Although he recognized that transformation is a word that industry has said a lot during conferences, it will continue – but it will change. “This will not be the loyalty program, electronic commerce and delivery. There is no doubt that they will be at the top, but we will extend the discussion around technology to include these big words: Automation, mobile- first platforms and cybersecurity, “he said during the panel,” Success: The Power of CMO & Cio Collaboration “.
Looking at the roles of the CMO and the IOC, Sebastian noted some differences:
- Marketing leaders are good for painting a vision and a strategy because they are very customer -oriented and they look in the future.
- Technology leaders are strategic and think about things very logically. They have had to adapt to many changes in recent years and they have been designed in terms of technical expertise, change management and resource optimization.
“We have to start merging these skills,” he said. “These new technologies will require marketing and technology to work closely.
But how does an organization get there? A shared vision, a confidence, a communication and shared objectives, added Sebastian.
On the right track at Racetrac
According to Ryan Blumenthal, director of marketing technology and digital customer experience at Racetrac Inc.The role of marketing has evolved over the years as the importance of personalization has increased.
“Our guests today expect a personal experience of the brands they love and we focus on this personalization,” he said. “This is something that we have learned a lot in the past year.”
The conduct of this personalization, explained that Tyler Grubbs, executive director of digital technology and stores at Racetrac, is data. “It is not only who they are, but the opportunity of the trip. Where are they during the trip? In the end, how to collect more data, action and enrich it? Without this foundation, you Go throw large nets, “he said.
An example of growing relationships between technology and marketing is the recent deployment of racetrac New generation mobile application.
In May 2024, the Atlanta -based convenience retailer unveiled an improved mobile application experience for its loyal customers. The Racetrac Rewards Redessed application improves the “Why Get You Going” convenience brand thanks to improved features and new features, the company said at the time.
As Blumenthal noted, Racetrac knew that there were problems with its mobile application, namely stability and slowness problems, and people did not know how to use it. During the development of the new generation application, the retailer focused on personalization, better accessibility, a simplified loyalty experience and an awareness of the closest store search with the desired features and equipment.
To judge by the positive response of customers, Grubbs described the project “to testify to the vision and strategic priorities of the organization” superimposed with the contribution of the marketing team on important functionalities and the experiences they wanted Bring through this application.
“And then finally, the collaboration to transform these strategies into functionality into real deliverables from the point of view of the code was incredible to see,” he said, adding that the project had the adhesion of the global organization.
The annual Conexxus 2025 conference took place from January 26 to 30 at Loews Ventana Canyon in Tucson.