B2B2C Marketing Insights | Eugenia Blackstone from Iris Powered by Generali

Ernesto Quezada: Pathmonk is the intelligent tool for website lead generation. With increasing online competition, over 98% of website visitors don’t convert. The ability to successfully show your value proposition and support visitors in a buying journey separates you from the competition online. Pathmonk qualifies and converts leads on your website by figuring out where they are in the buying journey and influencing them in key decision moments. With relevant micro experiences like case studies, intro videos, and much more, stay relevant to your visitors and increase conversions by 50%. Add Pathmonk to your website in seconds. Let the AI do all the work and get access to 50% more qualified leads while you keep doing marketing and sales as usual. Check us on pathmonk.com. Welcome to today’s episode. Let’s talk about today’s guest. We have Eugenia named one of the 2024 Forbes Entrepreneurial CMOs and top 50. How are you doing today, Eugenia?

Eugenia Blackstone: I’m great. How are you?

Ernesto: I’m doing great. Great, right? I mean, I can mention another, you know, you’re one of the 50 CMOs to watch in 2024. So, I mean, a lot of accolades there for you. Congratulations, Eugenia. Great to have you on.

Eugenia: Thank you. It’s shaping up to be a really good year, so we’re excited to be on and speaking with you as well.

Ernesto: Definitely. Awesome. Thank you so much. And, well, today, we’re here, talking with you. Talking as well as with Iris, powered by Generali. You’re the CMO there, so let’s kick it off with that. Eugenia, in your own words, can you tell us a little bit more?

Eugenia: Sure. So Iris, powered by Generali, is a B2B2C identity and cyber protection company, a little bit of a mouthful there. But in short, what that essentially means is we offer identity and cyber protection services to other businesses, organizations, and the like, to be able to then reoffer them to their end consumer. So we don’t go direct to the consumer, but we do work with the consumer if they call in and have issues or if we need to help service their business in some particular capacity. Our client list is long and extensive, but some of the top companies across the globe, we do identity protection services for.

Ernesto: Definitely. Definitely. That’s great to hear. And so that way, our listeners who are tuned in get a good understanding of your company. What would you say is the key problem that you guys like to solve for clients?

Eugenia: I think it’s twofold because we’re a B2B2C. One element of it, and it really depends on the particular client and the business that they’re in. Most clients that are coming to us, they’re coming because they want to enhance the set of services or products or offering that they have to their existing customer in some particular way, or they want to use our services to attract a new customer in some particular way. A financial institution, for example, may say, “Hey, I’m already making my customers or members aware of what’s going on with their bank account. We’re sending alerts via that.” So it might make sense to also have this be where they come to get identity alert information or information just about keeping themselves safe from identity theft and fraud. Overall, you may have another type of organization, maybe an affinity group or something like that, that may say, “Hey, this is a great benefit to be able to offer my customers because I want to show that I care more. I want to care about more than just the element of business that I do with them that’s not connected to their finances, for example.” And so this is another way because anybody that has an identity has the potential of their identity being stolen. And so this is a way that we can help also round out and show that we care. So it really differs. Outside of that, we also have to be thinking about, because our services are ultimately offered to the end customer, how do we solve problems for them? So the solutions have to be actual tools and services that an end customer is going to use. It can’t be overly complex or complicated. It has to be something that really can seamlessly integrate into what the average person does every day. So we also have to be thinking about that.

Ernesto: So it’s a little twofold, definitely important. And I mean, a big news, right? This week there was that AT&T data breach, right? So I mean, definitely it’s always, there are cracks everywhere. So definitely something to take into effect, right?

Eugenia: Absolutely. And I think the average consumer, which is part of the reason why we’re trying to make sure that identity protection is really accessible to all consumers, is because the average consumer doesn’t understand how much of their information is available on the dark web and how much damage can be done if that information gets into the wrong hands. And so that’s kind of our mission. Our mission here is taking people from distress to relief. And that’s really what we try to focus on day in, day out.

Ernesto: Definitely important. Right, so that, I mean, you’re B2B2C. What are some, is there a vertical, a segment? Is there an ideal ICP that you guys have, that you guys like to go for?

