With a cookieless future on the horizon, some marketing pros may be dejectedly asking the question couched in the familiar children’s song: Who took the cookie from the cookie jar?
Technology has opened the door for extensive personalization in marketing tools, but with those opportunities come privacy concerns — some of which have led chief marketing officers across the industry to project and prepare for a phasing-out of personalized cookies in online marketing. Where does this leave companies in terms of their marketing approach?
Rather than wonder about the what-ifs of a cookieless marketing future, Amber Armstrong, CMO of LivePerson, is already asking questions about the balance between personalization and privacy: “In a cookieless world, how can we get to know customers well enough to deliver the customized journeys they want?”
One alternative route could lead marketers to artificial intelligence. In 2020, Salesforce’s State of Marketing report found 84 percent of marketers divulged that they are using AI in their work. And since then, their 2021 report noted that 60 percent of marketers have fully defined their AI strategy. For Armstrong in particular, conversational AI is a trend of interest, as it’s helping her team research how consumers react to the technology through the lens of privacy concerns.
Elsewhere, marketing teams might want to turn their attention to the rise of revenue operations or product-led growth — just a couple of the tech trends that Marc Johnson, CMO of Bombora, is paying attention to.
We spoke with these two CMOs about the methods and trends that are shaping the way they approach and develop their techniques and how they’re keeping tabs on marketing’s ever-changing landscape. As for the cookies in the cookie jar, expect them to be phased out as martech embraces new technologies.
What are some of the innovative methods or technologies you’re currently using to reach potential customers?
We have a three-pronged approach: aligned, agile and aspirational.
In alignment, we’re prioritizing investments and building our demand engine to benefit the broader company strategy. In that second element, we’re using an agile-lite approach for now, infusing simple things like looking a week back and ahead and always calling out trends in outcomes. As we build our team, we’ll have a more formal sprint process. In terms of aspirations, we’re revisiting branding and positioning to ensure everything showcases our exceptional customers.
More tactically, we’re rolling out an account-based marketing approach, leveraging some of the best data science I’ve encountered. We’re in the process of building out campaigns and finding creative ways to personalize experiences. LivePerson has a heritage of amazing high-touch executive events. We shifted those to virtual, still maintaining the high-touch experience, and have gone back to face-to-face events in small, industry-focused formats. We’re so happy to see our customers in their cities, and I have to say, they’re excited to see us as well.
How do you stay abreast of the latest trends in marketing and evaluate whether a new technique or piece of technology might work for your team?
I read constantly, but most importantly, I stay connected to an amazing set of industry peers. I have a small group of marketing friends that connects every other Friday. We have an extraordinary amount of trust, and we help each other solve problems. At a CMO level, it can be a bit lonely, so having that trusted circle is critical.
On a day-to-day basis, I listen to lots of podcasts and take regular training. I’ve sent our full product marketing team, along with their product peers, to Pragmatic Marketing training — and I took it right along with them for a third time. I work hard to showcase my learning so that the team sees I come from a learn-it-all approach, not a know-it-all approach.
Our most recent global survey found that 76% of consumers are concerned about cookies, but 62% are comfortable sharing information with brands.”
What technology trends are you currently following in the marketing space?
We’re closely following how marketing is changing as we move toward a cookieless world. Here’s the paradox we as marketers face: Consumers are demanding personalized experiences, but they’re also increasingly demanding that brands respect their privacy.
The trend toward conversational AI, which helps scale natural-feeling conversations with customers through the power of AI and automation, is one to watch. In fact, as a leader in this space, we’ve been researching how consumers react to conversations versus cookies when it comes to privacy. Our most recent global survey found that 76 percent of consumers are concerned about cookies, but 62 percent are comfortable sharing information with brands when asked directly in a messaging conversation. What’s more, 58 percent said they are comfortable with brands proactively messaging them with customized sales, coupons or offers — and we’re just in the early days of this technology. The cookieless world is coming, so balancing personalization with privacy will require new approaches.
What are some of the innovative methods or technologies you’re currently using to reach potential customers?
Broadly, we try to deliver more value, relevance and usefulness when engaging with B2B marketing and sales teams who might benefit from working with us. We use three specific methods for this:
A strong partner ecosystem using joint marketing programs such as webinars and case studies helps spread the work and investment across multiple marketing teams. Partnerships also show potential customers how different solutions can work together.
Next we focus on customer advocacy and education. Many of our customers believe in educating the marketplace on how to improve practices and processes. Our approach is to facilitate and amplify this by getting varied groups of customers together as much as possible.
And of course, there’s intent data. Identifying companies that are in the buying process makes targeting and sales outreach more relevant and effective.
We focus on customer advocacy and education. Many of our customers believe in educating the marketplace on how to improve practices and processes.”
How do you stay abreast of the latest trends in marketing tech and evaluate whether a new technique or piece of technology might work for your team?
A strong partner ecosystem based on interoperability and portability of our data means that new technologies often come to us. That inbound flow — plus the sophistication of our customers, who keep us pushing forward — helps us understand new technologies and techniques.
What technology trends are you currently following in the marketing space?
These top three are closely connected: account-based everything, the data and process orchestration required to enable that type of marketing, and the rise of revenue operations.
Other trends include the future of cookieless digital targeting and measurement, product-led marketing, and the use of deepfakes in marketing materials.
The common theme is how marketers can improve the customer experience in a meaningful way. The adage, “help, don’t sell” was never more appropriate than it is today, so anything that enables brands to better understand and quickly act on customer needs is on our radar.
