The bustling telecommunications and digital industry is where every move counts and innovation is the currency of success. It’s a fast-paced landscape where companies vie to establish their niche, relying on seasoned professionals who can deftly navigate its complexities. Among these experts stands Kristi Melani, a figure synonymous with strategic prowess and marketing excellence.
With a rich history in the technology industry, Kristi brings to the table a wealth of experience and a track record of success. Her expertise spans demand and lead generation, integrated marketing, e-commerce, go-to-market strategy, strategic partnerships, and global event strategy and management. Armed with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Public Relations from San Jose State University, she embodies the fusion of theoretical knowledge and practical application.
Throughout her career, Kristi has demonstrated a knack for building and leading global teams focused on delivering tangible results. Her leadership is characterized by a metrics-based mentality ensuring that every initiative is backed by measurable outcomes.
As the Chief Marketing Officer at Telesign, Kristi oversees the company’s strategic marketing direction, leveraging her industry insights to propel its growth. Under her guidance, Telesign can anticipate innovative marketing strategies,a metrics driven team and a relentless pursuit of excellence.
In a landscape where competition is fierce and opportunities abound, Kristi is guiding Telesign with her extensive expertise towards new heights of success in the fraud protection space.
Driving Growth and Influence
Kristi emphasizes the interconnected nature of demand generation, brand awareness and thought leadership in the world of marketing. She states, “You really can’t do demand generation if you’re not doing brand awareness or thought leadership.” According to her, having a solid stance in thought or practice leadership requires a focus on robust demand generation.
Kristi stresses the importance of an all-encompassing budget that follows the customer’s journey. “Be where they are,” she advises, emphasizing the need for end-to-end coverage. For her, the crux lies in SEO/SEM, asserting, “If I had to choose, I think SEO/SEM is key.” Recognizing that 70% of customer research occurs before speaking to a salesperson, she underscores the significance of knowing where customers seek information and being present there.
The budget discussion extends to search engines, particularly for research-driven individuals. Kristi suggests, “Be there, from an organic standpoint and a paid standpoint.” She advocates for a strategic synergy between organic and paid efforts to maximize budget efficiency. In her words, “Have the efforts complement one another so your budget is working smart for you.” This approach aligns with the evolving landscape of customer behavior and information-seeking patterns.
Essential Elements
Kristi underscores the importance of a unified approach in messaging across teams, stating, “Having one master content platform and message hierarchy that everyone uses as their north star is a great place to start.” Drawing a parallel to an orchestra, she likens the master document to a conductor who integrates all elements seamlessly.
She advocates for ongoing education and simplification cautioning against message overload, “Too many messages in the market at once creates confusion and also makes the sellers’ job that much harder. Which message is the most important?” Kristi recommends selecting and sticking to key messages, brand platforms and value propositions to make everyone’s job easier. Despite potential fatigue, she affirms, “Your audience won’t tire of these consistent, essential elements.” This strategy ensures clarity and effectiveness in communication.
Achieving Synergy
Kristi emphasizes the need for a comprehensive, companywide initiative involving all departments in the realm of go-to-market strategy. She states, “You really have to look at the motion as a full, companywide initiative. You need product, sales, CS (Customer Success), marketing, and operations all to work together from the beginning.” This holistic approach, according to her, is crucial for success.
Kristi advocates for early and frequent inclusion of all teams, challenging the outdated notion of delayed involvement. She notes, “The days of ‘we’ll talk to you in 90 days when the product is more ready’ are over.” In her view, ongoing collaboration ensures that everyone is actively engaged in the journey fostering a significant shift in mentality.
A key aspect of her strategy involves empowering individuals to be subject matter experts in their respective domains. “Give people the opportunity to be the subject matter expert in their area of focus,” she recommends. This approach cultivates a ‘win as a team’ mentality, where shared goals align avoiding competition within functional groups.
Kristi underscores the importance of teamwork, stating, “If sales are red, marketing can’t be green.” For her, success is a collective effort and she emphasizes the shift towards a unified team mentality. This collaborative approach not only enhances productivity but also contributes to a more enjoyable work environment by eliminating unnecessary conflicts between departments. In her words, “It’s a waste of energy and a waste of time.” The focus remains on fostering a cohesive, collaborative and winning team culture in the landscape of go-to-market strategy.
The Right Partners
Kristi highlights the importance of aligning with partners who share a common mission, stating, “Trying to partner with a company that has a different objective in mind makes the shared vision a tough one.” While acknowledging the uniqueness of each company, she emphasizes the significance of choosing partners with a focus on digital safety and a mutual understanding of brand trust.
Reflecting on a past experience, Kristi recalls a vendor pushing for a partnership solely to meet their quota, noting, “That’s not a shared goal. I felt like there wasn’t much in it for our company.” This instance underscores her belief that solid relationships require more than just individual goals.
For Kristi, partnerships are symbiotic relationships built on transparency, mutual understanding and a shared vision of success. She advocates against viewing partnerships as a numbers game, stating, “Partnerships should not be a volume game, as in how many do we have, but rather how do we move one another’s business forward, together.” In her perspective, the focus should be on collaborative progress, emphasizing quality over quantity in fostering meaningful and mutually beneficial business relationships.
Diversity of Thought
Kristi stresses the importance of hiring an empowered and metrics-driven team, stating, “You need to find people with the mentality that understand how to measure, what to measure and what to do with the results.” The era of vague success assessments is over, making it crucial to have individuals who comprehend the significance of metrics.
