DMWF North America: Q&A with Inga Romanoff
Marketing Automation mafia and Black Belt #Marketo and #Salesforce, Inga Romanoff is the CEO of Romanoff Consultants. Romanoff Consultants works across industries and continents and specializes in quickly deciphering clients’ business models to deliver successful solutions to help our clients achieve their business goals.
We’re delighted that Inga will be joining the #DMWF team for another year in New York on the 11 – 12 September as our Data & Disruptive Tech Chair!
It was great to catch up with Inga ahead of the conference and find out her thoughts on the digital marketing landscape, what us marketeers should be looking out for in the future and what she is most looking forward to seeing at #DMWF North America on 11 – 12 September!
Hi Inga, we’re excited to have you joining us at #DMWF in September!
Which digital marketing trend has impacted your campaigns the most in 2019?
There are two major forces I’d like to call out for 2019. One being GDPR, as well as the resurgence of permission-based marketing. Businesses are under pressure to do better, more relevant and meaningful marketing; it’s no longer just a luxury, or nice-to-have. There are real, significant consequences for breaking consumer trust. Take Cambridge Analytica for example, or GDPR fines levied on Google and British Airways. Marketers need to be in the driver’s seat when it comes to data privacy and compliance.
Another key trend that has made a big impact this year is the emergence of smaller, more niche events – especially in the MarTech and customer experience space. More and more we are seeing non-vendor driven conferences and roadshows; these are intimate and authentic events that promote candid conversations on the state of marketing, and really help decipher the true best practices from the noise.
How do you feel digital marketing will change in the next couple of years?
I feel that any more changes happen in as short 6 to 9 months, shifts that may dramatically change the entire industry. I foresee continued consolidation among the MarTech and business operations platforms, potentially the emergence of a new major social media platform that will once again change how consumers connect and how brands market and advertise. With privacy regulations evolving, there likely to be a big tug-of-war game between digital advancement and the privacy of consumer data. What we won’t expect to change in the next 5 to 10 years is the change itself. Digital will continue to be in a constant state of flux, and companies both large and small will have to work diligently to keep their customers happy.
What can our community learn from you at your session/panel at DMWF North America?
I am chairing the Data and Disruptive Tech Track at DMWF this year and am so excited about the lineup! First, we have Aurora Morales, from Google talking about the latest in website security and how site owners can protect themselves and their business from today’s sophisticated threats and cyber attacks. We’ll have John Hickey of Castrol hosting a session on one of my favorite disruptive technologies: VR/Virtual Reality. My session track will also include high-profile panels covering AI and holistic digital marketing strategies – you can see the entire speaker list here.
Who else on our DMWF North America speaker line up are you looking forward to learning from?
Another session in the Data and Disruptive Tech Track that I am looking forward to is “Algorithm vs: Data”, an AI-focused talk presented by Anindya Data, CEO of Mobilewalla. AI is rapidly becoming the key driver to business transformation, and while it may seem like all buzzwords and pie-in-the-sky goals, there are real ways business can apply AI in their day-to-day operations. I recently wrote in an article for Martech Advisor, where I assert that it will be the marriage of AI and human intelligence that will truly lead to innovation for tomorrow’s market leaders. This session will dig into the nitty gritty of what to do before and during the implementation of AI.
Like a prize boxer, you are the undisputed heavyweight in your field. If you had a walk-in song, what would it be?
I can’t think of one! I love all music, so whatever is on the radio would be great.
Anything else that attendees should be thinking about?
I’d like to underscore the importance of data privacy and data-first marketing as one of the tent-pole initiatives that businesses need to be thinking about today. Educating yourself and your company, taking a leadership position in the industry, or hiring specialist consultants; basically, leverage any resources you can and don’t simply rely on legal or IT to lead this. This is a whole new way that we need to be thinking of marketing and advertising – the technology is evolving at exponential rates, and we need to know how this impacts us, and how it impacts our data.
Thank you Inga! We look forward to seeing you for #DMWF North America on 11 – 12 September in New York.
Learn more about of Data & Disruptive Tech track, #DMWF and how you can get your ticket here.
