With marketing expertise in everything from omnichannel and programmatic to mobile and social, Rob Healy guides his practitioner clients through the maze of options available to them when interacting with their customers and prospects. He also helps clients understand how to get the most from their customer data. And, fortunately for DMCNY, he lends his expertise to the organization, having served as treasurer for the past four years. 

Healy, currently vice president of MeritDirect and former managing partner of FCI, has been a part of DMCNY for more than 15 years. Here, he offers insight into his experiences in the industry, as well as what’s to come.

Why marketing? Did you choose it, or did it choose you?

It chose me, and happily so. And it was the Girl Scouts—believe it or not. My aunt and [retired DMCNY member] Joe Furgiuele’s wife were troop leaders together. They were talking about how Joe was looking to grow his business and I had just recently graduated from college. Twenty-plus years later, we were business partners and close family friends, and our business was acquired by MeritDirect.

What has been your biggest career accomplishment so far?

Being part of growing a business to the point that it was attractive as an acquisition to a company as successful as MeritDirect—and now being part of helping the company evolve and prosper in our next phase of growth. It’s an exciting track to be on. The application of data-driven marketing has been a game-changer. 

Do you have a favorite customer story?

Some friends in the industry created a group we called “The Hacksters.” Twice a year we planned a golf outing, and everyone in the group had to bring a client or colleague. We got to meet new people and had lunch and a lot of laughs. Many of those outings resulted in new client relationships, and most of them resulted in new friendships that we have to this day.

If you could lead marketing for any other company, what would it be?

What I am doing now with MeritDirect is exciting, day in and day out, but if I had to pick another business, the first that comes to mind is Harry’s, the razor company. I use their product every day. By far the best razor I’ve ever used, and their online platform is slick and impressive. They run a subscription program where the customer drives the frequency. For a startup that now is now valued at about $1 billion, they’re doing a lot right; yet, I still don’t see as many targeted ads and prospect email campaigns that they could be executing. It would be great to see what goes on under the hood over there.

What advice would you have given your younger self when entering marketing? 

To stay ahead of the curve on technological advances as they come and be prepared to embrace change. I’ve done well in that area but there is always room for improvement and opportunities to learn more. With that knowledge comes growth allowing you to spearhead change in your own organization.

Give one prediction on the future of marketing.

Machine-learning technology will be more and more relevant and leveraged in all areas of business. Data and AI scientists, as well as architects and engineers, will be at the top of the hottest job lists for the next decade.

What’s the biggest challenge facing data-driven right now?

Privacy challenges, legislation, and data security. There needs to be more education on the best practices of how marketers secure, anonymize, and handle sensitive data, as well as what their business does with the data.

What do you enjoy the most about being a DMCNY member? 

First and foremost, the people. When I entered this business, the way you built your network was by getting out and attending the DMCNY events, as well as other industry-related events. I met people who remain clients, colleagues, and friends to this day. Back before email and LinkedIn, etc., that was the way you networked. 

Even though you can use all of the online and social media channels to do your networking today, there still is nothing like face-to-face time with someone. Obviously, that’s impossible, outside of video conference calls, given the pandemic, but here’s to us getting back to in-person meetings in the near future! 

And second, the educational part of the club’s mission. It’s important to help educate both new marketers and industry veterans on the new trends, platforms, and means of conducting multichannel marketing…now more than ever. The marketing landscape is always shifting— even the way we conduct business over the last months has changed dramatically. I’m happy to be part of that and lending my expertise to that mission. There is a great opportunity for those who leverage their expertise in technology and data science as we look forward to 2021 and beyond.