Marketing Re-Imagined: Jon Schulz Of Viant Technology On How We Can Re-Imagine The Marketing Industry To Make It More Authentic, Sustainable, And Promote More Satisfaction
An Interview With Drew Gerber
Focus on the Human-Experience (People-Based): In a world where third-party cookies are becoming obsolete, marketers are now focusing more on authentic consumer connections. Taking a people-based advertising approach helps brands connect with real people in a privacy friendly manner, across all of their devices and better manage customer relationships through accurate reach and frequency. This allows customers to feel more connected and satisfied with their advertising experiences.
From an objective standpoint, we are living in an unprecedented era of abundance. Yet so many of us are feeling unsatisfied. Why are we seemingly so insatiable? Do you feel that marketing has led to people feeling unsatisfied and not having enough in life? If so, what actions can marketers take to create a world where people feel that they have enough, and they are enough? Can we re-imagine what marketing looks like and how it makes people feel? In this interview series, we are talking to experts in marketing and branding to discuss how we might re-imagine marketing to make it more authentic, sustainable, and promote more satisfaction. As a part of this series, I had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Jon Schulz.
Jon Schulz serves as CMO of Viant Technology leading Brand, Growth and Product Marketing, Communications, Creative Services and Strategic Partnerships. He is also a university lecturer and advisor for early stage startups injecting technology into legacy automotive business practices. Jon earned a MBA from Indiana University and BSBA from Central Michigan University.
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Before we dive in, our readers would love to know how you got from “there to here.” Inspire us with your backstory!
My path, like most, is very unique. I started as a software engineer pre-internet working in a client-server environment (apologies to your younger readers) in the pharmaceutical industry. I went back to grad school and earned an MBA in Marketing as I was more interested in the challenges of my internal clients than my role in software development. Post-MBA, I spent 12 years in automotive Sales and Marketing with a number of roles in digital leveraging my technical background, ultimately running U.S. Digital Marketing and CRM for a major auto company. It was then that I decided I was more driven by the pace of digital than automotive and made the pivot to ad tech. I’ve been with Viant Technology for nearly 15 years and have very much enjoyed both the professional growth and challenges along the way.
Can you please tell us about your typical day? What day-to-day structures do you have in place for you to experience a fulfilled life?
Like most, there is no typical day. I focus on balancing my passion for my work with that of spending quality time with my family while pursuing an active lifestyle. I lead a young, but enthusiastic and skilled team at Viant. As a challenger brand in the ad tech space dominated by the largest companies in the world, we are focused on gaining outsized exposure for the great programs and innovations we bring to market. Much of my day is focused on enabling the team to deliver at the highest level while removing any roadblocks that may stand in the way of achieving our collective goals. My professional satisfaction comes from seeing the growth and accomplishments of the team while we deliver measurable impact on behalf of Viant.
What lessons would you share with yourself if you had the opportunity to meet your younger self?
Simply stated, be willing to take more risks. I started my career in very large, Fortune 100 corporations which were great training grounds for building expertise and skills. However, they were very often overly conservative in terms of new ideas and approaches in favor of long-standing, proven processes. When I stepped into a more entrepreneurial environment, I really thrived and was able to see my personal impact while being given the freedom to experiment and learn. It is not about change for change sake, but more about finding the environment where your skills, abilities and desires align while understanding there is no substitute for hard work and perseverance.
Ok, thank you for sharing that. Now let’s discuss marketing. To begin, can you share with our readers a bit about why you are an authority on marketing?
As Chief Marketing Officer at Viant for the past 9 years, I’m in charge of leading brand and product marketing, demand generation, corporate communications, strategic partnerships and creative services. I’ve had experience working in automotive marketing, digital advertising and advanced analytics. During my tenure as CMO at Viant, I have led a comprehensive company rebranding and repositioning initiative while driving growth and recognition of Vaint’s people-based, demand side platform (DSP), Adelphic®. As the lead marketer within a company focused on leveraging big data and analytics to drive efficient media spend, I also oversee numerous thought leadership and research initiatives designed to provide actionable data to brand marketers using Viant’s people-based insights. I took my experience and knowledge to design and teach a Digital Marketing Analytics course at the University of Michigan to share my techniques with the next generation of digital marketers.
Throughout history, marketing has driven trade for humans. What role do you see that marketing has played in creating the human experience?
From the types of clothing we buy to the destinations we choose to vacation, marketing has consistently played a role in how humans interact with each other and the products around them. As marketing has developed, that emphasis on the human experience and human interactions has only grown. Advertising is everywhere we look and it has the ability to not only shift with the times, but also shape how we perceive and interact with the world through storytelling and relationship building.
Many 21st-century marketing professionals in a capitalistic society will discuss solving human “pain points” as a way to sell products, services, and other wares successfully. In your opinion or experience, has aggravating pain points led to more pain? Can you explain what you mean?
