Tell us about where you work and what you do there.
I am the Vice President of Loyalty Marketing at 1-800-Flowers.com, Inc. I am responsible for growing our multi-brand loyalty program, Celebrations Passport®. I oversee the strategic positioning, marketing and development of the program which includes Free Shipping and No Service Charge across all brands, ways to earn points and unlock exclusive perks across tiers, and a mobile app.
How would you describe yourself?
I am “Giftastic,” a thoughtful giver. I can empathize with our customer because I am her. My relationships and connections are the most important thing and I honor those with both small and large gestures through our Celebrations Passport ® program. I have worked to push our organization to always think like the customer and make it easier for her to express, connect, and celebrate.
Outside of work, I like to spend my time with family and close friends doing simple things like taking walks, hosting dinner parties, or going to the beach. It is the quality time with loved ones that I value. I grew up on Long Island, New York and recently moved back there with my husband to raise our family.
What qualities do you think a great marketer needs to have?
Great marketers understand their customers and what motivates them. You have to be able to reach the customer at the moment that they are open to listening and continuously provide them value.
What do you think has been your biggest professional success so far?
Expanding and enhancing the Celebrations Passport ® program through the addition of points, tiers and the mobile app has been extremely rewarding and educational. We are in the nascent stages, but I am excited about the early reaction and the way it is pushing our organization to think differently. I am looking forward to innovating and continuing to add more value for our most loyal customers.
What goals do you have for 2022?
I want to be better about balancing the time I spend on driving tactical outcomes vs strategic planning. My goal is to propel our initiatives around customer experience and loyalty forward in a meaningful way, without getting bogged down in the weeds.
What do you think is the next big trend in eCommerce?
I think we will see a trend of curation and consolidation. We have been in an era of increasingly fragmented, or product specific, D2C companies but it has put the burden on the customer to research and navigate when shopping. I believe the customer wants go-to destinations for their shopping needs that curate the best products and solutions for them.
Name an eCommerce brand you admire and why.
In loyalty, I always come back to Sephora. They have done an amazing job of building a loyal community of both customers and employees. They have also seamlessly integrated experiences, content and commerce, which we also aspire towards.
What do you geek out over?
I am a meticulous trip planner. I find peace in creating a detailed itinerary and feeling prepared for my destination. I always build in flexibility so that we can be spontaneous, but I love digging through guides and having an idea of how we will spend our time.
