Home > Companies > C-Suite On Deck > Q&A with Daniel Rodriguez, Chief Marketing Officer at Simplr.ai

Q&A with Daniel Rodriguez, Chief Marketing Officer at Simplr.ai

Media 7 | August 27, 2021

Daniel Rodriguez, Chief Marketing Officer at Simplr.ai, has also served as VP of Marketing for Seismic and as co-founder of multiple companies including Indivly Magic and PrizeTube. He is currently also an official member of the Forbes Communications Council.

You invest so much energy and effort into solving an important problem for your client, but often you don’t get to see the results because you’ve moved on to the next client, or it could take years for your recommendations to play out.



MEDIA 7: Could you please take us through your professional journey?
DANIEL RODRIGUEZ: I started my career in strategy consulting, which was exciting and challenging but ultimately unfulfilling. You invest so much energy and effort into solving an important problem for your client, but often you don’t get to see the results because you’ve moved on to the next client, or it could take years for your recommendations to play out. I then moved on to investment management, where I could put my analytical skills to better use in allocating money. What I didn’t realize is that in finance it takes even longer to see the fruits of your labor and the benefits you’ve brought to clients than it does in strategy consulting!

While working in finance, I began moonlighting for a wine tech startup. That’s where I got hooked on the adrenaline rush of startup life, where a company can grow in a matter of months. I went to business school to transition my career into startups and haven’t looked back. After failing to get my own startup off the ground at MIT Sloan, I joined Seismic, a B2B enterprise SaaS company, as head of marketing and I’ve been leading marketing efforts at high-growth tech companies for the past 9 years.


M7: How does Simplr help companies expand their customer service capacity and engage customers with speed, empathy, and precision?
DR: What we realized is that there is a new customer, the NOW Customer that lives online and has massive expectations around CX. Think Veruca Salt in Willy Wonka: “I want my golden goose, and I want it now!” Old, rigid service and support models--think BPOs that require months of hands-on training or old, traditional contact centers that value agent productivity while sacrificing customer satisfaction--simply could not meet the demands of the NOW customer. So, we created a new model combining people, technology and intelligence to exceed their demands and give our customers an unfair advantage over the competition. At the heart of our NOW CX platform is the Simplr Human Cloud Network. It’s a completely distributed workforce with no fixed hours or wages and can scale to meet our customer’s needs any time of day, no matter the demand. They are empowered by a machine-enabled platform that provides guidance and brand-specific information needed to offer an exceptional customer experience every single time. This means no traditional training or coaching for our specialists. Instead, they are smarter and faster right out of the gate. Not only does the platform uses AI to ensure and scale the service quality of our entire network, but it also includes business intelligence to provide customers with the insights they need to proactively improve the overall service.


The fact is that consumers have little patience for anything other than consistently exceptional experiences when it comes to how they interact with brands.



M7: Congratulations on Simplr being shortlisted in the 2021 SaaS Awards Program in the Best Product for Customer Services / CRM category! What was the strategy behind achieving this prestigious recognition?
DR: Thank you! We are very proud of the recognition. Ultimately, we were able to effectively showcase to the award judges the incredible potential of NOW CX. The fact is that consumers have little patience for anything other than consistently exceptional experiences when it comes to how they interact with brands. As we conveyed during the awards process, Simplr stands to transform how customer service is delivered to meet the expectations of the NOW customer. In the meantime, we're upending the much-maligned and stagnant contact center model.


M7: According to you, how have customer demands and requirements changed during the COVID-19 pandemic and how has Simplr adapted to meet these changes?
DR: COVID-19 was a sea change for CX. It forced a lot of brands to rethink how they interact with customers to consistently foster incredible experiences, or risk losing them for good. In fact, according to a survey we conducted, 27% of consumers said that customer service wait times on digital channels during COVID-19 caused their brand loyalty to waver. It makes sense: Consumers continued to need goods, but almost all physical store locations represented a potential threat to their health, so they moved online in droves. And if a familiar brand couldn’t offer a seamless and easy buying and post-sale experience, it wasn’t a question of whether the consumer would switch to a new brand, but how quickly they could find a competitor. When we look back on the pandemic, one of the major consumer trends that will have resulted from it will be changed in brand loyalty across industries. I guarantee that the brands which offer incredible customer experiences have benefited the vast majority of the time.


