how Placer.ai hit $100m ARR by using their own product
a masterclass on data-driven content and PR, here's the story behind Placer becoming a household name in retail
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the power of data
location intelligence may not sound sexy, but it can be if you’re clever.
Placer’s platform is basically a SimilarWeb for real life. and if you don’t know SimilarWeb either - Placer gives companies foot traffic data. essentially, it tells you everything about the audience who visited a physical location. how many, their demographics, where they go before and after, etc.
the applications of this product may seem limited, but Placer’s team realized this data can be leveraged to help all sorts of companies grow. the metrics (passing $100M ARR last year) back that up.
and they did it all by using their own data platform.
showing the value of data with data
the core marketing strategy at Placer is quite simple at it’s core:
create data-driven content
that highlights their product value
tailored for specific audiences
why does it work?
1. data > opinions. numbers stand out in content. saying “Pumpkin Lattes boost Starbucks visits by 73%” beats saying “Pumpkin Lattes boosts Starbucks visits”. we know this, but too often, companies create content that is just sharing their take on things. but in a world drowned in endless content, it’s hard to trust your take over the thousands of others sharing similar ones.
if you’re a data company, this is a NO BRAINER. if you’re not, it’s more challenging, but always doable. if you’ve got users, you’ve got data - on things like how they use your product, what they integrate it with, and what prospects and clients are telling you. and if you’ve really got nothing? run a survey, create a meta-study with external data, or even just unearth new insights via a platform like Placer that many don’t have access to.
but before you say you don’t have data - think about Spotify’s Wrapped, Headspace’s meditation and mindfulness research, Clay’s usage summary emails, etc.
2. using data to attract journalists, speaking opps, and social media attention. no journalist is sharing your opinion about a topic, but if you’ve got data on a topic relevant to them, they’re going to want it. stop limiting yourself to fundraising and partnership announcements or product launches that nobody really cares about. Placer gives journalists something they actually want. the recipe is simple:
identify a topic journalists are interested in
use Placer to find insights about it
turn that into a blog post, white paper, webinar, etc.
share timely & unique data with journalists
9 stories in major publications within 4 days; showing the value of providing value to journalists
perhaps as important, rather than focusing on their company page, Placer focuses on their executives’ LinkedIn pages, which garner more impressions from the algorithm and give Placer’s data an authentic feel.
the impact of a chart on a simple post
3. they use their product to highlight their product. Placer’s content highlights the value of location data. this is basically the value behind PLG (product-led growth) - making it easy for people to see what your product does rather than forcing them to learn, wait for a call, sit through demos, etc.
but even better, Placer’s content allows them to do this off of their site. what seems like an article or video is really a snippet of Placer and how you can use it.
4. tailored down to the individual (aka ABM). Placer’s content goes from talking about a niche industry to a specific company. imagine if you’re working at a company and (like we are now), someone creates content around your specific work. even at massive companies, there’s probably someone who will see it. how often is your specific focus at work discussed in the wider world?
targeting the design team at Apple? write about a specific site or product’s design. targeting the devops team at Netflix? interview their former Head of Devops whose repost will reach many members from their team.
create content for a super-specific niche, even just a specific company or individual. b2b marketers love talking about abm, but this is how you actually get that company or individual’s attention.
it doesn’t always have to be super focused. they create content for segments ranging from real estate developers in Miami to event halls in California, from the impact of COVID on banks to which malls get the most visitors. each piece is meant for a specific audience.
their recipe is super similar to the one for PR:
pick an audience (even a tiny team at a company)
think about what they’d want to know
use Placer to find unique insights
share it as an article, white paper, webinar, whatever
inspo: their strategy in action
here’s data from Placer within the Meta Lab article, directly showcasing Placer’s value
targeting a less obvious segment in CPG companies (they use the data to locate which stores to sell their product in) with a guide on data analytics for CPG
the Placer 100 gives retailers a reason to check in often to see their rankings
here’s an article talking just about Dave’s Hot Chicken and another just about Dutch Bros. & Sprouts, and another about Meta’s popup lab, and another about Shake Shack and Wingstop, and another about Saks Fifth Avenue after their Neiman Marcus acquisition (whoever ran Meta’s popup lab probably used this to share with his leadership team to show success, as did whoever ran the Neiman Marcus acquisition at Saks)
a white paper focused on helping stadiums better engage their fans
a webinar focused purely on commercial real estate, but more specifically, the office and multi-family perspective on it
and in the article on Saks’ Neiman Marcus acquisition, note the “Try Placer” button
who you need
it’s easy to enough to say, but it takes a unique team to nail this work.
their SVP marketing, Ethan Chernofsky, comes from a PR and content background, having worked with tons of clients at Headline Media. he can talk on camera, write, and sense interesting stories for journalists + pitch it to them.
their head of marketing insights, Maytal Cohen, has spent years as a data analyst with a content background as well. a unique combo to find the right data that tells the right stories. their VP growth, David (Dudu) Noy,spent 10+ years in product-led growth at Waze and Google. and a year ago, they brought on a VP marketing powerhouse with a unique combo of having worked both in strategy consulting and leading corporate marketing at places like IHG. as they scale, people like this ensure they’re set to take the next step.
overall, this kind of effort demands:
data analysts and research experts. to find the insights
content producers, designers, and writers. to write, design, record, and edit the posts, videos, and webinars
pr and social specialists. to maintain relationships with press, pitch them properly, promote on social, and share it directly with the world on camera
plg. while it may not be obvious, this strategy is way less effective if people can’t quickly see what they can do with the platform.
excellent bdr’s. you need to eventually convert these visitors into sales. that requires real work and know-how.
credits
SVP Marketing: Ethan Chernofsky
Head of Marketing Insights: Maytal Cohen
Head of Technical Marketing: Billy Atar
Head of Content: Shira Petrack
Lead Brand Designer: Yair Perez Davidi & Efrat Goldman
Head of Comms: Jocelyn Bauer
Marketing Insights Lead: Arielle Cizma
Sr. Marketing Manager: Tali Rozenman
PR firm: Derringdo
note: unfortunately, i wasn’t able to credit everyone. someone missing? just ping me
