Room For Growth

After three inspiring days at Braze Forge 2024 in Las Vegas, Billie sits down with Mitch Walden, Senior Director of Digital & Loyalty at Scooter's Coffee, to discuss the company's remarkable digital transformation journey. Scooter’s Coffee, one of the nation’s fastest-growing drive-thru coffee franchise companies, partnered with WillowTree to assist their rapid expansion. In just nine months, Scooter’s completely overhauled their app, loyalty program, and overall technology stack. Billie and Mitch discuss how the company's strategic shift from national promotions to a more personalized, data-driven approach has had a profound impact, deepening franchise/brand collaboration and powering game-changing loyalty campaigns. Their conversation also highlights the importance of a seamless integration of technology platforms, like Braze, for achieving real-time customer engagement and driving revenue growth.Mitch walks Billie through helpful examples of how these new digital tools have leveled up his team’s creativity and generated significant incremental revenue for Scooter’s. Plus, he shares insights on ensuring a brand’s digital experience upholds its brand promise. In the case of Scooter’s Coffee, that’s “Amazing People, Amazing Drinks…Amazingly Fast.”Additional ResourcesTOPICS DISCUSSEDPrioritizing real-time data and integration between platforms for loyalty campaign successUsing data to build trust and enhance communication with franchisees in the QSR spaceEnsuring tech stack sustainability and building a program that can adapt to future trendsKEEP THE GROWTH GOINGRead our report on Increasing QSR Emotional Loyalty and Customer Lifetime ValueExplore loyalty solutions for your use case: How to Select the Right Loyalty Platform for Your Business Connect with Mitch Walden on LinkedInFollow Billie Loewen on LinkedIn

In this episode of Room for Growth, Billie sits down with accomplished CMO Pauline Reader. With a career that includes CMO and SVP marketing leadership positions with renowned brands such as eBay, Minted, and Stitch Fix, and most recently Podium, a communication SaaS platform for SMBs and larger enterprises. Pauline now runs Reader Consulting, where she offers fractional CMO and consulting services, and in this episode, she brings valuable insights into the role of artificial intelligence and machine learning in B2C and B2B marketing strategies.Pauline isn’t new to AI — for years she’s been actively leveraging traditional data science methodologies to enhance customer experiences (e.g., providing personalized clothing recommendations) and improve business operations. She shares pragmatic and tangible examples of interpreting data-driven insights and combining human judgment with technology for the most effective results.Throughout the discussion, Billie and Pauline explore topics including data collection, personalization strategies, maintaining customer privacy, decision-making in technology investments, and finding a balance between short-term goals and long-term AI strategy.Additional ResourcesTOPICS DISCUSSEDUsing AI and data science models to better understand customer preferences in eCommerce platformsOvercoming obstacles with data compliance and privacy in AI-driven marketing strategies.Ways of leveraging unstructured data through machine learning to extract relevant information.Key considerations for rolling out AI features or changes in customer-facing technology.Connecting and measuring customer data within brand loyalty platformsKEEP THE GROWTH GOINGLearn about WillowTree's Data & AI Consulting services Explore how WillowTree can enhance your brand’s customer loyalty programConnect with Pauline Reader on LinkedInFollow Billie Loewen on LinkedIn

In this episode of Room for Growth, Billie is joined by two WillowTree colleagues, Kate Gallaher (Partner & VP, Head of Financial Services) and Caitlin Watson (Partner, Marketing Services), as they delve into global loyalty in financial services. Focusing on credit card payment processors and retail banks, they explore the complexities of building brand loyalty in a regulated market, discuss the impact of digitization on customer behavior, and share insights into the most effective loyalty programs in today's digital age, competing with digitally-native FinTech upstarts.Billie, Kate, and Caitlin also unpack our recent research study, authored by WillowTree Senior Product Researcher Rachel Vanderbilt, PhD. The study explores the nuances in credit card loyalty programs across five global markets — North America, South America, Europe, Middle East–Africa, and Asia–Pacific — and underscores the dangers of adopting a US-first mindset on the global stage. ADDITIONAL RESOURCESTOPICS DISCUSSEDHow digitization leads to increased product diversity and brand disloyalty.How data integrity and personalization create relevant offers and user-centric experiences.How brands can build loyalty in a B2B2C model while keeping CX at the forefront.Why considering a global perspective is essential in designing loyalty programs for diverse regional customer bases.KEEP THE GROWTH GOINGPreview WillowTree’s forthcoming research study, Global Credit Card Rewards Programs: How Consumer Loyalty Preferences Differ by RegionExplore WillowTree's Loyalty Strategy & Consulting practiceExplore WillowTree’s Financial Services expertiseConnect with Kate Gallaher on LinkedInConnect with Caitlin Watson on LinkedInFollow Billie Loewen on LinkedIn

