I hope in 2016 marketers take a cue from the entrepreneurs they admire, and commit to testing, learning, and evolving in everything they do. – Gina Waldhorn
We’ve had the pleasure of working with Gina Waldhorn and her team at Evol8tion, and were so happy she agreed to contribute her knowledge and insight to our 2016 Predictions series. Co-founded by Gina in 2011, Evol8tion builds a bridge between the worlds of Madison Avenue and Mountain View by connecting early stage startups with leading brands for pilot programs, acceleration, and investment. Before founding and operating Evol8tion, Gina spent 7 years working with clients like Procter & Gamble, Unilever, and UPS at agencies Carat and GroupM driving innovation and digital strategy.
Here’s what she had to say about marketing in the new year, and some opportunities for innovation in this crazy digital climate.
What role do you see Influencer Marketing playing in brand marketing strategies in 2016?
2016 will (hopefully) see a return to the human side of Influencer Marketing, and a bursting of the Influencer Marketing tech bubble I believe we’re in today. A quick search on Angel.co or Crunchbase reveals thousands of Influencer Marketing startups; from dashboards that aggregate to algorithms that automate, and none seem to have many truly differentiating or game changing features. I’d like to see marketers take the hundreds of thousands of dollars they’ve been spending on software and invest in a dedicated team member (or two or three!) who understand how to deliver genuine dialogue and value to their influencers, and build real relationships that find scale organically.
What is the most widespread mistake you’ve seen brand marketers make in 2015 that you hope they learn from in 2016?
The inability to pivot, specifically as it relates to testing new technologies in market. When marketers test something new (e.g. A startup platform), they’re engaged and dedicated when things get started, but as soon as the going gets rough, the marketers get going – moving on to the next fire they need to put out, and calling the test a failure. Unfortunately many corporate environments don’t incentivize marketers to persevere. They’re understaffed and overworked, and really stopping to think about the implications of a technology pilot in market isn’t a priority. However I believe it’s a tremendous missed opportunity for both cultural learning and execution. I hope in 2016 marketers take a cue from the entrepreneurs they admire, and commit to testing, learning, and evolving in everything they do.
What word do you hope is officially banned from the marketing vernacular in 2016?
Native.
What marketing events are you most looking forward to in 2016?
Co/Found Harlem War Stories.
Looking to connect with Gina? We don’t blame you. Find her on Twitter at @gwaldhorn or @evol8tion, on LinkedIn, or listen to some other recent interviews and insights.