Are you ready for some #MondayMotivation?! My next #GAWG interview features my incredibly talented friend and marketing and strategy leader, Angie Gette, VP of Digital Strategy and Planning at Springbox!
Much of your career has been in Strategy and Analytics – What enticed you to go in this direction and continue to stay in this field?
When I was at Verizon and Dell, I was often in strategic planning roles with a good mix of product marketing as well. When I made the pivot from the brand side to the agency side, it was primarily to explore the application of behavioral data to marketing decision making and application in digital environments. With all the new ways to engage with people, I wanted to understand how behavioral data could augment more traditional research to paint a holistic picture of customers’ or consumers’ true motivations and needs, allowing us to better communicate with them. The creativity involved in determining then analyzing the right data along with traditional sources of insights keeps me engaged and constantly learning about new approaches.
Your background is a nice mix of agency and brand. Have you preferred working at one over the other? If yes, which and why?
Both sides have their challenges and benefits. I like that I’ve seen both sides, from having the accountability to build and implement programs on the brand side to supporting diverse brands as they grow on the agency side. The blend has given me empathy for my clients’ challenges and allows me to be a better partner, but owning the budget and the outcomes is definitely motivating. I’d say my path has curved to the agency/consulting side for now, but it’s yet to be seen where the path may lead next. I try to be open to opportunities based on how my skills can best be used to support a firm’s purpose along with how’d I’d like to grow.
What are some predictions you have for 2019?
A couple of key things come to mind:
- Our firm encounters many clients who struggle with marketing technology, from choosing the right applications to implementing them and using them optimally. We find ourselves helping our clients make many decisions from which content management system they need to which adtech platform will help them convert their audiences. I predict that firms will continue to right size their martech as they learn how to manage better outcomes through the platforms and how to adjust their staff to get the most out of the tools. Many will look to streamline their “marchitectures” to centralize their data to make optimization decisions.
- From a B2B marketing perspective, we’re also launching several Account Based Marketing programs for clients. The ability to create cross channel plays to appeal to a known audience changes the game in how we profile and build strategies to engage and convert audiences. We’ll continue to see a shift to this type of program planning to create more efficiencies in marketing dollars.
What’s the best advice you’ve ever received and from who?
Something I come back to often is advice I was given by a manager I had at the first agency I went to, about 3 years ago. The experience presented new settings and exposure to a different kind of politics than what I had experienced on the brand side. This manager told me to “focus on the work“, which is what I do now when I need to be reminded of how fun marketing can be without the noise that can prevent you from doing your best.
How do you encourage innovative and creative thinking on the teams you lead and work with?
I try to give employees the right amount of guidance with a balance of autonomy so they have the freedom to solve a problem in a new way. I believe this is how I progressed on my path, being given a torch and getting to decide what to do with it. I also try to hire people with curious minds, lots of diverse interests who can see data and insights in unique ways. This breeds creativity and inspiration within the team when we get to solve problems together.
What advice do you have for junior level employees wanting to make it to the C-Suite one day?
I am not quite in the C-Suite, but know a few who are. In watching their paths, I’ve seen them make fairly deliberate moves once they knew what they wanted to do and had the experience to do it. I would say, take your time to explore the paths you think you might want to go down before committing to a particular one, but stay open. With the swift changes in marketing, remain a constant learner and humble in knowing that the opinions of others can only help you make better decisions and be a better leader.
What is one of the most difficult decisions you’ve made in your career and what did you learn from it?
There have been a couple pivotal moments in my career that standout. Going the tech marketing vs. consumer packaged goods route after business school and the decision to go the agency side vs. back to a tech product marketing role a few years ago. Both of these moments represented those “pivotal” decisions that open some doors and close others. But as hard as those decisions were to make, I don’t feel limited today in any path I may want to follow next. I think it’s important to listen to your gut, don’t take decisions too seriously…you can always change your mind!
I love book recommendations to help me grow in my career and challenge my thinking – What books would you recommend as a must-read for career growth and just for fictional fun?!
I just finished Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Start-Up by John Carreyrou. There are a couple documentaries and movie being made so certainly has hit mainstream. Hard to believe, which made it hard to put down. Lots of moments to learn from.
Thanks for reading and stay tuned for the next #GAWG next month!
— Gage Grammer
Going Ahead with Gage 