On the heels of Adobe Summit, we’re joined by Brightline Chief Technology and Digital Innovation Officer Kevin McAuliffe as he and Billie dive deep into brand loyalty, building trust, technology innovation, and what it means to be a leader today. Brightline partnered with WillowTree to achieve its vision of fully modernizing train travel. Tapping into our end-to-end suite of capabilities, WillowTree teams delivered a revamped website, native apps (iOS and Android), kiosks, digital signage, and a digital marketing engine fueled by Adobe Experience Cloud. By prioritizing guest experience and agility, the high-speed private rail service is delighting travelers with a best-in-class, omnichannel digital experience worthy of Brightline’s premium brand. Our host and guest explore some of the integrated experiences that have launched across Brightline’s digital platforms, improving travel experiences at every step of the journey — from pre-booking to post-arrival. Additional ResourcesTOPICS DISCUSSEDBuilding loyalty by meeting your users where they are, even amid ongoing tech stack evolutionActivating technology, people, and processes to inform and encourage decision-makersEvolving MVPs through data and feedback to enable controllable, scalable changesKEEP THE GROWTH GOINGRead our case study on How Brightline High-Speed Rail Increased Ridership & RevenueExplore Kevin’s Adobe Summit 2024 keynote, presented with WillowTree Chief Marketing Services Officer Mike Colombo: Breaking Down Silos to Deliver an End-to-End Customer Experience Connect with Kevin McAuliffe on LinkedInFollow Billie Loewen on LinkedIn

We are just days away from Adobe Summit: our bags are packed and we are bringing an all-star crew to Las Vegas. But before we head out to one of the largest MarTech conferences in the world, we’re connecting with Mike Kellner, TELUS Director - AI Data & Analytics. Mike shares win stories from the leading global telecommunications providers’ recent innovations, driven by Adobe Customer Journey Analytics.We explore how Mike’s team at TELUS taps into Customer Journey Analytics’ powerful capabilities to optimize critical moments in the customer journey, like onboarding, billing, and opportunities to cross-sell or upsell products and services. What’s unique about Customer Journey Analytics are its analytics and business intelligence capabilities: through the platform, TELUS has connected offline data from call centers and retail interactions with online data from its app, websites, chatbots, and other digital channels to create more holistic, omnichannel customer experiences.TELUS prides itself on providing a truly personalized customer care experience when and where customers need it most — whether online, by phone, or across its retail footprint. Now, other business units at TELUS are utilizing Customer Journey Analytics to enable similar use cases and, with WillowTree’s help, ensure that using the platform is as cost-effective, collaborative, and efficient as possible.Additional ResourcesTOPICS DISCUSSEDResolving common customer pain points with Adobe Customer Journey Analytics’ robust online and offline data activation capabilitiesFacilitating more seamless, cost-effective user adoption of new technologies across Adobe Experience CloudConnecting with WillowTree at Adobe Summit 2024 (see us at Booth 1127!)KEEP THE GROWTH GOINGConnect with Billie Loewen on LinkedInFollow Mike Kellner on LinkedIn

