As a part of the second version of our “Meet the Management” sequence, we’re excited to introduce Andee Olson, Chief Working Officer at Obsess. We requested Andee to share highlights from her skilled journey, what led her to Obsess, recommendation on impactful management, the position of gamification in commerce at present and her ideas on the way forward for engagement in digital experiences. Right here’s what she needed to say:
Q. You’ve had a powerful profession journey with roles at firms like Vogue and Bumble. Are you able to stroll us via that path and what in the end led you to Obsess?
AO: Once I look again at my profession journey, I’m reminded of a marketing campaign we did at Bumble referred to as “One Connection.” The entire concept behind the marketing campaign was that it solely takes one individual to consider in you, see your potential, or encourage you to take an opportunity. This has held true for each alternative I’ve had all through my profession.
A good friend really useful me for an internship at Vogue, which in the end became a full-time position. I labored there for a few years and made connections that led me to each single job I’ve had since. I labored with individuals who later really useful me for roles at Bumble and employed me at Code and Concept, and I really feel very lucky for that.
I additionally labored with our present founder and CEO, Neha Singh, at Vogue, the place she was main product on the time. I used to be working in a extra operational and technique position, given my engineering background, and he or she was the one who inspired me to discover product administration. I had by no means heard of product administration earlier than, but it surely turned out I used to be already working in that capability. I took correct coaching and product administration has been one thing I’ve utilized in each position since. After we each left Vogue, I instructed Neha to maintain me in thoughts if something attention-grabbing got here up sooner or later, and I all the time mentioned I’d observe her anyplace. And positive sufficient, she did! I’m so grateful that Neha was considered one of my “one connections”—her encouragement introduced me many profession alternatives and in the end led me to the place I’m at present.
Q. For these beginning their careers and aspiring to management positions, what are some qualities or classes you discovered alongside the way in which?
AO: I’ve had superb position fashions and mentors—folks I look as much as and nonetheless go to with questions. So, I undoubtedly wish to give again what I’ve been given. Everybody has a distinct management type and what I’ve discovered works greatest for me is supporting the staff, main with empathy and, after all, generally a dose of powerful love goes a good distance. I don’t ask of my staff something I wouldn’t do myself. I really feel so fortunate to handle such a hardworking group of individuals. They’re pushed, they’re inventive and so they all the time deliver their greatest to the desk, which makes my job quite a bit simpler. I’m capable of set increased expectations due to it. The way in which I see my position is to help them one of the best I can. In the end, their success is my success, which is the corporate’s success. I’m right here to be my staff’s cheerleader for all times—I need to have the ability to help them even after Obsess. I nonetheless communicate with so a lot of my earlier coworkers.
For anybody aspiring to be a pacesetter, you must discover what works for you in relation to management type. A variety of the time, a management type could give you the results you want, but it surely may not work for the folks you’re managing—that is one thing I’ve discovered alongside the way in which too. It’s about discovering that stability: begin with a basis and evolve primarily based in your staff’s wants. You understand, my dad has all the time been somebody I’ve gone to for recommendation and seemed as much as for management steerage too. It was actually attention-grabbing when, a couple of years in the past, he got here to me asking for my recommendation on one thing—tables can flip! I all the time inform everybody on my staff that I’ll in all probability be working for them someday, and I consider that wholeheartedly as a result of they’re all so good and pushed.
Q: On to your present position and the evolving digital panorama—now, greater than ever, we’re seeing the fusion of on-line commerce and gamification. Are you able to inform us extra in regards to the position Obsess is enjoying on this shift?
AO: Completely! I’m very enthusiastic about this mix, principally as a result of it’s one thing I’ve talked about since my time at Vogue and my company days—the chance to combine commerce and content material. There are a number of methods to buy, and no shopper suits into only one class. The truth is, most match into a number of classes. The 2 most typical are: “utility-driven,” the place a client is aware of precisely what they wish to purchase, and “exploratory,” the place buyers wish to search, be taught extra and get impressed. Content material helps you do precisely that.
Gamification is a continuation of this dialog. You’re including an engagement layer on prime of every little thing, and also you’re making the exploration side enjoyable. On the finish of the day, buying must be enjoyable, proper? Whenever you’re on the lookout for one thing, you wish to really feel impressed and also you additionally wish to benefit from the course of. And when you’re doing that, you’re participating with the model. The extra you perceive what the model is about, the extra recollections you’re making—and people recollections will follow you! You may not buy at that precise second, however you’re prone to buy sooner or later due to the connection you’ve made with the model.
