Search & Advertising: Cooking Up The Future Of Digital
Every month the FedEx Digital Search & Advertising team does something you might not expect — they cook dinner for each other. To be more precise, they hold a cook-off complete with a scorecard.
“We are a really ambitious group of people,” explains Lauryan, Global Manager, Search and Advertising. But this team’s drive isn’t limited to dinner. By day they’re cooking up the future of digital advertising.
What’s that look like exactly? Lauryan has the simplest explanation. “If someone searches how to ship something from A to B, it is our job to be sure our information is visible and relevant to them.”
“We analyse search patterns and optimise TNT and FedEx pages,” adds Loek, one of the team’s three SEO specialists. “Our analysing and optimising is a continuous process. We are making sure our customers have a great experience. If the customers like what they see and experience, they commit to the product and become loyal customers.”
The right recipe for great customer experience
Today, the team is made up of nine employees. But this story really starts back in 2015, when Lauryan was tasked with assembling all the Search & Advertising ingredients from scratch. Together they have come a long way, taking on the major transition of TNT into FedEx while navigating rapid-fire changes in digital advertising trends. Plus, all of this is happening on a global scale. The team agrees this is the most challenging and rewarding aspect of their work.
“There is no one size fits all approach. I am always thinking about how to localise the messaging,” says Erwin, the team’s Senior Advertising Specialist. Search & Advertising works with more than 55 countries, balancing their approach across diverse cultures and languages. Many of which they are not familiar with themselves.
Loek describes their work as complex, yet satisfying. “People underestimate the complexities of working globally, explaining your work and getting others to work on it with us.”
The many flavours of Search & Advertising
Managing all of this successfully requires a broad range of skills and personalities. Lauryan, the team’s head chef (so to speak), says this mix of individuals is ideal. He describes himself as having a dry sense of humour. “And I like to be hands-on with the nerdy stuff.”
Erwin, on the other hand, says he is more the introverted, silent type. However, he is not shy about speaking up for display advertising. As the only person in the building tasked with leveraging FedEx Digital within the digital advertising ecosystem, he says he finds it important to keep evangelising the success and opportunities in display advertising.
Loek says he is known for being a bit competitive and ambitious. “We all want to achieve and are very results and data driven. Yet, we are also very supportive of each other. Everyone is willing to jump in and use their skills and knowledge to help each other, beyond what they are required to do.”
“As a team we are eager to change things and to continue to put the focus on digital,” agrees Erwin. I think the most valuable aspect is that we are a group with very diverse skill sets. We really benefit from learning from each other.”
Getting these flavours right is what Lauryan says he is most proud of. “No one on the team has a background in this kind of industry, yet we have continuously exceeded expectations. Even when we aim higher we exceed those expectations.”
And the cook-off winner is…
When the team judges their dinner competition, the scorecard isn’t solely focused on the food. They also give merit to the ambiance of the meal. At work, it is no different. The team says what is happening all around FedEx Digital truly creates the ‘winning’ experience.
Loek describes an atmosphere of personal growth. “If you want to try something new or develop yourself you will find support.”
“We’re given the freedom and support to grow as people and professionals,” Erwin adds. “If you have a good idea you will probably get to go ahead with it.”
Want to help cook up the future of digital at FedEx? We are always looking for diverse talents, and flavours, to add to the recipe. Check out our latest job openings, here.