You must give 10 times more to your customers than you take. You provide real value in your content. You provide real opportunities to celebrate your customers’ successes. You help them succeed in their own careers on a daily basis.



M7: What are some of your preferred marketing channels given your target customers?
DR: Simplr represents a new way of thinking about CX and how brands should invest in it. So, a lot of our marketing efforts focus on educating our customers and the market as a whole about what this next phase of CX looks like. We do a lot of webinars and virtual events on that topic and invest heavily in thought leadership and educational content that is truly beneficial for the customer and not just a Simplr promotion. We also want to provide opportunities for our customers to communicate with one another and learn about what works and what doesn't in their CX programs. To that end, we've launched CXLife, a CX community dedicated to ensuring that they can lift each other up and become the true leaders of NOW CX.


M7: What is your marketing mantra to stand out in an overly saturated MarTech space?
DR: You must give 10 times more to your customers than you take. You provide real value in your content. You provide real opportunities to celebrate your customers’ successes. You help them succeed in their own careers on a daily basis. It is only through the consistent value that you develop a true community of customers who will then help you tell your story and speak your praises. And if you do it effectively, they’ll begin speaking your praises without you even asking. That's when you know you've built a truly valuable brand that can cut through the noise.

ABOUT SIMPLR

Simplr offers companies a human-first, machine-enabled customer experience solution that meets the demands of the NOW Customer across all digital channels. Offering a combination of a uniquely talented, flexible, and scalable staffing pool, AI-based technology, and actionable intelligence, Simplr allows companies to immediately expand their customer service capacity and engage customers with speed, empathy, and precision. With Simplr’s NOW CX solution, premium brands are eradicating customer neglect, turning browsers into buyers, and turning customers into fans.

More C-Suite on deck

Q&A with Jim Nichols, Chief Marketing Officer at RevLifter

Media 7 | July 17, 2021

Jim Nichols, CMO at RevLifter, is a high performing leader with more than 15 years of digital and traditional marketing experience helping drive company growth by helping brands make the most of their marketing investments. His career is focused on finding barriers to growth across organizations and leading cross departmental teams to genuine solutions. He is a builder of more profitable and enduring client relationships and teams.

Read More

Q&A with Aaron Glazer, Co-Founder and CEO at Taplytics

Media 7 | March 2, 2021

Aaron Glazer, Co-Founder and CEO at Taplytics, is a graduate of the MBA program at the Rotman School of Management, majored in Corporate Strategy. Prior to completing his MBA, Aaron worked as a management consultant at Accenture. Aaron also co-founded an online startup where he oversaw thedevelopment of several online and mobile products.

Read More

Q&A with Leela Srinivasan, CMO at SurveyMonkey | Reuters Events - Media 7 Keynote Speaker Interviews

MEDIA 7 | September 18, 2020

Leela Srinivasan, CMO at SurveyMonkey is a marketing leader whose journey has included significant stints in sales and management consulting. She specialises in B2B marketing, customer marketing, content marketing, social media marketing, marketplace businesses, messaging/positioning development, demand generation programs, business unit strategy, pricing, strategic selling, content development, quantitative customer research, qualitative customer insights, global product marketing, field marketing, public speaking, building thought leadership, managing a team while working remotely. Also known to bust out a haiku or two and lead the karaoke charge. Media 7: What inspired you to get into marketing? Leela Srinivasan: I went to Tuck Business School laser-focused on landing an investment banking internship. I reasoned that if I spent a couple of years post-MBA in equity research, I’d deeply understand the investment community and be well-positioned to move into my ultimate dream job: running investor relations for a public company. In pursuing my plan, I ignored the very obvious signs that I should be in Marketing. I could do the quantitative work required for financial services — but the way I leaned into class assignments was a dead giveaway that Marketing better aligned with my passions than Finance. I love the blend of art and science, of strategy and creativity, and the need to drive actions while developing empathy for the customer. On the science part, we're continually improving our ability to measure and understand through tools and technology. The art part is harder to measure, but the importance of creating an emotional connection with your audience has only increased given the challenges of 2020.

