90: Lucie De Antoni: Startup alchemy, mixing data literacy and attribution with empathy and collaboration

What’s up folks, today I have the pleasure of sitting down with Lucie De Antoni, Head of Marketing at Garantme.

About Lucie

• Born and raised in France, Lucie got her start in event management before joining AirPlus International, the financial subsidiary of Lufthansa. At AirPlus she wore both marketing and communications hats, at local and global levels
• She stayed in the travel market moving over to HRS Group, an eComm company focused on hotels distribution where she got a taste of Growth marketing
• Recently she was Head of Global Marketing at Jenji, one of the leading expense management tools where she managed an international marketing team across various functions
• Lucie is also a Marketing Consultant working with early stage startups through Station F, the biggest startup incubator in France
• She’s a mentor at Women in Tech network as well as WILLA supporting women and mixed teams
• Today she’s Head of Marketing at Garantme, an insurtech focused on real estate agencies

The Limits of AI in Taking Over Marketing Jobs

When Lucie was asked about the rapid advancements in AI and the looming question of whether it could entirely replace marketing roles, her answer was a measured one. Yes, AI is making waves in various industries, including marketing. It's great for automation and can handle a variety of tasks that were previously manual and time-consuming. But don't start thinking it's time for marketers to pack up their desks just yet.

According to Lucie, the real barrier for AI lies in mimicking human creativity and emotional intelligence. Marketing isn't just about numbers and algorithms; it's also about connecting with people on an emotional level. You're telling stories, crafting narratives, and essentially understanding what makes your audience tick. And that's where AI falls short. As of now, AI lacks the ability to truly understand human emotions and to use that understanding to create compelling stories or campaigns.

Lucie emphasized that this limitation is actually good news for marketers. It means that while some tasks might become automated, the core of what makes marketing genuinely effective—the human touch—is something that AI can't replicate yet. In her view, this complex blend of creativity and emotional insight is why marketers are still very much needed in the business landscape.

Key Takeaway: AI can automate and streamline a lot, but it can't replicate human creativity and emotional intelligence. This limitation is less a setback and more a reaffirmation: the essential skills marketers bring are irreplaceable.

The Future of AI in SEO and Content Creation

When asked about new categories or areas in martech that excite her due to AI advancements, Lucie got straight to the point—SEO and content creation are the game-changers. Not just because they're trendy, but because they've been persistent challenges for marketers across industries, whether you're a startup or an enterprise. Lucie candidly shared her experience with SEO; it's a field where you think you've finally cracked the code, only to find out months later that your results are still lackluster for the amount of effort you've poured in.

This is where AI, particularly natural language processing, is starting to rewrite the rules. According to Lucie, it's the technology's ability to produce high-quality, relevant, and personalized content at scale that's truly groundbreaking. Teams can now churn out market-matching content without the human resource bottleneck. It doesn't replace the human touch, but it does elevate it, allowing teams to focus more on strategy than menial tasks.

But it's not just about churning out content. Lucie emphasized the role of AI in data-driven decision-making. With AI-powered tools, you're not just throwing stuff at the wall to see what sticks. You can now conduct market research, adapt your content strategy, and even adjust your editorial line. This is particularly invaluable in SEO, a field that's not just about numbers but also about understanding market dynamics, content quality, and the right toolsets.

Lucie also made an interesting comparison between SEO and SEA/SEM. While SCA is primarily about numbers and budgets, SEO requires a more nuanced approach. It's not just what your competition is doing; it's also about the content you create and the tools you use. AI is now setting the stage for a much-needed evolution in SEO, enabling teams to be more effective and strategic.

Key takeaway: Natural language processing through AI isn't just a 'nice-to-have' feature for your content and SEO strategies. It's become the edge that cuts through the noise, enabling not just automation but actual quality at scale. Forget the manual grind; AI allows you to adapt in real-time, revolutionizing the way you approach SEO from a problem to be solved to a game to be won.

Elevating Data Literacy: A Marketer's Roadmap to Success

When asked about the significance of data in today's martech landscape, Lucie doesn't hesitate to emphasize its pivotal role. AI, machine learning, automated lead scoring—none of these buzzwords matter if they're not grounded in solid data. But what does it mean to be truly data-literate in this space? For Lucie, it starts with internal alignment between the team and the overall objectives of the company. It's about asking the right questions, not just to your team but first to yourself. If you can't substantiate your marketing strategies with data, you can't expect to instill a culture of data-driven decision-making.

There's no one-size-fits-all approach to data literacy. According to Lucie, the path depends on multiple factors, including the company's structure and the maturity level of the marketing department. Therefore, her first piece of advice for team leaders is straightforward: prove the importance of data-driven decisions to your team by asking the right questions yourself. Once that mindset is in place, the next steps involve setting clear marketing objectives and KPIs that are both specific and measurable.

The mission doesn't stop with setting KPIs; it extends to continually scrutinizing them. As Lucie points out, SEO is a prime example where you could have a plethora of KPIs, but what's the point if you're not evaluating their relevance? Data literacy is not a static achievement; it's an ongoing dialogue that requires regularly reviewing and analyzing performance metrics to make real-time decisions that impact your business.

Finally, Lucie encourages leaders to maintain an agile approach. A data-informed culture isn't rigid; it's adaptive. When a project takes an unexpected turn, don't be afraid to adjust your KPIs and your strategy. This flexibility not only fosters a data-driven mindset but also becomes a lesson your team will carry into their projects.

Key Takeaway: Data literacy isn't about collecting KPIs for the sake of having numbers. It's about purposeful metrics that feed into agile decision-making. Being data-literate means you're not just gathering data, but you're agile enough to adapt your strategies based on that data. It's not a checkbox but an evolving skill, crucial for both individual projects and the overarching company strategy.

SQL Skills in Marketing: Luxury or Necessity?

When quizzed about whether SQL skills should be a staple in the marketer's skillset, Lucie offers a nuanced view. It's not about everyone on the team turning into SQL pros; it's about fostering specialized expertise. SQL and other data-query languages offer a gateway for some marketers to evolve into a new kind of expert within the team. Why? Because most in-house data teams are often too tied up with f...