Welcome to "Data-Driven Decisions", a marketing podcast hosted by Zontee Hou that looks at the lessons that leaders can take from data to inform the best marketing practices and internal culture. As author of Data-Driven Personalization, Zontee discusses some of the key insights from the book and sits down with marketing experts from a variety of industries.

Data-Driven Decisions
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Podcast Overview
Welcome to "Data-Driven Decisions", a marketing podcast hosted by Zontee Hou that looks at the lessons that leaders can take from data to inform the best marketing practices and internal culture. As author of Data-Driven Personalization, Zontee discusses some of the key insights from the book and sits down with marketing experts from a variety of industries.
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Publishing Since
6/4/2024
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Recent Episodes

July 30, 2024
How Marketing Can Lead the Way with Data
<p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">What happens when marketing truly takes the driver's seat with data and insights? In this episode, we hear from Jenn Chase, Chief Marketing Officer and Executive Vice President at SAS, a company that operates with a data-first culture.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><strong>Translating Data into Meaningful Insights</strong></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Jenn explains what insights SAS focuses on from a marketing perspective and how that helps her team and other departments work together to drive results. She talks about the different types of surveys and brand studies that SAS conducts to collect data both internally and externally, plus the impact that has on working toward business goals.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">For SAS, it’s clear that data is embedded in its culture, but for that data to be useful, it needs context. Jenn’s team makes an effort to translate that data into insights that matter for different departments, including sales and finance. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Jenn also shares some examples of clients SAS works with and how they have transformed how they use data to enhance the customer experience with personalization. In a cookie-less world, brands need to think outside the box when it comes to collecting data, but Jenn shares some top tips for companies to get started.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><strong>In This Episode:</strong></span></p> <ul> <li style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">1:30 - The vision that Jenn adopted when taking on her role at SAS</span></li> <li style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">2:45 - The insights that SAS’s marketing team provides the rest of the company</span></li> <li style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">5:42 - How Jenn encourages her team to drive value of marketing across the organization</span></li> <li style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">7:44 - The art to connecting the dots across the organization on ROI</span></li> <li style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">9:36 - How Jen builds strong relationships with other teams</span></li> <li style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">11:43 - The importance of marketing, sales, and finance learning each other’s languages</span></li> <li style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">13:48 - How SAS uses data to help clients better serve customers</span></li> <li style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">16:08 - Jenn shares an example of a beauty retailer who transformed their data strategy</span></li> <li style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">19:05 - Why we’ll see the evolution of commercial industries thanks to better data management</span></li> <li style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">19:56 - How SAS is helping sports organizations with data </span></li> <li style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">21:32 - Helping clients take a customer-driven approach with data</span></li> <li style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">22:48 - How brands can get ahead in a cookie-less future</span></li> <li style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">24:50 - Why brand personas are crucial</span></li> <li style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">28:02 - Advice for organizations who are beginning to use data </span></li> <li style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">31:19 - Why we need to democratize data</span></li> <li style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">35:45 - How SAS strikes the balance between being data-driven and human-centric decision-making </span></li> </ul> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style= "font-size: 12pt;"><strong> Quotes:</strong></span></p> <p class="MsoListParagraph"><span style= "font-size: 12pt;"><em>“From a B2B perspective, we understand that we need to meet our buyer, not just as their work persona, but recognize that they live in a broader world, and you can reach them in a more personal way.”</em></span></p> <p class="MsoListParagraph"><span style= "font-size: 12pt;"><em>“Start with the end in mind. What are the questions that you want to be able to answer about your customers that you can't today? Really paint a vision for what the end state could look like and how it can have business impact."</em></span></p> <p class="MsoListParagraph"><span style= "font-size: 12pt;"><em>“It’s imperative we know not only the demographics but also the psychographics of those personas so that you understand what's motivating them and then making sure that that information is fed into a creative brief so that all of the content that you create downstream as part of an integrated campaign is based on what that persona wants.”