Read More

Q&A with Jim Nichols, Chief Marketing Officer at RevLifter

Media 7 | July 17, 2021

Jim Nichols, CMO at RevLifter, is a high performing leader with more than 15 years of digital and traditional marketing experience helping drive company growth by helping brands make the most of their marketing investments. His career is focused on finding barriers to growth across organizations and leading cross departmental teams to genuine solutions. He is a builder of more profitable and enduring client relationships and teams.

Read More

Q&A with Aaron Glazer, Co-Founder and CEO at Taplytics

Media 7 | March 2, 2021

Aaron Glazer, Co-Founder and CEO at Taplytics, is a graduate of the MBA program at the Rotman School of Management, majored in Corporate Strategy. Prior to completing his MBA, Aaron worked as a management consultant at Accenture. Aaron also co-founded an online startup where he oversaw thedevelopment of several online and mobile products.

Read More

Q&A with Leela Srinivasan, CMO at SurveyMonkey | Reuters Events - Media 7 Keynote Speaker Interviews

MEDIA 7 | September 18, 2020

Leela Srinivasan, CMO at SurveyMonkey is a marketing leader whose journey has included significant stints in sales and management consulting. She specialises in B2B marketing, customer marketing, content marketing, social media marketing, marketplace businesses, messaging/positioning development, demand generation programs, business unit strategy, pricing, strategic selling, content development, quantitative customer research, qualitative customer insights, global product marketing, field marketing, public speaking, building thought leadership, managing a team while working remotely. Also known to bust out a haiku or two and lead the karaoke charge. Media 7: What inspired you to get into marketing? Leela Srinivasan: I went to Tuck Business School laser-focused on landing an investment banking internship. I reasoned that if I spent a couple of years post-MBA in equity research, I’d deeply understand the investment community and be well-positioned to move into my ultimate dream job: running investor relations for a public company. In pursuing my plan, I ignored the very obvious signs that I should be in Marketing. I could do the quantitative work required for financial services — but the way I leaned into class assignments was a dead giveaway that Marketing better aligned with my passions than Finance. I love the blend of art and science, of strategy and creativity, and the need to drive actions while developing empathy for the customer. On the science part, we're continually improving our ability to measure and understand through tools and technology. The art part is harder to measure, but the importance of creating an emotional connection with your audience has only increased given the challenges of 2020.

Read More

Related News

CHANNEL PARTNERSHIPS

FluentStream and SkyComm Connect are now Strategic Partners

FluentStream | January 31, 2023

The fastest-growing unified communications-as-a-service (UCaaS) platform, FluentStream recently announced a strategic partnership with Maryland-based leading communications provider SkyComm Connect. As FluentStream’s channel partner SkyComm, will enable its customers to upgrade to FluentStream’s advanced UC platform in the coming months. FluentStream’s customizable communication platform offers 100+ features, which include cloud-based calling, remote system administration and analytics, and the capability to integrate with widely used software tools such as Salesforce, which allows the company’s customers to thrive from any device or location. FluentStream’s services are easy to use and managed from a convenient web portal that empowers customers to set their preferences and enable services. Flexibility and control allow customers to customize their communication services according to the needs of their employees and their businesses. Joe Bauer, CEO SkyComm Connect, said, “As technology and infrastructure demands continue to evolve, we wanted to ensure our customers have access to the most advanced business communication services available, and FluentStream exceeded our expectations.” He also said, “FluentStream’s offering, along with its 24/7, US-based customer support is ideal for our customers. In fact, we were so impressed with its alignment with the small and midsize business community that we have also become a channel partner.” (Source: Business Wire) About FluentStream A cloud communications company FluentStream was founded in 2007 and based in Denver (Colorado) and is recognized by Inc. 5000 as one of the fastest growing software companies. It has helped small-sized businesses to automate and simplify communication with their customers. The company enables sales, service, and other professionals to deliver a unique customer experience from any device or location. Additionally, it powers video conferencing, screen sharing, messaging, fax, and other business communication channels.