Fresh off her whirlwind experience at Forge 23, Braze’s annual customer conference for marketers and their tech partners, Billie highlights some of the biggest brands there, her favorite moments, and the most exciting predictions for 2024. Spoiler alert: It’s an exciting time for marketing, and you’ll want to listen before deep-diving into strategy season. But before diving into her key takeaways, Billie takes a moment to share some big WillowTree news: our CEO Tobias Dengel’s new book is available now and already a Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestseller. She also encourages listeners to check out Episode 4 of WillowTree’s docuseries 2 Weeks To Better, which details our recent collaboration with Braze.Speaking of Braze, Billie gives a preview of the new ways marketers can save time and communicate more effectively using the engagement platform’s upcoming product innovations. She also recaps lessons from the Forge panel she hosted, featuring media experts and marketing leaders like Eric Vander Voort from Warner Bros. Discovery Sports and Allyson Kurth from Braze. Their fresh approaches to seasonal content strategy, newsletters, user preferences, and geolocation inspired lively discussion.Overall, the trends, expertise, and discoveries shared at Forge this year reinforced the importance of implementing best practices (especially with advancements in AI), optimizing personalization, and increasing efficiency.Hot topics discussed:New product features released by Braze, including Sage AI, Landing Pages, and Feature FlagsBillie and the Growth Marketing team collaborating with Braze to enhance the sports media experience on the latest episode of WillowTree’s docuseries, 2 Weeks To Better WillowTree CEO Tobias Dengel’s new book, The Sound of the Future: The Coming Age of Voice TechnologyInspiring marketing campaigns from brands like Disney+, Intuit, Marvel, and morePreparing for AI implementationInvesting in long-term retention and customer loyaltyKeep the growth going:Connect with Billie Loewen, WillowTree Partner & VP of Growth Marketing on LinkedInFollow WillowTree on LinkedIn

Digital sports media offers many immersive options for fans, whether they’re streaming pre-game analysis, attending games live at the stadium, or interacting with player content during their commute. But with all that noise, it can be challenging for sports media brands to break through, especially with so many gaps and roadblocks in the fan experience. Some find it challenging to locate and access online streaming options. Other segments feel ignored or receive irrelevant messages. How can sports franchises and digital networks tap fan loyalty during the off-season?Working with our tech partners at Braze, WillowTree’s Growth Marketing experts (and in-house sports fans) explored these questions and many more in Episode 4 of the WillowTree docuseries, 2 Weeks To Better. Throughout a two-week sprint, our team built solutions that enhance personalization across all forms of fandom, from dormant to die-hard. On today’s episode, Billie goes behind the scenes with three members of the team — Alyssa Baker, Rebecca O’Connor, and Teresa Ceballos — who share their ideas for driving business value as well as user value in the sports media landscape. Their concepts for the fictional “WillowTree Sports Network” digital experience include a robust and nuanced onboarding experience, differentiated in-stadium and at-home experiences, a streamlined approach to live event ticketing, and data capture and delivery processes that help marketers make informed decisions about relevant content. Lastly, the team shares their favorite aspects of the Braze platform, including the automation, integration, and new AI features that supercharge their marketing workflow. Hot topics discussed:Familiar pain points for sports fansHow to approach complex and fragmented audience segmentsCreating a robust onboarding and preference center Custom player cards and personalized contentWillowTree’s unique sports-driven client experiences, including the Pepsi Super Bowl LVI Halftime Show, Warner Media, Fox Sports, WWE, and moreKeep the growth going:Attend Braze Forge and meet the WillowTree teamBook a “2 Weeks to Better” sprint with the WillowTree Marketing Services teamConnect with Alyssa Baker, WillowTree Growth Marketing Director on LinkedInConnect with Teresa Ceballos, WillowTree Growth Content Strategist on LinkedInConnect with Rebecca O'Connor, WillowTree Senior Growth Manager on LinkedInConnect with Billie Loewen, WillowTree Partner & VP of Growth Marketing on LinkedInFollow WillowTree on LinkedIn

