Marketing With Purpose Kit: Customer Connection in a Data-Driven World

**SPEAKER_2** (0:04)
The Bliss Business Podcast, the show about empathy, connection and consciousness in business. Today's episode is brought to you by Zero Company, your paid search, social media, and programmatic ad experts.

**Michele Brasfield** (0:17)
Welcome to the Marketing With Purpose, a segment of the Bliss Business Podcast, where we explore what it really takes for marketing leaders to create impact that goes beyond the numbers. I'm Michele, and in each episode, we sit down with marketing experts to explore their leadership approach and strategies that drive performance and resonate with their audience. Together we'll dive into what's working, what's not, and how purpose and empathy can transform the way brands connect with people. Let's get started. I am joined by Haley Anderson, Account Executive at Zero Company. Haley brings a strong foundation in communications and public relations, paired with deep expertise in paid media strategy across platforms like Google, Meta, and LinkedIn. She is known for translating complex data into clear insights, refining creative to maximize performance, and building campaigns that deliver results while strengthening brand positioning.
Grounded in her San Antonio roots and driven by both creativity and analytics, Haley blends heart and strategy in the way she helps brands grow and connect with their audiences. We're going to explore customer connection in a data-driven world, and I'm excited to dive in. Haley, before we dive in, I'd love to hear why was customer connection in a data-driven world the topic you chose to explore with us today, and what makes it so important right now?

**Haley Anderson** (1:52)
Yeah. I think I chose this topic because in college, I was a communications major. Communicating with clients has always been something that I've been super passionate about. I think right now in today's day and age, marketers have data readily available more so than they used to. I think often it makes customers feel a little bit less understood because while metrics can tell us what people are doing, it doesn't always really tell us why they are doing it. I think right now with a lot of privacy changes, a lot of AI-driven automation, it makes brands rethink about how they can build trust. Customer connection isn't always about hyper-targeting anymore. It's a lot about transparency and then showing the real value.

**Michele Brasfield** (2:43)
That's an important foundation. Understanding why it matters really sets the tone for the rest of our conversation here. CMOs are often pulled between near campaign results and long-term brand building. How do you ensure your marketing strategy stays aligned with the company's goals, and where do you find the biggest friction points in making that happen?

**Haley Anderson** (3:08)
Yeah, I think we can find the biggest growth goals. It's just starting by shared business outcomes, not necessarily channel metrics. I really try to anchor my strategy to revenue targets, customer lifetime value, market expansion goals, and then mapping those campaigns to those outcomes. I think typically the biggest friction point is often when leadership wants to see an immediate pipeline while brand is still building. It requires that consistency and patience in order to build that pipeline. I typically address this with customers just by balancing the portfolio approach, because oftentimes, you know, sometimes initiatives drive short-term demand, while others build like a long-term brand equity there, so lower costs over time.

**Michele Brasfield** (4:04)
Oh, so true. The balance between brand and performance is so important. Yeah, thank you for that. In high-stakes situations like a brand crisis or market downturn, how do you maintain a sense of purpose and empathy while making quick, strategic decisions?

**Haley Anderson** (4:23)
I think just asking the right questions, asking who is impacted and what do they need from us right now. I think that question, that general question, really keeps decisions grounded in purpose. I don't necessarily think empathy is a slow decision-making thing. It often clarifies decision-making for both the marketer and for the customer, because when the teams can understand one another and understand the human impact behind a choice, alignment happens faster and often messaging will resonate more authentically as well with the audience.

**Michele Brasfield** (5:01)
I love that perspective on purpose and also composure too. Thank you. When you're launching a new product or entering a new market, what's been your most effective way to align sales, product and customer success? Where does that alignment tend to break down if it does?

**Haley Anderson** (5:20)
A customer journey map that sales the product and then the customer success as well, we all create. I think when everyone sees where they influence the customer experience. Clear definitions, shared KPIs, and regular cross-team retrospectives really help close those gaps.

**Michele Brasfield** (6:01)
What's been your most effective?