Q&A with Paige O'Neill, CMO at Sitecore

MEDIA 7 | May 19, 2019

Paige O'Neill, CMO of Sitecore is an experienced, data-driven B2B marketer with enterprise and mid-market SaaS experience that ranges from Fortune 100 to late stage startups and stages in between. Her career graph uniquely combines extensive product marketing and PR / communications backgrounds resulting in an adeptness at creating brand stories and differentiated positioning. 

In this thought-provoking Q&A with MEDIA 7, Paige shares her journey into the field of marketing and her unrelenting zest for technology.

MEDIA 7: What inspired you to get into Marketing?
PAIGE O'NEILL:
 My journey started when I was a Ph.D. student at New York University, and I thought I was on the road to become a college professor, but one day I had an interview at a high-tech PR firm for a part time job. The enthusiasm for technology at that agency changed the course of my life. I felt enamored with everything I heard about “PR” – even though at the time I didn’t even know what it actually was – so I dropped out of the Ph.D. program and started a career working for IBM’s PR agency. I loved technology communications, but wanted to tackle messaging from a more technical perspective, which led to my interest in product marketing. The transition from technology public relations to a product marketing role wasn’t an easy one. It’s an uncommon trajectory and there wasn’t a precedent at the company I worked for at the time, so I had to build my own path. In the end, I hustled to prove that I could leverage the skills I learned through my communications-focused position and translate them to a more product-focused role. It took persistence to prove that point.

"Success for marketers is defined by the ability to deliver experiences that are aware and adaptive to individual customers’ specific needs, in a way that is seamless to the end-user."



M7: What is your favourite part of working at Sitecore?
PN:
I love working with organizations during times of change, and there’s a lot of that going on at Sitecore. We are in the midst of a complete marketing transformation at Sitecore that starts with our top-level messaging, augmenting those messages more towards the marketing department. We are doing this through a new visual identity and branding, an expansion of our demand generation function (which is scaling to map to new personas and go-to-market areas), and, finally, a complete digital transformation leveraging Sitecore’s technology to build a new version of our website and align our digital channels to the customer journey. It’s truly a thrill to be a part of.


"Consumers’ expectations outpace companies’ abilities; most organizations are still early in their efforts to transform the business for a digital world."



M7: What do you consider the biggest challenges for a CMO these days?
PN:
 Marketers have had to accept a heavy truth: it is up to consumers, not them, to decide when, where, and how to engage with their company. Success for marketers is defined by the ability to deliver experiences that are aware and adaptive to individual customers’ specific needs, in a way that is seamless to the end-user. In many cases, though, consumers’ expectations outpace companies’ abilities; most organizations are still early in their efforts to transform the business for a digital world. Getting there will take an investment in technology, and we’ll see marketers rely more on things like channel-agnostic services, machine learning capabilities, and data management systems. But marketers are also going to have to rethink their people and processes, so they have the right training and organizational design to make sure they can leverage the power of those technology investments.


"Marketers have to rethink their people and processes, so they have the right training and organizational design to make sure they can leverage the power of technology investments."



M7: The past year has seen Sitecore hiring four women in executive leadership roles. Is the gap between the number of men and women at Sitecore shrinking? How do you see it?
PN: 
Our CEO, Mark Frost, has always had a passion for diversity and bringing women into senior roles, and it’s been great to see him implement his proactive approach to inclusive hiring at Sitecore. As a result, diversity representation is definitely on the upswing - although we prefer to think of it as more than just a numbers game. Rather than having a quota for female hires, we focus on setting benchmarks that will ensure an equal representation of potential candidates for any position. We’re also taking a top down/bottom up approach to ensure that leadership is setting the right example, while every department is just as engaged in diversity practices.

M7: Knowing what you know now, what advice would you give your younger self?
PN: 
Speak up! Articulate your professional goals and don’t wait for someone to notice you and hope they will give you an opportunity. There’s no way for those around you to know what you want, if you don’t vocalize it. I think a lot of time women in particular think if they work hard, someone will notice them, they will earn that promotion or be selected for that exciting opportunity, but I know from personal experience that making your career ambitions known, can pay dividends.

