Progress and Unity: A 2023 End of Year Message from Our CEO Steve Warren 

Season’s Greetings from Mapp!

As we approach 2024, we reflect on a year of significant growth, technological advancements, and valuable partnerships that have reinforced our position in the MarTech industry. Our continued dedication to assisting brands in delivering insight-led customer experiences has driven the expansion of Mapp Marketing Cloud, our comprehensive services, and our valuable partnerships. Looking ahead, we’re committed to helping brands cost-effectively leverage their data, fostering long-term relationships, and boosting revenue. 

Our State of CX Unearthed Two Fundamental Findings  

Early in January, our State of Customer Experience 2023 survey engaged over 700 marketers, providing valuable market insights and trends to help brands better shape their 2023 strategy. The results showed that businesses prioritize customer acquisition by investing in first-party data strategies and owned channels instead of paid ads. Unsurprisingly, AI emerged as the top trend for 2024, aligning perfectly with what was to come in our product roadmap. 

First-party data tracking in a GDPR-compliant way has always been implemented as a fundamental component of Mapp Marketing Cloud’s Customer Data Platform. However, we understood the importance of helping marketers quickly turn their real-time insights into actionable insights – even within an easy interface. To ensure Mapp Marketing Cloud users could unlock the full potential of our platform, we prioritized high-impact innovations in our product. To spearhead these innovations, Eric Lubow joined as our new CTO, driving Mapp’s vision and product development to new heights.  

Mapp Marketing Cloud Platform Innovations: Numerous improvements, New A.I. Assistant, and eCommerce Plugins

2023 has been a landmark year for enhancing our customers’ experience through Mapp Marketing Cloud. 

Enhancements for better usability and maximum impact 

This year’s updates and upgrades have been transformative, enhancing user experience, bolstering security, and providing advanced analytics for better insights and robust marketing tools across Mapp Marketing Cloud solutions. 

Find out more about the 2023 updates here  

Rolling Out Mapp’s A.I. Assistant 

The strengthening of our AI capabilities with the launch of a new set of features earlier in November, was a significant milestone for Mapp as it marked a crucial step towards an AI-driven future. With marketers in mind, the Product Team developed our AI Assistant to combat the common challenges they face, such as managing large volumes of data, deriving actionable insights, and producing compelling content consistently. Our clients can optimize campaign delivery with much ease, thanks to the help of AI-powered insights, 

It is exceptional to see our tool as a marketer’s ally, helping our customers strategically leverage their data and enhance content creation to streamline their daily marketing campaign activities. There are many more updates to come in Q1 2024, so stay tuned! 

Shopify Plus and Magento Plugin Enhancements 

A major advancement for Shopify Plus and Magento users is the streamlined ability to extract valuable insights from their data using Mapp Marketing Cloud. This enables them to improve customer experiences effectively. Customers utilizing these plugins can now tap into their marketing potential more effectively, benefiting from unique insights that drive informed marketing strategies. 

Notably, our client PBSL integrated their Magento data into Mapp Marketing Cloud to centralize their data accompanied with valuable behavioral insights for a deeper understanding of their audiences. This enabled them to create personalized in-store experiences for their customers via digital platforms, irrespective of product knowledge, and grow online revenue by 80%! 

 Learn more about our Magento plugin here and Shopify plugin here. 

PROFESSIONAL SERVICES HELP RETAIL BRANDS ACHIEVE 99.48% IN DELIVERABILITY DURING BFCM 

In November alone, we tracked almost 19 billion interactions across our clients’ properties and observed a 17% increase in visits to our retail client sites compared to October. From September to the end of November, we helped our customers track over 150 million product purchases. Black Friday & Cyber Monday sales peak was also a success for our customers in the retail vertical with a delivery rate of 99.48%, an open rate of 25.32%, and a click rate of 1.81%. Our Professional Services team is looking forward to supporting our customers even more strategically in 2024 and maximizing their marketing potential.  

Making Moves In The Martech Industry  

MACH Alliance: “The Cool Club in Town” 

Back in March, Mapp officially joined The MACH Alliance.  Our partnership with the MACH Alliance, as a certified technology, accentuates our dedication to open, flexible, and adaptive technology ecosystems, aligning with our mission to empower brands in the dynamic digital world. Mapp is particularly proud to be a member next to renowned vendors such as Talon.One, commercetools, Klevu, Vtex, BigCommerce, and many more. 

