Introduction to Dell Hudman

Dell Hudman has over 24 years of experience in eCommerce and Digital marketing. She helps brands relaunch their direct-to-consumer eCommerce channels globally, enter eTail marketplaces and define and execute digital marketing strategies that go viral and profitable.

One of her biggest achievements was the Stanley Tumbler viral marketing campaign that got 2.3 billion views across social media and 150,000 people on the waitlist in 2022. She has built comprehensive digital marketing strategies and omni-channel experiences focused on the consumer with a mobile-first approach that resulted in engagement and growth for brands like Filson, Zumiez and Nestle Health Science.

She also teaches Digital Marketing at the University of Washington and has a teenage son.󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

Table of Contents

• Who is Dell Hudman?
• Current Projects that Excite Dell Hudman
• Tactical and Strategic Digital Marketing Advice from Dell Hudman
• Where Does Dell See the Future of Digital Marketing?
• How to Get in Contact with Dell Hudman
• Additional Insights from Dell Hudman
• Advice to Her Younger Self
• Books, Podcasts, and Leaders That Inspire Dell

Who is Dell Hudman?

Early Life and Education

Dell was born in Idaho and grew up in Olympia, Washington. She graduated high school early and with her parents encouragement, especially her stepmom, decided to go to college. She had no idea what she wanted to do with her life so she tried out a few things in her first two years of college, from forestry to interior design.

The Pivot to Digital Marketing

In the late 90s a big moment in Dell’s life happened when the internet became a real thing. She was presented with the opportunity to join the original Eddie Bauer e-commerce team. She had to decide between finishing her last year of college or taking a chance on this new thing. She chose the latter and 24 years later she’s still in digital marketing.

Career

Dell’s career started at Eddie Bauer where she was one of the first two analysts for their e-commerce team. She handled analytics, general reporting and led the usability team. Even got her name in a book on usability and analytics in the mid 90s.

From there Dell’s career took her to:

1. The Wedding Channel: Usability analytics, SEO, CRM in LA.
2. Back to Eddie Bauer: Ran the email division.
3. A short stint at a startup (which she calls a valuable learning experience).
4. Zumiez: E-commerce team and omnichannel strategies.
5. Agency work: 15 different clients including the Space Needle and Seattle Times.
6. Filson: Marketing strategies for high-end outdoor apparel.

Throughout her career, Dell has maintained her own consulting company, which she started around 2008 during the economic downturn.

Current Projects that Excite Dell Hudman

Local SEO Relaunch

Dell is currently helping a company relaunch their local SEO strategy, focusing on targeting specific areas within the Seattle metro region. This project excites her as it involves refining and optimizing a company’s online presence to attract local customers more effectively.

Telecom Conversion Rate Optimization

Another project Dell is passionate about involves working with a large telecom company to increase their conversion rates and encourage customers to use self-service options. This project aims to enhance customer experience while reducing costs associated with customer service interactions.

Dell explains, “If I can give you a way to solve your problem immediately, you’re going to be happy. You don’t have to go talk to a customer service rep. I’ve also reduced the costs associated with contacting a rep in person, and you get your problem solved.”

This project focuses on simplifying common customer actions such as bill payments and password changes, making them more accessible and user-friendly through digital channels.

Tactical and Strategic Digital Marketing Advice from Dell Hudman

Integrated Marketing Approach

Dell emphasizes the importance of an integrated marketing approach for e-commerce brands. She recommends:

1. Developing a 12-month go-to-market calendar: “You can sit down every quarter and change it, but you need to have a 12-month calendar and you need to look at seasonality.”
2. Aligning all marketing teams: Ensure that social media, paid advertising, and organic marketing efforts are all working together towards common goals.
3. Leveraging shopping campaigns: “Shopping campaigns are crucial, and social commerce is crucial. Those are two areas that you’ll get big wins right away.”

Setting Up Shopping Campaigns

Dell provides insights on setting up effective shopping campaigns:

1. Use Google Ads platform and Performance Max.
2. Create a product feed from your e-commerce platform (Shopify, WordPress, Magento, etc.).
3. Segment campaigns based on product categories (e.g., shoes, men’s clothing, summer clothes).
4. Extend the same feed to social platforms like TikTok and Instagram for social commerce.

