Shows
Neighbor Interiors Podcast008 - Process-Driven Success with Travis Franks of WillowTree Custom HomesTravis Franks, CEO and Co-Founder of WillowTree Custom Homes, joins us to share how building systems, refining processes, and staying rooted in a clear vision have allowed his team to scale while maintaining a high standard of excellence. We talk about the challenges of growth in the custom home industry, the importance of leadership, and what it really takes to build luxury homes at a high level. Whether you’re in construction, design, or entrepreneurship, this episode offers practical insights into scaling without sacrificing quality.Connect with WillowTree Custom HomesWebsite: WillowTree Custom HomesInstagram: @willowtreecustomhomes 2025-05-0732 min
Tech Snippets Today with Joseph RaczynskiSpeak Easy or Speak Sleazy: The Voice Ownership Conundrum with Tobias Dengel at WillowTreeThis was an amazing conversation with Tobias Dengel, President of WillowTree. We deep dive into the impact of voice on all digital technology both now and what is right around the corner. This is weighty stuff. Dengel has a fascinating argument that voice technology is poised to drastically alter the way we live and how companies do business. He says it’s a shift as fundamentally important as mobile a decade ago and the Internet in the late ’90s. Dengel is at the forefront of this breakthrough and works with some of the best-kn...2025-02-1326 min
Room For GrowthAccelerating Growth and Enriching Loyalty in QSR feat. Scooter’s Coffee’s Mitch WaldenAfter 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 profou...2024-10-1455 min
Leaders in Customer Loyalty, Powered by Loyalty360#398: Loyalty360 Loyalty Live | Caitlin Watson and David Shaw, WillowTreeSend us a textFounded in 2008, WillowTree was built on a heritage of mobile applications. While the company still engages in much of that work, it’s grown into other areas in support of brands, including strategy and consulting, data and artificial intelligence (AI), digital marketing, loyalty program design, and more. WillowTree works alongside brands to develop successful loyalty programs and, in many cases, administers them. The company works in a variety of industries, including Financial Services, Health Care, Telecom, Travel and Hospitality, Food Service, and Retail and Consumer Goods, among others. Loyalty360 spoke with Cai...2024-10-0822 min
Questions for now - Compelling perspectives on digital CXHow can you maintain customer affinity while rebranding? (feat. Billie Loewen and David Soberman)On this episode, we explore the connection between brand and customer experience — and how to maintain positive customer sentiment while undergoing a rebrand.An effective rebranding strategy can serve to reposition a company, product or service to better align with customer expectations. But it’s not a given; to retain existing customers and attract additional ones, brands must engage numerous stakeholders, plan meticulously and communicate clearly. Listen for the compelling insights of Billie Loewen, vice president of marketing services at WillowTree, a TELUS Digital Company; and David Soberman, professor of marketing and Canadian national chair in st...2024-09-2633 min
The Tech TrekFrom Prototype to Production: Building Gen AI SolutionsIn this podcast episode, Amir Bormand interviews Michelle Avery, Group VP of AI at WillowTree, a TELUS International Company. They discuss the process of prototyping Generative AI (Gen AI) solutions and transitioning from prototypes to production-ready applications. Key points include identifying business problems, the importance of intentional prototyping, overcoming data access challenges, and ensuring user acceptance and ROI. Michelle shares insights from her work at WillowTree, emphasizing the role of strategic planning and cross-disciplinary collaboration in successful AI implementation.
