MAY - 2023MARTECHOUTLOOK.COM8IN MY OPINIONMARKETING ADVOCATING FOR THE CUSTOMERS, CAPTURING THE ESSENCE OF CUSTOMER AMBITIONBy David Hirsch, Head of Marketing & Insights Australia Pacific, QBE InsuranceDavid Hirsch, an industry expert, leads the marketing and insights function across Australia & the Pacific at QBE Insurance. He is a proficient leader with a proven record of promoting material growth, optimizing marketing functions, and delivering performance impacts for leading global brands.What are some of the major challenges and trends that have been impacting the digital marketing space?One of the biggest changes is the advent of the `cookie-less future,' which is partly here now with Apple and partly on the ever-shifting horizon, with Google recently announcing that they will further delay their implementation to 2024. What this is really about is 1st vs. 3rd party data and improving privacy and security for individuals. Now marketing should be advocating for the customer, so the real challenge for Chief Marketing Officers and marketers is how to curate an outstanding personalized, authentic, and relevant customer experience without access to 3rd party data and when (1st party) data is not complete. Personally, I believe this is ultimately a good change for consumers and individuals and a positive forced change for marketers and organisations. I say this because change is uncomfortable, but it `usually' leads to improvements, optimization, and opportunity. For too long, marketers have relied on 3rd party data, and this has meant they have not invested in their own data capability, and it has led to complacency. The rise of the Customer Data Platform (CDP) is intrinsically linked to these changes, and if they had been implemented sooner, then marketers and organizations would have moved down this path sooner. The benefits of these changes do not only rest with the customer. Using 1st party data allows organizations to take control of their own data, privacy, and security strategies.What keeps you up at night regarding some of the major predicaments in the digital marketing space?Having come from an ecommerce and digital marketing background and then gradually being exposed to all of the marketing, I really do believe that marketing is now digital rather than digital marketing. Funnily enough, your first question led me to talk about what I am concerned about. As a marketer, I believe in only promoting products and services you personally believe in David Hirsch
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