About Sunbit
Sunbit builds financial technology for everyday expenses, easing stress by giving people fair and transparent options for how and when they pay. Sunbit enables Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) financing at over 23,000 service locations nationwide, as well as a no-fee credit card that can be managed through a convenient mobile app.
Gary's Bio
I’m a 20-year fintech marketing veteran with deep experience in lifecycle marketing, segmentation strategy, data management, and campaign analysis.
I currently run B2C and B2B2C marketing for Sunbit, where we use Iterable to communicate with consumers of our loan and credit card products, as well as the “Sunbeast” community of associates who offer Sunbit BNPL options to their customers.
Prior to Sunbit, I led lifecycle/email teams at HomeLight, LendingClub, and iShares/BlackRock. Each of my past 4 employers have been multi-sided platforms, granting rich experience with multiple audiences at once.
Fun Facts
Promotions
Featured Quote
One feature I love about Iterable is that you can now slap a label on a campaign that already launched. Wasn’t always the case. A game-changer for whipping up engagement-based segmentation queries.
Interview
When and how did you get your start in marketing?
I started my career as a java developer, building web-based database applications to support a sales & marketing team. For one project I had to learn how the marketing campaign data was structured, which then set me on a path to managing and analyzing email campaigns. I’ve done marketing full-time ever since.
What are some of your career highlights or campaigns that you’re especially proud of?
At LendingClub I transformed the email marketing channel into a dependable, forecastable revenue driver and turned 35% of our database into repeat customers. With such success in retention and reactivation, customer lifetime value shot upward and cost per acquisition plummeted — enabling my fellow marketing managers to grow their channels faster than ever.
What tips, tricks, or pieces of advice would give a new Iterable user?
- Set naming conventions for all your field names, lists, campaigns, journeys. (Especially field names!)
- Make your journeys flow down and to the right, as much as reasonably possible.
- Use sticky notes in journeys to talk to your future self.
What are some Iterable features that have made your job easier? Or have been game-changers for yourself and your team?
I love that you can now slap a label on a campaign that already launched. Wasn’t always the case. A game-changer for whipping up engagement-based segmentation queries.
Also, I suggested sticky notes in Iterable journeys a few years ago. (I probably wasn’t the only one, but I’ll claim it was my idea.) Thank you for adding them! Before, I used to add unconnected wait nodes just to write myself notes in their titles.
As a consumer, what brings you joy from a brand’s outreach/communication?
Infuse the brand’s personality into transactional emails. Who said receipts have to be boring?
Besides Iterable, what are the other tools in your marketing toolkit that you can’t live without?
(Boomer alert…) Microsoft Excel. Marketing is powered by data, and spreadsheets remain the quickest, most convenient way to bring structure to data.
What’s the best advice you’ve ever been given?
Don’t sweat what you can’t control.
What’s one thing that can instantly make your day better?
Gong Cha green milk tea, sub soymilk, zero sugar, less ice.
Campaign Portfolio
Sunbit’s Sunbeast Captain Program
Objective
We recently launched the Sunbeast Captain program, a gamification test to encourage dental office managers to offer our payment plans to patients.
Summary
How it works: Our key account managers select offices for the test, then we invite the office managers into the program. Upon opt-in, we enable weekly progress emails. The office manager earns bonuses if their crew reaches the goal before the month ends.
Results
The program has been a win-win-win so far. Sunbeast Captains enjoy the fun imagery and hyper personalization. Key account managers appreciate the relationship building aspects. Our marketing team gets hyped as the weekly progress emails approach the elusive 100% open rate.