Highlights
01:34 Prototyping Gen AI Solutions
03:25 Identifying Business Problems for AI Solutions
06:40 Challenges...2024-09-0420 min
What's Up with Tech?Mastering Digital Transformation: Willowtree on AI-Driven Consumer Experiences, Strategic Planning, and Voice Technology IntegrationInterested in being a guest? Email us at admin@evankirstel.comUnlock the keys to mastering digital transformation as we chat with Tobias from Willowtree. Discover how Tobias’ tech journey, beginning with AOL in 1996, led to Willowtree's founding in 2010 and how it has since thrived on the cutting edge of consumer experiences. Together, we dissect the essentials of aligning business ambitions with consumer needs and technical realities, delving into the strategic planning necessary for successful digital projects. Gain exclusive insights on Willowtree's design philosophies, inspired by Apple's user-centric approach, and learn about the importance of feature prioritization in...2024-08-1521 min
Room For GrowthFinding the North Star for Your AI Strategy feat. CMO and eCommerce Leader Pauline ReaderIn 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 year...2024-07-3151 min
What the Dev?265: The impact of impolite chatbot behavior on a company's customer service reputation (with Michelle Avery of WillowTree, a TELUS International Company)In this episode, David Rubinstein, editor-in-chief of SD Times, speaks with Michelle Avery, group VP of AI at WillowTree, a TELUS International Company, about a recent survey the company did on rude chatbots.Key talking points include: What we mean by "rude bot behavior"What goes into creating a chatbot that is politeHow organizations can measure politeness of a chatbotOn the flip side, humans can be rude to bots too2024-06-1813 min
Room For GrowthFinancial Services Loyalty on a Global Scale feat. WillowTree's Kate Gallaher and Caitlin WatsonIn 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...2024-06-0544 min
Room For GrowthBuilding Customer Loyalty Throughout the Journey feat. Brightline Trains CTO Kevin McAuliffeOn 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...2024-05-0957 min
Room For GrowthReducing Call Center Volume with Adobe Customer Journey Analytics feat. TELUS’s Mike KellnerWe 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-se...2024-03-1330 min
Outthinkers#111—Tobias Dengel: Voice Technology: Unlocking Efficiency and EvolutionTobias Dengel is President of WillowTree, a TELUS International Company. WillowTree designs and builds digital experiences for the world’s largest brands, and they sit at the forefront of this breakthrough. Tobias understands voice technology's profound, wide-ranging implications for every industry, including marketing, healthcare, hospitality, manufacturing, media, and more. He counsels leaders in all these fields about how their companies must adapt to the coming age of voice. He is the recent author, with co-author Karl Weber, of THE SOUND OF THE FUTURE : The Coming Age of Voice Technology, a dive deep into the sweeping cha...2024-02-2325 min
Tom Talks Fort WorthTom Talks Fort Worth: Colleyville Residents, Crypto in Real Estate, 2024 Housing Trends, AI & VRTom Talks Episode 111: Get ready for another insightful episode of "Tom Talks," your go-to podcast for all things Dallas and Fort Worth! Join Tom and Jack this week as they dive into compelling discussions that are shaping the landscape of these vibrant cities.Colleyville Residents vs. Willowtree Custom Homes: Protecting 14 Acres of Trees:Discover the local grassroots movement in Colleyville as residents unite to resist the advances of land development company Willowtree Custom Homes. In a bid to protect 14 acres of precious trees, the community is pushing back against further housing development. Tom and Jack explore...2023-12-2956 min
Ops CastThe Coming Era of Adaptive Personalization with Tony FerreiraText us your thoughts on the episode or the show!In today's episode, we talk about Adaptive Personalization with Tony Ferreira, currently Senior Growth Director at WillowTree, a conultancy/agency. He is primarily responsible for the growth of their Adobe Practice area. Tony has 15+ years in technology, marketing, data, strategy, ecommerce, and product ownership experience. Prior to joining WillowTree, Tony has held various leadership and management roles in agencies/consultancies and in house. He is an avid consumer of content and is always looking for ways to apply it to his current roles and teams.2023-12-1949 min
