The Journey of Kira Wampler: A Marketer Embracing Change

My name is Kira Wampler, and I’ve had an interesting career in the field of marketing. I’ve had the privilege of working with companies like Intuit, where I helped them establish their social media presence. I’ve also been involved in launching startups like Lytro and Trulia. Currently, I hold the position of CMO at Lyft, a popular ride-sharing company.

When it comes to marketing, I believe in creating experiences. It’s not just about promoting products or services; it’s about connecting with customers and providing them with memorable moments. That’s why I value effective communication with as many customers as possible.

In today’s fast-paced business climate, with constant disruptions, challenges are inevitable. However, I see these challenges as opportunities for modern marketers like myself. It’s a chance to embrace change, adapt quickly, and stay ahead of the game.

Now, let me share a bit about my personal background…

Hi there! I’m Kira Wampler, the Chief Marketing Officer at Lyft. I’ve been with Lyft since December 2014. Before joining the team here, I held the same position at Trulia, until it was acquired by Zillow. But my journey doesn’t stop there!

Before my time at Trulia, I was involved in launching Lytro, a revolutionary camera that allowed you to refocus pictures even after taking them. Pretty cool, right?

But let’s take a step back. Prior to my adventures in the tech world, I spent some time helping companies with social media community and online engagement. This came as a result of my extensive experience at Intuit, where I worked for over six-and-a-half years. Now, don’t let the big words scare you away. It all started when I joined as an intern, a fancy title for someone learning the ropes, in QuickBooks for Accountants. I then worked my way up to becoming a brand manager. However, my most exciting role at Intuit was being their first-ever word-of-mouth marketing manager, which is basically what we now call online engagement or social media.

Interviewer: What do you think has been the biggest change in marketing since you started and became the CMO of Lyft?

Kira Wampler: I believe the most significant change has been the speed and pace at which consumers behave. Everything is happening so quickly now, from how information spreads to how ideas become essential in people’s lives. It used to take years for trends to catch on, but now it can happen in just a few. This constantly amazes me. I often contemplate how much more intense and rapid the world has become, especially in relation to what marketers are striving to achieve.

It’s great that speed can lead to exciting and quick results. However, it can also be quite challenging, especially when dealing with urgent communication issues. Additionally, it can cause a lot of disruption, especially for bigger companies that have slower decision-making processes and face higher risks.

USamerica.US: You mentioned speed and disruption. We all know you’re competing with Uber. From your perspective, how does marketing help you thrive in this industry and capture a larger market share in a fast-paced, fast-disruptive field like yours?

Kira Wampler: Let’s take a look at airlines as an example. Now, when it comes to flying from SFO to JFK, there are a number of different airlines that can get you there at a similar price and time, and with the same level of safety. Yet, oddly enough, many people have a preference for one airline over the others.

For instance, on that particular route, a lot of people I know choose Virgin Airlines. Why? Well, it’s because they want more than just a ride from point A to point B. They want an entire experience. They want to be a part of the brand and enjoy the exceptional service they offer. Even though they could technically get the same distance, in the same amount of time, and for a similar amount of money on a different airline, they choose Virgin because of what it represents to them.

Small businesses are always looking for ways to captivate and retain customers. But how do you grab their attention and keep them coming back for more?

Well, you see, it all starts with putting the customer first. No matter the company – whether it’s a fancy one like Lytro or a ride-sharing giant like Lyft – the key is to understand what the customers are up to. What are their goals and aspirations? What troubles and challenges are they facing?

Once we have a clear picture of the customers’ needs, we can work on finding solutions to their problems or even bringing them moments of joy. It’s all about making their lives easier and brighter.

Imagine this, back when Lyft was just starting out, my friend John and I couldn’t just go up to someone and ask, Hey, want to get in a car with a complete stranger and have them drive you around? If we put it that way, people would definitely say no. The same goes for Lytro. Would you be interested in a camera that looks like a rectangle but lets you change the focus after taking the picture? Most people would probably be like, I don’t really understand what all that means, right?

But just because we can’t ask people directly doesn’t mean we can’t understand what they want. Take Lytro, for instance. Before we launched our product, it was top secret and super hush-hush. I didn’t even get to see the camera until after I signed all the paperwork to join the company. So obviously, we couldn’t show it to people and get their reactions.

But you know what we did? We went out and hung out with the people we thought would buy the camera. We spent so much time at coffee shops. We explored South Park in San Francisco and ventured up to Capitol Hill in Seattle. You won’t believe how much they assisted us. They guided us in making decisions and getting our message across. They played a big role in shaping our brand guidelines, building up our brand, plotting our launch strategy, and even influencing our product choices.

Let me tell you a really cool story from a few years ago. This happened about four years back when not everyone I knew had a Mac computer. Sure, everyone had an iPhone, but not everyone had a Mac laptop. But here’s the interesting part – every time we went to a coffee shop where we thought people would be interested in buying Lytro, guess what we saw? Every single person in there was using a Macbook Air!

So, we had a big decision to make. Should we start with Windows or with Mac? We couldn’t do both at the same time, and it caused a lot of disagreement internally. But we were clear about one thing: if we didn’t launch on Mac, we wouldn’t win over the creative people who were most likely to use our camera right away. It’s funny to think about it now because everyone seems to be using Mac laptops everywhere you go. But back then, it was a bold move based on what our customers wanted.

Let me tell you about this amazing experience I had recently. I spent two whole weeks traveling with passengers and drivers from different ride-sharing platforms across the United States. It was really eye-opening to meet so many people who use services like Lyft, as well as those who prefer other options or even don’t use them at all.

We decided to do some fun experiments during this time. We raced each other around the city using various modes of transportation, including public transit, traditional taxis, and of course, Lyft and other ride-sharing services. Can you believe it? All of this was just to help us learn and improve. We wanted to understand how we’re doing, how we can be better, and most importantly, how we can share our story and provide a better experience for everyone.

So, here’s the thing. When it comes to speed and innovation, if you’re not focused on the people, you’re missing out on a big chance to make a difference.

Welcome to our One-on-One Interview series with thought leaders. The transcript has been edited for publication. If it’s an audio or video interview, click on the embedded player above, or subscribe via iTunes or Stitcher.