It’s a bittersweet 50th episode of Room For Growth as Billy Fischer announces his departure from the podcast and from WillowTree. In this, their last episode as co-hosts of Room For Growth, Billy and Billie discuss their top 5 reflections, their favorite projects, and other rewarding experiences they’ve shared working together over the past 12 years developing WillowTree’s Growth Marketing practice. They touch on their appreciation for the rich client and partner relationships they’ve built and the priceless insights and friendships they’ve gained while cultivating an enriching work life. As we wish Billy Fischer a fond farewell, our co-hosts acknowledge the exciting future of the martech landscape.Hot topics discussed:Embracing new opportunities beyond your usual scopeThe value of partnerships (and some favorite RFG episodes) with tech platforms like Braze, Adobe, mParticle, Amplitude, and moreHow to balance friendship with professionalismGrowing investment in martech, even and especially during challenging macroeconomic conditionsUnique and varied client experiences, including the Pepsi Super Bowl LVI Halftime Show, Dairy Queen, and many more.Keep the growth going:Connect with Billy Fischer on LinkedInConnect with Billie Loewen, WillowTree Partner & VP of Growth Marketing on LinkedInFollow WillowTree on LinkedIn

The days of companies announcing core values and automatically earning public trust are over. Authenticity and proof through action are crucial, and in designing loyalty programs and growth campaigns for clients, WillowTree’s Design practice works with clients to leverage more than technology and data as growth drivers — they’re leveraging the brand itself. As Director of Brand & Content Strategy at WillowTree, Adam Nemett shares how positive brand reputation and personal, substantial storytelling can have powerful business implications in engaging internal and external audiences. Adam speaks about the importance of retaining ownership of your brand story while producing original content showcasing the real human challenges and triumphs within an organization. He and Billie also discuss the benefits of AI in streamlining workflow and the pitfalls of allowing AI to create a sea of homogenous, vanilla content. This episode ultimately explores how branding transcends traditional logos, taglines, and visual identity and delves into what truly connects a brand with the market — authenticity, personality, and relatable human experience. Hot topics discussed:How to achieve brand differentiation through authentic storytellingHow AI will impact content quality and quantityHow brands can show up differently across channelsThe power of employee advocacy in brand ambassadorshipKeep the growth going:Connect with Adam Nemett, WillowTree Director of Brand & Content Strategy on LinkedIn and visit his website View WillowTree’s Insights content, including video and podcast seriesConnect with Billie Loewen, WillowTree Partner & VP of Growth Marketing on LinkedInConnect with Billy Fischer, WillowTree Partner & VP of Business Development on LinkedInFollow WillowTree on LinkedIn

Earning a competitive edge through customer experience is vital to building consumer trust and loyalty. But often this responsibility is shared across multiple departments with different motivations and communication styles. Another challenge many companies face is adapting to emerging trends in the MarTech landscape, including AI, personalization at scale, and changing customer needs.Adobe Experience Cloud expert and WillowTree Senior Growth Director Tony Ferreira worked in diverse industries and roles — including marketing, data analytics, web development, eCommerce, and UX design — before making a name for himself in the Adobe space. He shares his philosophy on where Adobe is a good fit and the key factors to consider, including affordability, team capabilities, systems integration, and adopting Adobe Real-Time CDP and Adobe Journey Optimizer for automation and engagement. Though the Adobe ecosystem may not work for every organization, Tony shares this robust solution's strategic imperatives and potential tradeoffs.Hot topics discussed:Martech platform recommendations for different use casesWhen is Adobe the right choice?The four most important integration considerationsExploring how to adapt to current MarTech trendsKeep the growth going:Connect with Tony Ferreira, WillowTree Senior Growth Director (Adobe) on LinkedInRead Tony's Guidebook, 10 Steps to Launching Adobe CDPConnect with Billie Loewen, WillowTree Partner & VP of Growth Marketing on LinkedInFollow WillowTree on LinkedIn