Michael Covel's Trend FollowingEp. 1240: Tobias Dengel Interview with Michael Covel on Trend Following RadioMy guest today is Tobias Dengel, the President of WillowTree, a TELUS International Company. With over 20 years of technology expertise, Tobias has been recognized by Glassdoor as a Top CEO and featured as a VOICE Summit speaker at the Consumer Electronics Show in 2022 and 2023. Prior to WillowTree, Tobias helped steward strategic partnerships and acquisitions and drive innovation on behalf of companies including AOL and Kearney. The topic is his book The Sound of the Future: The Coming Age of Voice Technology. In this episode of Trend Following Radio we discuss: Growing up in Virginia...2023-12-1146 min
Tech Talks DailyThe Future of Voice Technology: A Deep Dive with Tobias Dengel of WillowTreeIn this insightful episode of the Tech Talks Daily Podcast, I sat down with Tobias Dengel, CEO of WillowTree, a leader in the digital product industry. Our conversation revolved around the transformative potential of voice technology and its role in reshaping our interaction with devices and machines. Tobias brought a wealth of knowledge and foresight on how the latest advancements in AI and voice technology are set to revolutionize our daily lives and the business landscape. At the outset, Tobias and I explored the concept of the complete reinvention of human-device interaction. We delved into how voice...2023-11-2428 min
Case Interview Preparation & Management Consulting | Strategy | Critical Thinking623: How AI Will Return Communication To Its Most Natural Form: Voice (with President of WillowTree, Tobias Dengel)Welcome to an interview with the author of The Sound of the Future: The Coming Age of Voice Technology, Tobias Dengel. In his new book, Tobias answers why voice technology is the next big thing in technology, as big as mobile a decade ago and the internet in the late 90s, fundamentally altering the way companies do business. Tobias connects the dots about this emerging paradigm to vividly illustrate how business leaders can stay ahead of the game, rather than scrambling to catch up, as voice technology gradually reveals its power, creating a host of new winners and losers. ...2023-10-2549 min
Room For GrowthAnnouncing New Braze Features and Other Highlights from Braze Forge 2023 feat. WillowTree’s Billie LoewenFresh 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 ou...2023-10-2521 min
The Strategy Skills Podcast: Strategy | Leadership | Critical Thinking | Problem-Solving388: President of WillowTree, Tobias Dengel — How AI Will Return Communication To Its Most Natural Form: VoiceWelcome to Strategy Skills episode 388, an interview with the author of The Sound of the Future: The Coming Age of Voice Technology, Tobias Dengel. In his new book, Tobias answers why voice technology is the next big thing in technology, as big as mobile a decade ago and the internet in the late 90s, fundamentally altering the way companies do business. Tobias connects the dots about this emerging paradigm to vividly illustrate how business leaders can stay ahead of the game, rather than scrambling to catch up, as voice technology gradually reveals its power, creating a host of new...2023-10-1150 min
Room For GrowthEnhancing the Sports Media Experience feat. WillowTree’s “2 Weeks To Better” Marketing ExpertsDigital 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 Grow...2023-10-1137 min
The Jim Rutt ShowEP 201 Tobias Dengel on the Age of Voice TechnologyJim talks with Tobias Dengel about the ideas in his book The Sound of the Future: The Coming Age of Voice Technology. They discuss the idea that voice tech will be the biggest shift since mobile, the problem of public babble, positives & negatives of current voice tech, changing norms around speaking to devices, Wireless Application Protocol (WAP), using LLMs through a voice interface, improving communication cycles for incapacitated people, smart speakers vs smart mics, problems with the voice-to-voice paradigm, multimodal use cases, using voice interfaces for writing, finetuned LLMs in combination with voice tech, using LLMs to check each other, J...2023-10-101h 10
Room For GrowthEmbracing Partnership: Lessons from 12 Years at WillowTree feat. Billy FischerIt’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 fare...2023-10-0419 min
Room For GrowthOwning Your Brand Narrative feat. WillowTree's Adam NemettThe 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 s...2023-09-2736 min
Room For GrowthNavigating Adobe Experience Cloud feat. WillowTree’s Tony FerreiraEarning 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 w...2023-09-2043 min
Room For GrowthUnpacking the AI Implementation Landscape feat. Voicebot.ai CEO Bret KinsellaPreparing 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 o...2023-09-1349 min
