Agency influencer Q&A with Suzy Deering, CEO at Moxie

Wednesday, 13 November 2013

Suzy Deering (@SMD4Dogs) is a marketing communications pro with 21 years of expertise across television, newspapers, magazines, billboards and digital media. As CEO of Moxie, she combines the power of television and Twitter to score for long-time clients like Verizon. We talked with her about recent wins and her big “aha” moment about Twitter.

@TwitterAds: Twitter has become a cornerstone of your efforts with Verizon, among other clients. Tell us more about that.

@SMD4Dogs: I’ve been working with Verizon in various capacities for about 15 years. Audiences interested in sports are a sweet spot for the brand. Lately I’ve found the combination of ads during sports on TV and Twitter really powerful for them.

Two recent campaigns are the College Football Amplify and NFL Amplify campaigns, part of the Twitter Amplify partnership program. Using Twitter, we distributed content that was relevant on a personal, one-to-one basis.

We considered three factors: passionate college football fans; Verizon’s mobile users; and partnerships with sports networks such as ESPN. We had a lot of assets to work with in terms of leveraging the strengths of Twitter. We tapped into media multi-taskers with a passion for sports, using a variety of platforms simultaneously.

@TwitterAds: What were your key performance indicators (KPIs) for these campaigns?

@SMD4Dogs: Twitter exceeded Verizon’s objectives due in large part to the synergies between Twitter and sports fans. For the College Football program, Verizon saw engagement rates that were 32% higher than the brand’s average benchmarks. For the NFL program, Verizon engagement rates were 68% higher than its normal benchmarks. These numbers reflect the powerful relationship we’re seeing between TV and Twitter.

@TwitterAds: How do you measure the value of Twitter?

@SMD4Dogs: For Verizon specifically, Twitter is definitely a great investment. For these two recent Amplify campaigns, we gained broad consumer engagement (80-plus percent) on wireless devices. As people were watching sports and engaging on their wireless devices, we were watching the mobile commerce click-through and it was a worthwhile exercise, from tracking and ultimately through to conversion processes. But we also looked at impressions and engagement across platforms.

Twitter is absolutely a cross-screen play. It also capitalizes on the moment. On Twitter, advertisers can react the second something surprising or unexpected occurs.

@TwitterAds: How do you “plan for the moment” on Twitter?

@SMD4Dogs: I guess I’d say that plan for the moment can feel like an oxymoron. However, we do have an agency infrastructure established that evaluates the success of programs and is standing by with a content factory that makes sure assets are fresh, changed up as necessary, and producing results in terms of engagement. So in that way, we do plan for the moment.

@TwitterAds: As a CEO of an agency, what are your top tips for success on Twitter?

@SMD4Dogs: First off, I’d say think of Twitter as a key part of your strategy, not a side note. We use Twitter as an integral strategy and distribution platform, whether that means offers, promotions, content, or high-level branding. We use Promoted Tweets often. Also, I’d say build a team poised to react to deliver on the expectations of audiences and clients.

My big “aha” is that Twitter has become an ideal way to sear brands into the minds of consumers. I love the fact that digital and social channels like Twitter are affecting old school, “pixie dust” measurements such as TV ratings, with more precision and clarity.