Preparing for the future of AI is a top priority for startups and Fortune 500 companies alike. Where’s the best place to start? When it comes to brand messaging in digital marketing, how will AI impact the ‘era of authenticity’? How will increasingly ubiquitous AI chatbots affect customer engagement as they become another competitor for attention and information retrieval? Bret Kinsella, Founder, CEO, and Research Director of Voicebot.ai, explores these challenges and offers solutions to effectively leverage generative AI’s transformative potential. His insight on the future of AI takes cues from the lessons of pre-generative AI applications: he doesn’t believe content creation should blindly increase simply because AI offers efficiency. Marketers need to act differently. In this far-reaching conversation, Bret leads us through the path of AI production and implementation, where ethical quandaries surrounding policy and data governance loom. As a leading voice in artificial intelligence, Bret dives into best practices, keeping in mind the changes in customer expectations, the trend towards more polished marketing productions, and the future of online monetization. This episode is essential listening for longtime AI enthusiasts as well as new initiates grappling with AI adoption.Hot topics discussed:Is artificial intelligence really going to take your job?AI's impact on customer expectations and engagementChallenges in delivering personalized experiencesThe best AI apps for productivity and qualityStrategies for preparing for an AI-driven futureKeep the growth going:Connect with Bret Kinsella, Voicebot.ai Founder, CEO, & Research Director on LinkedInSubscribe to Bret’s newsletter Synthedia on SubstackSubscribe to Voicebotai + Synthedia’s Generative AI News (GAIN) weekly rundown on YouTubeConnect with Billie Loewen, WillowTree Partner & VP of Growth Marketing on LinkedInConnect with Billy Fischer, WillowTree Partner & VP of Business Development on LinkedInFollow WillowTree on LinkedIn

Fashion retail is notoriously competitive and constantly evolving, creating many unique challenges for marketers. With the largely forgotten in-store experience taking a backseat to its digital counterpart, how do we bridge that gap? Ultimately, in today’s climate, success comes down to effectively using technology to gain customer insight.For Sara Griffin, Chief Marketing and Analytics Officer at Saks OFF 5TH, data-driven decisions and personalized customer experiences reign supreme. Sara calls customer-centric marketing her “North Star,” as evinced by the loyalty program she launched a year ago, amassing 2.7 million members. As a leader in marketing and analytics, Sara dives deep into the company’s move from segmentation to personalization and the robust customer research behind this evolution that have earned Saks OFF 5TH a competitive edge in the dynamic fashion retail industry.Hot topics discussed:How to launch a successful customer-centric loyalty programThe potential of artificial intelligence in driving personalized marketingHow customer research affects every aspect of brandingKeep the growth going:Connect with Sara Griffin, Saks Off 5th Chief Marketing and Analytics Officer on LinkedInConnect with Billie Loewen, WillowTree Partner & VP of Growth Marketing on LinkedInConnect with Billy Fischer, WillowTree Partner & VP of Business Development on LinkedInFollow WillowTree on LinkedIn

We’re back with Season 3 of Room For Growth, taking a deep dive into the financial services industry with Chris O’Brien from M&T Bank.With artificial intelligence proliferating in more and more industries, many financial marketers are in a test-and-learn phase to discover AI use cases with truly impactful business outcomes. In contrast, large banks have begun leveraging AI to tailor messaging based on customer behavior. In turn, there may be a major opportunity to maximize the use of business intelligence tools and the resulting data analytics to further optimize targeted segmentation efforts. Chris O'Brien, Senior Product Manager at M&T Bank, is optimistic about AI’s future in this space, especially with use cases like content generation and experimentation as drivers for operational efficiency and growth. As a MarTech strategist, he directly addresses the challenges of balancing centralized control and agility while maintaining trust and making investment decisions in a limited-budget environment. With the financial industry’s increased capacity to collect and analyze behavioral data, firms will have to decide on the importance they place on segmentation versus one-to-one personalization. Ultimately, Chris believes aligning MarTech strategy with business goals and customer needs is paramount.Hot topics discussed:The role of AI and emerging technologies in understanding customersTrends and challenges in Finance MarTechHow to adapt to changing customer behaviorsExamples of AI integration in business systemsKeep the growth going:Connect with Chris O'Brien, M&T Bank Senior Product Manager on LinkedInConnect with Billie Loewen, WillowTree Partner & VP of Growth Marketing on LinkedInConnect with Billy Fischer, WillowTree Partner & VP of Business Development on LinkedInFollow WillowTree on LinkedIn

As we bid farewell to our second season of Room For Growth, we can't help but feel overwhelmed with gratitude for our incredible listeners and supporters. Throughout Season Two, we had the privilege of hosting memorable guests, including Rand Fishkin (SEO and content marketing "legend"), Courtney Bradley from Delta, Simon Cassels from GoodRx, Michael Collins from Pearson, and our WillowTree President Tobias Dengel. Thank you, to all of our incredible guests for sharing your valuable insights and enriching our discussions. Your contributions have made Season Two unforgettable.Although Season Two may be ending, fear not! Season Three is just around the corner, ready to bring fresh, thought-provoking content. June 14th, we'll kick off Season Three with new guests, exciting discussions, and plenty of room for growth.Thank you for listening, and get ready for an unforgettable Season Three of Room For Growth!