Read More

CONTENT MARKETING, MARKETING DATA

RainFocus Now a Platinum Partner in the Adobe Exchange Partner Program

RainFocus | January 24, 2023

On January 23, 2023, a next-generation event marketing platform provider RaiFocus, announced about joining the Adobe Exchange Partner Program as a Platinum Partner. The Adobe Exchange Partner Program is a technology partner ecosystem worldwide. RainFocus is honored to join the list of partner programs where the companies with unique and innovative solutions have been designated as top-tier partners. RainFocus is now a part of a small group of carefully chosen and highly vetted partners at the Platinum tier. It will work closely with Adobe as a Platinum-level partner to improve the customer experience. RainFocus will host Adobe for an engaging keynote titled 'Unifying Experiences' in the upcoming INSIGHT conference by RainFocus, which is to be held both in Salt Lake City (Utah) and virtually from January 30 to February 1, 2023. In the conference, JR Sherman, CEO of RainFocus, Doug Baird, Founder and President of RainFocus, and Nik Shroff, Senior Director of Global Tech Partners at Adobe, will talk about the new partnership, approaches to building a strong client experience, and how events and data are essential to a successful customer journey. JR Sherman, CEO of RainFocus, said, "Adobe and RainFocus share a collective passion for elevating the client experience." He also said, "RainFocus securely and seamlessly integrates with Adobe Experience Cloud products, so for us, it was a natural fit that aligned with our core business objectives. We are most excited to deliver personalization at a scale for our clients, enabling enriched customer journeys, accelerated qualification, lead conversion, closed business, and more." (Source: Cision) About RainFocus RainFocus is a next-generation event marketing platform. The company is built to collect and analyze unheard-of amounts of first-party data for better events and better engagement with customers throughout their journey. The platform powers smooth events by providing secure, scalable solutions for the whole event lifecycle. It works with sales and marketing technologies to make event registration, content management, and exhibitor activation more accessible across in-person, virtual, and hybrid experiences, with everything in one dashboard. Additionally, it uses real-time data to give you actionable insights that help you personalize your marketing, speed up lead qualification and conversion, and close deals.

Read More

CONTENT MARKETING

Plex Becomes Platform Partner for Amagi’s CTV Content Marketplace

Amagi Media Labs | January 20, 2023

On January 19, 2023, Amagi, a global leader in cloud-based SaaS technology for connected TV and broadcast, announced that Plex, the free global streaming media platform, has become a platform partner in its end-to-end content marketplace. Plex is the leading Free Ad-Supported Streaming TV (FAST) platform in the United States. This platform offers its viewers premium content across genres such as movies, hit TV series, entertainment shows, news, documentaries, music, and more. As a platform partner, Plex gains access to AVOD libraries and an extensive network of 2,000+ FAST channels from the world's leading content brands. Shawn Eldridge, vice president of business development and content at Plex, said, "Amagi is an important partner to Plex with our goal to distribute the highest quality TV channels for audiences everywhere." He added, "The partnership opens up new opportunities for audience expansion and revenue growth while offering our viewers an even greater selection of premium content." (Source- PRNewswire) Amagi offers channel-building, distribution, and monetization options. Amagi partners with A+E Networks UK, ABS-CBN, Curiosity Stream, beIN Sports, Fox Networks, Discovery Networks, Fremantle, NBCUniversal, Gusto TV, Tastemade, Tegna, USA Today, Vice Media, and Warner Media. About Plex Plex is the largest entertainment platform streaming music, TV, and movies. It simplifies streaming movie and TV show discovery and playback. It is the first and only streaming service to offer free, ad-supported movies, TV series, and live TV lets you quickly search through any title ever made and create a personalized watchlist for all the content to watch, no matter where it is streamed. Plex has collaborated with Discovery, Warner Brothers, Paramount, NBC Universal, AMC, A+E, BBC, Hallmark Media, Lionsgate, E.W. Scripps, A24, Relativity, Hearst, and Crackle. Plex offers the most relevant content to all its customers by providing a window into all streaming services and a user's media library. About Amagi Media Labs Amagi Next-generation media technology company Amagi provides cloud broadcast and targeted advertising solutions to broadcast and streaming TV platforms. It helps content owners launch, distribute, and monetize live, linear channels across free ad-supported streaming TV and video platforms. 24x7 cloud-managed services from the company simplify, automate, and streamline broadcast operations. It supports 700+ content companies, 800+ playout chains, and 2100+ channel deliveries in 40+ countries. The company has offices in New York, Los Angeles, Toronto, London, Paris, Melbourne, Seoul, and Singapore. In India, the office is in New Delhi for broadcasting and Bangalore for innovation.