For Kristi, aligning departments with shared goals is essential for motivation and collaboration. She believes, “The siloed approach doesn’t work.” In a global, high KPI environment, lone-wolf mentalities hinder progress emphasizing the need for a unified team approach.
Drawing from her experience, Kristi endorses bringing in familiar faces, noting, “Especially in a growth-minded company, working with people that you know will get the job done is nothing to turn your nose up at.” While acknowledging the value of past connections, she encourages a balance between familiar faces and fresh talent for a successful team dynamic.
Kristi’s strategy includes promoting diversity of thought, emphasizing, “Not everyone should be a cookie cutter of what you used to have, but a good balance of known entities with new fresh talent is a recipe for success.” This approach ensures a dynamic team that combines proven expertise with innovative perspectives, creating a well-rounded and effective workforce.
Mastering Messaging
Drawing from her experience, Kristi recommends public relations to those starting their careers, stating, “I always suggest public relations because it teaches you about messaging.” She highlights the enduring relevance of messaging skills in the current media landscape where anyone can act as a ‘reporter.’
Acknowledging the evolution of PR tactics since her early career, Kristi emphasizes the timeless essence of crafting a position and garnering support for a brand, expressing, “It is still about crafting a position and getting people to support, understand and evangelize your brand along with you.” In her view, the fundamental principles of influencing perceptions and building brand support remain unchanged. Kristi highlights the enduring importance of mastering messaging and influencing skills in the dynamic world of public relations. Her insights serve as a guide for those navigating the evolving landscape of communication, highlighting the core principles that withstand the test of time.
Podcast Power
In the vast sea of information, Kristi finds solace in podcasts. Kristi shares this practical approach, stating, “There is so much out there to read, learn and absorb that it’s close to impossible to stay on top of it all.” She finds podcasts to be invaluable, being able to listen ‘after hours’ while multitasking, making it feasible to stay updated on the latest trends, tactics, or techniques.
Kristi seamlessly integrates learning into daily activities, revealing, “As I’m cooking dinner, I have a podcast on. As I’m driving in the car, I’m listening to a replay of a webinar that sounded interesting.” This approach allows for flexibility and easy absorption of information, enhancing her ability to apply newfound knowledge to her organization.
Recognizing the importance of diverse perspectives, Kristi values input from her team, stating, “I also love to hear from my team what they are hearing and seeing as up-and-coming trends.” She extends her awareness beyond her industry, observing other brands and even drawing insights from her husband’s company. Trusting the expertise of influential figures like Brian Solis, she emphasizes, “If Brian Solis… is talking about trends, I trust his vision, and I lean in and listen with even more intensity.” This multifaceted approach ensures Kristi remains well-informed, blending personal experiences, team insights and industry thought leaders to navigate the ever-evolving landscape of trends and innovations.Top of Form
Embracing Life’s Juggling Act
Navigating work-life balance, Kristi challenges the notion, stating, “I don’t believe in work-life balance. That would mean that the scale is always evenly leveled out.” Recognizing the impossibility of equal energy distribution, she candidly shares the ebb and flow of priorities. Acknowledging the demands of the mom role, Kristi emphasizes, “There’s help with homework that needs to be done. There’s dinner to cook. There are puppy walks that have to happen. There’s a husband who may have had a bad day and needs a loving ear.” These moments require dedicated time and energy, often taking precedence over work.
In high-pressure career phases, Kristi adopts a strategic approach, explaining, “It’s about setting boundaries and day-to-day goals.” A self-proclaimed list person, she finds satisfaction in crossing off completed tasks and keeping everything in check during hectic periods.
Reflecting on the career choices intertwined with personal responsibilities, Kristi admits, “Could I have gotten further in my career faster if I didn’t have the other to-dos on my plate? Potentially.” However, she values the personal growth and fulfillment derived from this intricate juggling act, affirming, “Would it have been as fruitful of a journey for me personally? Absolutely not. I will play this juggling act as long as life allows me to. It fills my bucket.” Kristi’s perspective offers a realistic and relatable narrative for those navigating the intricate balance of career and personal life.
Passion and Perseverance
For aspiring marketers venturing into telecommunications and digital industries, Kristi offers insightful advice, stating, “It’s a super exciting space and an even more exciting time to be in a digitally focused industry.” She encourages embracing the dynamicism of the digital landscape offered by these sectors acknowledging their pervasive influence across various industries. Kristi emphasizes the importance of exploration and experimentation, noting, “It’s also about trial and error. So much is still uncharted territory.” Finding a niche that ignites passion enhances the learning journey and fuels professional growth.
Reflecting on her own career trajectory, Kristi recalls her early fascination with the ‘dot com world’ and her commitment to learning and adapting. She shares, “I stuck with it. I learned. I made mistakes, failed fast and kept on moving forward.” Her perseverance and willingness to embrace new challenges propelled her career forward in the tech landscape.
Despite changes in industries and trends, Kristi underscores the significance of pursuing what excites individuals, affirming, “If you really want to lean in, picking what excites you will keep that momentum going in your career.” She credits a serendipitous encounter in 8th grade with shaping her career path and further expressing gratitude to Mrs. Ford for her guidance.
Kristi’s advice resonates with aspiring marketers, offering a roadmap for success grounded in passion, resilience and a willingness to navigate uncharted territories in the dynamic realms of telecommunications, digital industries and beyond.
