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Phew 2022: Looking Back at the Year We Became a One-Stop CRM Marketing Shop  

Between two acquisitions, doubling our head count, winning awards, and massively growing our client base, we're surprised we had time to expand our CRM Marketing capabilities. But we somehow crammed all that, and more, into 365 days in 2022. The winners? Marketers and their customers. Here's a quick recap

“With Covid on a decline globally,” thought marketers everywhere at the beginning of 2022 and smiled, “We’re finally back to normal. It’ll be smooth sailing from here on end.” 

“Hold my beer,” said life. And that, in a nutshell, is the story of 2022. 

With new marketing challenges aplenty, like rising energy costs, inflation, and economic uncertainty on top of, you know, just your everyday uncertainty, marketers had to step it up and find new ways to meet their goals.

For years, we’ve stressed one elementary point: marketers should invest in existing customers, as they are THE key to growth, especially in turbulent times. Do that instead of pouring ever-growing sums on acquisition marketing, and you’d grow your revenue by 33%, like many Optimove clients.  

We call that Customer-led Marketing. The essence? Start every marketing action from the customer rather than a product or a service. Creating solid and long-term relationships with existing customers is the only way to deal with the speed with which the marketing landscape changes.  

So, what have we accomplished in 2022 to help marketers do better? Here it goes: 

January – March: Diversity, Awards, and 1st Acquisition   

January 2022 began with Optimove being named a top 10 company in women’s representation according to Power in Diversity’s 2022 Women in start-ups report. Some numbers? 46% of our global headcount, 30% of management, and 41% of director level are women. 

In February,we returned the favor and recognized others for CRM excellence, holding our 2nd annual Heptagon Awards. The awards recognized the outstanding achievements of individual marketers, marketing teams, and marketing campaigns across various industries. We handed out nine awards spread across three categories this year. 

But that wasn’t all; in the shortest month, we added a marquee capability – Optimail. That meant a significant improvement in the email KPIs we track, more robust real-time alert capabilities, and more in-depth analysis of deliverability situations.  

In March, we broke new ground: we acquired Kumulos. This cutting-edge mobile marketing solution ensured our clients could execute a truly omnichannel CRM Marketing strategy without ever needing another platform.  

Our clients can now unify their Customer Data in a fast, secure, sophisticated, and actionable Customer Data Platform. They can scale their customer marketing personalization from tens to hundreds of customer segments and execute all their mobile marketing campaigns natively through Optimove. Not too shabby! 

April – June: “Leaders” by IDC, Fanatics, and Churn Model 

In April, we were named a “Leader” in IDC MarketScape: Worldwide Retail and CPG Customer Data Platforms 2022. The leading global market intelligence firm reviewed CDP platforms, focusing on three layers: Data, Analytics, and Activation, and technologies that demonstrated the ability to significantly influence brands’ bottom lines. IDC highlighted our ability to drive personalization at scale through multichannel and AI-led customer journeys. We agree.

In May, we welcomed Fanatics, the leading sports apparel company, to help them employ a more customer-led marketing approach. Our continued dedication to driving global expansion means we work with some huge brands that understand retention marketing is the key to a smiling bottom line. 

June brought strong winds of summer and potentially slower winds of churn (Scorpions reference alert!) with a significant improvement to our churn predictive model, a sign of continued innovation and determination to offer clients an all-in-one solution for their CRM Marketing needs.  

July – September: 2nd acquisition, SOC 2, and major deals 

In July, we acquired Graphyte, a leading AI Personalization software for the iGaming and Sports Betting industry. It was our second acquisition in less than four months. With the new capabilities added to the Optimove platform, marketers can, for the first time, create advanced end-to-end personalization on every email, mobile push, app screen, website, and more across all customer journeys.  

We also secured the Acquisition and Retention Partner award at SBC North America 2022. That was our second consecutive win and a great addition to our growing trophy cabinet.  

In August, we made a major step in enhancing data security, successfully completing an independent examination for Service Organization Control (SOC) 2 Type II Compliance. This means we meet the industry’s most comprehensive and strict security, continuity, and privacy standards, highlighting our commitment to partners’ data and determination to become the ultimate CRM marketing solution.  

In September, we landed two significant deals. The first was Bet365, the world’s favorite online sports betting brand. It was the first time since its founding in 2000 that Bet365 turned to a third-party vendor to support its CRM Marketing efforts. September brought another exciting deal, DAZN, a digital leader in global sports media. With 2,400 employees in 25 countries, DAZN is home to the world’s largest, fastest-growing sports streaming service. 

October – December: Dun & Bradstreet, World Cup Pulse, TikTok and Snapchat 

As we approached the end of the year, our momentum not only continued – it grew.  

Just as we opened the year on a high note, we closed the year on a high note by being mentioned in the “Top 50 Best High-Tech Companies to Work For” list by Dun & Bradstreet.  

In October, before the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, we launched our unique World Cup Pulse tool. For the first time in World Cup history, we introduced a benchmark tool explicitly built for the iGaming sector. The World Cup has ended, but the Pulse tool is still live, collecting data and offering unique insights. Head over there and check it out

And finally, to mark the end of the year in December, we announced integrations with social networks TikTok and Snapchat. The integrations allow brands to expand their digital advertising scope and capabilities, using customer data to create more powerful audiences and personalized messages. 

Bring it on, 2023! 

2022 was the year of evolution, in which we made enormous strides in our quest to become a one-stop shop CRM marketing solution. We had no choice but to evolve with the momentum of consumer trends and react to new customer wants and needs.  

It was the year we grew, fought, conquered, and achieved. But 2023 will be even more revolutionary for Optimove. Don’t believe us? Just watch!   

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Guy Leshno

Guy Leshno, a seasoned PR and Communications professional, with a successful track record in leading PR strategies and projects in emerging startups. With over a decade of experience, his expertise lies in blending creative ideation, analytics, and expert writing capabilities, driving brand awareness, and improving sales.