Iterable Launches Next-Gen AI & IPM Capabilities
Q&A chat with Heather Blank from the Product Marketing team about their ‘most innovative’ launch ever.
Iterable, one of today’s leading AI-powered cross-channel communication platforms, celebrated 10 years in business with their most ‘innovative product launch ever’. The announcements were made during their flagship annual Activate Summit in late April.
The new suite of features is designed to boost marketers' productivity and ability to predict consumer behaviors.
I know several decision-makers running high-volume, multi-channel programs that have recently made the jump to Iterable. Along with competitors like Braze, Iterable is capturing a lot of momentum by offering extremely scalable performance paired with refreshingly simple UX. The results are enterprise-grade platforms that generally keep everyone happy (marketing, engineering, data science, product).
I like Iterable and have some experience standing up programs on their platform. But sometimes a large product launch can be overwhelming and hard to unpack all of the value at first glance. So, I reached out to get clear on the most intriguing features and use cases and wanted to pass that intel on to you.
Luckily, they set me up with Heather Blank from the Product Marketing team to do just that.
So without further ado, here is everything we discussed.
Q. Right off the bat, I’d love it if you could give my readers another headline to describe all of the new features Iterable just launched, but this time focus on the benefits or outcomes instead of the main keywords for AI & In-App messaging.
HB: That’s a difficult ask! The features in our recent launch are such a significant step forward in delivering the most comprehensive AI-powered cross-channel communication platform. But I’ll give it a try.
Our new AI capabilities really shine in taking care of time-consuming tasks and maximizing a marketer’s potential by freeing up time for creativity and strategic thinking. Because of that, my alternative headline would be “Iterable’s Latest Launch Elevates Marketer Productivity, Empowering More Strategic Thinking and Creative Innovation.” It’s a bit long, but it perfectly captures the essence of how our expanded AI capabilities benefit marketers.
The in-app features in our launch help marketers deliver highly personalized content and create more natively-integrated opportunities for engagement. So, I’d make that headline, “Empowering Marketers to Deliver Highly Personalized, Joyful Experiences” since at its core our in-app capabilities make it easier to connect audiences with better experiences where they are: in a brand’s app.
Q. Now, how does leaning into AI make all of that possible?
HB: AI is a game-changer for marketers because it enables two critical things: data activation at scale and task acceleration.
On data activation: It’s impossible for the human brain to manually process and analyze the enormous amount of data we have access to today. It would take up all of our time. AI allows marketers to quickly crunch all that data into actionable insights and ROI-generating results, freeing up marketers from the tedious and time-consuming work of manual data analysis. Data has a story to tell, but marketers are often left missing part of the picture. The activation of data points into actionable insights represents a significant shift in the way marketers can approach their work, fundamentally transforming processes and outcomes.
On task acceleration: AI can automate many of the routine and repetitive tasks that marketers previously had to do manually, such as creating copy and optimizing campaigns. Three of the innovations in our release—Copy Assist, Next Best Action, and Send Time Optimization—are designed to save marketers’ valuable time, allowing them to focus on higher-value activities that require creativity and strategic thinking. The more AI can help marketers, the more optimized the customer journey becomes.
Q. Tell me more about the improved UX and how customers will be able to ship campaigns quicker and more effectively.
HB: We’re really excited about this one and its impact on a marketer’s experience in Iterable. In most campaign management platforms, the workflow is linear, with a series of steps that need to be completed in a particular order. But what we found is that this approach doesn't work for everyone. Some marketers prefer a non-linear approach and want to start in different places.
Also, in some cases, marketers might not have all the necessary information, such as the target audience, but may have their creative ready to go. In the past, with the linear workflow, you would get stuck and couldn't proceed without completing the previous steps.
Our new modern workflow is designed to be more flexible and adaptable to how marketers work. It's a single-page interface that allows you to work in whatever order your brain works. You won't get held up if you don't know the next step.