Read More

CHANNEL PARTNERSHIPS

FluentStream and SkyComm Connect are now Strategic Partners

FluentStream | January 31, 2023

The fastest-growing unified communications-as-a-service (UCaaS) platform, FluentStream recently announced a strategic partnership with Maryland-based leading communications provider SkyComm Connect. As FluentStream’s channel partner SkyComm, will enable its customers to upgrade to FluentStream’s advanced UC platform in the coming months. FluentStream’s customizable communication platform offers 100+ features, which include cloud-based calling, remote system administration and analytics, and the capability to integrate with widely used software tools such as Salesforce, which allows the company’s customers to thrive from any device or location. FluentStream’s services are easy to use and managed from a convenient web portal that empowers customers to set their preferences and enable services. Flexibility and control allow customers to customize their communication services according to the needs of their employees and their businesses. Joe Bauer, CEO SkyComm Connect, said, “As technology and infrastructure demands continue to evolve, we wanted to ensure our customers have access to the most advanced business communication services available, and FluentStream exceeded our expectations.” He also said, “FluentStream’s offering, along with its 24/7, US-based customer support is ideal for our customers. In fact, we were so impressed with its alignment with the small and midsize business community that we have also become a channel partner.” (Source: Business Wire) About FluentStream A cloud communications company FluentStream was founded in 2007 and based in Denver (Colorado) and is recognized by Inc. 5000 as one of the fastest growing software companies. It has helped small-sized businesses to automate and simplify communication with their customers. The company enables sales, service, and other professionals to deliver a unique customer experience from any device or location. Additionally, it powers video conferencing, screen sharing, messaging, fax, and other business communication channels.

Read More

CONTENT MARKETING, MARKETING DATA

RainFocus Now a Platinum Partner in the Adobe Exchange Partner Program

RainFocus | January 24, 2023

On January 23, 2023, a next-generation event marketing platform provider RaiFocus, announced about joining the Adobe Exchange Partner Program as a Platinum Partner. The Adobe Exchange Partner Program is a technology partner ecosystem worldwide. RainFocus is honored to join the list of partner programs where the companies with unique and innovative solutions have been designated as top-tier partners. RainFocus is now a part of a small group of carefully chosen and highly vetted partners at the Platinum tier. It will work closely with Adobe as a Platinum-level partner to improve the customer experience. RainFocus will host Adobe for an engaging keynote titled 'Unifying Experiences' in the upcoming INSIGHT conference by RainFocus, which is to be held both in Salt Lake City (Utah) and virtually from January 30 to February 1, 2023. In the conference, JR Sherman, CEO of RainFocus, Doug Baird, Founder and President of RainFocus, and Nik Shroff, Senior Director of Global Tech Partners at Adobe, will talk about the new partnership, approaches to building a strong client experience, and how events and data are essential to a successful customer journey. JR Sherman, CEO of RainFocus, said, "Adobe and RainFocus share a collective passion for elevating the client experience." He also said, "RainFocus securely and seamlessly integrates with Adobe Experience Cloud products, so for us, it was a natural fit that aligned with our core business objectives. We are most excited to deliver personalization at a scale for our clients, enabling enriched customer journeys, accelerated qualification, lead conversion, closed business, and more." (Source: Cision) About RainFocus RainFocus is a next-generation event marketing platform. The company is built to collect and analyze unheard-of amounts of first-party data for better events and better engagement with customers throughout their journey. The platform powers smooth events by providing secure, scalable solutions for the whole event lifecycle. It works with sales and marketing technologies to make event registration, content management, and exhibitor activation more accessible across in-person, virtual, and hybrid experiences, with everything in one dashboard. Additionally, it uses real-time data to give you actionable insights that help you personalize your marketing, speed up lead qualification and conversion, and close deals.