ABOUT SITECORE

Sitecore is the global leader in digital experience management software that combines content management, commerce, and customer insights. The Sitecore Experience Cloud™ empowers marketers to deliver personalized content in real time and at scale across every channel—before, during, and after a sale. More than 5,200 brands––including American Express, Carnival Cruise Lines, Dow Chemical, and L’Oréal––have trusted Sitecore to deliver the personalized interactions that delight audiences, build loyalty, and drive revenue. Visit Sitecore to know more.

More C-Suite on deck

Data is king and informs any marketing strategies we employ’ says Dr. Jens Thraenhart, CEO at Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc.

Media 7 | September 7, 2022

Dr. Jens Thraenhart, CEO at Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc. talks about highlighting small businesses and local entrepreneurs, targeting our audiences digitally. Read on to know unique initiatives in tourism industry.

Read More

'The “Swissness” stands for quality around the world' says Henri W.R. Kennedie, President & CEO at Swiss International Hotels & Resorts.

Media 7 | July 12, 2022

Swiss International Hotels & Resorts President & CEO Henri W.R. Kennedie discusses the company's iOS and Android apps, as well as its operations, licensing, revenue, quality, and other relevant topics. Read along for additional information on Swissness, Swiss-Select, and more.

Read More

“The guest experience has never been more important,” says Matthew Cameron-Smith, CEO at Voyages Indigenous Tourism Australia.

Media 7 | June 27, 2022

Voyages Indigenous Tourism Australia's CEO, Matthew Cameron-Smith, discusses, Tali Wiru, Indigenous training and employment across Australia, as well as experience-based vacations, the iconic Red Centre, and tourism facilities. Read more to learn more about eco-friendly, sustainable travel.

Read More

Data is king and informs any marketing strategies we employ’ says Dr. Jens Thraenhart, CEO at Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc.

Media 7 | September 7, 2022

Dr. Jens Thraenhart, CEO at Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc. talks about highlighting small businesses and local entrepreneurs, targeting our audiences digitally. Read on to know unique initiatives in tourism industry.

Read More

'The “Swissness” stands for quality around the world' says Henri W.R. Kennedie, President & CEO at Swiss International Hotels & Resorts.

Media 7 | July 12, 2022

Swiss International Hotels & Resorts President & CEO Henri W.R. Kennedie discusses the company's iOS and Android apps, as well as its operations, licensing, revenue, quality, and other relevant topics. Read along for additional information on Swissness, Swiss-Select, and more.

Read More

“The guest experience has never been more important,” says Matthew Cameron-Smith, CEO at Voyages Indigenous Tourism Australia.

Media 7 | June 27, 2022

Voyages Indigenous Tourism Australia's CEO, Matthew Cameron-Smith, discusses, Tali Wiru, Indigenous training and employment across Australia, as well as experience-based vacations, the iconic Red Centre, and tourism facilities. Read more to learn more about eco-friendly, sustainable travel.

Read More

Related News

TRAVEL TECHNOLOGY

Glassbox Data Uncovers Slow Loading Times As Top Issue for Booking Travel via Websites and Apps