The new interface is also faster and more efficient. We have pulled forward many of the settings and removed some of the buttons that were previously causing delays. Now, customers can ship campaigns quicker and more effectively to improve campaign performance and drive better engagement with their audiences.
Q. Okay, let’s go deeper on each release. Can you give us a run-down of each update and then an example of a use case you are excited for your customers to try?
HB: Absolutely! We unveiled the products and features in Iterable’s Spring Release on-stage at Activate Summit if anyone’s curious about learning more (for free!), but I can definitely give you a quick look at the new age of innovation and efficiency for marketers. Here’s a rundown of what we released:
Iterable's Embedded Messages feature brings real-time personalization capabilities into the app experience with no code, allowing marketers to build highly customized, integrated, native messaging inside the app. I’m excited for our customers to start using embedded messages that adapt to changes in customer behavior, engaging users where they are without disrupting their journey.
Iterable continues to expand its channel offerings, and with the addition of Roku, marketers can build cohesive in-app messaging experiences across mobile, desktop, and connected TV.
The all-new AI-powered Next Best Action feature automatically creates new campaign versions to re-engage audience segments with pre-populated copy suggestions to drive the highest response. Marketers will benefit so much from this for re-engagement and even experimentation.
Marketers can also leverage Iterable's new generative AI tool, Copy Assist, across all email and SMS campaigns to generate copy ideas, iterate messaging quickly, and create highly personalized messages, faster than ever before.
Adding to its already powerful delivery optimization capabilities, with the release of Iterable’s AI-powered Frequency Optimization feature, marketers can now optimize the number of messages sent to each individual user, eliminating message fatigue and reducing unsubscribe rates.
With Explainable AI for Brand Affinity, marketers no longer have to guess what their AI is doing, as Iterable provides transparent and clear explanations of the metrics supporting the evaluation and historical trend analysis of Brand Affinity. This allows marketers to make more informed decisions and take strategic actions to improve their brand's affinity and engagement with customers.
Augmenting Iterable’s state-of-the-art user interface, Iterable has further modernized the campaign creation workflow, enabling marketers to build complex cross-channel campaigns from different starting points. Campaign creation is now easier and more efficient to deliver the cohesive and personalized experiences that customers have come to expect.
With Iterable’s redesigned Audience Selection Tools, marketers can target the right audience quicker. And with streamlined Send Time Settings, marketers can deploy campaigns with the confidence that their messages will be delivered at precisely the right time to their audiences.
These new innovations help marketers navigate the moments that matter for their customers and make better decisions, more quickly. Overall this increases ROI and decreases the level of effort.
Q. What is your standard definition of In-App messaging for these improvements? Also, can you elaborate on devices and client support?
HB: In-app messaging is often associated with mobile devices, where messages are sent within an app. At Iterable, we think about in-app messaging as the delivery of communications across all devices where you can access an app, which goes beyond just mobile devices to also include desktops, web browsers, and connected TV platforms like Roku (which we recently added to our channel offerings).
One of the benefits of in-app messaging is its ability to reach users at the right time and place. Iterable's in-app messaging feature allows businesses to send targeted, personalized messages to users based on their behavior and preferences, improving the user experience and driving engagement and conversions.
Our goal in building out our in-app messaging solution was to be adaptable in support of a variety of platforms and devices. By supporting the different channels users engage with, we provide a comprehensive solution to send messages through channels brands own and control.
Q. Big picture. What brands are moving to Iterable right now and what are the main reasons why?
HB: Many well-known brands, including Volvo, LaserAway, Gorjana, and Dotdash Meredith, are moving to Iterable right now because of our platform's powerful data capabilities, easy-to-use interface, open and flexible architecture, and AI-powered approach.
Iterable's platform is built for data, allowing brands to consume, unify, and activate the entirety of their multi-source technology stack data. With Iterable, brands can leverage the most complete view of their customers across all channels, which is essential for delivering personalized and relevant experiences. Dotdash Meredith, for example, moved to Iterable because they needed a platform that required minimal tech resources and empowered their marketing team to quickly activate data and deploy campaigns.