Eugenia: Yeah, so I would say, you know, it’s varied a little bit over the years, and that’s only because of saturation in different areas. But as a marketer specifically, one of the things that we have to keep in mind is, like, where do we focus? Because again, if you have an identity, your identity could be stolen. So it’s very easy to say, “Hey, we’re going to go after everyone.” But again, because we’re B2B2C, there are certain clients that make more sense for us to partner with, and it’s not necessarily industry-specific because of the industry, more what it is that they’re doing to help their customer, their end customer already and/or what sort of goals they may have. So because of that, we tend to work with a lot of financial institutions. Again, these are organizations that are already dealing with sensitive information, people’s finances, things like that. Insurance companies, customers are already looking at their insurance company as an organization that they’re expecting to protect them and their assets or things that they find valuable to them in some particular way. What’s more valuable than your own identity? More recently, we’re moving into the smart home space because smart homes open you up. There’s a tremendous amount of benefit to having a smart home. I have many smart home features in my home myself. But some of those things open you up to some additional risk for identity theft and fraud, particularly from a cyber perspective. And so there are certainly some industries that make more sense for us to partner with, but really it’s about the end customer being able to say, “Yeah, I would expect to be able to get identity protection from that sort of company.” And also the company really saying, “I want to do something to either generate more revenue for my business, create more stickiness for other products that we have, help to increase retention in some particular way with the organization.” So, yeah, I would say those are the big ones.

Ernesto: All right, perfect. Thank you so much for sharing that. And so then, how would somebody then usually find out about Iris powered by Generali? Is there a top client acquisition channel for you guys?

Eugenia: I would say there are a number. Our website obviously certainly plays, like most companies these days, a huge role in clients being able to find us. Because we are B2B2C on the B2B side, we still attend a lot of trade shows every year. That’s shifted a little bit coming out of COVID, but we’re starting to see things come back from that perspective. So I would say that’s a heavy area for us. This is because of what we offer. This is very much still a relationship business. So a lot of it, even if someone finds us on the website, there is still an element of our business that is very relationship-oriented. And so things like trade shows, webinars, being able to provide a lot of educational content really helps to move a person through the funnel.

Ernesto: Definitely important. I mean, those, I mean, they’re getting activated right after the pandemic. They were slow to start, but now they’re in full effect now. So great to see that. And then, so that way our listeners who are tuned in could go ahead and visit you guys. You could always check them out at irisidentityprotection.com. What role? I mean, you were mentioning right now the website has a huge role, but does it play a role as far as some website lead generation or what role does the website play for you guys?

Eugenia: Yeah, so I would say the website plays a number of roles, right? But one of the major ones is really clearly explaining what it is that we do and how we’re different from others that do similar things to us. And so from that perspective, a person should be able to go to our website and very clearly understand that we’re a B2B2C. They should be able to review the site and understand what sort of benefits we can offer to that business. So how we can help with retention, how we can help with revenue generation, those sorts of things. And then also understand how we’re different in the sense that we really focus on being a full platform provider. So there is one element of saying, “Hey, the services that I’m actually providing to the end customer, I want to make sure the appropriate features are there. I can offer identity monitoring, I can offer credit alerts. I can do all those things that I want to do.” And that’s great from a product perspective. But then how are we as a business partner? Because you have to work with that partner before you can then deliver those services to your end customer. So expanding what that looks like for partnership is really important, and that’s what we try to communicate on the website as well. Things like, how are you going to get folks enrolled? These are things that don’t often come into play until much later down the line. And you’re like, “Oh, yeah, all right, I’m ready to offer identity protection, but how am I going to get my customers enrolled? Do I want to store the data if I’m not in a business where I’m storing sensitive data already? Do I want to take on that risk with us?” You don’t necessarily have to do that if you don’t want to. How do I want to actually deliver the services? Do I want to have a separate portal? Do I want to embed the services into an app or a website I already have via an API or those sorts of things? So our website hopefully does a very good job of explaining all facets of the relationship, not just focusing on, “Here are the end features that we offer.”

Ernesto: All right, great to hear that. So then, on that note, Eugenia, is there any tools or tips or methods that you would recommend to your listeners as far as some website lead generation?