Room For GrowthThe Secrets of Customer-Centric Branding feat. Saks OFF 5TH Chief Marketing and Analytics Officer Sara GriffinFashion 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 market...2023-09-0631 min
Room For GrowthFinance MarTech and AI Experimentation feat. M&T Bank's Chris O'BrienWe’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...2023-08-3046 min
Looks Good on Paper#31 - How To Recruit Future Talent - Kate WrightIn this episode of The Recruitment Reality Podcast, I had the pleasure of interviewing Kate Wright, Director of Talent Acquisition & Programs at WillowTree Apps. Kate shared with us her valuable insights and experience on how to hire talent for a fast-moving and ever-changing business like WillowTree Apps.During our conversation, Kate explained how her team works closely with project planning to deliver future talent, and how their brand and culture shape the types of individuals that join their business. As a big company with an intimate feel, WillowTree Apps offers a unique work e...2023-05-1740 min
Room For GrowthSeason Two: That's a WrapAs 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! S...2023-05-1703 min
Room For GrowthWhat’s Ahead in EdTech Marketing feat. Pearson’s Michael CollinsThe 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 po...2023-05-1040 min
Room For GrowthBuilding Loyalty Through Trust feat. SafeGuard Cyber’s George KamideSome 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...2023-05-0350 min
Room For GrowthUnlocking Personalization’s Billion Dollar Potential feat. BillyxBillieWhat 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 performer...2023-04-2616 min
Room For GrowthWhat Makes a Great Marketer in Today’s Top Firms? feat. BilliexBillyAccording 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...2023-04-1920 min
Room For GrowthBuilding Delight into Growth Strategies feat. WillowTree’s Nate WoottenWe’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 Innovato...2023-04-1232 min
Room For GrowthHyper-Personalization and AI Proliferation feat. SparkToro’s Rand Fishkin“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...2023-04-0544 min
Room For GrowthAdobe Summit Recap, Live from Las Vegas: AI, CDPs, and the Craps TableBilly and Billie join us live from Adobe Summit in Las Vegas with empty pockets but full hearts about the future of MarTech. Our digital experts share key insights and takeaways from their three days in Sin City. In just 15 minutes, we cover AI, automation, CDP ROI, #bilingualmarketers, and more. But first, we discuss the MarTech foundations a brand needs before pursuing the latest trends in generative AI and automation, and how WillowTree helps the world’s biggest brands unlock the power of the Adobe Experience Cloud. Hot topics discussed:Th...2023-03-2913 min
Room For GrowthPursuing What’s “Right” feat. Remixt & SmartNews’ Fabien-Pierre NicolasThe AI space is booming. And it’s evolving every day. One thing we know for sure? Generative AI has the potential to transform how users engage with content. But are businesses ready to deploy this supercharged tech? What foundations are fundamental to have in place first? Our growth experts, Billy and Billie, explore these questions and more with Fabien-Pierre Nicolas, co-founder of the news aggregation product SmartNews and COO of the diversity, equity, and inclusion SaaS platform Remixt.We also address another hot topic in tech: budget cuts. Fabien-Pierre shares lessons learned on navigating lay...2023-03-2245 min
Room For GrowthBonus Episode: WillowTree's Guide to Adobe Summit 2023Join Billie and Billy as they discuss their upcoming trip to the Adobe Summit Digital Experience Conference and share their top recommendations for making the most of your attendance. As a Platinum Sponsor at Adobe Summit 2023, WillowTree will provide guided tours on the latest Adobe technology. Swing by and introduce yourself at Booth 806 in the Community Pavilion to explore our demos and sponsored events (spoiler, there will be a bourbon bar and a chance to win a bottle of Pappy Van Winkle!). See you in Vegas, baby! Not attending Adobe Summit in person this year? No problem...2023-03-1713 min
Room For GrowthAmplifying Joy and Customer Loyalty feat. Delta’s Courtney BradleyThe average Delta flier takes 22 years to reach Million Miler® status. A lot can happen in two decades and one million miles: our flight patterns shift, our jobs change, pandemics come to pass, and the technology powering the airline industry evolves. And yet, Delta has enabled a smooth ride through such an extended time horizon, building a best-in-class loyalty program and overall customer experience. Courtney Bradley is Delta’s General Manager of SkyMiles® Engagement and Growth. She’s well acquainted with cult-like consumer bases: Courtney’s resume includes the likes of Nike, JetBlue, and Virgin Airlines. Courtney joins Bil...2023-03-1542 min
