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Lessons Learned from Surviving Bankruptcy

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Jacqueline Urick
Jacqueline Urick

This document discusses lessons learned from surviving bankruptcy and promoting adaptive organizational change. It warns against arrogance, bureaucracy, and complacency, and advocates creating a culture of positive adaptive change. Technical changes like increasing customer service are compared to deeper adaptive changes involving reevaluating business processes and customer experiences. The importance of understanding an organization's corporate psyche and mythology is discussed. Adaptive change requires pushing a system into a new equilibrium. The document also discusses testing myths around paid and organic search, validating assumptions with data, and considering the entire customer ecosystem rather than single metrics. It emphasizes simplifying processes and solutions.

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Lessons Learned from Surviving Bankruptcy Jacqueline Urick, Director SEM/SEO and UX
• Web dev turned digital marketer • 20 years in the digital space • @moarinternets • jacqueline.urick@searshc.com About Me
Lessons Learned from Surviving Bankruptcy
“We’ve always done it this way.” “This is the best way to do it.” “We tested this years ago and it didn’t work.” “We know better than the customer about what they need.” “We need a complex solution because the business is complex.”
“This is going to require a series of meetings to get approval from every stakeholder.” “Because of this existing process, we can’t prioritize this new feature.” “I’m going to ignore this until someone cc’s my boss.” “I need more results reports.” “My team doesn’t do this, talk to the other team.”
“We’re #1 nationwide.” “We’re still profitable.” “This is fine.” “It’s not our team, it’s the other team.” “No one is on top forever and we have been on top for over 100 years.”
In order to combat the creep of Arrogance, Bureaucracy and Complacency, we must create a culture of positive Adaptive Change.
Technical Change vs Adaptive Change Increase customer care to handle poor reviews. Offer discounts to entice customers to convert. We can make up the gap by spending more in paid search. Working with operations, development and UX to create an overall better customer experience. Audit pricing and offers by market, update prices and exit unprofitable markets if need be. Analyze the customer journey and update and invest in the marketing mix that aligns to those journeys.
Corporate Psyche The “soul” of the organization. It’s what the organization values and how it behaves in relation to those values.
Corporate Mythology https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phoenix_(mythology)#/media/File:Phoenix-Fabelwesen.jpg The beliefs the organization holds as truth.
Adaptive change requires you to push the system out of the current equilibrium and into a new equilibrium. Business Activities Mythology Psyche You can work to change the way the business sees itself. You can work to change the things the business believes.
ABCs and Team Structure
VP, CMO DVP, 3 Businesses Sr. Director, UX Sr. Director, 1 business Me, SEO 2017
VP, Sales & Marketing DVP, Paid Acquisition Director, Member Marketing Me, SEO and UX Sr. Director, Analytics 2018
We need to be able to take an order. We need to be able to communicate about the orders. We need to get more orders. We need to know how we’re doing. Breaking the business down to the basics