businesswire | May 22, 2023

Glassbox a leading provider of digital experience analytics for web and mobile applications, today announces the release of its report, Beyond the Booking: A Look Inside Digital Experience for Travelers, highlighting consumers’ pain points when digitally booking travel. Aimed at uncovering the interactions or roadblocks that cause travelers to abandon their customer journey, the survey of 1,000 U.S. consumers found that 72% of respondents prioritize easy-to-use search filters when booking travel. These insights underscore consumers’ frustrations and preferences when it comes to travel. The survey shows that the convenience of on-hand mobile technology has encouraged preferential booking on native mobile apps among Millennials and Gen Z respondents – 49% of Millennials and 44% of Gen Z noted a preference for booking travel via mobile app. Similarly, data from a leading hotel brand uncovered conversion rates from native mobile apps were almost double that of conversions from desktop web. Additional Glassbox data highlights include: Easy-to-use search filters (72%), price comparison tools (69%) and flexible booking options (62%) are top features respondents consider essential in a hotel/travel website or mobile app. Consumers are increasingly likely to try rentals like Airbnb or VRBO if dates or rooms desired are not shown as available when trying to book – roughly 1 in 3 across Gen X, Millennial and Gen Z respondents. When consumers hit roadblocks with a digital booking, 40% will simply turn to another hotel/travel website, app or booking engine. Travelers signed into a hotel or booking website are more than 5X as likely to finish a booking as those who do not, according to a leading hotel brand working with Glassbox. "Our data overall is showing that travelers will abandon bookings due to poor experiences on both website and mobile applications,” says Glassbox CMO Asim Zaheer. “On top of this, they are very specific in what they expect their booking experience to be and what pain points would cause them to turn away pretty immediately. Travel and hospitality brands need to leverage this kind of data to better understand what a seamless user experience looks like for today's travelers, in order to meet their evolving needs and expectations.” According to a study conducted by Google, as page load time goes from one second to five seconds, the probability of bounce increases by 90%. If a page takes more than 5 seconds to load, there is a high chance visitors will leave the website. Slow load times are the top issue Glassbox’s survey respondents experience (46%) when using a hotel/travel website or mobile app. This is followed by 42% who said difficulty finding relevant information, and 35% who cited confusing navigation as their main pain points. Consumers’ digital journeys are becoming more and more complex. It’s crucial to optimize website and mobile app speed as well as offer easy search, price comparison and flexible navigation to improve user experience and reduce bounce rates. About Glassbox Glassbox reveals the insights that empower organizations to deliver better digital customer experiences. Our Digital Experience Intelligence platform automatically captures, visualizes and analyzes every digital journey in real time across websites and mobile apps. It serves as the unifying platform for product, UX, marketing, IT, analytics teams (and more) to assess performance, prioritize projects and optimize experiences. With unparalleled data privacy and security built in, hundreds of global customers across industries have chosen Glassbox to grow and optimize their digital businesses.

Read More

INDUSTRY OUTLOOK

United Becomes First U.S. Airline to Add Live Activities for iPhone

prnewswire | May 23, 2023

United today became the first U.S. airline to support Live Activities for iPhone, giving customers real-time access to their boarding pass, gate and seat number, and countdown clock to departure time on their Lock Screen or while unlocked in the Dynamic Island, all without opening the United app. United customers check their mobile boarding pass and flight status nearly 800,000 times each day, and this new feature makes it even easier and faster for United flyers to receive timely updates and find important flight details. "We're seeing soaring demand for travel this summer, and Live Activities puts all the flight information you need right at your fingertips, whether your iPhone is locked or you're doing something else like checking email, listening to music or texting friends," said Linda Jojo, Chief Customer Officer for United. "This new feature is another way United is leveraging technology to improve our customers' travel journey. It's going to save passengers a lot of time, and we think they're going to love it, especially during a busy travel season." Live Activities helps United customers with iPhones stay informed in real time, so they can see live flight updates, flight details and alerts right on the Lock Screen or in the Dynamic Island on iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max. With a quick glance at the iPhone screen, customers can: Get details like the flight number, on-time status, inbound aircraft status, estimated departure and arrival times, and more in the Live Activity on the Lock Screen or the Dynamic Island when expanded Open their boarding pass directly from the Live Activity to easily scan during security check-in or while boarding their flight See departure and arrival gates, pre- and in-flight countdowns, and baggage carousel information right in the Dynamic Island Support for Live Activities has started to roll out to United travelers and will be widely available by the end of May. To experience the new features, customers should verify that their iPhone is running iOS 16.1 or later and their United app is up to date. With up to three million users interacting with the app daily, United' mobile app is recognized for its accessibility options for the visually impaired, personalization options and improved navigation. The air carrier has consistently rolled out industry-leading app features in recent years, including: Agent on Demand: Only United has a virtual, on demand customer service tool that lets customers scan a QR code and video chat, text or call a customer service representative instead of waiting in line at the airport. Last year, 1.3 million customers used Agent on Demand, and in 2023, we've already seen 192,000 customers use the platform. United Map Search: Customers can easily compare and shop for flights based on departure city, budget and location type, with an interactive map feature. Available on the United app and website, this digital tool displays fares in a map view, allowing customers to simultaneously compare travel to a variety of destinations in a single search. Travel Ready Center: This one-stop digital assistant on united.com and the United app outlines any necessary travel requirements with clear guidance, helping customers prepare for their travel and breeze through the airport without stopping for manual document checks. Terminal Guide: Customers receive personalized day-of instructions to navigate point-to-point throughout the airport – from directing them to the most ideal airport entrance to finding their departure gate. About United At United, Good Leads The WaySM. With U.S. hubs in Chicago, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, New York/Newark, San Francisco and Washington, D.C., United operates the most comprehensive global route network among North American carriers, and is now the largest airline in the world as measured by available seat miles. For more about how to join the United team, please visit www.united.com/careers and more information about the company is at www.united.com. United Airlines Holdings, Inc., the parent company of United Airlines, Inc., is traded on the Nasdaq under the symbol "UAL".