After we have a look at our prospects who’ve prioritized gamification of their digital experiences, the outcomes communicate for themselves. Customers are spending extra time, clicking on extra parts, returning extra usually and trying out with extra merchandise. In the end, you must cater to this exploratory viewers. If not, your model will miss out on an enormous alternative. It’s the pure extension of what’s been taking place for years—first with 2D content material, then with Obsess’ 3D content material, and now taking it one step additional with gamification.
Q. On the subject of gamification, over the previous 12 months, Obsess has designed and developed branded experiences for Roblox. With bodily commerce now a part of the platform’s roadmap, what’s your advice for manufacturers?
AO: I couldn’t suggest Roblox extra for manufacturers, particularly these seeking to goal youthful audiences. Whereas Roblox is called a gaming platform that appeals to younger youngsters, it’s more and more well-liked with the 18-34 age group, which is what’s engaging manufacturers. In response to the most recent numbers, Roblox has almost 90 million month-to-month lively customers who’re spending over two and a half hours a day on common—greater than on social media platforms. So, this isn’t simply an unimaginable viewers when it comes to measurement, but it surely’s additionally a extremely engaged viewers.
So if I’m a model, I’m pondering: how do I attain this high-value viewers? A method is to go to a platform the place that viewers already exists—and this viewers undoubtedly exists on Roblox. What’s so distinctive about Roblox is that you just’re not solely reaching this large viewers, however it’s also possible to utterly customise the expertise to make it really distinctive to your model. This lets you educate customers about your model, showcase what you must provide and even incorporate your model’s core values—all via a enjoyable and interesting expertise.
Now, with the just lately introduced Shopify integration, manufacturers have the flexibility to transform these customers into paying prospects. If manufacturers aren’t taking note of this but, they completely must be, as a result of many are—and also you don’t wish to be left behind with this viewers. I believe we’ll see quite a lot of manufacturers make the most of this partnership subsequent 12 months, particularly since some have already began making a splash within the area. What’s thrilling for us at Obsess is that we’re capable of deliver our learnings from digital shops and experiences into Roblox—learn how to create an expertise that aligns along with your model, educates and engages your customers, and in the end converts them into buyers.
Q: What are another use instances for 3D expertise do you see within the subsequent few years?
AO: There are a few issues that I’m enthusiastic about, one being B2B options. I bear in mind engaged on case research in faculty and enthusiastic about the world of the B2B options, which have historically been very operational and process-driven. Not quite a lot of expertise was going into that area. In my company job, I labored with quite a lot of firms to assist with their B2B options. Now, after I give it some thought, there’s a lot 3D expertise can do for gross sales enablement, studying instruments and extra throughout the B2B trade. Once I take into consideration the potential, the work we might do to assist companies attain customers, enhance their processes and efficiencies and make what they achieve this far more scalable—and naturally, participating—is extremely thrilling.
One other space is actual property. As somebody who’s all the time maintaining a tally of actual property—consistently exploring properties I’d love to purchase, and as somebody who, when shifting into a brand new house, creates old-school collages of furnishings in Google Slides—I’m thrilled in regards to the potential for immersive options on this trade. There are such a lot of totally different elements of actual property that might profit from 3D options, from constructing and concepting to execution at each industrial and residential ranges. Visualizing design, layouts, and supplies all in 3D might utterly rework the expertise. I imply, the chances listed below are limitless. From day one at Obsess, I’ve thought, these industries might actually use a shake-up. Now, I lastly really feel the expertise is in a spot the place we are able to really provide one thing that’s each distinctive and helpful to them as companies.
Q: Lastly, the place do you see immersive expertise going within the subsequent 5 years?
AO: Once I take into consideration how a lot has modified since I first began working at Obsess three and a half years in the past to now—it’s been unimaginable and so impactful. In 5 years? I can’t even think about, however there are some issues I believe we’ll begin to see extra of, and at scale.
First, immersive experiences which are personalised for you. Right this moment, most experiences we create are pushed by what the model thinks you ought to be shopping for. What we’ll begin to see extra of are experiences pushed by what you, as a person or shopper, wish to purchase. We’ve been doing this in some passive methods, however there’s a lot room for evolution, and we’re actively engaged on it—quite a lot of it powered by AI.
AI, in flip, is one other space that can start to drive this trade and expertise, making it extra environment friendly and efficient. I additionally don’t assume this can essentially take 5 years; we’ll begin seeing this a lot sooner, however in 5 years, it’ll seemingly be taking place at a a lot bigger scale.