VP, Sales & Marketing Director, Member Marketing Me, SEM/SEO and UX Sr. Director, Sales Channel & Analytics 2019 Functional Marketing Org
If you want to lead people through adaptive change, give them a no-lose situation. Make it an opportunity to grow their own careers.
Lessons Learned from Surviving Bankruptcy
The Myths of Paid and Organic “If our organic was better we wouldn’t need paid at all.” “Spending more in paid makes all the channels perform better.” “We only bid on brand terms to make our ROAS look better.” “Organic investments take too long to see return.”
In the Dark Big gains in Organic traffic and conversion, but not enough to completely offset paid.
 Chose some mid-volume areas where we felt we had good SEO visibility.  Stopped branded paid search in 5 DMAs over a period of two weeks.  Couldn’t measure offline accurately for organic Didn’t have Organic keyword conversion data And then we were forced to switch agencies, but that is another story… Sometimes tests don’t go as planned
Synergy: the Future Acronym’s Keyword Objects tool
Lessons Learned from Surviving Bankruptcy
If you want to know the relationship between paid and organic for your site and your business, you’re going to have to test into it.
What is the value of your brand?
SHS Repair Ad Brand 3 Ad SHS Repair Scheduler SHS Tech Completes repair Brand 3 Scheduler, schedules SHS Repair Test #1 – SHS Brand vs Brand 3
Results  CTR on the ads were similar despite Brand 3 ad set to always bid below SHS brand ad  Cancel rate of those scheduling via the Brand 3 was significantly higher.  A significant number of those cancels occurred right after receiving the confirmation that SHS was going to complete the repair.
Test #2 – SHS Brand vs Brand 3, fulfilled by Brand 2 SHS Repair Ad Brand 3 Ad SHS Repair Scheduler SHS Tech Completes repair Brand 3 Scheduler, schedules Brand 2 Repair Brand 2 Tech Completes repair
Brand 2 one hour cancel rate was 8.6% less than the SHS brand one hour cancel rate.  Brand 2 overall cancel rate was 3% less than SHS brand Customers indifferent to Sears brand were far more sensitive to date. Results
Validate your myths. What’s true for one persona or cohort may not be true for another.
Q: What’s 20% Cooler? A: 20% more revenue per order. https://www.deviantart.com/missfluttershyshy/art/Rainbow-Dash-20-Percent-Cooler-451060106
By removing all the 20% off offers, we: Lost some paid search CTR. Reduced the complexity for the technicians. Overall, no change in overall conversion. Improved the relationship between sales and marketing. $35k average per week revenue increase. Myth: We need to have an offer!
The best solutions consider the entire ecosystem. Beware managing to a single channel KPI.
Lessons Learned from Surviving Bankruptcy
Keep it Simple
The lesson learned? People don’t read the forms they are filling out. -_-
User Surveys and Tests
There are no answers inside the building. Get out of the building. - Steve Blank
Lessons Learned from Surviving Bankruptcy
In auditing reports for 1 business unit: 67 weekly reports 28 reports deprecated The rest were merged and updated. SO MANY HOURS SAVED!! Teams are better aligned around KPIs as there is a single source of truth.
Inevitable Question: What is driving these numbers?
Let the data tell the story
Fighting arrogance, bureaucracy and complacency is a conscious effort.
The initiatives you choose, the data you measure, the story you frame all contribute to the corporate psyche and mythology.
Adaptive change comes from changing how the organization sees itself and/or what the organization believes.
Radical organizational change is opportunity.
What is your contribution?
Thank You

