Identifying the Audience Is Biggest Challenge of Branded Content

Jamie Israel, VP and Director of Global Marketing and Business Development, SPI Global

VP of global marketing for SPI Global says getting data on prospects is a significant hurdle for his organization. He hopes to learn about technologies that can address these challenges at FUSE Enterprise.

Marketers have long struggled to understand how their marketing efforts resonate with prospects, attempting to gather insights using consumer research panels and surveys. As the internet gained popularity, marketers turned to clicks, likes and impressions to measure interest. Still, knowing who those online users are and why they are drawn to one branded content piece vs. another is difficult to pin down.

“Getting data on who is interacting with our content and finding creative ways to get our content to prospects and customers are significant challenges,” says Jamie Israel, VP and director of global marketing and business development at SPI Global, a content software company.

That is one of the reasons Israel plans to attend FUSE Enterprise: The Convergence of Technology & Branded Content on November 27-28 in Philadelphia. The free, invite-only executive summit promises to educate marketing leaders on new technologies that are driving branded content forward and helping companies attract new audiences and convert them into paying customers.

In the following interview Israel explains why data, personalization, and artificial intelligence are top of mind for SPI Global and what he hopes to take away from attending FUSE Enterprise.

Learn more about FUSE Enterprise and see if you qualify to attend here.

What are the biggest challenges your organization faces when it comes to branded content and the technology that supports it?

Getting data on who is interacting with our content and finding creative ways to get our content to prospects and customers are significant challenges. The more we can learn about our audience, the more meaningful content we can deliver, and the more SPI Global can drive the interactions we want. It all comes down to being able to capture that data and having the tools in place to quickly react to what that data is telling us.

What types of technologies are you most excited about in terms of the potential to advance your branded content goals?

Technologies that help us better manage and understand our audience data are critical. A customer data platform could be a potential solution for data management. I’m interested in learning more about how this type of platform can work for our business. I also think artificial intelligence and personalization technologies can be real game-changers by helping us address the unique needs of our audience and increase engagement.

What do you hope to learn by attending FUSE Enterprise?

I hope to find cutting-edge technologies that I’m not aware of that can help us drive our marketing efforts. Searching for new solutions is incredibly time-consuming, so I look forward to being in the same room with multiple vendors and having candid conversations with them in the boardroom case studies and in one-on-one meetings. I’m also excited to learn what solutions my peers are using. I’ll be able to do months’ worth of research over the course of the two-day conference.

Why do you think it’s important for marketing executives to attend an event like FUSE Enterprise?

This type of event is invaluable for finding new ways to drive business. I’m aware of some of the newer technologies, but it’s hard to keep track of all of them and which ones can help us move the dial and fit our business. FUSE Enterprise will help SPI Global learn how our peers are overcoming challenges or taking advantage of new opportunities with technology. Plus, it’s a great opportunity to learn about technology that’s coming down the pipe. Any marketing executive would benefit from learning from their peers and getting ahead of the technology curve.