The COVID pandemic upended education as we know it. School closings affected 1.5 billion students globally, demand for virtual learning surged, and new concerns emerged around teacher shortages. Even as this week marks the “official” end of the COVID-19 global health emergency, no signs indicate that the education sector will return to its pre-pandemic sense of “normalcy.” For Michael Collins, Senior Vice President of Marketing and Enrollment Services at online learning services firm Pearson, it’s an industry rife with new opportunities for digital innovation. Gen Z poses new, exciting EdTech marketing challenges as the digital-native generation gains spending power. And, as generative AI technologies proliferate, companies will need to pair newfound efficiencies with human-centric strategies to foster meaningful, long-term consumer relationships.Hot topics discussed:The emerging impact of generative AI in the education and online course development space How rich, consumer-focused content drives organic lead acquisitionGetting consumers to “bond” with your brand, ultimately leading to higher LTVKeep the growth going:Connect with Michael Collins, Pearson's Senior Vice President of Marketing and Enrollment Services on LinkedInConnect with Billie Loewen, WillowTree Partner & VP of Growth Marketing on LinkedInConnect with Billy Fischer, WillowTree Partner & VP of Business Development on LinkedInFollow WillowTree on LinkedIn

Some tech leaders are voicing their concerns as generative AI continues advancing at its breathtaking pace. In March, over 1000 tech leaders signed an open letter calling to halt AI development. Just recently, the “Godfather of AI” Geoffrey Hinton quit his role at Google, joining a growing body of technologists warning companies of the danger of AI. After all, isn’t fear of the unknown what makes us uniquely human?SafeGuard Cyber Senior Director George Kamide is similarly interested in what differentiates distinctly human experiences from artificial ones. George believes safety and trust are critical elements in human-centric growth marketing and product development strategies. As we enter an increasingly “synthetic” or digitally-mediated reality, George encourages marketers and brands to stand out by employing what makes us human: creativity. Hot topics discussed:Generative AI use cases that quickly boost consumer empathy and brand loyalty without sacrificing connection and innovation Common pitfalls in B2B marketing, such as prioritizing quantity over qualityThe increasing importance of multidimensional diversity in the workplaceKeep the growth going:Tune into George and co-host George Al-Koura’s cybersecurity podcast, Bare Knuckles and Brass TaxConnect with George Kamide, SafeGuard Cyber Senior Director on LinkedInConnect with Billie Loewen, WillowTree Partner & VP of Growth Marketing on LinkedInConnect with Billy Fischer, WillowTree Partner & VP of Business Development on LinkedInFollow WillowTree on LinkedIn

What does an exceptional in-store shopping experience look like? What about a frictionless visit to your doctor’s office? Or your bank? One BCG study estimates that retail, health care, and financial services brands creating highly personalized moments for their consumers will drive 6–10% revenue growth or an $800 billion income shift for the 15% of companies nailing this growth marketing fundamentals. Moreover, brands integrating advanced digital technologies with proprietary data will realize that profit is two to three times faster than brands that don’t. Today, we’re exploring this big business showdown as Billie and Billy highlight top performers making quick wins in the race to profitable personalization. Spoiler alert? It might not be the digital-native brands you’ve come to expect.Hot topics discussed:The low-hanging fruit where companies can most easily create customized experiences to drive quick rewardsBlending in-store and digital experiences to boost delight and unlock new personalization opportunitiesWhy experimentation is an essential tool for identifying successful (or unsuccessful) personalization tactics Keep the growth going: Connect with Billie Loewen, WillowTree Partner & VP of Growth Marketing on LinkedInConnect with Billy Fischer, WillowTree Partner & VP of Business Development on LinkedInFollow WillowTree on LinkedIn