More Related Content

Lessons Learned from Surviving Bankruptcy

  • 1. Lessons Learned from Surviving Bankruptcy Jacqueline Urick, Director SEM/SEO and UX
  • 2. • Web dev turned digital marketer • 20 years in the digital space • @moarinternets • jacqueline.urick@searshc.com About Me
  • 4. “We’ve always done it this way.” “This is the best way to do it.” “We tested this years ago and it didn’t work.” “We know better than the customer about what they need.” “We need a complex solution because the business is complex.”
  • 5. “This is going to require a series of meetings to get approval from every stakeholder.” “Because of this existing process, we can’t prioritize this new feature.” “I’m going to ignore this until someone cc’s my boss.” “I need more results reports.” “My team doesn’t do this, talk to the other team.”
  • 6. “We’re #1 nationwide.” “We’re still profitable.” “This is fine.” “It’s not our team, it’s the other team.” “No one is on top forever and we have been on top for over 100 years.”
  • 7. In order to combat the creep of Arrogance, Bureaucracy and Complacency, we must create a culture of positive Adaptive Change.
  • 8. Technical Change vs Adaptive Change Increase customer care to handle poor reviews. Offer discounts to entice customers to convert. We can make up the gap by spending more in paid search. Working with operations, development and UX to create an overall better customer experience. Audit pricing and offers by market, update prices and exit unprofitable markets if need be. Analyze the customer journey and update and invest in the marketing mix that aligns to those journeys.
  • 9. Corporate Psyche The “soul” of the organization. It’s what the organization values and how it behaves in relation to those values.
  • 11. Adaptive change requires you to push the system out of the current equilibrium and into a new equilibrium. Business Activities Mythology Psyche You can work to change the way the business sees itself. You can work to change the things the business believes.
  • 13. VP, CMO DVP, 3 Businesses Sr. Director, UX Sr. Director, 1 business Me, SEO 2017
  • 14. VP, Sales & Marketing DVP, Paid Acquisition Director, Member Marketing Me, SEO and UX Sr. Director, Analytics 2018
  • 15. We need to be able to take an order. We need to be able to communicate about the orders. We need to get more orders. We need to know how we’re doing. Breaking the business down to the basics
  • 16. VP, Sales & Marketing Director, Member Marketing Me, SEM/SEO and UX Sr. Director, Sales Channel & Analytics 2019 Functional Marketing Org
  • 17. If you want to lead people through adaptive change, give them a no-lose situation. Make it an opportunity to grow their own careers.
  • 19. The Myths of Paid and Organic “If our organic was better we wouldn’t need paid at all.” “Spending more in paid makes all the channels perform better.” “We only bid on brand terms to make our ROAS look better.” “Organic investments take too long to see return.”
  • 20. In the Dark Big gains in Organic traffic and conversion, but not enough to completely offset paid.
  • 21.  Chose some mid-volume areas where we felt we had good SEO visibility.  Stopped branded paid search in 5 DMAs over a period of two weeks.  Couldn’t measure offline accurately for organic Didn’t have Organic keyword conversion data And then we were forced to switch agencies, but that is another story… Sometimes tests don’t go as planned
  • 24. If you want to know the relationship between paid and organic for your site and your business, you’re going to have to test into it.
  • 25. What is the value of your brand?
  • 26. SHS Repair Ad Brand 3 Ad SHS Repair Scheduler SHS Tech Completes repair Brand 3 Scheduler, schedules SHS Repair Test #1 – SHS Brand vs Brand 3
  • 27. Results  CTR on the ads were similar despite Brand 3 ad set to always bid below SHS brand ad  Cancel rate of those scheduling via the Brand 3 was significantly higher.  A significant number of those cancels occurred right after receiving the confirmation that SHS was going to complete the repair.
  • 28. Test #2 – SHS Brand vs Brand 3, fulfilled by Brand 2 SHS Repair Ad Brand 3 Ad SHS Repair Scheduler SHS Tech Completes repair Brand 3 Scheduler, schedules Brand 2 Repair Brand 2 Tech Completes repair
  • 29. Brand 2 one hour cancel rate was 8.6% less than the SHS brand one hour cancel rate.  Brand 2 overall cancel rate was 3% less than SHS brand Customers indifferent to Sears brand were far more sensitive to date. Results
  • 30. Validate your myths. What’s true for one persona or cohort may not be true for another.
  • 31. Q: What’s 20% Cooler? A: 20% more revenue per order. https://www.deviantart.com/missfluttershyshy/art/Rainbow-Dash-20-Percent-Cooler-451060106
  • 32. By removing all the 20% off offers, we: Lost some paid search CTR. Reduced the complexity for the technicians. Overall, no change in overall conversion. Improved the relationship between sales and marketing. $35k average per week revenue increase. Myth: We need to have an offer!
  • 33. The best solutions consider the entire ecosystem. Beware managing to a single channel KPI.
  • 36. The lesson learned? People don’t read the forms they are filling out. -_-
  • 38. There are no answers inside the building. Get out of the building. - Steve Blank
  • 40. In auditing reports for 1 business unit: 67 weekly reports 28 reports deprecated The rest were merged and updated. SO MANY HOURS SAVED!! Teams are better aligned around KPIs as there is a single source of truth.
  • 41. Inevitable Question: What is driving these numbers?
  • 42. Let the data tell the story
  • 43. Fighting arrogance, bureaucracy and complacency is a conscious effort.
  • 44. The initiatives you choose, the data you measure, the story you frame all contribute to the corporate psyche and mythology.
  • 45. Adaptive change comes from changing how the organization sees itself and/or what the organization believes.
  • 46. Radical organizational change is opportunity.
  • 47. What is your contribution?