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Digital marketing has become one of the most effective and popular marketing channels for a wide range of industries. Especially in today’s fast-moving world, digital marketing is the go-to option for companies of all sizes and in virtually every vertical. And if we closely observe digital marketing or marketing tools in general, we can see email marketing continuing to be a major factor. Email can be described as the grandfather of digital marketing. It was launched way back in 1978 when the majority of companies weren’t even thinking about digital marketing as an option to grow their businesses. Since the inception of email marketing, it has proved as one of the most powerful and effective marketing channels available, delivering unmatched performance and return-on-investment. Over the past few decades, the usage of email has grown exponentially and became a part of daily life for a huge percentage of the U.S. and global population.
The rise of the digital economy and the growth of email usage and email marketing has really grown in tandem. Such long-term success speaks to email’s ability to adapt to changing technology with the constant evolution of digital communications. In the years to come, email will continue to thrive in a changing world of consumer behavior, technology, and data privacy regulation. One company that helps companies optimize the usage of email in today’s fast-evolving technology is OPTIZMO. Founded in 2009, OPTIZMO is the recognized industry leader in email and SMS suppression list management and the go-to solution for companies across every industry when looking for email and SMS compliance services.
Co-founded by Khris Thayer (CEO) and Grant Fern (CTO), OPTIZMO provides a state-of-the-art SaaS platform that empowers Advertisers, Networks, Performance Agencies, and Email Marketers to more effectively manage the email opt-out and suppression list data management process. The company focuses on delivering email compliance solutions through an automated software platform (SUPPRESS) that optimizes the collection, storage, and distribution of email suppression files. OPTIZMO uses state-of-the-art technology to streamline, automate, and optimize the intricacies of collecting, storing, and distributing email and SMS suppression lists and consumer data throughout an entire ecosystem of partners and affiliates.
The platform (SUPPRESS) is a convenient, web-based, and feature-rich compliance platform that enhances the security, visibility, and efficiency of email suppression list management throughout that entire ecosystem of channel partners. Providing one-click unsubscribes, automated file transfers and distribution of access keys, and alert notifications, all these features make OPTIZMO the easiest to use and most robust email compliance platform in the industry. Having access to the OPTIZMO platform enables customers to vastly expand and scale their email marketing channels through the use of third-party partners to market on their behalf while maintaining strict compliance and data security standards. Additional tools enable easy distribution of approved email creative to mailing partners, as well as the ability to cleanse and deduplicate lists prior to mailing.
SUPPRESS: The flagship offering of OPTIZMO that allows the users to securely collect, store, and distribute email suppression lists while automating Opt-Out preferences and generating unsubscribe links for mailers.
SMS SUPPRESS: This platform is designed to collect and distribute SMS-Based Opt-Out and Do-Not-Call (DNC) lists, to and from the third-party partners—the same way as the platform manages email suppression lists.
COMPARE: This is the most flexible file comparison solution that you will find across the industry. It can swiftly and efficiently run merge/purge processes on two or more email files.
ACCESS: A highly secure platform for an email marketing partner to easily access the suppression files, email creative, opt-out links, and other valuable information from the advertiser.
Over the past 12 years, OPTIZMO has grown as a company and now has a dynamic global team with offices in the United States (Austin, TX, Charleston SC, Brevard, NC, Denver, CO), and Australia (Brisbane). The entire team is focused on providing customers with not only best-in-breed technology but also truly exceptional training and support, always putting the needs of the client first and foremost.
Khris Thayer, CEO and co-founder of OPTIZMO Technologies brings over 15 years of experience in entrepreneurial and corporate environments, including 5 years working in the venture capital arena, leading research teams, and developing strategies to successfully bring various SciTech and Consumer products to the market. His experience prior to OPTIZMO also includes 5 years in the telecommunications field, overseeing the design and implementation of fiber networks and long-haul data transport systems for both Incumbent utility providers and competitive local exchange carriers. He has built and overseen teams across the business spectrum, including engineering, product, sales, and client services, over the years. Over the course of his career, Khris has also been a motivational speaker and developed and launched various mentorship programs. He lives in Austin, TX, where he is a supporter and active member of the local music industry.
Being a leader is never easy and it is especially true during today’s challenging times. Khris has proven to be an influential leader who carries a positive mindset as an entrepreneur. This has helped in maintaining success over the course of his career. Expressing his thoughts, he says, “Every leader goes through challenges when building a business, if you don’t have the right mindset and outlook, it would be difficult if not impossible to achieve long-term success.”
Along with strong leadership from its CEO, OPTIZMO’s success has been built on having an exceptional team. Every team member is a leader of his or her own area of the business. Each member is empowered to drive the company forward and grow the business. With a strong collaborative team structure, each member of the team fulfills an integral role within the organization and each person feels a responsibility to others on the team. No single team member can say that he/she is the sole reason for OPTIZMO’s success. OPTIZMO works because each member is capable of performing their necessary role(s) autonomously, while also supporting each other’s success.
The focus on collaboration across all levels of the team has been a key to building a successful company. Since its inception, OPTIZMO has established itself as the market leader in its niche, by building close, long-term relationships with many of its clients and partners. This is a testament to both its technology and the unparalleled support the company offers. “The fact that we have continued to grow, year after year, despite all the challenges that every business faces (particularly over the past year) provides us with a true sense of accomplishment,” states Khris. However, he feels that the most rewarding aspect of the journey is the experience of building the amazing team at OPTIZMO. Over the 12 years, the company has built an incredibly talented and dedicated group of industry veterans who are focused on the success of its clients. Building this team and working together every day to help the clients has been an incredibly rewarding experience.
To continue a similarly successful run in the years ahead, it is important to have an effective strategic plan. OPTIZMO focuses on providing the most powerful, yet easy-to-use tools to power its clients’ email and SMS compliance programs. As the requirements for compliance are always evolving, the company will continue leading the industry in delivering products and services that not only meet today’s requirements but prepare companies for the compliance challenges of tomorrow. In the upcoming months, it will be launching several new services and enhancements to its current suite of products, including a set of advanced analytics and reporting capabilities called Insights. Insights will provide the clients with a deeper understanding of their email programs and how their compliance initiatives are performing. The reports and analytical capabilities will also provide actionable insights the client can leverage to further optimize the performance of their email campaigns and affiliate email programs.
OPTIZMO is also working on enhancements to its SMS SUPPRESS product, to deliver several new capabilities that are currently unavailable in the market. SMS marketing is growing exponentially and to cater to this growth, OPTIZMO will be releasing the new features in the upcoming months that will allow the clients to dramatically improve their compliance programs around SMS, as well as grow their businesses by taking better advantage of this powerful marketing channel.
