Marketers on Fire in 2022
Chief Marketer’s monthly Marketers on Fire series spotlights high-level marketing executives at the top of their game, leading agile teams, harnessing innovation and embracing the latest marketing trends that move the needle for their brands. Thus far this year, we’ve delved into the data-driven strategies honed by ZenBusiness CMO Ryan Pitylak, the pandemic-inspired pivots helmed by Labcorp CMO Amy Summy, the Drone Racing League’s social media success led by CMO Anne Marie Gianutsos, and plenty more. Explore the winning strategies used by these industry heavyweights and others in our latest roundup of chief marketers killing the game.
At a time when scores of consumers are reevaluating their occupations and considering employment options that are more rewarding and meaningful to them, owning a platform that helps entrepreneurs start and run new businesses is not a bad place to be. One such platform, ZenBusiness, has reaped the benefits, reporting a 400 percent growth in customers since March 2020. According to brand surveys, 49 percent of its customers say the pandemic gave them the inspiration to start their own business.
But marketing the service poses a unique set of challenges. We spoke with ZenBusiness Co-founder and CMO Ryan Pitylak about the company’s marketing journey; why emotionally-resonant creative is so critical to the brand-building process; the significance of unit economics and lifetime value metrics; and how the brand is approaching identity-based measurement.
PepsiCo FoodService CMO Scott Finlow
PepsiCo Foodservice, which counts restaurants, hotels, universities and the like as customers, is acutely aware of evolving consumer preferences—and for that reason, it’s hyper-focused on delivering technological innovations to meet those consumer needs.
Take the consumer delivery preferences that have evolved during the pandemic: 70 percent of U.S. adults are ordering delivery or takeout at least once a week, and two thirds of U.S. adults are choosing a specific restaurant because of their delivery options, according to PepsiCo Foodservice CMO Scott Finlow. We spoke with him about the company’s marketing priorities for 2022, how it’s leveraging consumer insights to launch new digital-first technologies and the role that sustainability and purpose play in the brand’s marketing strategies.
The wireless service provider space is a crowded and competitive one. So for Visible, an all-digital carrier powered by Verizon’s network, the goal is to devise innovative ways to cut through the clutter, often with tongue-in-cheek creative. Look no further than its unlimited “eyebrowsing” campaign, fronted by the brow-endowed star of “Schitt’s Creek,” Daniel Levy, where consumers could literally scroll through a website using their eyebrows. (Not kidding.)
Visible recently developed a campaign that catered to singles, a target market that might find its low-cost, single-line plan featuring unlimited data appealing. Ahead of what’s likely to be an expensive wedding season that benefits everyone but single people, the brand teamed up with Match Group’s portfolio of dating sites to create a registry for singles, featuring gifts like a pair of “Mine” and “Also Mine” tea towels, matching merch for a single and their pet, and a chance to win a gift card to Airbnb for a “Single Moon” of their choice.
We spoke with Visible CMO Cheryl Gresham about the campaign’s brand awareness play, the brand’s plans to build community among its customers, marketing lessons learned from her time at TikTok and how Visible is approaching the industry’s measurement challenges.
The collective health of the globe’s population has been thrust into the spotlight over the past two years. But the result of our increased focus on battling one particular virus—albeit justified—has been the postponement of preventative and routine healthcare. According to a study from the Journal of the American Medical Association cited by Labcorp, one in five adults delayed their healthcare and 57 percent of adults experienced negative health consequences as a result. Market research conducted by the brand also indicated adults’ limited understanding of routine healthcare tests and treatments.
With its latest campaign, “Make Way For Better,” Labcorp is seeking to educate consumers on preventative care while also pointing to its consumer testing line, Labcorp on Demand. We spoke with Amy Summy, Labcorp’s first CMO (who joined the company right at the onset of the pandemic, no less) about the campaign’s strategic goals, lessons learned from its first foray in influencer marketing, how its purpose has evolved and the company’s strategy for growth.
Drone Racing League CMO Anne Marie Gianutsos
According to a fan study conducted by Wasserman and the Drone Racing League, approximately 800 million people across the globe between the ages of 16 and 34 are enamored with technology, but not when it comes to traditional sports. However, this group still craves tech-driven competition, innovation, gaming and cryptocurrency.
Enter the “tech-setters,” the target demo the Drone Racing League has set its sights on. And if the impressive growth experienced over the past year is any indicator, it’s been pretty successful at it. We spoke with Drone Racing League CMO Anne Marie Gianutsos about the property’s explosive growth, the expanded partnership with the U.S. Air Force announced this week, how it engages fans on social and its plans to compete in the metaverse.