I believe that most good companies focus on delivering products and services that fill a real or perceived need which is what drives demand. The marketing function is there to drive awareness that the product or service exists, the benefits and/or differentiation and why a consumer should consider this product or service and ultimately create demand. Sometimes these can be real health issues or they may just be daily conveniences.
Okay, fantastic. Here is the main question of our interview: It seems as if we have never stopped to question marketing. In your opinion, how can marketing professionals be more responsible for how their advertising shapes our human experience? Based on your experience and your area of expertise can you please share “Five Ways We Can Re-Imagine The Marketing Industry To Make It More Authentic, Sustainable, And Promote More Satisfaction”? Please share a story or an example for each if you can.
1 . Make Digital Advertising More Sustainable: Over 5 tons of CO2 are emitted as a result of a typical digital ad campaign. More and more, marketers and consumers alike are focused on investing in suppliers that are making an effort to lessen their output of emissions. Creating programs with sustainability at the core is one way to lessen the environmental impact from the adtech industry. Viant, for example, recently unveiled our new Adtricity program, which focuses on efficiently delivering clean energy credits that are generated from a customer’s media spending. In turn, these credits can then be applied to our client’s corporate sustainability goals that are unique to each client. Viant’s investment in these clean energy credits further aids in expansion and development of more clean energy infrastructure which is critical to becoming truly carbon neutral.
2 . Support Partnerships that Benefit Sustainability: The digital advertising industry is in a great position to enact impactful change. But this change cannot be done individually. Working together will enable the ad tech industry to reach sustainability goals faster and more effectively. For example, Viant recently partnered with industry-leading sustainability groups such as Ad Net Zero and IAB Green Initiative to ensure that we are collaborating with like-minded companies to drive change and appropriately address this widespread industry challenge. It is not enough to simply change individually, we must change collectively.
3 . Focus on the Human-Experience (People-Based): In a world where third-party cookies are becoming obsolete, marketers are now focusing more on authentic consumer connections. Taking a people-based advertising approach helps brands connect with real people in a privacy friendly manner, across all of their devices and better manage customer relationships through accurate reach and frequency. This allows customers to feel more connected and satisfied with their advertising experiences.
4 . Eliminate Media Waste: 4% of global GHG emissions come from the internet — more than the aviation industry. Within digital advertising, there remains a decent amount of media waste due to a messy supply chain and unnecessary data processing and storage. When advertisers take steps to ensure they can provide targeted advertising to prospective customers based on factors such as purchase intent and DSPs link directly with publishers eliminating unneeded intermediaries, the number of ads that are wasted lowers. Purchase-based targeting reduces waste, drives measurable increases in media productivity and ultimately increases top-line revenue and bottom-line performance while simultaneously working to lessen the environmental impact.
5 . Create Ways for Consumers to Feel Empowered: Ultimately, the goal of advertisements is to influence consumers to purchase or engage in a company’s brand. In recent years, it’s become increasingly important to create campaigns that encourage customers to feel empowered. One way to achieve this is to make sure consumers know they are engaging with corporations that are taking the proper precautions and steps to lessen their environmental impact. As it becomes more necessary for brands to build true connections with their consumers, taking steps and being transparent about sustainability efforts will help to foster long-term trust and connection.
Do you have any favorite books, podcasts, or resources that have inspired you about marketing differently?
For me, this is a very diverse list and I tap into many different sources of information and inspiration. That said, Steve Jobs was definitely one of my favorites in terms of his vision for what a brand can and should be…focusing less on product features and more on how it makes you feel and what it represents. Nike is another brand that is a role model in this area. Marketing is critical, but it always starts with a great product or service.
You are a person of great influence. If you could start a movement to reimagine marketing, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. :-)
Sticking with our theme here, it is really about going beyond your messaging and promotions and really understanding your environmental impact and how you can be better in that area as a marketer. We can all improve and we have one planet. Reflect on your own efforts to leave things better than you found them and it will make a difference.
What is the best way for our readers to continue to follow your work online?
You can follow our work here: https://www.viantinc.com/
This was very inspiring. Thank you so much for the time you spent on this. We wish you only continued success.
About The Interviewer: For 30 years, Drew Gerber has been inspiring those who want to change the world. Drew is the CEO of Wasabi Publicity, Inc., a full-service PR agency lauded by PR Week and Good Morning America. Wasabi Publicity, Inc. is a global marketing company that supports industry leaders, change agents, unconventional thinkers, companies and organizations that strive to make a difference. Whether it’s branding, traditional PR or social media marketing, every campaign is instilled with passion, creativity and brilliance to powerfully tell their clients’ story and amplify their intentions in the world. Schedule a free consultation at WasabiPublicity.com/Choosing-Publicity.