Room For GrowthBeyHive Insights: Improving the High-Demand Ticketing ExperienceBow down, growth fans. It’s time to discuss Queen Bey and the “Renaissance” tour experience. Superfans Billie Loewen, Quin Hicks, Alicia Rose, and Zana Johnson evaluate and reimagine lifecycle marketing for Beyoncé’s global “Renaissance” tour. Together, they explore how a customer data platform (CDP) like Braze might have provided better experiences for ticket buyers. Before ticket pre-sales launched, ticketing platforms anticipated that demand would exceed available tickets by at least 800%, prompting some superfans to pay thousands of dollars or travel thousands of miles to see the Queen slay. But never fear: we’re not letting price-gauging, p...2023-03-0829 min
Room For GrowthWhat Makes a Great Leader? feat. WillowTree President Tobias DengelWillowTree President Tobias Dengel knows firsthand what it means to be a great leader. Tobias (affectionately called “TD”) earned the #2 spot on Glassdoor’s list of Top CEOs for small-to-medium businesses and was a featured speaker at the Consumer Electronic Show’s VOICE Summit in 2022 and 2023. Before WillowTree, Tobias stewarded strategic partnerships and acquisitions for companies including AOL and Kearney. Tobias’ forthcoming book, The Sound of the Future, explores how innovations in voice technology will change the way we work at every level and every function, drive down costs, boost productivity, and create entirely new business models....2023-03-0139 min
Room For GrowthEmail Growth Marketing Tactics: Icky or Irresistible? feat. BillyxBillieWhat do brands like Zillow, BarkBox, WHOOP, Wegman’s, and Frontier Airlines have in common? They all stand out in the world of in-email and in-app growth marketing tactics. But are they standing out for the right reasons? Find out which growth tactics resonate with consumers and which tactics leave your audience feeling a little… icky. Here, Billy and Billie swipe left or right — and sometimes both — on the stand-out messages landing in their inboxes.Hot topics discussed:Unique ways that zero-party consumer data informs personalization, upsells, preferred channels, and frequencyWhy transactional messages (i.e., purc...2023-02-2227 min
Room For GrowthOut-of-the-(Flower)Box Thinking feat. UrbanStems’ Megan Bailey DarmodyThe most popular day for flower deliveries? Here’s a hint: it’s not Valentine’s Day… Find this trivia tidbit and many more growth marketing insights shared by Megan Bailey Darmody, senior director of brand marketing for online gifting company UrbanStems. Megan, Billie, and Billy explore how proactive communication improves customer satisfaction and loyalty, and how the shifting landscape of supply chain logistics for perishable products impacts long-term marketing strategy. Megan shares her expertise in cross-functional collaboration, data, and insights, and why the best strategy is treating people well. Hot topics discussed:How mark...2023-02-1535 min
Room For GrowthPowering the Adobe Experience Platform with WillowTree’s Mike ColomboThe Adobe Experience Platform has the firepower for the most advanced marketing functions the field has ever known. So how do you unlock the power of that platform — and ultimately, derive the greatest value possible? Mike Colombo partners with some of the world’s biggest brands to accomplish exactly that. As Partner and Managing Director of our Adobe Practice at MAARK, a WillowTree Company, he’s an expert in orchestrating brands’ digital infrastructure to amplify customer experiences through the Adobe tech stack. Mike and Billy explore the three unique pillars underpinning WillowTree and MAARK’s approach to scaling the...2023-02-0833 min
Room For GrowthLeading Through Creativity feat. GoodRx SVP of Marketing Simon CasselsEver come across the iconic “Shot on an iPhone” campaign? Yep, Simon Cassels is behind that. In addition to directing one of Apple’s longest-running ad campaigns, Simon has lent his advertising chops to Ring, Amazon, Duolingo, and now GoodRx as the telemedicine platform’s senior vice president of marketing and chief brand officer. Billie and Simon discuss the need for truth-telling and brand authenticity in an era of burgeoning AI and fear-based marketing tactics that value profit over peace of mind. And as two creative leaders themselves, Simon and Billie discuss how to empower and foster innovatio...2023-02-0146 min