</em></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style= "font-size: 12pt;"><strong>Resources:</strong></span></p> <ul> <li class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="font-size: 12pt;"> <span style="font-size: 12pt;">Connect with Jenn on LinkedIn: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennchase/" target="_blank" rel= "noopener">https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennchase/</a></span></li> <li class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="font-size: 12pt;"> <span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span lang="DE" xml:lang= "DE">SAS: <a href="https://www.sas.com/en_gb/home.html" target="_blank" rel= "noopener">https://www.sas.com/en_gb/home.html</a></span></span></li> </ul> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Purchase the book at <a href= "https://koganpage.com/datadrivenpersonalization" target="_blank" rel="noopener">koganpage.com/datadrivenpersonalization</a> (use code CCData20 for 20% off and free shipping in the UK and US) and sign up for more content at <a href= "https://convinceandconvert.com" target="_blank" rel= "noopener">convinceandconvert.com</a>.</span></p>

July 23, 2024
How to Find a Balance with Data-Driven Insights
<p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Data is being used more and more to help businesses make the best decisions, in part thanks to the greater selection of tools available to capture it. But what if you struggle to access that first-party data? And what can you do with data once you do have it? </span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><strong>A Balanced Approach to Data-Driven Decisions</strong></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">In this episode of Data-Driven Decisions, we sit down with Rand Fishkin, Co-Founder and CEO of SparkToro, an audience research tool that helps organizations understand their audiences better. Rand explains how SparkToro helps businesses learn about and target their audiences, and shares examples of users who have seen success with the platform. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">We hear his thoughts on common mistakes marketing teams make, such as relying too much on Google and Meta ads, and why sometimes more unconventional marketing can achieve better results. Rand also shares his balanced take on the use of data to drive decision-making. While data can be a great guide, there are certain blind spots that the data can’t tell you about. Rand recommends a more balanced approach to data usage and supplementing data-driven insights with experimentation, intuition, and direct customer conversations to really get to know your customers. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><strong>In This Episode:</strong></span></p> <ul> <li class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style= "font-size: 12pt;">0:27 - How SparkToro works</span></li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style= "font-size: 12pt;">3:11 - Why marketing is too focused on Google and Meta ads</span></li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style= "font-size: 12pt;">4:20 - What companies typically underinvest in</span></li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style= "font-size: 12pt;">6:57 - Examples of how clients use SparkToro</span></li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style= "font-size: 12pt;">12:49 - The problem with focusing on channels and tactics rather than the audience</span></li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style= "font-size: 12pt;">14:46 - How uncommon tactics are inexpensive (and sometimes more effective) compared to ads</span></li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style= "font-size: 12pt;">16:31 - How a brand used Reddit in a unique way</span></li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style= "font-size: 12pt;">19:15 - Zero click marketing tactics that help customers know, like, and trust you</span></li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style= "font-size: 12pt;">20:45 - Are pre/post-purchase surveys misleading?</span></li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style= "font-size: 12pt;">25:54 - Why Rand prefers to look at correlation not causation</span></li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style= "font-size: 12pt;">27:05 - How Rand’s relationship with data evolved from Moz to SparkToro</span></li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style= "font-size: 12pt;">29:17 - Why it’s harder to prove the value of tactics today</span></li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style= "font-size: 12pt;">31:23 - The problem with attributing value to search engines</span></li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style= "font-size: 12pt;">34:07 - Advice for organizations embarking on their data-driven journey</span></li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style= "font-size: 12pt;">35:47 - Rand’s take on why data doesn’t tell the full story</span></li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style= "font-size: 12pt;">39:18 - How to recognize what data can and can’t solve</span></li> </ul> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style= "font-size: 12pt;"><strong> Quotes:</strong></span></p> <p class="MsoListParagraph"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><em>“One of the big frustrations that I have is that marketing has gotten more and more Google and Facebook advertising shaped... SparkToro is trying to show you where your audience actually spends time.”</em></span></p> <p class="MsoListParagraph"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><em>“I think it pays to be responsible in your recognition of what problems data can solve and what it can't solve. It's not always the case, in my opinion, that every culture needs to be more data-driven."</em></span></p> <p class="MsoListParagraph"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><em>“I'm always shocked at how much I learn when I spend a bunch of time talking to customers or watching interviews.”</em></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style= "font-size: 12pt;"><strong>Resources:</strong></span></p> <ul> <li class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="font-size: 12pt;"> <span style="font-size: 12pt;">Connect with Rand on LinkedIn: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/randfishkin/" target="_blank" rel= "noopener">https://www.linkedin.com/in/randfishkin/</a></span></li> <li class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="font-size: 12pt;"> <span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span lang="DE" xml:lang= "DE">SparkToro: <a href="https://sparktoro.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://sparktoro.com/</a></span></span></li> </ul> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Purchase the book at <a href= "https://koganpage.com/datadrivenpersonalization" target="_blank" rel="noopener">koganpage.com/datadrivenpersonalization</a> (use code CCData20 for 20% off and free shipping in the UK and US) and sign up for more content at <a href= "https://convinceandconvert.com" target="_blank" rel= "noopener">convinceandconvert.com</a>.</span></p>

