Julia Smith
VP, Technology, Epsilon
Winning ways: Today technology is at the fore of most every marketing campaign. And few understand the importance of marketing tech more than Smith does. She says the most effective campaigns are enabled by technology—which can curb costs, expand reach, and allow immediate customer response. Each day Smith attempts to transform traditional campaigns by infusing them with modern technology, such as real-time tools. She says technology is at the core of some of today’s most successful strategies and boosts the effectiveness of dynamic content, loyalty programs, and incentive offers. The technological savant played a vital role in the creation and launch of Walgreens’ Balance Rewards program, the nation’s largest loyalty program and a conduit for Walgreens to market to its customers in real time on a national scale.
Defining moment: “I would say the defining moment in my professional life came when I got a chance to lead the team supporting our work [at Epsilon] for FedEx. We got a chance to build technical solutions to support their campaigns and marketing initiatives. That was the moment that I got a chance to really build up my experience and reputation as the go-to person to implement tech solutions.”
Words to live by: “Don’t ask others to do what you wouldn’t do yourself.”—4th grade teacher
Head swivel: “A trend in the market that I’m pretty excited to be a part of is the constant push for brands to use data and technology to be more relevant to customers. Data and technology allow brands to interact with customers on the right channel, [at the right] time, and with the right message.”
Good advice: “Take the time to understand the meaning behind the request. Understand the project and get feedback.”
First job: “Dairy Queen. I served up soft serve. I can honestly say that’s where I first learned about good customer service.”
On your nightstand: Igniting Customer Connections: Fire Up Your Company’s Growth by Multiplying Customer Experience & Engagement by Andrew Frawley
Click or tap here to read the stories behind the successes of the other Direct Marketing News 2014 40 Under 40 winners.
