[The Modern Marketer] How Storytelling and Personalization Drive Digital Experiences With Celia Hoag

Celia Hoag is a Digital Experience Strategist at Merkle, a company specializing in creating personalized digital experiences across various industries. Celia is known for her innovative marketing solutions, driven by her passion for understanding human behavior and storytelling, and she has co-authored articles on mobile application strategy. Her experience includes working with major brands like Starbucks and PayPal, where she has applied insights and trend analysis to shape impactful marketing campaigns. In her role, she also mentors young digital marketers, sharing her journey and advice to inspire the next generation of marketing professionals.

Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:

• [03:00] Celia Hoag shares her journey into marketing
• [5:18] The importance of storytelling in marketing
• [06:33] Creating seamless customer experiences across the marketing funnel 
• [08:27] Integrating storytelling with data-driven insights to create personalized digital experiences for clients
• [10:04] Celia explains why it’s a misconception that data isn’t creative
• [12:33] What makes the mobile app an integral part of a brand’s omnichannel strategy? 
• [18:56] Celia’s advice for young professionals starting out in the marketing industry 
• [25:49] How to leverage LinkedIn to build a network and find opportunities 
• [39:54] Why Celia believes AI and personalization are the future of marketing

In this episode…

How do marketers combine creativity and data to craft meaningful experiences that resonate with consumers? And what role does storytelling play in shaping those digital journeys?

According to Celia Hoag, a seasoned digital experience strategist, storytelling is the key to building deeper connections with customers. She highlights that combining data-driven insights with creative narratives helps brands not only capture attention but also guide customers through seamless, personalized journeys. This approach, she explains, ensures that every touchpoint feels relevant and engaging, whether through product recommendations or entire digital experiences. The power of storytelling lies in its ability to make data actionable and relatable, ultimately driving customer satisfaction and loyalty.

In this episode of RAW Spotlight, host Felicity Porter sits down with Celia Hoag, Digital Experience Strategist at Merkle, to talk about how storytelling and personalization drive impactful digital experiences. Celia discusses the importance of understanding consumer behavior, using data to fuel creativity, and crafting personalized journeys across digital channels. She also shares how mobile app strategies play a crucial role in omnichannel marketing.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• Felicity Porter on LinkedIn
• Emily Au on LinkedIn
• Victor Huynh on LinkedIn
• Ready Artwork
• Celia Hoag on LinkedIn 
• Merkle

Special Mentions

• Podium Education
• Marketing Brew

Quotable Moments

• “Data is creativity; it’s about piecing together various data points to create a bigger story.” 
• “AI is a tool to help us, but it can’t think like our consumer thinks.”
• “The worst they can say is no or not respond. Then that’s okay. I can move on to the next person.”
• “There are so many types of jobs within marketing; you can pick what’s right for you.”
• “Every day, storytelling is that essential skill you need to sell in either your work or yourself.”

Action Steps

1. Engage in continuous learning and networking: Regularly seek out webinars, workshops, and online courses to enhance your marketing skills and stay up-to-date with industry changes.
2. Embrace data-driven decision-making: Learn to integrate data analysis into your creative process by using insights to tailor effective marketing strategies.
3. Prioritize human-centered design in digital experiences: Focus on designing digital experiences that prioritize the end user’s needs and preferences to increase engagement and accessibility.
4. Explore AI and personalization technologies: This proactive step helps marketers stay ahead in a rapidly evolving digital landscape where personalized interactions are becoming the norm.
5. Cultivate a resilient and innovative mindset: Develop the ability to adapt to change, overcome imposter syndrome, and leverage both successes and failures as learning opportunities.

Sponsor for this episode…

This episode is brought to you by Ready Artwork, where we deliver uniquely tailored B2B digital marketing services to facilitate the long-term growth of your business.

At Ready Artwork, we combine data-driven insights with innovative design to help your business thrive in the digital age. From SEO and digital advertising to web development and email marketing, we have experts who help companies uncover growth in unexplored and extraordinary ways.

To learn more, visit readyartwork.com or get a free proposal. Let Ready Artwork discover your full potential.