Subject Matter Expert Interview
Nicky Peele is the President of Alpha Marketing in Raleigh, North Carolina. She is an expert in her field and has over 20 years of experience in marketing, sales and business development.
Tell me about your background, how long have you been in marketing?
My degree is in Business Administration with a concentration in Marketing and I have been working in marketing positions for over 20 years. I have experience on the agency and corporate side of the business. I have been at Alpha Marketing for just over six years. Prior to Alpha I spent eight years in the mobile space working for mobile app developers/publishers and aggregators. I started my marketing career on the corporate side of the business in the learning technologies vertical. During my time there, I picked up (and honed) some database design and data management/business intelligence skills – which have proven to be very useful throughout my career.
What types of marketing campaigns has your company run in the past?
Alpha was founded as a promotions agency, so we have plenty of experience running sweepstakes, contests and retail promotions. Over the past six years we have done fewer promotions and have transitioned to more
traditional marketing services such as retail displays, sales collateral,
web-based portals and applications, design services, product campaigns, etc.
What do you consider the most important aspects of successful marketing?
Know your audience and craft a clear, concise message that will speak to them. Then be consistent in that message across all activities. Sounds easy, doesn’t it? But, we all know developing that message can be the hardest task of all. Once you have that nailed down, though, it should be your
mantra and the core driver for everything you do surrounding the
product/campaign/brand.
As well, as marketers, we also need to be open-minded about where we might attract customers. It seems like a new social site pops up just about every day. Again, this is where it is important to know your audience and align to their behavior in a way that is honest and not contrived.
What are some of the biggest marketing challenges managers face today?
Budgets. Plain & simple. Everyone is focused on spending less money on marketing efforts in a time where the number of channels to reach the consumers have grown tremendously.
What factors do you consider most important when attempting to influence consumer behavior?
Honesty. Consumers are smart and they can see right through any “smoke & mirrors.” Be honest about your products as well as be true to the brand when trying to reach your consumers.
What tools or resources do you use to determine if a marketing campaign has been a success?
Depends on the purpose of the campaign. If the campaign is meant to drive sales of a product then, of course, sales would be the key measurement. However, if the campaign was meant to just drive awareness, then we would look at a number of measurements across the various channels (i.e., web traffic, “likes/shares,” etc.)
What advice would you give to someone just starting out in marketing?
Know your product and understand your buyer. Even if you are at an agency, it is important to know your clients’ products and buyers. This can require a lot of studying. And, listen to the people that have been doing this for years. Even though many of the channels have changed, the marketing fundamentals remain the same and the more seasoned marketers have plenty to offer.
What hobbies or interests do you pursue in your free time?
I love working in my garden – it’s very relaxing and helps me clear my mind. I also golf – not as much as I would like to, but I try to get out there when I can. I volunteer for The First Tee of the Triangle which is a youth program that teaches life skills, such as honesty, respect, courtesy, and judgement, through the game of golf.
What additional information, if any, would you like to include?
Have thick skin and a sense of humor!
