This week we spoke with David Lloyd, our Vice President of Data Intelligence, about his role at Halmyre. David works on the quantitative side of marketing. He spends his time helping organizations identify and understand their key performance indicators (KPIs) and assists with putting measures in place to track them over time.
Halmyre is composed of an interesting and diverse mix of people. Each brings a unique background and focus to the company that contributes to our integrated, multidisciplinary approach to marketing.
Position Title
Vice President of Data intelligence
Focus/Specialty
Performance Reporting; Program and Service Design
Top Tech
Microsoft Excel
Currently Reading
The Design of Everyday Things by Don Norman
Currently Listening To
The Avalanches, The Skints, Gary Clark Jr., The Clash
Deserted Island Food
Pepperoni and pineapple pizza
One Word to Describe Me
Collaborative
What inspired you to get into marketing?
I did an undergraduate degree in business and was lucky enough to land an interesting marketing role right out of the gate after graduation. So from the get-go, I was hooked on marketing. I was intrigued by both the quantitative and qualitative aspects of the discipline, but in the end, I gravitated to the quantitative side. I have spent most of my career so far marketing telecom and banking services to a consumer audience. I find it fascinating to execute initiatives and monitor the consumer behaviour they trigger. I love the ability to measure the cause and effect impact of marketing.
Of course, it is marketing, so in addition to the quantitative side of the equation there’s the qualitative side, where creativity and innovation reside. While I appreciate the power of branding I’m more of a direct and product marketer. In these areas, creativity often comes in the form of campaign, program and product design.
What's the best advice you've received in your career?
“A problem well defined is half solved.”
Basically, if you spend time upfront clearly defining an issue you will be in a much better position to address the root of the problem and you’ll get better and longer-lasting results. I heard that Albert Einstein was once asked how he would solve a complex, important problem if he only had an hour. He is said to have quipped, “That’s easy: I would spend 55 minutes defining the problem, leaving me plenty of time to solve it.” I try to live by this philosophy.
What does a typical workday look like for you?
A typical workday for me starts and ends with coffee. There’s lots of coffee in between too.
To address the challenges Halmyre’s clients bring forward, I’m often collecting data, information and insights from clients, colleagues and even competitors. While I do often work with spreadsheets, I’m constantly collaborating with others on the Halmyre team to better inform the design of the performance monitoring systems or frameworks we design. I find that harnessing the brainpower of the team ensures strong ideas, strong solutions and in the end, strong results. What I’ve learned in my time at Halmyre is that no one person ever has the answer – because of that, we take a collaborative approach here to solve client issues.
How do you recharge or reset?
I have a 14-year-old son who keeps me on my toes. I also like to walk my dog (a French bulldog and Boston Terrier mix who is 100% Terrier crazy, 0% Bulldog lazy). I play basketball and golf, and on occasion, I zone out in front of the TV watching sports, news or Netflix.
If you could help Halmyre's clients achieve one thing this year, what would it be?
I’d help organizations put more order or structure to the way they view their businesses, in an effort to identify and focus on areas where they should apply effort for maximum results.
Halmyre Marketing Assistant Claire Elder applies her detail-oriented focus and enthusiasm for writing to Halmyre's internal marketing and administrative projects. She is educated in communication studies, business and psychology and is excited to soak up everything the marketing world has to offer. Her previous experience includes writing for an online food publication, marketing for an LED light brand and working in her university's archives. Claire is a health fanatic and foodie who loves being active and testing new healthy recipes.