Brady Gadberry:               Yeah. Hi, Lorel, this is Brady Gadberry. I lead data products for Acxiom.

Lorel Wilhelm V…:           Cool. Linda, over to you.

Linda Harrison:                  So I’m Linda Harrison, you may have heard of me. And I am a senior director of data strategy at Acxiom.

Lorel Wilhelm V…:           Awesome. Thank you both for being here. And we’re only doing audio. You can’t see we’re all kind of smiling and giggling at each other, because we have worked together for a long time. So it feels a little odd to be introducing ourselves to each other. But that’s all right. So here we’re talking about 2023 and some informed crystal ball gazing. So before we begin the talk of the future, let’s talk about 2022. Did anything happen that was… In our industry, marketing and advertising, that was particularly surprising, or you think is going to have a long lasting or continued impact into ’23? So who would like to start?

Linda Harrison:                  I’ll start if I don’t want to talk about Twitter and having to bring your own toilet paper to work. I think the other surprising thing would be the contraction of the ad spend that’s occurred over the last year. And how I’m very hopeful that as the economy hasn’t had more restrictions, we haven’t had… Inflation hasn’t really gone crazy, except for the price of eggs for some reason, and butter. But I think we’re going to have a easying of it. It’s going to take some time, but advertisers have to open up their wallets. And they’re going to start doing it slowly over time. I think it’ll be over the next three months. That’s my prediction.

Brady Gadberry:               Yeah, I totally agree with you there, Linda. I think when I look back at last year and think about trends that are going to carry over, I’m really struck by the rise of, or the continued rise of clean room technology. That this is a concept that we have used in industry for a very long time, and the rise of dedicated software and SaaS companies, particularly in this, I think, really reflect the idea that people care about the security of their data. They care about being able to measure, and that they want to be able to have control over the way these precious assets that is, the data about their customers is controlled. And yet they recognize that they have to be able to interact with other companies. And whether it’s kind of in the publishing sphere where they’re trying to reach people, or other partners to make really good segmentation, and really good understanding of their customer base.

And so, I don’t know that I would speak to any particular clean room or any particular solution, but I think the fact that the important overall is it reflects these needs and desires by sharing some amount of control, and access to things that everybody deems something worth safeguarding.

Linda Harrison:                  Acxiom has done kind of safe room things for as long as I’ve been at Acxiom, which is a very, very long time. I remember back in the 1990s, yes, I was here in the 90s, the gig’s up. But that was back in the heyday when banks were merging. And they wanted to understand, “If I bought bank ABC, how much overlap do I have with their existing customers? What’s my net going to be?” Or they wanted to look at, “I’m a credit card company and I want to co-op market with this airline. How much overlap? What’s my strength? What’s my weakness?” And that hasn’t changed at all. That’s still, today, a very popular use of a clean room. And then third party data gets pulled into that mix to better understand the pluses, the minuses, the gee whiz, one plus one does really equal three. That these are my people, these are my people.

Lorel Wilhelm V…:           Or there are people who are flying into Vegas and I happen to own a resort in Vegas. Wouldn’t it be nice to know when they’re going to arrive, so I could send them a marketing message. Just saying possible use case. So it sounds like there’s this rise of hopefully, increase of media spend, but also new technology enabling some use cases that we’ve seen in the market for a very long time. That’s a great segue to where I’d really like us to spend some time today, which is data-driven marketing and advertising in 2023. We’ve all been around for a minute despite our youthful appearance. So let’s talk about what do we see. We’ve already kind of begun to go down this path with enabling or protecting consumer data, and still enabling new use cases. So clean rooms certainly a hot, hot topic. But what else do you both see?

Brady Gadberry:               I think the other thing I see that is clearly important in the space is a continued focus on first party data. And first party data I think is just a fancy industry term for the artifacts and the institutional knowledge about the relationship that a brand has with its fans and its consumers. And so, I think that that’s really important to recognize as nothing new, again, but something that is increasingly important. And it’s important because we do look out at how do you take action in an effort to acquire new customers? Or where do you take action to grow your relationship?

The more that we see that those venues and those channels are walled gardens, the more that you see that there isn’t as much as… I mean, clean rooms are important, the more that you see that people are less likely to directly share information with each other, then it becomes more and more important to have your own true view of who your customers are, who are your best customers. The ability to understand what makes them tick, both from a qualitative sense and also as a record of what maybe they’ve bought from you in the past. But I think that’s huge in that we’re going to continue to see people investing in methods and mechanisms to make it easy for them to record that relationship that they have with their customer.

Lorel Wilhelm V…:           Yeah, that’s really interesting. Linda, in your role as the head of our data strategy group for clients, are you seeing an increased focus on first-party data and acquisition strategies?