Read More

TRAVEL TECHNOLOGY

Airwallex and Expedia Team up to Help Global Business Travelers Travel Easier

businesswire | May 22, 2023

Against a surge in both business and personal travel, global fintech Airwallex and leading travel technology company Expedia Group announced today a joint promotion to help customers save when booking hotel stays. Jessica Chiu, Head of North American Strategic Partnerships at Airwallex said global business and personal travel was regaining momentum and the new partnership with the world’s leading traveler technology platform, Expedia Group, meant existing and new Airwallex customers could enjoy an exclusive 10 per cent discount off hotel stays when booking on the platform, starting from today. The partnership gives Airwallex’s customers access to exclusive perks and highlights the two companies’ shared core value of customer-centricity. “We know the cost pressures many companies are facing in their budgets but we also understand how important work travel can be to building new relationships and growing a business,” Jessica added. “Whether it’s meeting new business prospects, attending a conference or an internal team gathering, we recognize face-to-face engagements help build better connections.” “With so many business travelers looking to book trips amid rising costs and inflation, this partnership with Expedia makes travel more affordable for all Airwallex customers around the world.” Clayton Nelson, Vice President, Retail Partnerships at Expedia Group said, “We are delighted to be partnering with Airwallex to offer their members a way to access discounts across our depth and breadth of global travel supply on our sites. We’re always looking for ways to connect our partners with travelers via our industry-leading affiliate technology.” According to Expedia’s Traveler Value Index 2023, one in three people are planning on business travel in the year ahead. With this increase in demand, and as Covid restrictions are lifted all around the world, Airwallex has been identifying ways to continue to support businesses as they look to travel and grow across borders. About Airwallex Airwallex is a global payments and financial platform for modern businesses. We remove the unnecessary friction and cost inherent in the traditional financial system to help entrepreneurs achieve their global ambitions. Leading companies around the world trust Airwallex to manage everything from payments, treasury, and spend to embedded finance -- all in one single platform. Our purpose is to connect entrepreneurs, business builders, makers and creators with opportunities in every corner of the world. With an international footprint across the Asia-Pacific, Europe and North America, we empower businesses to grow without borders.

