In this episode, Michelle and I discuss Mailchimp’s acquisition by Intuit, how it aligns with its mission, and how it impacts its customers. Mailchimp is passionate about empowering its customers, and they are working to develop relationships with them both online and offline to provide added value. Knowing they market to marketers, Michelle and her team lead by example and show what great marketing looks like at the intersection of culture and conversion.
Michelle Taite has a unique perspective on marketing due to her background in government intelligence forces, shoe design, consumer-packaged goods, ice cream, and enterprise software services. Most recently, she became CMO of Mailchimp after their acquisition by Intuit. She is working to evolve the brand, create a more connected customer journey, and bridge performance with creativity.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
- How Michelle’s background in intelligence and design helped her transition to a successful career in marketing
- What Mailchimp is doing to empower its clients
- The role Wink plays in Mailchimp’s strategy and the benefits of a “design first” culture
Key Highlights
- [01:00] How a background in design and intelligence shaped who Michelle is today
- [03:25] Michelle’s path from Israel to Intuit
- [08:00] Why design is pervasive in the MailChimp culture
- [08:40] Intuit’s acquisition of Mailchimp
- [10:45] How the acquisition shifted the marketing strategy
- [13:15] Why Mailchimp considers itself a lifestyle brand more than a SaaS brand
- [15:45] Why Mailchimp is showing up in unexpected but natural ways
- [17:10] Alan’s personal MailChimp antidote
- [19:00] Mailchimp’s international initiatives
- [20:10] The future of the brand
- [22:50] The responsibility, challenges, and opportunities of marketing to markers
- [25:30] Wink: Mailchimp’s internal marketing agency
- [29:00] How icecream impacted her career
- [34:50] Get out more!
- [35:20] How psychology impacts Michelle’s view of marketing
- [36:30] Brands to watch
- [39:40] Why marketers need to lean into new technology early
Resources Mentioned:
- Michelle Taite
- Intuit Mailchimp
- Thoughtless Acts?: Observations on Intuitive Design (book)
- Career: Israeli Defense, New Balance, Unilever, Intuit QuickBooks, Mailchimp
- Intuit’s acquisition of Mailchimp
- Wink (internal agency)
- Fashion Week Marketing
- Guess Less, Sell More Campaign
- Super Bowl and Mailchimp past year
- Unilever Magnum Campaign – Karl Lagerfeld and Tribeca
- Brands mentioned: Liquid Death, Airbnb, Teenage Engineering, Track Smith
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Alan B. Hart is the creator and host of “Marketing Today with Alan Hart,” a weekly podcast where he interviews leading global marketing professionals and business leaders. Alan advises leading executives and marketing teams on brand, customer experience, innovation, and growth opportunities. He has consulted with Fortune 100 companies but is an entrepreneur at his core, having founded or served as an executive for nine companies.