Linda Harrison:                  Yeah, acquisition is key, especially in a contracting world. We want to find the right people for the right things. I can’t say that enough. There’s so many data sources now to help you better understand your existing customers, and then build lookalikes or conversion models, so that you are using the same acquisition strategy for your new customers as we received them last, so that you’re building the right things using solid demographic data, predictive data, and looking at that, and then acting upon it. And I always say test, test, test, because things change. If we were still using the same models you built before COVID, they are probably not working today. That who I was before then is not who I am today. How I shop, where I shop, when I shop. Do I get it delivered? Did you get your groceries delivered to your house before COVID?

Lorel Wilhelm V…:           No. And have you set foot in the grocery store since COVID? I mean personally, but probably 75% reduction, because it’s so easy to get them delivered. That’s just me. So you’ve both brought up things that have been around for a while and yet are kind of coming into more of the spotlight now in the myriad trend pieces that are being posted now in January. One of the things that’s come up are QR codes. That’s been around for a while. Have you seen specific tactics like QR codes or others that are on the rise?

Linda Harrison:                  Yeah, so I talked to clients about QR codes. Maybe not in the 90s, but certainly a long time ago to say, “Hey, it’s a easy way. Have it on your birthday signage or whatever. Get somebody to sign up for the birthday of the month club. Get a free ice cream cone, or whatever it is, and build your first party database.” Because so many industries don’t have that capability very easily. Think about CPG, QSR. They have a very difficult time knowing who their customers are. So QR codes can help build that. And also just they’re kind of cool, fun technology now that everybody has a phone and a camera in their pocket.

Brady Gadberry:               Yeah, and I think that’s the key, Linda. I think why it’s become so much more relevant through COVID and to now is people don’t want to touch things. And so, if you can aim your super computer that you carry around in your pocket with a camera on it, add a QR code, and take you exactly to where you need to see, whether it’s to get to a menu at a restaurant, or to sign up for the free ice cream cone, or to be in the birthday club, or to win a trip to Lorel’s house for dinner. Whatever is the prize at the end that’s going to incent somebody to see there’s a good value exchange happening between the brand and the consumer for them to build that relationship.

I think that the reason that it’s happening so much more is what you said, Linda, is that people are carrying around something in their pocket that makes it very easy to interact with that. And that’s the more it’s native in our phones, the more that they’re posted, it creates a reinforcing cycle of use. And it’s not a weird thing. You don’t have to have a separate QR reader, you don’t have all of those things. And the most important word there is, I think, the most important word when it comes to everything data, and everything customer relationship, and that’s easy.

As much as people value an interaction with a brand, we still on the brand side or on the Adtech side, or the Martech side, really have to honor the fact that consumers and people are walking around with more to do than just go interact. And so we have to make it very simple and rewarding to facilitate and get them to actually engage with us. So making it simple, making sure there’s value there. I think all that are keys to having a successful ability to build out kind of somebody’s first party data.

Lorel Wilhelm V…:           So you brought up the phones that we have in our pockets and taking you exactly to where you want to go, and this blending of ease, and convenience, and where you are, and the value that you get is bringing to mind a word that I just heard the other day, and now I can’t get it out of my mind. And I hope everybody listening gets this ear worm stuck in your head. If you don’t know Physical by Olivia Newton-John, go look it up on YouTube, find the video. It is-

Brady Gadberry:               I don’t think anybody who’s listening to this is young enough that they don’t know that, Lorel.

Lorel Wilhelm V…:           You’d be surprised. It’s old. It’s old. But anyway, headbands, early 80s, digital, the blending of physical and digital. Some people are calling that the metaverse. I don’t know. All of this started, as we’re talking about QR codes, and building your first party data strategy, and building your first party data asset. What’s the digital side of this, that blending of the physical and the digital to come up with something new? I think the QR code menu is a great example.

Linda Harrison:                  Well, I think Phigital shopping. So AI assistance for finding out what’s going to fit me and look right on me, is going to be a big boom to many of our retailing friends, because I will send my husband to go shop for me. He’ll pick out 30 different outfits, I get to try him on at home, and then he returns all the ones I don’t like. And that makes, I’m sure, the retailer crazy, because I don’t like to try it on in the store. And now that I have moved to a smaller town, there’s nothing in the store, and also #COVID. So I’m buying more online and then having to return it, which is not great for the environment. So I think the whole Phigital part of it will really help with that, and with people who care about doing the whole return, and the reuse, and the environmental aspects of having five deliveries at my door every day.

Brady Gadberry:               Yeah, and I think it’s the same thing like I just mentioned before there, Linda, is there’s value in that. And there’s something that your customers really want, and it’s tapping it into a need or a desire there, and you’re meeting it by creating an ability for them to actually have a sense of how would this look on me? How would this work for me? The first thing that I did like that I can remember was looking at eyeglasses. And it was having, “What would this frame look like on my face versus that frame?” I think that was my first experience with that reality. And I think it’s great that our research shows that when people experience something that’s that augmented view or inside that… Their conversion rate of actually purchasing something is huge. So do I believe that we’re one step away from being in a world where everyone sits in a barcalounger, with goggles on, and gloves, and haptic response, and that we’re all just going to float around in the metaverse, and never leave our den? No.

