessity but also a critical element in building trust with consumers and driving better outcomes for all. Firms that are transparent and master this balance will lead the industry.
2. Evolving Communications: With the deprecation of third-party cookies, the ways we communicate with consumers will evolve. The ‘death of the cookie’ poses a challenging question on how to measure and understand customer behavior effectively. Adapting to this change will be a defining component of the next era of martech.
3. Rise of Audio and Connected Channels: We’ll witness the continued growth of audio and connected channels. They offer novel ways to interact with consumers and are quickly becoming preferred methods for personalized, engaging communication. Brands that can innovate and capitalize on these channels will have a competitive edge.
4. Importance of Clean Rooms: As privacy becomes a focal point and organizations become increasingly cautious with their data and PII, the role of clean rooms will become imperative. Techniques like tokenization and de-identification will become more common, providing a way to share, connect, and use data from multiple sources effectively while respecting privacy.
5. Interweaving Privacy and Personalization: The future of martech will involve creating innovative solutions that can provide actionable insight into consumers in a privacy-compliant, non-invasive manner. Things like contextual marketing and predictive analytics will be key, allowing brands to deliver personalized experiences that respect consumer privacy.