Also, as part of the Women in MACH mentorship program, we hosted our first Women in MACH event, highlighting our commitment to diversity, equality, and forward-thinking strategies in e-commerce and MarTech. This initiative and the ones coming up in 2024 reflect our ongoing efforts to foster gender equality and innovation. 

Welcoming New Clients & Partners Around the Globe 

In 2023, we welcomed global clients such as GLD (Superga, Umbro, Sebago and Amplified), Admiral Financial Services, Turtle Bay, Hippocrates Holding, Parmalat, Boxeur des Rues, Class Editori, Il Giornale, and Britax, signifying the market’s growing trust in Mapp’s platform and services. Our Partner ecosystem also expanded, with companies like Trbo, Enchant, Paase, Intaface, Schmack, Loqate, Nosto, and Capgemini joining us to enhance our global presence and service offerings further. 

We also expanded outside our Partner network through our Mapp Masterplan video series. Collaborations with Jakala, Talon.One, AKQA and Alpenite gave eCommerce brands insights and strategies to maximize revenue during the Black Friday and Holiday sales season and grow this into long-term loyalty beyond 2024.  

Insight-Led Marketing Events: Connecting Through Knowledge & Experiences 

Over the past year, our events across the UK, Italy, and Germany have served as a testament to our dedication to the insight-led approach, showcasing the transformative impact of applying customer insights across various sectors. We’ve united brand leaders and partners, allowing them to share their success stories, challenges, and experiences.  

• In the UK: Our events featured an impressive array of speakers from the B2C and Tech space, including PizzaExpress, Riverford, PBSL, Pepsico, Creed, High Street TV, FactFinder, Schmack, Antavo, Odicci, and Eyos. These gatherings showcased how data-driven insights are reshaping customer experiences and propelling growth in diverse industries. 
• In Italy: We focused on integrating technology with customer insights. Collaborating with Edenred, Prénatal, Monnalisa, Coccinelle, and Il Post, we emphasized personalizing marketing strategies through a deep understanding of customer behavior and preferences. 
• In Germany: The ‘Connect the Dots’ roadshow, in collaboration with partners like Converlytics, Trbo, and Telekom MMS, delved into the strategic aspects of insight-led marketing. We explored the significance of systematic approaches, providing practical, data-driven insights to secure a competitive edge. 

Overall, these regional events have underlined the significance of insight-led marketing at Mapp and created an environment conducive to learning and sharing

2024 Will Have Brands Looking Back, As They Sprint Forward  

As 2024 dawns, brands are adopting a unique approach of looking back as they sprint forward. In a landscape where the race to leverage the latest AI tools is relentless, it’s crucial to not overlook the importance of addressing gaps in existing strategies. Issues such as data silos and only partially implemented automation can significantly impede growth and deteriorate the customer experience. To foster sustainable development and customer-centric solutions, businesses must refine these areas concurrently with the adoption of advanced tools. Our mission is centered on providing education, advice, and assistance to businesses, helping them navigate these challenges and achieve their objectives efficiently. 2024 will also be about:  

• ROI: In this evolving market, brands are becoming more strategic, often shying away from major transformation projects. The focus has shifted towards maximizing ROI and delivering higher value with lower investments. We’re committed to enabling businesses to achieve quicker results without compromising on quality. 
• Agility: Agility has become a paramount concern. Post-COVID-19, our clients have emerged more resilient, and our partnerships in the MACH ecosystem (Microservices, API-first, Cloud-native, and Headless) are geared to help them capitalize on this newfound agility. 
• Efficiency: Marketers are constantly seeking innovative ways to enhance the efficiency of their efforts. Our ongoing commitment to AI innovations is designed to support these endeavors, ensuring that marketing strategies are not only effective but also seamlessly integrated with the latest technology. 
• Prioritizing Consumer Expectations: Balancing various priorities can be challenging, yet consumer expectations will always take precedence. Meeting, if not exceeding, these expectations remains a top priority for businesses aiming for success in both B2C and B2B spheres. Our role is to guide and support businesses in aligning their strategies with these consumer-centric trends, ensuring they stay ahead in the competitive landscape of 2024. 

RAISE A GLASS! 

To great success and a year full of positive surprises! From all of us at Mapp, we wish you the best of holidays and a Happy New Year. We look forward to working with you next year! 

Frohes Neues Jahr! Bonne Année! Feliz Año Nuevo! Buon Anno and Happy New Year to all of you!

Sincerely, 

Steve Warren