Read More

CONTENT MARKETING

Plex Becomes Platform Partner for Amagi’s CTV Content Marketplace

Amagi Media Labs | January 20, 2023

On January 19, 2023, Amagi, a global leader in cloud-based SaaS technology for connected TV and broadcast, announced that Plex, the free global streaming media platform, has become a platform partner in its end-to-end content marketplace. Plex is the leading Free Ad-Supported Streaming TV (FAST) platform in the United States. This platform offers its viewers premium content across genres such as movies, hit TV series, entertainment shows, news, documentaries, music, and more. As a platform partner, Plex gains access to AVOD libraries and an extensive network of 2,000+ FAST channels from the world's leading content brands. Shawn Eldridge, vice president of business development and content at Plex, said, "Amagi is an important partner to Plex with our goal to distribute the highest quality TV channels for audiences everywhere." He added, "The partnership opens up new opportunities for audience expansion and revenue growth while offering our viewers an even greater selection of premium content." (Source- PRNewswire) Amagi offers channel-building, distribution, and monetization options. Amagi partners with A+E Networks UK, ABS-CBN, Curiosity Stream, beIN Sports, Fox Networks, Discovery Networks, Fremantle, NBCUniversal, Gusto TV, Tastemade, Tegna, USA Today, Vice Media, and Warner Media. About Plex Plex is the largest entertainment platform streaming music, TV, and movies. It simplifies streaming movie and TV show discovery and playback. It is the first and only streaming service to offer free, ad-supported movies, TV series, and live TV lets you quickly search through any title ever made and create a personalized watchlist for all the content to watch, no matter where it is streamed. Plex has collaborated with Discovery, Warner Brothers, Paramount, NBC Universal, AMC, A+E, BBC, Hallmark Media, Lionsgate, E.W. Scripps, A24, Relativity, Hearst, and Crackle. Plex offers the most relevant content to all its customers by providing a window into all streaming services and a user's media library. About Amagi Media Labs Amagi Next-generation media technology company Amagi provides cloud broadcast and targeted advertising solutions to broadcast and streaming TV platforms. It helps content owners launch, distribute, and monetize live, linear channels across free ad-supported streaming TV and video platforms. 24x7 cloud-managed services from the company simplify, automate, and streamline broadcast operations. It supports 700+ content companies, 800+ playout chains, and 2100+ channel deliveries in 40+ countries. The company has offices in New York, Los Angeles, Toronto, London, Paris, Melbourne, Seoul, and Singapore. In India, the office is in New Delhi for broadcasting and Bangalore for innovation.

Read More

Spotlight

Simplr.ai

Simplr.ai

Simplr offers companies a human-first, machine-enabled customer experience solution that meets the demands of the NOW Customer across all digital channels. Offering a combination of a uniquely talented, flexible, and scalable staffing pool, AI-based technology, and actionable intelligence, Simplr al...

Events

DMIEXPO Affiliate Conference

Conference

DigiMarCon At Home 2023

Conference

LeadsCon 2023

Conference

Resources

resource image

CONTENT MARKETING, MARKETING STRATEGY, MARKETING DATA

IMPROVING THE ROI FORENTERPRISE HPC AND AI WITHHPE END-TO-END CLUSTERS

Whitepaper

resource image

CONTENT MARKETING, MARKETING STRATEGY, MARKETING DATA

Ultimate Guide To Developing a Go To Marketing Strategy

Video

resource image

CONTENT MARKETING, MARKETING STRATEGY, MARKETING DATA

IMPROVING THE ROI FORENTERPRISE HPC AND AI WITHHPE END-TO-END CLUSTERS

Whitepaper

resource image

CONTENT MARKETING, MARKETING STRATEGY, MARKETING DATA

Ultimate Guide To Developing a Go To Marketing Strategy

Video

resource image

MARKETING STRATEGY, MARKETING DATA

5 WAYS TO ACCELERATE YOUR DIGITAL MARKETING AS A LARGER MID-SIZEDCOMPANY

Whitepaper

Events

LeadsCon 2023

Conference