In today's rapidly evolving digital marketplace, staying ahead of the curve is paramount. To shed light on the future of eCommerce and the role of AI, we had the opportunity to speak with Elena Gies, an E-Commerce Marketing Manager at WD-40. Through this Q&A session, Elena shares her thoughts on how to use and benefit from AI and the experience of working together as a development partner on Ask Profitero, Profitero’s chat-based AI assistant for commerce analytics.
Q&A with Elena Gies
Q: To start this conversation off, we would love to learn a little bit more about your background. What is your current role at WD-40?
A: Currently, my role is on the German marketing eCommerce side. I support our sales colleagues in driving Amazon growth and assist our eCommerce team with insights, content and ad tasks. Additionally, I coordinate Profitero EMEA account for our entire European team, covering France, Spain, the Netherlands, the UK, Germany and Italy.
We also work closely with our global colleagues from the US and Canada, so Ask Profitero is used from a global perspective. It was interesting and very inspiring for us to be a part of this project.
Q: That sounds amazing and leads me right into one of the questions I wanted to ask you about. Who from your organization is specifically using Ask Profitero?
A: Profitero is utilized by various stakeholders, particularly those responsible for the eCommerce business within our organization. It is employed by the Sales and Marketing departments and C-level management. Additionally, some insights are shared with other stakeholders, including Customer Service, Logistics, Quality, R&D and the broader Sales and Marketing channel teams.
Q: Within your organization, what is the importance of AI?
A: For us, the first step is to understand how to incorporate it into our daily business and to test and learn. AI is becoming increasingly important in both our private and work lives. We're trying to establish habits to involve AI into our daily day-to-day business. This is an ongoing process; we haven't integrated everything yet, but it's crucial to be on this journey. Being part of the Ask Profitero development program has helped us gain an understanding of how AI can help from a data perspective (and also confirmed how challenging developments in this area of programming are).
Q: How are you measuring the ROI of these tools, such as Ask Profitero?
A: Firstly, it should be accurate. It is essential that the data is correct and trustworthy. Secondly, it should be intuitive and very easy to handle, understand, and use. Everyone is very busy and wants to save time and resources, so having a straightforward system is crucial. Additionally, it should save time, as previously mentioned. Knowing how to use it should prevent the need for manual tasks. Lastly, it should provide new and actionable insights that we wouldn't get from just looking at dashboards.
Q: Can you speak a bit more about your experience as a development partner and if you had a favorite innovation?
A: One of the most inspiring parts was the development of the pie chart for market share. This is one of the most used features because we track it quite frequently. We can now just use Ask Profitero for a market share pie chart, which is so much faster! It was amazing just ask [the AI] and we get [a designed chart] without manually crunching numbers in Excel and creating PowerPoint slides. This was a huge win for us.
Note: These Ask Profitero conversations reflect actual user prompts run on fake data to protect client privacy. No actual data for any brand is shown here.
Q: Could you talk a little bit about your experience working with Profitero overall? How long have you been managing Profitero at WD 40?
A: I've been managing Profitero at WD-40 since I joined in July 2019. From the start, it has been a significant win for us. Access to the data, working closely with Profitero experts, and unlocking insights guide our strategic decision-making and help monitor our brand development online.
Q: How often are you reporting on performance where you’d use these charts?
A: It depends. We have quarterly global reports, monthly local reporting, and some ad hoc requests. The frequency ranges from biweekly to monthly to quarterly. It varies, but we use the market share pie frequently. We use our branded colors too, which are also very helpful. Not only did we get the market share pie, but we also received it branded. Otherwise, this would be something we would need to adjust on your own later, so it was important to have AI deliver that complete.
Q: Before being able to create charts with Ask Profitero, what was the process like and how long were you spending to visualize Sales & Share data?
A: Normally, for the local market, we collect data from the Sales & Share module by pulling everything together from the dashboard and transferring it into our branded template. This process takes at least thirty minutes to complete accurately.
From a global perspective, we need to consolidate the report for all our global accounts, including each category, units, and sales. Instead of needing just one market share pie, we end up requiring it at least six times, multiplied by four categories, making the process even more complex. So the AI solution saves many hours per month.
Q: Who typically reviews these reports?
A: Commercial Leadership (Local, Regional, Global). I believe there will be significant interest in Ask Profitero from various counterparts due to its ability to strategically connect different data points. It offers the potential to gain valuable insights and support informed decision-making across the company. By allowing us to ask questions and obtain insights without manually reviewing Excel sheets, it has the potential to be a real game changer in our strategic approach.
Establishing habits to involve AI into daily business is important as it changes the working landscape. As Elena highlights, it needs to be intuitive, save time and provide new actionable insights. As AI technology continues to evolve, businesses that embrace these advancements will be well-positioned to thrive in the competitive world of eCommerce. To learn more about Ask Profitero, click here.