Data marketing company launches at zWORKS
A new startup company at zWORKS likes to mix things up – quite literally.
Mix is a data-driven marketing company that helps businesses get across the chasm between sales and marketing. They push for digital marketing alongside human intelligence.
“Sometimes you have to add the human element back in,” COO Gene Cottingham said. “Someone in the industry for 10 or more years may see trends that the computer doesn’t or some companies don’t have the $100,000 tool to assess the data.”
He described the cyclical process in five steps – creating the content, placing the content, evaluating the results, running those through the filters, and making recommendations to the changes in the content.
“Big companies do this all day long,” Cottingham said. “But you get below the Fortune 100 companies and companies are struggling with spending all this money on the digital marketing place and figuring out what to do with it.”
The company was co-founded by two Jasons and a Gene – Jason Zickler, Jason Bales, and Gene Cottingham. The three had met each other working on a shared customer. Each brings their own expertise. One could say it’s a “mix” of talents.
Zickler focuses on the creative side, Bales on the process side and Cottingham on the business side. But all three have worked on startups previously.
“It is not as glamorous and fun as everyone thinks it is,” Bales said. “But the buildup and the creation of an idea is fun.”
Bales added that you have to gut through the no-customers period as well as the too many-customers period. He called it a “rollercoaster ride.”
“It’s like playing craps,” Cottingham added. “It’s a high-risk game but it’s also high reward if you’re successful.”
Mix started in January of this year.
For more information, check out their website at mixitout.com or email Jason Zickler at jz@mixitout.com.
Getting to know the Mix trio…
Jason Zickler had an art gallery in Mexico.
Jason Bales and his brother have had an NHRA drag racing team for 18 years. They import Hondas and turn them into racecars.
Gene Cottingham is working on converting a 1965 Jeep to all electric.