Marketing Operators Podcast - Episode E030 Summary

Title: Reza Khadjavi, Motion Founder, on Building a Creative-first Approach to DTC Marketing
Release Date: October 22, 2024
Hosts: Connor Rolain, Connor McDonald, Cody Plofker
Guest: Reza Khadjavi, Founder of Motion App

Introduction

In Episode E030 of Marketing Operators, hosts Connor Rolain, Connor McDonald, and Cody Plofker welcome Reza Khadjavi, the founder of Motion App. The discussion centers around Reza's journey in the DTC (Direct-to-Consumer) marketing landscape, the evolution of Motion App, and the pivotal shift towards a creative-first approach in performance marketing.

Reza's Background and the Birth of Motion App

Reza Khadjavi opens the conversation by sharing his extensive background in e-commerce enablement, spanning nearly a decade. He recounts the early days of launching Shoelace, one of the first apps in the Shopify App Store in late 2015, which automated product catalogs amid the nascent stages of Facebook's pixel integration.

"We launched an app called Shoelace then, and it was interesting and, like, not only been building in e-commerce, but like, building around, like, paid social this entire time." [03:32]

Despite initial success, Reza explains how native integrations between Shopify and Facebook rendered Shoelace less essential, prompting pivots towards new ideas focused on customer journey-based advertising. However, evolving algorithmic advancements in audience targeting led Reza and his team to recognize the diminishing role of manual audience segmentation.

Shift from Audience Targeting to Creative Focus

Reza discusses the strategic pivot towards emphasizing creative over audience targeting, especially in the wake of Meta's (formerly Facebook) recommendations to trust algorithms rather than micromanage audience segments.

"Audience targeting was basically going towards its way out. ... Algorithms just got really good at the audience targeting side of things, it just eliminated the need for humans to be tinkering at that level of audience targeting." [08:00]

This realization was instrumental in the development of Motion App, which was designed to bridge the gap between data and creative elements in advertising workflows.

The Emergence of the Creative Strategist Role

A significant portion of the discussion is dedicated to the burgeoning role of the Creative Strategist in DTC marketing. Reza identifies this role as a hybrid between analytical prowess and creative intuition, essential for navigating the complexities of modern advertising.

"The person that was able to balance those two is like a unicorn marketer, right? And worth their weight in gold." [17:12]

He elaborates on how Creative Strategists are becoming indispensable for brands seeking to produce high-performing ads by synthesizing data insights with innovative creative concepts.

Hiring Creative Strategists and Team Dynamics

Reza shares insights into hiring Creative Strategists, emphasizing the diversity of backgrounds that can be molded into this role. He highlights that individuals from media buying, content creation, and traditional advertising can all transition into effective Creative Strategists with the right tools and mindset.

"We think that Motion should help with that friction on both sides. Either someone analytical becoming more creative or someone creative becoming more analytical." [27:18]

The conversation also touches on Cody and David's experiences hiring for this role, noting the importance of balancing creative talent with analytical skills to drive successful marketing campaigns.

Motion App's Product Roadmap and AI Integration

Reza outlines Motion App’s ambitious roadmap, focusing on integrating AI to enhance the Creative Strategist workflow. The goal is to transform Motion into a command center that not only facilitates but also accelerates the creative process by providing actionable insights and automating parts of the creative strategy development.

"Our goal is to help very much with that part of the problem... executing all of that's going to be really easy and then distributing all of that is also going to be really easy." [37:27]

Motion recently secured a $30 million Series B funding round, which Reza intends to channel towards expanding the engineering team and advancing AI capabilities, ensuring Motion remains at the forefront of creative-first performance marketing tools.

The Role of Research and Analytics in Creative Strategy

A recurring theme is the interplay between qualitative research and quantitative analytics in crafting effective advertising strategies. Reza emphasizes that understanding both customer insights and data performance is crucial for developing compelling ad creatives.

"If you have the inclination towards this question, it's like, what makes an ad perform, right? What is it about that that works well? ... you don't have to use software for that." [62:37]

The hosts and Reza discuss the importance of tools like Motion in centralizing and simplifying the analysis of creative performance, enabling marketers to iterate and optimize their campaigns seamlessly.

Advice for Brands Starting with Performance Creative

For brands new to performance creative, Reza advises designating a team member to adopt a Creative Strategist mindset, even without formally hiring for the role. This involves a focused effort on understanding what resonates with their audience and methodically testing creative concepts.

"Someone on the team has got to start walking in that, in that footstep." [62:37]

He also recommends leveraging resources such as Motion’s thumbstop newsletter and Creative Research tools to build foundational knowledge in performance creative strategies.

Contrarian Takes on DTC Marketing

Reza shares a contrarian view on the overemphasis on attribution in marketing, advocating for a balanced approach that prioritizes overarching performance metrics over granular attribution details.

"If you obsess too much about attribution... you're going to turn very expensive and not have a very big scale." [71:43]

He argues that while data is essential, excessive focus on attribution can hinder creativity and scalability. Instead, marketers should concentrate on metrics that directly impact their bottom line, fostering both creative freedom and financial efficiency.

Connor McDonald adds his perspective, predicting the rise of drop shipping as a ubiquitous model in the DTC space, despite its controversial reputation.

"Dropshipping's had this like, very negative connotation, but you kind of see it now with like social shopping... I just think it'll become more commonplace." [74:51]

David Herman concurs, expressing support for upper funnel campaigns on paid social, challenging the prevailing norms that prioritize conversion-optimized strategies.

Conclusion

As the episode wraps up, Reza encourages listeners to engage with Motion’s resources, including the thumbstop newsletter and Creative Research tool, to deepen their understanding of performance creative strategies. He underscores Motion’s commitment to empowering Creative Strategists with the tools and insights necessary to excel in the evolving DTC marketing landscape.

"Sign up for thumbstop. I think you should definitely sign up for Creative Research... join Motions by Virtual Events." [78:38]

The hosts thank Reza for his insights, reiterating the importance of a creative-first approach in driving effective and scalable DTC marketing campaigns.

Key Takeaways:

• Creative Strategist Role: A hybrid role blending creativity and analytics is becoming essential in DTC marketing to develop high-performing ad creatives.

• Shift in Focus: The evolution from manual audience targeting to a creative-first approach, driven by advancements in algorithm-based targeting.

• Motion App’s Impact: Motion serves as a central hub for Creative Strategists, integrating research, analytics, and AI to streamline and enhance the creative process.

• Balanced Marketing Approach: Emphasizing overall performance metrics over granular attribution can lead to more scalable and cost-effective marketing strategies.

• Future Predictions: Drop shipping is poised to become more prevalent in the DTC space, and upper funnel campaigns on paid social are gaining traction as effective strategies.

For more insights and resources on creative-first performance marketing, visit motionapp.com and subscribe to the thumbstop newsletter.