Social Commerce Strategies

Dell highlights the growing importance of social commerce:

1. Enable in-platform purchases: Allow consumers to buy directly through social media platforms without leaving the app.
2. Explore innovative payment methods: Dell mentions a friend who developed a system allowing purchases directly through text messages, leveraging Apple Pay for seamless transactions.

Email Marketing

Dell stresses the importance of aligning email campaigns with the overall go-to-market strategy:

1. Create themed campaigns that align with seasons and holidays.
2. Develop targeted content like gift guides or category-specific promotions.
3. Ensure consistency across all marketing channels, including shopping ads and search ads.

Paid Social Advertising

Dell differentiates between paid social advertising and social commerce:

1. Paid social focuses on targeting audiences based on interests, behaviors, or remarketing.
2. Use paid social for storytelling and brand messaging, rather than just product ads.
3. Leverage different ad formats to tell your brand story throughout the season.

Local Business Marketing

For local shops and small businesses, Dell recommends:

1. Use local ads and ensure proper targeting to avoid wasting ad spend on irrelevant locations.
2. Take advantage of “shop local” days and holidays.
3. Get creative with promotions to encourage foot traffic and social sharing.

The Stanley Cup Viral Marketing Campaign

Dell shared insights from the hugely successful Stanley Cup campaign:

1. Listen to influencers: The campaign started with one influencer who saw potential in a product that was scheduled to be discontinued.
2. Be prepared for success: Ensure your tech stack and fulfillment processes can handle sudden increases in demand.
3. Implement a “back in stock” notification system to capture potential sales when products are out of stock.
4. Leverage affiliate marketing: Allow other influencers to easily promote your products and earn commissions.
5. Continuously iterate: Add new components to each campaign launch, such as countdown clocks or UGC contests.

International Marketing Strategies

Dell’s experience with international marketing includes:

1. Launching into Canada: Understanding language regulations (French and English) for website translations.
2. Adapting to Brexit: Turning a retail store in England into a fulfillment center to reduce shipping costs and increase margins.
3. Considering stores as mini distribution centers: This approach can lead to quicker product delivery, reduced shipping costs, and improved customer experiences.

Where Does Dell See the Future of Digital Marketing?

Dell sees the future of digital marketing being shaped by the preferences and behaviors of younger generations, particularly Gen Z. She highlights several key trends:

Experience-Driven Marketing

“That generation is very experience-driven,” Dell notes. She emphasizes the need to incorporate experiences into digital marketing, websites, and retail experiences. This shift from product-driven to experience-driven marketing requires a new approach to engaging with consumers.

Marketing to Digital Natives

Dell points out the difference between digital pioneers (millennials and Gen X) and digital natives (Gen Z and younger):

1. Digital natives are less impressed by new features or apps.
2. They have different search behaviors, often preferring platforms like TikTok or YouTube over traditional search engines.
3. They have different expectations for content consumption, such as being less tolerant of interruptions like ads in streaming content.

Adapting to New Platforms

As younger generations shift their attention to new platforms, marketers need to be present where their audience is spending time. This may mean:

1. Developing content strategies for platforms like TikTok and YouTube.
2. Rethinking traditional advertising methods to be less intrusive and more integrated into the user experience.
3. Exploring new forms of engagement that align with the preferences of digital natives.

Personalization and Privacy Balance

As privacy concerns grow and traditional tracking methods (like cookies) become less viable, marketers will need to find new ways to personalize experiences while respecting user privacy. This might involve:

1. Leveraging first-party data more effectively.
2. Developing new targeting strategies that don’t rely on personal identifiers.
3. Creating more compelling content that encourages users to willingly share information.

Omnichannel Integration

Dell sees continued importance in creating seamless experiences across all channels:

1. Further integration between online and offline experiences.
2. Leveraging physical stores as part of the digital strategy (e.g., as fulfillment centers).
3. Creating consistent brand experiences regardless of the touchpoint.

AI and Automation

While not explicitly mentioned in the transcript, the increasing role of AI and automation in digital marketing is likely to be a significant trend:

1. More sophisticated personalization through AI-driven insights.
2. Automated campaign optimization and management.
3. AI-generated content and creative elements.