Read More

TRAVEL TECHNOLOGY

Glassbox Data Uncovers Slow Loading Times As Top Issue for Booking Travel via Websites and Apps

businesswire | May 22, 2023

Glassbox a leading provider of digital experience analytics for web and mobile applications, today announces the release of its report, Beyond the Booking: A Look Inside Digital Experience for Travelers, highlighting consumers’ pain points when digitally booking travel. Aimed at uncovering the interactions or roadblocks that cause travelers to abandon their customer journey, the survey of 1,000 U.S. consumers found that 72% of respondents prioritize easy-to-use search filters when booking travel. These insights underscore consumers’ frustrations and preferences when it comes to travel. The survey shows that the convenience of on-hand mobile technology has encouraged preferential booking on native mobile apps among Millennials and Gen Z respondents – 49% of Millennials and 44% of Gen Z noted a preference for booking travel via mobile app. Similarly, data from a leading hotel brand uncovered conversion rates from native mobile apps were almost double that of conversions from desktop web. Additional Glassbox data highlights include: Easy-to-use search filters (72%), price comparison tools (69%) and flexible booking options (62%) are top features respondents consider essential in a hotel/travel website or mobile app. Consumers are increasingly likely to try rentals like Airbnb or VRBO if dates or rooms desired are not shown as available when trying to book – roughly 1 in 3 across Gen X, Millennial and Gen Z respondents. When consumers hit roadblocks with a digital booking, 40% will simply turn to another hotel/travel website, app or booking engine. Travelers signed into a hotel or booking website are more than 5X as likely to finish a booking as those who do not, according to a leading hotel brand working with Glassbox. "Our data overall is showing that travelers will abandon bookings due to poor experiences on both website and mobile applications,” says Glassbox CMO Asim Zaheer. “On top of this, they are very specific in what they expect their booking experience to be and what pain points would cause them to turn away pretty immediately. Travel and hospitality brands need to leverage this kind of data to better understand what a seamless user experience looks like for today's travelers, in order to meet their evolving needs and expectations.” According to a study conducted by Google, as page load time goes from one second to five seconds, the probability of bounce increases by 90%. If a page takes more than 5 seconds to load, there is a high chance visitors will leave the website. Slow load times are the top issue Glassbox’s survey respondents experience (46%) when using a hotel/travel website or mobile app. This is followed by 42% who said difficulty finding relevant information, and 35% who cited confusing navigation as their main pain points. Consumers’ digital journeys are becoming more and more complex. It’s crucial to optimize website and mobile app speed as well as offer easy search, price comparison and flexible navigation to improve user experience and reduce bounce rates. About Glassbox Glassbox reveals the insights that empower organizations to deliver better digital customer experiences. Our Digital Experience Intelligence platform automatically captures, visualizes and analyzes every digital journey in real time across websites and mobile apps. It serves as the unifying platform for product, UX, marketing, IT, analytics teams (and more) to assess performance, prioritize projects and optimize experiences. With unparalleled data privacy and security built in, hundreds of global customers across industries have chosen Glassbox to grow and optimize their digital businesses.