According to a recent McKinsey report, 81% of companies don’t have an integrated MarTech stack to deliver personalized cross-channel experiences, and 76% don’t operate sprints or follow a formal Agile process. The same study cites 67% of CMOs as overwhelmed by the quantity of marketing data available. The technical expectations for today’s marketing teams continue to rise — questions and concerns around generative AI, data science, cross-functional communication, budget cuts, and more. And on top of that, how can teams produce creative content that truly stands out from the competition? It’s a topic Billy and Billie feel empathetic toward as they look toward Q2 and beyond, discussing how the digital transformation “floodgates are opening.”Hot topics discussed:Our spicy take on table-stakes technical and creative skills for today’s marketerThe benefits of reducing silos among marketing, product, insights, and engineering teamsWhy thoughtful digital strategy is essential to surpassing consumer expectations, especially in the post-COVID era Keep the growth going: Connect with Billie Loewen, WillowTree Partner & VP of Growth Marketing on LinkedInConnect with Billy Fischer, WillowTree Partner & VP of Business Development on LinkedInFollow WillowTree on LinkedIn

We’ve all had delightful digital experiences. They’re the surprising, novel moments we didn’t know we wanted but suddenly can’t live without. According to a recent Forrester report, delight drives business revenue: a one-point improvement in a company’s customer experience score can lead to an additional $175 million in revenue over three years, higher customer retention rates, and lower customer acquisition costs. WillowTree Partner and VP of Commercial Strategy Nate Wootten helps the world’s most beloved brands build and incorporate delightful digital product features into their growth strategies. Recognized as a “40 under 40 Top Mobile Innovator,” Nate leads our award-winning strategy and design thinking practice and has spoken on digital innovation worldwide — from Apple’s Cupertino campus to client conferences in Hong Kong. Nate joins Billie to discuss how companies can architect moments of delight that drive customer adoption, loyalty, and revenue. We explore frameworks our teams use to help clients categorize and compare delightful product features to other feature categories, such as must-haves, performatives, and thresholds. Join us as we lay out the roadmap to delight across product practices like research, strategy, design, and growth. Hot topics discussed:Using the Kano Model to measure consumer value and identify our clients’ delightful, premium price-point product featuresHelping our clients identify actionable next steps in their journey map through the tech-agnostic Jobs-To-Be-Done frameworkUX thought leader Don Norman’s “three-legged stool” is another model to visualize delight — built on what’s visceral, behavioral, and reflective Keep the growth going: Explore additional frameworks and strategies at The UXR’s Annotations and Nate Wootten’s websiteConnect with Nate Wootten, Partner and VP of Commercial Strategy, on LinkedInConnect with Billie Loewen, WillowTree Partner & VP of Growth Marketing on LinkedInFollow WillowTree on LinkedIn

“Spicy auto-complete” with many great use cases. That’s Rand Fishkin’s hot take on generative AI technologies like ChatGPT. It’s a stance that might not surprise long-time followers of the Moz founder and Inbound.org co-founder (acquired by HubSpot), who’s an SEO and content marketing “legend,” according to WillowTree Director of SEO Kurt Peterson.Now the CEO and co-founder of the audience intelligence platform SparkToro, Rand joins Billy, Billie, and Kurt to explore emerging topics in growth marketing, such as what makes for good LLM or AI use cases and how these technologies might drive innovation across sectors and functions.As an entrepreneur, digital thought leader, and author of Lost and Founder: A Painfully Honest Field Guide to the Startup World, Rand shares his wisdom on building great corporate culture, which involves weaving company values into every fabric of a business. It’s a vision we can definitely get behind at WillowTree. Hot topics discussed:The value of audience segmentation research and intelligence when it’s delivered in seconds rather than weeksHow brands can act strategically to avoid common pitfalls as they adopt AI technologiesChallenges and opportunities associated with “zero-click searches” and “zero-click content,” which are queried and delivered natively in social platforms and LLMs Keep the growth going:Read the episode transcriptionFollow Rand Fishkin, SparkToro CEO, and Co-Founder on LinkedInFollow Billie Loewen, WillowTree Partner & VP of Growth Marketing on LinkedInFollow Billy Fischer, WillowTree Partner & VP of Business Development on LinkedInConnect with WillowTree on LinkedIn