Despite the platform's powerful and complex backend architecture, the user experience is designed to be easy to use by creative, forward-looking marketers. Highly sophisticated, data-driven capabilities have been translated into intuitive drag-and-drop, point-and-click, and easy-to-edit lifecycle management tools.
Iterable's platform is also open and flexible, with every layer built to be open so that brands can easily put data in and out of the system and integrate with their tech stack. Users have control of their experience in Iterable to tailor the platform to their specific needs.
Lastly, Iterable's platform is AI-powered, allowing brands to increase performance and efficiency with predictive audiences and insights, content generation tools, and user-level optimization.
You asked about brands making the move to Iterable, but going beyond that, we’ve seen so many current customers make big moves with Iterable after years of growth using our platform. Redfin, for example, was compelled to move to Iterable way back in 2017 and have recently adopted our AI-powered capabilities. Before, they had so much data it was difficult to determine what drove results. By leveraging Iterable AI to predict which segments and content performs best with their audience, they have new insights that were previously unreachable. Our AI capabilities give marketers the tool—and the time—to make the most of what I’ve outlined above. Everything works together to make a marketer’s job easier.
I’d also like to add that brands choose Iterable for the people, but I know we’re about to get into that a bit more.
Q. What services do you offer that can help hand-hold a transition to Iterable for new prospects? And what about existing customers?
HB: We understand that transitioning to a new platform can be a daunting task for many businesses. That’s why our onboarding process is designed to be flexible and tailored to meet each customer's unique needs and requirements whether that’s with our own internal teams or working with our trusted roster of solutions partners. Each customer is paired with an Implementation Consultant who works closely with them to ensure a smooth transition to Iterable.
Additionally, we have a Professional Services team that works with customers to help expedite the transition process in a variety of ways, including helping brands move their dynamic lists, campaigns, and journeys into Iterable.
Existing customers have access to a range of support options to maximize their potential with Iterable.
We offer a range of support options to help them take advantage of new features and optimize their use of the Iterable platform. Each customer has access to a dedicated Customer Success Manager and technical support, who can provide guidance and assistance as needed. In addition, customers can purchase a Professional Services retainer to work with our team on post-onboarding adoption efforts like new feature implementation, campaign management, campaign optimization, and CRM program design. This can be especially helpful for customers who may not have the necessary resources or skills in-house to fully leverage the platform's capabilities.
Our education services, including the Iterable Academy for self-led training and paid instructor-led training, are great resources for customers to build their skills and knowledge in using Iterable, and stay up-to-date on new features and best practices.
In addition to our internal teams, we have built an amazing ecosystem of partners to help our customers with any of their technology, strategy, implementation, or managed services needs. Our technology partners enhance the capabilities of the Iterable platform to meet all customer needs and ensure they’re getting the most out of their data. Meanwhile, our agency and solutions partners act as key partners in supporting customers with building their tech stack, platform implementation, strategy building, or even day-to-day campaign management.
At the end of the day, we understand that implementing a new marketing platform and integrating new features can be complex and challenging. That's why our team of experts and partner ecosystem are available to customers, offering a blend of marketing and technical understanding to turn business objectives into implementation strategies that deliver results.
Q. Finally, what’s the best way for decision-makers to see a demo & learn more about Iterable?
HB: You can schedule a demo with the Iterable team here, and learn more about our new releases (including our expanded AI and in-app capabilities) on our “What’s New” page. Discover how Iterable has helped countless other brands drive business growth and success by reading our customer case studies!
I hope you enjoyed this deep dive into Iterable’s recent product launch. BTW, If you are not yet interested in a demo, but would like to discuss a jump to an Iterable, SFMC, or Braze-sized platform, feel free to reach out to me directly at drew@10billionemails.com. I will be happy to introduce you to some decision-makers who have recently chosen one of these platforms. Additionally, I also wrote up a free step-by-step guide on How to Select an Email Marketing & Automation Platform.