405: How to Be Your CFO’s Best Friend with Thumbtack CMO, Llibert Argerich

Llibert Argerich is a hardworking triathlete from Andorra, one of the smallest countries in the world. At 11, Llibert lost his father and learned his work ethic firsthand as he watched his mother raise three children on her own as a waitress. His desire to expand his worldview beyond the valley has led him to live in five different countries on two continents over the last 20 years. After completing his bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of Toulouse in France, Llibert started doing market research for a small start-up, but it didn't take long for him to fall in love with marketing. After moving to London to learn English, he got his “lucky break” by faking it until he was making it and got hired on at Expedia. From there, he went to work for eBay, where he was able to achieve his 16-year-long goal of moving to the US. Most recently, Llibert served as Senior Vice President of Marketing at Udemy before he was hired as Chief Marketing Officer at Thumbtack in August 2023.In this episode, Alan and Llibert discuss how he approached his first 100 days at Thumbtack, his view on integrating brand and performance, what is and is not working in marketing today, and how to become your CFO’s best friend. Llibert also outlines the guiding principles and operating philosophy that Thumbtack implements based on data and testing to determine how they spend marketing dollars.Thumbtack is a platform that connects homeowners to professionals in the home service area, making it a dual-sided marketplace. As CMO, Llibert oversees the entirety of the marketing and communications platform, and he is also the DIR (Directly Responsible Individual) for the consumers and all company metrics that link to the homeowners (the demand-side consumer). Llibert tells us he and his team have found a more functional synergy by leveraging the Directly Responsible Individual structure rather than breaking the team into supply and demand sides. Marketers are often unfairly categorized as either performance experts or brand experts when in reality, they should be fluent in both languages. Llibert believes that true success will come from a 360-degree approach that leverages various channels to meet consumers where they are and can measure impact and performance across the whole spectrum.In this episode, you'll learn:Llibert's approach to his first 30, 60, 90, and 100 days in his new roleStructuring marketing to benefit both sides of a dual-sided marketplaceThumbtack's guiding principles and operating philosophy that drive brand and performanceKey Highlights:[02:00] Growing up in one of the smallest (and oldest) countries in the world[05:30] “The right path is the hard path.”[10:15] What is Thumbtack?[16:00] First 30, 60, 90, and 100 days in a new role[20:00] Structuring marketing with a dual-sided marketplace[23:15] Directly Responsible Individuals[23:50] Getting brand and performance to work together[28:30] The gaps in marketing[32:10] How to befriend your CFO[34:45] Teamwork makes the dream work.[35:30] The impact of losing his father at a young age[37:10] Advice to his younger self[38:30] The Gen AI portion of the show[41:37] Trends in fashion and sports marketing[42:40] The dangers or false sense of marketing precisionLooking for more?Visit our website for the full show notes, links to resources mentioned in this episode, and ways to connect with the guest! Become a member today and listen ad-free, visit https://plus.acast.com/s/marketingtoday. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.