It's warm and sunny in San Bruno, California, and while the San Francisco Giants didn't make it to the post-season this year, Scott Olrich has a good feeling about other victories in the near future. Among them is the ability for big brands, like the Giants, to reach clients and customers through multiple channels online using his company's software.
Olrich, chief marketing and sales officer at Repsonsys, oversees the company's strategic direction for all of its marketing solutions products and services. The 40-year-old San Francisco native focuses on what he calls "new school marketing," implementing and automating successful ad campaigns through email, mobile, social media and other Web services.
When he took over Responsys in March 2004 with Dan Springer, the chief executive, their goal was to rebuild the company into the leading provider of cross-channel marketing solutions. The 1993 San Diego State University graduate believed that software-as-a-service marketing tools would soon become a must-have for every advertising campaign. Today Responsys helps established brands, such as LEGO, Sears and Lands' End, shift from acquisition marketing to relationship marketing through the use of online channels.
Olrich, named one of the top 10 U.S. chief marketing officers by The CMO Institute in April 2010, talked with FINS about the ins-and-outs of "new school marketing," and the growth of his company.
Damian Ghigliotty: Have you had any professional mentors that have a played a big role in your career?
Scott Olrich: I've had several mentors along the way and have learned from them all in different ways. I've interacted with folks from places like Salesforce.com, and have seen what really drives growth on a major scale. One of the reasons I joined Responsys was to work with Dan and learn from him.
I've been the one constantly thinking about scale and he reminds me, "You know, you have to be patient." We were able to take Responsys public because we've had that continual growth, but we've also had a solid business model that Dan put in place -- the right pricing, the right efficiency. I've learned a lot about the finance and operations side of the company from him.
DG: What potential did you and Dan Springer see in Responsys and how did you end up taking over the company?
SO: Responsys started in 1998 as one of the very first software service companies. The company was one of those high flying companies during the dot-com bubble, but then it lost its way around 2001. Before we took over, Dan was running a company called Modem Media and he was using the software Responsys made.
When he heard that the company was in trouble, he started evaluating the space for marketing automation and campaign management and saw ways to adapt to the changes taking place in the business. At the time, I was helping run a company called Topica, another email service provider focusing on the small business space, and had been talking to Dan about ways to build Responsys back up. So Dan and I joined forces in early 2004 to take over the company and make it profitable in the long-run.
DG: How has your team grown?
SO: Right now I've got about 160 employees that work up directly through me. When Dan and I got here, that number was about 10. Our growth has been pretty crazy and pretty demanding.
Every big step that Responsys takes as a whole requires all kinds of new and different skill sets among the people that work here. At the start, it was really about building momentum: getting those first initial sales, being recognized by analysts, doing more trade shows and taking a lead in the market place. Now it's about sustaining that momentum and coming up with new product ideas at the same time.
That means getting the right leaders in place at the company. It means putting the right management layers in place so those new leaders can get the message out and begin training others do the same. We're happy that so many of our employees have stayed on throughout that process.
DG: In your 19 years working for and with different businesses, have you seen companies that tried to grow too fast?
SO: I saw that at Topica. We started off in the free business with free discussion groups and other online tools and then we decided, "Let's get into the paid business." We moved too fast from one businesses model to another and never gave either one enough time to move through its necessary cycles. Sometimes you get into trouble and you think, "Oh, it's easier to go into a different market."
But sometimes you need to fight that fight to the end. At Topica, we tried to focus on too many businesses within one company.
DG: How would you describe yourself as a leader?
SO: I'm a tough, but I'm fair. I'm definitely a driver, so I have a real sense of urgency and I'm here to change marketing -- that's become a big cause of mine – but I also run flat and won't ask people to do what I won't do myself. I think my employees can feel that passion and professionalism and want to be a part of it. I also want them to be a big part of Responsys and I encourage them to stay on board.
I also don't like to surprise people. If they're doing a good job they should know that and if they're not doing a good job they should know that as well. It's ok to fail, but you've got to put your neck out. The way I see it, we'll have our challenges going forward, but we're going to figure them out and be successful.
DG: Any advice for people looking to get started in sales and marketing?
SO: Be sure to use the channels that consumers are engaging with today. Marketing used to be about TV, radio and print, which for years was the primary means for large organizations to reach their audiences.
Things have changed with the proliferation and growing adoption of digital technology and tools. Consumers have shifted their focus from offline channels to interactive channels such as email, mobile, social networks and the web. This is a huge opportunity for relationship marketers to refine targeting, increase engagement and ultimately drive higher return on investment for their organization.
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