Eugenia: I would say for us, our sales cycle, again in a B2B2C space, tends to be a little longer than obviously a B2C space. But I would say the biggest tool is to view your website through the eyes of your target. Try to answer as many questions on the website as you think they might want to know before they ever engage with a salesperson. That makes the conversation that much easier or more seamless. Number one, to move them through actually saying, “All right, I want to become a lead. I want to be contacted. I want to make contact with you in some way to really talk in more depth about your products and services.” Or, “I want to be able to click a button, get your products and services, or start the process of doing that.” So the more questions, genuine questions, you can answer on the website for your targets, the better it’s going to be. Any sort of education, you know, for free, that you can offer to your consumers is really going to position you as reinforcing in their mind, “Hey, this is a provider I might want to work with. They know what they’re talking about. This makes sense to me.” All of that stuff that you can do upfront on the website is really going to make any efforts that come downstream from that much easier and more simple. It’ll simplify the process overall. I think a lot of times when we talk about tips or tools, we think that there’s some magic trick that we have. But at the end of the day, our clients are other people. They have the same needs and desires that we have, that our end consumers are people. Before I’m a CMO, before I’m a marketer, before all these other things, I’m a consumer. I buy things every day, too. And so I think if we start from there and step back out of what it is you’re selling in particular and just say, “Hey, if I were the average consumer and this is something, whatever your product or service might be that I was interested in, what would I want to know and what would I want to understand first?” If you start there, you’re probably going to be ahead of the game.

Ernesto: That’s important. Right. Also, thank you so much for sharing that with our listeners, Eugenia. And, well, let’s switch gears a little bit, and let’s talk about you as a leader, Eugenia. You being the CMO there for Iris, powered by Generali. What are some key tasks you like to focus on in your day-to-day work?

Eugenia: You know, that’s a funny question because no day is the same, right? Day to day, I would say there are elements that are, you know, I check my email every day. I have meetings almost every day, those sorts of things. But in general, I have to stay kind of flexible and follow the business. There’s a different thing you mentioned. There are breaches that happen every day. And given the size of the breach or the elements or components related to a given breach, that can upend our entire day. We need to be talking about those breaches. In some cases, we need to be reacting to those breaches in a particular way on behalf of our clients and their customers. So, you know, there is no typical day. I spend a lot of time at different periods of the year, really trying to make sure I’m setting a very clear strategic direction for my team. And so a lot of my day to day, when it’s not putting out fires and things like that, are really focused on working with the team to make sure that we’re executing to that vision, that we haven’t started to kind of steer off target or gotten shiny object syndrome or, you know, those sorts of things. And then also stay flexible enough where when something new does come in, we’re able to quickly look at it and say, “Does this make sense to add to the plan for the year?” I would say that those are probably the biggest things.

Ernesto: Now, it sounds like you have a full plate there on your hands, but everything organized. That’s great to see.

Eugenia: I have a good team, so they help. They help.

Ernesto: That helps a lot, definitely. And in between the cracks, Eugenia, how do you stay up to date with all the marketing news, trends, and strategies out there? Is there a preferred channel that you like to go with?

Eugenia: I try to go to conferences from time to time as my schedule permits, but I subscribe to a bunch of different sorts of newsletters. I try to read as much as I can. I have two small children, so sometimes after I get them off to bed, I’m up at night, just kind of catching up on reading on newsletters, things like that. I would say that’s the biggest thing. I’m online a lot. Not so much out searching, but more I sign up for tons of newsletters, so I’m just going through and catching up on what’s there. Also, just talk to my peers a lot. I’m a person that soaks up information from a lot of different places. Some of the best ideas we’ve had for the company as it relates to things to do on the website really have come from outside of our industry. I look at things from a perspective of not being a commercial about deodorant could spark an idea or something like that. And so it really is, I don’t know that I have one particular way that I focus on staying in the know.

Ernesto: Absolutely important. All right, thank you so much for sharing that with me and for our audience today. And, well, let’s jump into our next section here, Eugenia, which is our rapid-fire question round. Are you ready for that?

Eugenia: Yes.