July 16, 2024
How Marketers Can Build a Culture of Data and Experimentation
<p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">How did this non-marketing but data-driven leader become a Chief Marketing Officer? Shafqat Islam, the CMO of Optimizely, may have had an unconventional introduction to marketing, but he brought a wealth of insights on the power of data to his role. Hear how he’s leading Optimizely’s marketing team into building a culture of data and experimentation.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><strong>Let the Data Do the Talking</strong></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">In this episode of Data-Driven Decisions, we dive deep into the world of marketing data, measurable targets, personalization, and customer-centric marketing.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Shafqat shares invaluable insights on how to approach personalization strategically, emphasizing the value of starting simple and scaling up gradually. He discusses the challenges of content creation for personalized experiences and offers practical advice on leveraging AI to find patterns in customer feedback from support tickets and sales calls.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">We also explore the critical role of experimentation and testing when it comes to new marketing ideas, and why Optimizely considers experimentation part of its culture. Shafqat explains why it’s so important for marketers to have a rock-solid understanding of the typical customer journey and why this should be documented and measurable.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><strong>In This Episode:</strong></span></p> <ul> <li style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">0:37 - How Shafqat ended up in his role</span></li> <li style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">2:36 - Why Shafqat wanted to build a more data-driven culture</span></li> <li style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">4:58 - How this approach affects the marketing team</span></li> <li style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">7:07 - The importance of experimenting with new ideas</span></li> <li style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">8:28 - Optimizely’s approach to experimentation</span></li> <li style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">12:33 - Why personalization is still a huge topic for marketers</span></li> <li style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">15:22 - Finding a balanced and realistic idea of personalization</span></li> <li style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">18:20 - How Optimizely helps its clients use their own data to make decisions</span></li> <li style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">20:54 - Why all marketers need to map out the typical customer journey and document it</span></li> <li style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">24:25 - How to ensure customers get the right resources</span></li> <li style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">27:09 - How Shafqat researches and understands his customers</span></li> <li style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">30:14 - The most important marketing metrics</span></li> <li style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">31:56 - How Optimizely uses AI to find patterns in customer interactions </span></li> </ul> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style= "font-size: 12pt;"><strong> Quotes:</strong></span></p> <p class="MsoListParagraph"><span style= "font-size: 12pt;"><em>“Marketing is as much about the customer as it is about the prospect. In fact, in the business of our scale, it may be more customer than even prospect.”</em></span></p> <p class="MsoListParagraph"><span style= "font-size: 12pt;"><em>“It's really, really important to document the customer journey and understand all the touchpoints and then come up collectively as a marketing organization, with what we want that ideal journey to be."</em></span></p> <p class="MsoListParagraph"><span style= "font-size: 12pt;"><em>“Experimentation is much more than tools. To me, the idea is how do we create a culture of experimentation?”</em></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style= "font-size: 12pt;"><strong>Resources:</strong></span></p> <ul> <li class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="font-size: 12pt;"> <span style="font-size: 12pt;">Connect with Shafqat on LinkedIn: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/shafqat/" target="_blank" rel= "noopener">https://www.linkedin.com/in/shafqat/</a></span></li> <li class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="font-size: 12pt;"> <span style="font-size: 12pt;">Optimizely: <a href= "https://www.optimizely.com/" target="_blank" rel= "noopener">https://www.optimizely.com/</a> </span></li> </ul> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Purchase the book at <a href= "https://koganpage.com/datadrivenpersonalization" target="_blank" rel="noopener">koganpage.com/datadrivenpersonalization</a> (use code CCData20 for 20% off and free shipping in the UK and US) and sign up for more content at <a href= "https://convinceandconvert.com" target="_blank" rel= "noopener">convinceandconvert.com</a>.</span></p>
9 total episodes available
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