DATA-DRIVEN DECISIONMAKING MADE EASIER
Keen Decision Systems built a new kind of marketing measurement and planning platform—one that helps marketers prove how their work impacts the business
Brand marketers are drowning in data, yet many still struggle to demonstrate the impact their marketing investment is having on financial performance. This can leave the rest of the C-suite, and perhaps even marketers themselves, doubting the value of marketing efforts. Keen Decision Systems is a cloudbased, real-time analytics platform designed to bridge that “marketing proof gap,” and to help marketers make better decisions so they can deliver the financial results they have promised their organizations.
Every year since 2016, Keen has doubled its revenue. 2019 will be no different. Keen’s creators built the system with marketers’ challenges in mind, because they have experienced them first-hand. CEO and cofounder Greg Dolan worked as a marketing executive for big CPG brands for more than a decade. He notes that although he always had access to historical measurement data, he struggled to make data-driven decisions that moved the needle. Dolan met Chief Product Officer and co-founder John Busbice in 2010. Busbice was experiencing the same pain, but from a different perspective. As a data scientist, he would conduct massive analyses for marketers, then present his findings in large decks that weren’t easily actionable. Dolan and Busbice got together to build the system they wished they’d had.
DRIVING DIFFERENTIAL VALUE
First, they used their own money to build the marketing platform. Then, they “beat down the doors of big brands to get proof of concept,” Dolan explains. Because the system provides measurable value, Keen has been able to grow its customer base. Clients see, on average, a 25 percent improvement in marketing performance in year one, Dolan says.
Keen now works with more than 100 major brands, primarily in CPG and Pharma. As important as earning new clients is keeping the ones they have got. Eighty percent of enterprises that run a pilot with Keen expand their contract—a testament to the technology, but also Keen’s emphasis on service and customer success. Every brand is assigned a support team to help ensure users get as much value from the system as possible.
BUILDING THE TEAM TO SUPPORT SCALE
Keen is investing in the infrastructure and people to support its projected scale. It is up to 22 employees, with plans to reach 30 by year end. Dolan says cultural fit matters as much as tech skills. He looks for recruits who identify with company values, which include teamwork, empathy, and continuous improvement.
Most important, employees need to believe in the product and company vision. “We know our system addresses pain points and drives differential value. That gives us the confidence to compete against larger companies in the space,” Dolan says.
Tech adoption in the marketing suite is accelerating, which also contributes to Keen’s fast growth pace. Dolan predicts continued increases for the next three to five years. In fact, he believes Keen is positioned to become a bona fide leader in the space. It comes down to delivering tangible value and to understanding the market you serve.