Ernesto: All right, first off, I think they’re easy. But let’s see, what is the last book that you read?

Eugenia: The last book that I read is actually still sitting on my desk. It’s called “The Next CMO” right here. Just finished it up. You’ll see I got tons of the pages little dog-eared here. Very good book. And it’s a guide to operational marketing excellence. So I don’t read actually a ton of business books, but that was a really good one. I really liked it.

Ernesto: Perfect. Awesome. Great read there. And, I mean, you being one of the top 50 CMOs to watch out for, definitely right.

Eugenia: Well, don’t take that as my plug for all CMOs, the book. It’s one I just personally happen to like. And then also, I just want to say this publicly. Anything Malcolm Gladwell, I love. He is my favorite author ever. If I ever have a chance to meet him, that would be amazing. Anything Malcolm Gladwell is usually that. That’s not the last thing I’ve read, but at any given time, if you ask me what’s the last thing I’ve read, it could be Malcolm Gladwell.

Ernesto: All right, awesome. Great. Some great reads there for our listeners. Next up, if there would be no boundaries in technology, what would be that one thing that you want to have fixed for your role as a marketer today?

Eugenia: You know, that’s a tricky one in the sense that I don’t know that there’s a particular piece of technology. I think I would like to be able to figure out specifically as a marketer, how are we able to gain insight from consumers without it feeling invasive? So how do we get insight without invasion? You know, people accepting cookies and privacy concerns are up, and it is just becoming more difficult as a marketer to have visibility to what consumers are doing and looking for when they’re online. And so, and I, as a consumer first, I understand that. There are some websites that I decline cookies on, for example. So I get that. But if there is a way, through technology to have more transparency so that people understand what we as marketers are looking for, there’s a particular need, there is to help them in some particular way. It’s not to harm them and then reciprocate that with some level of trust, because that trust has rightly so been eroded by some marketers not doing the right things with that information. To be able to articulate that and really create that relationship again with consumers, I think would be invaluable.

Ernesto: Definitely. I think you made it right there on the nail. So awesome to hear that from you. Next, if there’s one repetitive task that you could automate, what would that be?

Eugenia: The first thing that comes to my mind is expense reports. But I don’t know how insightful that is. But I would say that is a repetitive task that feels like it takes me more time than it should. So I would say that’s one thing. Outside of that, I mean, there are some things that are repetitive that I kind of find joy in because it does give me the opportunity to kind of slow down and not, I don’t know, just kind of… It’s mindless a little bit, and so it’s tedious. It takes time to get done, but it also provides me a little bit of a break from my brain.

Ernesto: Okay, awesome. Great to hear that from you, Eugenia. And, well, lastly, Eugenia, I mean, you have a lot of experience already in the marketing world, but say you’re starting off again there for at Caterpillar. What is that one piece of advice that you would give yourself with the experience that you already have if you were going back in there at Caterpillar, starting with all the knowledge that you have?

Eugenia: I think the biggest thing, and I have. I got this advice as well, so I can’t take credit for it, for sure, but I would continue to kind of reinforce it to myself when I was starting out, is really to trust yourself, to feel comfortable and confident that you belong in whatever room that you’re in, that you may not be the smartest person in the room, and that’s not a bad thing. And to just trust that you’re where you’re supposed to be. And I think taking the pressure off of being worried about if you should or shouldn’t be there allows you to really be in the moment, enjoy whatever point in your career or your path you’re on, and be present and soak up as much as you can at any given time. So really just trusting that you’re where you should be.

Ernesto: Definitely some great advice, not just for yourself, but for our listeners as well. Eugenia, we are coming to the end of today’s show, but before we do end, I do want to give you the last word. So if someone forgets everything about the interview today, what is that one thing they should remember about Iris, powered by Generali?

Eugenia: I would say choice as a client. It’s the choice and your ability to make more decisions around what sort of identity and cyber protection solution you offer outside of just features. The website is irisidentityprotection.com.

Ernesto: Well, you guys heard it. Eugenia, thank you so much for being on with us today. To our listeners, thank you so much for tuning in, and I’m looking forward to our next episode at Pathmonk Presents. Thanks a lot, Eugenia.

Eugenia: Thank you.