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How did you get into CRM/Retention Marketing?

I always knew I wanted to work in marketing, even if I didn’t fully understand all the paths available at the time. I started my career in brand and PR, which was an invaluable experience in terms of storytelling and understanding how brands show up in the world.

Over time, though, I found myself wanting something more measurable, where I could see the direct impact of my work. That’s what drew me to CRM. I was fascinated by the amount of data available and the immediacy of feedback – you launch something, you learn, you optimize.

I started out in email marketing and quickly fell in love with it. The endless possibilities around personalization, testing, and customer relevance made it clear that retention marketing was where I wanted to build my career.

What are some of your favorite trends in retention marketing?

At a strategic level, I’m really excited by the shift from channel-centric thinking to a truly customer-centric approach. Instead of optimizing email, SMS, or paid media in isolation, more brands are starting to design experiences around the customer and their journey, which is where I believe retention really comes to life.

From an execution standpoint, the combination of data, automation, and personalization continues to evolve. We’re moving beyond basic segmentation into more dynamic, behavior-driven experiences that feel timely, relevant, and genuinely resonate with customers.

How are you using AI, and what are your go-to AI tools?

Hot take but I don’t think many organizations have fully cracked using AI scalably across the entire business yet, and that’s okay. Where I have seen the most success is using AI as a tool to solve very specific, clearly defined problems.

We currently leverage a mix of vendor-driven AI capabilities alongside publicly available large language models. Today, AI is helping us with things like customer identification and resolution, segmentation and targeting, copywriting, reporting and analysis.

The real opportunity isn’t AI for AI’s sake – I feel that it’s about applying it thoughtfully to remove friction, speed up decision-making, and free teams up to focus on higher-value strategic work.

What’s in your toolbox?

Hardware:

• Double monitors (absolute non negotiable)
• A good comfortable chair (something you can sit in all day without regretting it)
• Any keyboard I can find
• Trusty Lenovo Thinkpad

Software:

• My core stack revolves around CRM and CDP platforms, ESPs, analytics and visualization tools, experimentation tools, and increasingly, AI-powered tools for copy, insights, and workflow acceleration. The key isn’t the tools themselves, they all do something similar – it’s how well they’re integrated and how clearly teams understand what problem each tool is meant to solve.

What are some simple ways that brands can improve their CRM programs?

First, get your data in order. Although not the most exciting topic, it’s foundational. If you’re not resolving customer identities properly, you risk talking to the same customer as multiple profiles (often with conflicting messages) which creates a fragmented experience.

Second, genuinely put the customer at the heart of what you’re doing. Focus on customer-driven outcomes rather than channel-specific metrics that live in silos.

Finally, take the time to analyze how customers currently interact with your brand. Map the journeys, identify gaps, and look for missed opportunities to show up meaningfully at key touchpoints.

What’s your favorite email campaign of all time? Why?

Rather than a single campaign, my favorites are always the ones that feel deeply relevant. Where the message, timing, and content align perfectly with what the customer actually needs in that moment. The best marketing doesn’t feel like marketing at all, and it feels like the brand understands you.

What’s your advice for new marketers entering the industry in the next few years?

Be curious and stay adaptable. The pace of change in marketing has never been faster, and the people who thrive are the ones who are constantly learning and willing to evolve with it.

Build a strong foundation in data and technology early, but don’t lose sight of creativity and empathy. The best marketers know how to translate insights into human experiences. If you can understand customers, ask the right questions about the data, and work comfortably with new tools, you’ll be well positioned no matter how the landscape shifts.

Much love,
Andy

Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @emaillove