How to Get in Contact with Dell Hudman

For those interested in connecting with Dell Hudman or seeking her expertise, she can be reached through the following channels:

1. LinkedIn: Dell is active on LinkedIn and can be found under the name Dell Hudman (D-E-L-L-H-U-D-M-A-N).
2. Speaking Engagements: Dell enjoys speaking at conferences and has presented at events like Etel West and Shop Talk. She welcomes opportunities to share her knowledge and experiences.
3. Consulting Services: Through her own consulting company, Dell offers her expertise to brands looking to grow and succeed in their respective areas.

Dell encourages people to reach out, whether for advice, speaking opportunities, or potential consulting engagements. She expresses a genuine passion for helping brands grow and achieve success in their markets.

Additional Insights from Dell Hudman

The Importance of Adaptability

Throughout the interview, Dell emphasizes the importance of being adaptable in the fast-changing world of digital marketing. She shares examples of how pivoting strategies or repurposing resources (like turning a retail store into a fulfillment center) can lead to significant benefits.

Learning from Failure

Dell is candid about the value of learning from failures. She mentions her experience with a failed startup and how it taught her important lessons about her strengths and preferences in marketing. This openness to learning and growing from all experiences, positive and negative, is a key aspect of her approach to career development.

The Value of Diverse Experiences

Dell’s career path showcases the value of diverse experiences in the digital marketing field. From e-commerce analytics to email marketing, from local businesses to international brands, each role has contributed to her comprehensive understanding of the digital landscape.

Balancing Work and Personal Life

As a successful professional and a mother, Dell provides an example of balancing a demanding career with personal responsibilities. Her mention of learning from her teenage son about digital trends highlights how personal life can inform professional insights.

Continuous Learning and Industry Engagement

Dell’s commitment to continuous learning is evident in her advice to always carve out time for reading industry articles and staying informed about trends. Her participation in speaking engagements and willingness to share knowledge demonstrate the importance of giving back to the industry and fostering a community of learning.

Creative Problem-Solving

Dell’s analogy of cooking recipes to integrated marketing campaigns showcases her creative approach to problem-solving and strategy development. This kind of lateral thinking can be valuable in developing innovative marketing solutions.

In conclusion, Dell Hudman’s insights offer a wealth of knowledge for both seasoned professionals and those new to the field of digital marketing. Her experiences and advice underscore the importance of adaptability, continuous learning, and integrated thinking in navigating the ever-evolving digital landscape. As the industry continues to change, professionals who can blend technical knowledge with creative problem-solving, as Dell has demonstrated throughout her career, will be well-positioned to lead and innovate in the field of digital marketing.

Advice to Her Younger Self

When asked what advice she would give to her younger self, Dell Hudman said:

“Go on an adventure.”

She expanded on that:

“I always ask people, what pays your bills? Not what do you do? Go on an adventure. That’s what you do, right? I’ve had some pretty big life changing events through losing a parent. And you don’t know when your experiment is going to end. So live life today, like you want to live life knowing that you might have a bad day, own it. Have a positive mindset that, ‘Hey, I’m having a bad day. This sucks.’ So my advice to my younger self would be like, own it positivity. Yesterday happened, it ended at midnight. Move on. Don’t live your work life. Live your life.”

This resonates with Dell’s philosophy of living life, having a positive outlook even in tough times and living life beyond just work achievements.

Books, Podcasts, and Leaders That Inspire Dell

Dell mentioned a few sources of inspiration and learning:

1. Industry Articles: She recommends reading industry articles regularly to stay up to date on trends and news.
2. Podcasts:
• The Mindset Mentor
• 10% Happier
3. These podcasts seem to line up with her emphasis on having a positive mindset and personal growth.
4. An Unconventional Source of Inspiration – Recipes: Dell shared an interesting perspective on how cooking is an inspiration for her marketing approach: “When I cook I am thinking about marketing campaigns and how they integrate together. You know, this ingredient with that ingredient, putting it together to make this integrated, beautiful marketing campaign, also a recipe. And then you sit down with your friends and family to eat it, your consumers. Right. So I think cooking and family dinners and eating out with people in that format is a lot like an integrated marketing campaign.” This creative analogy shows how Dell finds inspiration and insights in everyday activities and applies them to her work in marketing.