There’s been a lot going on at WordStream lately! And with Thanksgiving just two days away—what better time to express gratitude for all this bounty? Here’s a quick look inside some of the goings-on that have been keeping us busy and excited in the past several weeks…
(Big thanks to Kyle Cardoza and Ceillie Clark-Keane for co-writing this post!)
WordStream hosts our biannual Customer Insight Roundtable
Early this month, a group of twelve WordStream customers flew into WordStream’s HQ city of Boston to be part of our twice-yearly, in-office customer event: the Customer Insight Roundtable. This time, the crew comprised of a healthy mix of businesses using WordStream to manage their own PPC accounts, as well as digital agencies using WordStream to manage the PPC accounts of their clients. It was a whirlwind day, full of insights into the product and the industry, meeting the team, brainstorming, and ending with a panel in front of the entire WordStream team.
We kicked it off the night before, when customers and a group of about 10 WordStreamers ventured out for a group dinner to get acquainted and enjoyed some southern-inspired barbecue.
The day of the roundtable was jam-packed with all kinds of activities for our guests. We started with breakfast, coffee, and a greeting from WordStream’s CEO, Howard Kogan. Next up, SVP of Product Kristen Yerardi discussed what’s next in our software and got some feedback from customers on what they use most and what they would want to see in future releases.
One highlight of the day for a lot of our guests was the “Speed Networking” session, where a selection of WordStreamers from all levels and all departments met with one customer at a time in rapid-fire sessions, talking through anything from product updates to marketing campaign experiences. Everyone got to talk for a few minutes, and the WordStream team got a lot of really impactful insights from customers.
In the afternoon, WordStream’s Senior Director of Product Design Tim Parcell led a game that challenged attendees to think about marketing in a different light and come up with creative solutions to out-of-the-box marketing challenges that attendees could bring home with them.
In the middle of the day, we brought the group up to the top of the Prudential building (home of our office) to take in the sprawling views of the city and see some iconic Boston sites. This was definitely a fun addition and a great way to stretch our legs before lunch!
At the end of the day, the entire WordStream staff gathered to hear a panel from our guests, led by product marketing director Erik Mansur. WordStream staff got to hear about what matters to their customers, how each of them uses the software and were able to get a real look at how the software that our work-lives revolve around truly impacts our customers and enables them to be effective.
Cheers! Time to unwind and mingle with the entire group. Customer success reps got to meet their clients, salespeople got to hear the journey from the other side, and our non-customer facing teams got to get some face time with the customers. An incredible event came to a close, and we’re already gearing up for our spring Round Table event in 2020.
Interested in joining? Ask your customer success rep for more information!
A visit from Bridgewater State
On November 8 the Bridgewater State University chapter of the American Marketing Association came for a company visit to the Wordstream offices. These bright young college students got an inside look at the day-to-day lifestyle at WordStream.
After a company tour and a sit-down talk with Howard Kogan, students got great insights into the online advertising world and how they can secure a job right out of college. Recent WordStream college graduates held a panel discussing many aspects of securing internships and job offers throughout their college careers, and shared tips on how these students can do the same.
The club also got a deep look at a client call with Zach Nussbaum showcasing some of the most important aspects of a regular paid search call with a client. They also got to meet John Judge, VP of the sales team, and understand why sales are so critical to a company's success and growth. It was a pleasure having the American Marketing Association in the office!
And finally, some honors we’re proud of…
WordStream leadership at the MassTLC awards
We’re thrilled that not one, but two members of our executive team were named finalists in the 2019 Mass Tech Leadership Awards: Laura Taylor, our head of marketing, was a finalist for CMO of the Year, recognized for the key role she plays in running a marketing engine that fuels our entire organization’s growth and success. And Lucy Lemons, our head of people success, was a finalist for Chief People Officer of the Year, recognized for her immense impact on the happiness and productivity of employees across the company.
We’re so proud of these two!
WordStream named a top place to work by the Globe
WordStream wasn’t done celebrating with Lucy and Laura’s nominations. Recently, we were named one of the Top Places to Work in Massachusetts by The Boston Globe. Everyone in the office was pretty excited.
The best part of this honor is that it was decided by employees (see those smiling faces above?). In its 12th year, the Top Places to Work survey measures employee opinions about their company’s direction, execution, connection, management, work, compensation, and engagement.
This year, more than 65,981 people working at 323 companies participated in the survey, and 125 companies were named winners. WordStream ranked #24 in the large business category. It just goes to show how much we love our progressive benefits, our core values, the fun culture and collaborative atmosphere, and most of all, the people.
An enormous THANK YOU to our customers and community who make everything possible. Happy Thanksgiving!