Room For Growth2023 MarTech Predictions with WillowTree’s Billie Loewen & Billy FischerSure, January has nearly come and gone (thank goodness…), but there’s still plenty of time left in the year to incorporate these emerging MarTech trends into your growth marketing strategy. On the heels of CES 2023, growth marketing experts Billy Fischer and Billie Loewen share the digital products that drove the most buzz at the most influential tech event in the world and dive deeper into their predictions and recommendations for the year ahead. From facilitating more co-branded partnership experiences to restructuring and revitalizing your brand’s loyalty program to anticipating big-name mergers and acquisitions, there are a lot o...2023-01-2540 min
Room For GrowthHow to Get a Job in Growth Marketing feat. WillowTree VP Billie LoewenHungry to solve sticky problems, drive business outcomes, and learn the latest technical skills? Growth marketing might be the career for you, as our host and growth expert Billie Loewen explains. Here, Billie explores the skill sets and mindsets she seeks in growth marketing candidates, including familiarity with growth- and marketing-specific frameworks, analytics and measurement tools and tactics, overall product and user experience, and many more. So brush up on those interviewing skills, growth job seekers: we’re hiring!Hot topics discussed:How experience in business environments ranging from agencies to nonprofits helps upskill gr...2023-01-1819 min
Room For GrowthAvoiding Common CRM and CDP Pitfalls feat. WillowTree’s Rebecca O’ConnorWhat do marketing teams at Fortune 1000s and local nonprofits have in common? A lot, if you ask WillowTree growth marketing expert Rebecca O’Connor. Large and small shops alike have to demonstrate ROI and stay current with rapidly changing capabilities of software such as customer relationships management (CRM) systems or customer data platforms (CDPs).Rebecca joins the podcast to explore solutions for such cross-industry challenges facing growth marketers as well as CRM and CDP users. (Bonus: many of Rebecca’s recommendations are easily implemented and widely available.) She and Billy explore the power of effective preference cent...2023-01-1133 min
Room For GrowthLooking Ahead to MarTech Trends of 2023 feat. BilliexBillyAdd another celebration to your holiday circuit, as we mark our 25th Room for Growth episode this week! Our hosts Billy and Billie share their MarTech resolutions for 2023 and reflect on what we learned in 2022. We’ll discuss how even amid unprecedented layoffs in the tech sector, brands should nonetheless invest in marketing strategies to deliver on — and exceed — customer expectations. That happens when companies get crystal clear on their “North Star” metrics and how those impact ROI. And (hint hint…), all that hard work all happens in Q1. Hot topics discussed:Consumers’ ris...2022-12-2118 min
Room For GrowthTelling Joyful Stories feat. Wicked Kitchen’s VP of Marketing Jeff TangGrocery shopping is one of Jeff Tang’s favorite past-times. As VP of Marketing and Revenue Generation for the plant-based food startup Wicked Kitchen, it’s a “lost art” that offers a window into the way CPG companies and consumers think. And, it’s one way that brands can build authentic connections with consumers — a strategy that underpins Jeff’s human-centric approach to digital marketing in the quick service retail (QSR) space. As a former Emmy-winning journalist who cut his marketing chops at General Mills and Clif Bar, Jeff believes marketing must fulfill consumers’ functional, social, and emotional needs fi...2022-12-1448 min
Room For GrowthDemystifying Customer Data Platforms feat. mParticle CEO Michael KatzThe customer data platform (CDP) space is crowded and confusing. Do CDPs drive ROI? Will they even be relevant in five years? (Spoiler alert: The answer to both questions is “Yes, and…”) This week, mParticle CEO Michael Katz brings clarity to what’s become a controversial topic in the technology space. At its core, mParticle is a CDP that gathers data across diverse sources and organizes that into individual profiles to inform audience segmentation, custom attributes, marketing redeploys, and more. Before Michael launched and grew mParticle, he founded InterCLICK, an advertising technology company that grew revenue by 7x in two...2022-12-0744 min