But do I think that there are really interesting ways to engage customers in a way that’s going to both kind of entertain them, but also give them the ability to do something that they couldn’t otherwise do. Again, whether it’s remote or whether it’s an experiential in-store, any of those things that allows us to tap into and further that relationship between the brand and the consumer. And helps the consumer find the brands that they care about, I think is really important. I think that’s just critical for people to operate going forward, is to have that strong relationship on both sides of that equation.

Linda Harrison:                  My favorite tool now that I show everyone, and I’ve been using it for a couple years, but it’s amazing how many people haven’t used it is Google Lens. To just show, especially seniors that I hang out with. “Look, you can have it take a picture of anything, and figure out what it is, where you can buy it. What plant is this?”

Brady Gadberry:               That’s one that I’ve used. My not particularly green thumb, and I go outside and wonder, “Why does that look brown? I don’t even know what this is.” And the ability to, again, pull the super computer out of my pocket, aim it at the shrubs in the front yard, and know what kind of fertilizer I ought to be going, and picking up at the hardware store, and coming back so that I don’t look like I live in the desert is really amazing, I think. And so I just totally agree with you, Linda, there.

Lorel Wilhelm V…:           I love that. See, I have an app for, “What plant is this, and what should I do?” And I’m like, “Oh, that’s $60. I don’t need to spend on that subscription. So see, I learned something new there. I was not aware that I could do that.” All right, I love this. I think this has been really valuable and just some ideas that we’re giving folks, I hope, on how to blend the physical, the digital, and how to create value for your customers. I love that. Thank you both. I know we’re getting close to time, so I’ve got one final question for you and it’s actually a fun one. First podcast of the year. So let’s talk New Year’s resolutions. I don’t want to know what yours are. This is not an accountability group. Just want to know, do you make them or not? Why or why not?

Linda Harrison:                  I don’t typically. And I typically don’t do anything for Lent. But a friend of mine called Lorel did this last year, or maybe it was the year before. And she wrote thank you notes to people. And I loved it and I still have it. So I’m going to be more grateful and show that.

Brady Gadberry:               I think that’s great. I think I have a note in a drawer somewhere myself. I think that’s great. I don’t typically make resolutions. I think big change is hard. And the more pressure we put ourselves on to have it tied to some single Big Bang event, kind of sets an unreal expectation. And I also think that on the flip side of that, if we have things we ought to address, we shouldn’t wait until January to do it. We ought to decide, live an examined life. And if we see something and understand something, whether it’s from ourselves, or feedback from our friends, or our family, we ought to address it whenever it is. What about you?

Linda Harrison:                  So the intervention we had with you really did-

Lorel Wilhelm V…:           Right, when we sat him down. Yeah. I mean, we won’t talk about that now.

Linda Harrison:                  Well, not today. But Lorel, what would yours be? Do you resolute?

Lorel Wilhelm V…:           I am irresolute. I am also in the no New Year’s resolutions camp. I agree that sometimes we can put… Some of us, especially more than others, perhaps, put a lot of pressure on ourselves. And so I would much prefer to have a goal that I’m working to achieve, but that is not the New Year’s resolution, but more of an examined life. I like that term, Brady. I’m totally going to steal that. So you’ve been warned.

Brady Gadberry:               Well, I mean, at least, Lorel, you can continue to be the example for us, whether it’s being grateful and letting people know it. Or when you decide to stop eating things that are the color orange, or whatever it is that these things. The ability to actually make a change that requires some kind of steadfastness and do it. You’re not only a podcast host, but you are an example to all of us.

Lorel Wilhelm V…:           Aw, thank you.

Brady Gadberry:               You said this was the lighthearted part, right?

Lorel Wilhelm V…:           Aw, it’s a good thing we’re only doing audio because I’m blushing. All right. So let’s wrap this up. So thank you both for joining me today. I think this has been a great conversation. And many thanks to all of our listeners. We hope you found this helpful. And as always, if you have any questions ,or would like to learn more about how to get Phigital, or other burning data questions, you can drop us a line at [email protected], and we will see you next time.

Show Notes:

First, second, and third-party data – everything marketers need to know

The Drum’s Deep Dive into Data & Privacy, By Brady Gadberry, SVP and head of global data, Acxiom.

Data clean rooms: making sense of the hype.

The Drum. By Tate Olinghouse, Chief Client Officer Acxiom.

The Comeback of QR Code Marketing: How to Get It Right

Phigital Shopping Experience – Bit2win

Brady Gadberry

LinkedIn   Twitter

Data Linda Harrison

  LinkedIn  Twitter

Host Lorel Wilhelm Volpi

LinkedIn  Twitter