Meet Our Team: Hayley, Analytical Mind, Hispanic Heart

Welcome to Captura Group’s “Meet Our Team” series, a chance for us to profile a member of our team and give you a glimpse into the minds and backgrounds of the people that make Captura Group thrive. See our other profiles here.

When it comes to digital marketing, data and insights are the bookends of any campaign or project. Data and insights inform the initial strategy and drive continuous optimization post launch.

Hayley leads our Digital Insights team and combines her analytical skills with the cultural expertise of our digital and content teams to drive and inform the success of our work. Here, Hayley shares her professional and personal story as a digital professional and a tricultural member of our team: English by birth, American by residence, Hispanic at heart!

Give us a peek into your background. What was growing up like for you? Where were you born, where was your childhood spent, what did you enjoy as a kid?
I am from “across the pond” – Plymouth, England to be exact. As a child, I enjoyed time with my family during the English summers as much as the cold winters. Summer was a time to swim, ride our bikes, and generally run around. Winter meant staying at home tucked in with a good game, book or movie.

How did your background shape your career direction, if at all?
As an adopted child, I have always been fascinated by other people’s life experiences and behaviors. So naturally, I studied Psychology – the science of behavior – at university in England. This led me to a career in Project Management, which was a natural fit for me because  I love to work with different people and bring ideas to life.

You sure do. What interested you in Analytics?
I love researching and understanding consumer behavior, finding solutions to problems, and educating others. Analytics does all of those things. Data informs us how to make the best strategic decisions for our clients and their consumers. All this at a fast pace, across different verticals, digital platforms, and audiences, ensures life is never dull!

I’m thrilled to be the Digital Insights Manager at Captura Group, and a Web Analytics Instructor at the University of San Diego.

So many talents! Being an expat, what role does biculturalism play in your life, if any?
After 10+ years in the U.S., I am as American as I am English. I identify with both cultures and consider each country “home.”

I am fascinated by the little differences between American English and British English. Did you know that in England ‘chips’ are fries, and ‘crisps’ are chips? Yet the menus here say “Fish & Chips”, not “Fish & Fries”!

I am also very fortunate to have been welcomed into my very own “U.S. Hispanic familias”. My two best friends are from Ecuador and Honduras. And, every day I get to work with the most talented Hispanic team – my Captura Group family.

What would you say is the best part of your position at Captura Group?
We are always pushing forward, sharing ideas, and looking for opportunities for our clients. I love being exposed to different cultures and learning about different parts of the world.

También estoy aprendiendo español, ¡poco a poco!

¡Muy bien! What do you think is the role of data and insights when it comes to successfully marketing to U.S. Hispanics?
Data and insights are essential to understanding the U.S. Hispanic audience and achieving marketing goals, from driving awareness and engagement, to increasing sales.

Data and insights can and should drive strategy and marketing decisions to ensure you are always finding new opportunities, staying ahead of the competition, truly connecting with your audience, and successfully guiding them through their path to purchase.

It is equally important to complement data and insights with cultural expertise. Be cognizant of the diversity of your audience: different Hispanic target segments have different needs. Furthermore, find a way to connect with your audience on a cultural level in order to create engagement and generate loyalty, from existing and future consumers.

Do you have any advice for marketers or general market brands looking to use data and/or insights to reach online U.S. Hispanics? What should they look at first?
Begin with the who and what: who is your target audience, what do you want them to do as consumers? These two points will be the foundation of your goals and measurement strategy.

You will also need to look at what competitors are doing to reach your audience. Then measure performance over time, test optimizations, and repeat. This is an ongoing process, with data driving an always evolving strategy.

Also, I’d advise marketers read our Insights articles published by HispanicAd for data driven growth  opportunities when marketing to Hispanics:

Using Competitive Analysis to Identify Brand Growth Opportunities with Online U.S. Hispanics  and Analyze Your Web Presence to Identify Growth Opportunities with Online U.S. Hispanics [PART 2]