Room For GrowthVoice for Authenticity feat. Author and Hollywood Speech Coach Samara BayThe six different “likes” in the English language each have a functional purpose, explains speech and dialect coach Samara Bay, whose A-list clientele includes the likes of (ahem…) Rachel McAdams, Pierce Brosnan, Gal Gadot, and Keegan-Michael Key. For Samara, identity and voice are intertwined. Her work asks listeners to reimagine what we think strength, warmth, power, and passion sound like in settings that include the boardroom, big screen, campaign trail, and beyond. Samara’s forthcoming book Permission to Speak discusses voice standards and stories, historical biases, and how to establish ownership of our own voices. With Billy and Billi...2022-11-3044 min
Room For GrowthThe B2B Digital Revolution feat. AB InBev’s Jason LambertJason Lambert, VP of Beyond Labs and BEES at AB InBev, thinks of a customer data platform (CDP) as a circulatory system: it powers the instantaneous flow of data to all business functions. It’s not the “perfect” metaphor, he says, but it does summarize the impact of a platform that’s become a buzzword for marketers. Part of Jason’s role at the largest and oldest brewing company in the world involves a few more buzzwords that we can definitely get behind — empowerment, transparency, and inclusivity within the B2B e-commerce space. With over 500 iconic brands and 10 million...2022-11-2342 min
Room For GrowthFood is Fun feat. White Castle CMO Lynn BlashfordWhat drives the deep craving for a White Castle burger? Why do “Cravers” wait in line for hours, even days, before the opening of a new location? And how has the 101-year-old, family-owned hamburger chain — the first in America — facilitated collabs with the likes of PUMA and Wu-Tang Clan? For chief marketing officer Lynn Blashford, it’s a marketing special sauce that drives the brand to reach new heights in quick service retail (QSR) locations in the Midwest and coast-to-coast go-to grocery markets. Lynn and Billy discuss the niche, nuanced definition of a “cult-like” brand, the importance of trial-and-er...2022-11-1631 min
Room For GrowthAlways in Experimentation Mode feat. Amazon Music's Ashley EllebyAshley Elleby wants Amazon Music to differentiate rather than duplicate. As Global Head of Lifecycle Marketing at Amazon Music, she drives customer awareness of and engagement with the retailer’s ad-free and unlimited music streaming platform for Prime members. It’s a tall order, but as Ashley discusses, her bias toward action comes with a big reward: it’s the same “no fear” mindset she had as a college athlete, engineering student, MBA grad, fashion founder, former Google marketer, and mentor for underrepresented communities in tech. We’ll explore how Ashley helps Amazon Music surprise and delight its customers...2022-11-0949 min
Room For GrowthRule Number 1: Don’t Be Creepy feat. BilliexBillyEver get the feeling that Instagram is listening to you? It might be — or it might not. In the words of one of our favorite Facebook relationship statuses, it’s complicated. Here, our experts explore how customer data platforms (CDPs) can take out the “ick” factor for brands in search of more personalized, automated customer experiences.Guided by the use cases proposed in the MarTech article “19 CDP Use Cases That Can Annoy or Engage Your Audiences,” Billie and Billy break down when marketing and re-marketing tactics are creepy vs. cool, and when they’re annoying vs. appreciated. We’ll explore...2022-11-0223 min
Charlottesville Community EngagementOctober 27, 2022: WillowTree sold to Canadian company for $1.225 billion; Virginia transportation officials briefed on reasons for higher construction estimatesIn today’s newsletter:* Albemarle Police identify the victim of a homicide Tuesday * A first look at economic activity in the third quarter shows a return to growth after a decline in the second * A Canadian company has purchased WillowTree of Charlottesville for $1.23 billion* Charlottesville has selected a tree for holidays events to close out the year* The state’s transportation body takes a look at major macroeconomic conditions This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscri...2022-10-2713 min
Room For GrowthWeb3 is a Vibe feat. Serial Entrepreneur David LeibermanFor David Leiberman, Web3 and music share more similarities than differences. Notably, they connect, empower, and inspire. That’s at the core of the three chart-topping apps that David launched with co-founder Sammy Rubin: the kids’ music and illustration app Mibblio, short-form video creation, and editing platform Triller, and Disney Karaoke: Frozen (no explanation needed). Here, David reveals how he and co-creator Sammy Rubin’s products garnered accolades like the highest-grossing app in 100 countries and a surprise feature in the iOS App Store. Hint: it involves a little bit of marketing magic.Now, David’s about to launch a...2022-10-2645 min