Read More

INDUSTRY OUTLOOK

United Becomes First U.S. Airline to Add Live Activities for iPhone

prnewswire | May 23, 2023

United today became the first U.S. airline to support Live Activities for iPhone, giving customers real-time access to their boarding pass, gate and seat number, and countdown clock to departure time on their Lock Screen or while unlocked in the Dynamic Island, all without opening the United app. United customers check their mobile boarding pass and flight status nearly 800,000 times each day, and this new feature makes it even easier and faster for United flyers to receive timely updates and find important flight details. "We're seeing soaring demand for travel this summer, and Live Activities puts all the flight information you need right at your fingertips, whether your iPhone is locked or you're doing something else like checking email, listening to music or texting friends," said Linda Jojo, Chief Customer Officer for United. "This new feature is another way United is leveraging technology to improve our customers' travel journey. It's going to save passengers a lot of time, and we think they're going to love it, especially during a busy travel season." Live Activities helps United customers with iPhones stay informed in real time, so they can see live flight updates, flight details and alerts right on the Lock Screen or in the Dynamic Island on iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max. With a quick glance at the iPhone screen, customers can: Get details like the flight number, on-time status, inbound aircraft status, estimated departure and arrival times, and more in the Live Activity on the Lock Screen or the Dynamic Island when expanded Open their boarding pass directly from the Live Activity to easily scan during security check-in or while boarding their flight See departure and arrival gates, pre- and in-flight countdowns, and baggage carousel information right in the Dynamic Island Support for Live Activities has started to roll out to United travelers and will be widely available by the end of May. To experience the new features, customers should verify that their iPhone is running iOS 16.1 or later and their United app is up to date. With up to three million users interacting with the app daily, United' mobile app is recognized for its accessibility options for the visually impaired, personalization options and improved navigation. The air carrier has consistently rolled out industry-leading app features in recent years, including: Agent on Demand: Only United has a virtual, on demand customer service tool that lets customers scan a QR code and video chat, text or call a customer service representative instead of waiting in line at the airport. Last year, 1.3 million customers used Agent on Demand, and in 2023, we've already seen 192,000 customers use the platform. United Map Search: Customers can easily compare and shop for flights based on departure city, budget and location type, with an interactive map feature. Available on the United app and website, this digital tool displays fares in a map view, allowing customers to simultaneously compare travel to a variety of destinations in a single search. Travel Ready Center: This one-stop digital assistant on united.com and the United app outlines any necessary travel requirements with clear guidance, helping customers prepare for their travel and breeze through the airport without stopping for manual document checks. Terminal Guide: Customers receive personalized day-of instructions to navigate point-to-point throughout the airport – from directing them to the most ideal airport entrance to finding their departure gate. About United At United, Good Leads The WaySM. With U.S. hubs in Chicago, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, New York/Newark, San Francisco and Washington, D.C., United operates the most comprehensive global route network among North American carriers, and is now the largest airline in the world as measured by available seat miles. For more about how to join the United team, please visit www.united.com/careers and more information about the company is at www.united.com. United Airlines Holdings, Inc., the parent company of United Airlines, Inc., is traded on the Nasdaq under the symbol "UAL".

Read More

TRAVEL TECHNOLOGY

Airwallex and Expedia Team up to Help Global Business Travelers Travel Easier

businesswire | May 22, 2023

Against a surge in both business and personal travel, global fintech Airwallex and leading travel technology company Expedia Group announced today a joint promotion to help customers save when booking hotel stays. Jessica Chiu, Head of North American Strategic Partnerships at Airwallex said global business and personal travel was regaining momentum and the new partnership with the world’s leading traveler technology platform, Expedia Group, meant existing and new Airwallex customers could enjoy an exclusive 10 per cent discount off hotel stays when booking on the platform, starting from today. The partnership gives Airwallex’s customers access to exclusive perks and highlights the two companies’ shared core value of customer-centricity. “We know the cost pressures many companies are facing in their budgets but we also understand how important work travel can be to building new relationships and growing a business,” Jessica added. “Whether it’s meeting new business prospects, attending a conference or an internal team gathering, we recognize face-to-face engagements help build better connections.” “With so many business travelers looking to book trips amid rising costs and inflation, this partnership with Expedia makes travel more affordable for all Airwallex customers around the world.” Clayton Nelson, Vice President, Retail Partnerships at Expedia Group said, “We are delighted to be partnering with Airwallex to offer their members a way to access discounts across our depth and breadth of global travel supply on our sites. We’re always looking for ways to connect our partners with travelers via our industry-leading affiliate technology.” According to Expedia’s Traveler Value Index 2023, one in three people are planning on business travel in the year ahead. With this increase in demand, and as Covid restrictions are lifted all around the world, Airwallex has been identifying ways to continue to support businesses as they look to travel and grow across borders. About Airwallex Airwallex is a global payments and financial platform for modern businesses. We remove the unnecessary friction and cost inherent in the traditional financial system to help entrepreneurs achieve their global ambitions. Leading companies around the world trust Airwallex to manage everything from payments, treasury, and spend to embedded finance -- all in one single platform. Our purpose is to connect entrepreneurs, business builders, makers and creators with opportunities in every corner of the world. With an international footprint across the Asia-Pacific, Europe and North America, we empower businesses to grow without borders.

Read More