Derrick Nguyen

This Q&A was conducted when Derrick was a Senior UA Manager at Credit Sesame. Currently, Derrick is a Sr. Manager of Consumer Channels at Lookout.

Prior to joining the mobile industry, Derrick worked at an ad-tech startup as a marketing manager, primarily managing email marketing. With mobile being a hyper fast growing channel, Derrick made the move to a mobile ad network startup, his first intro to the mobile space.

Since then, his experience has grown to include scaling global mobile programs at a Fortune 500 company, and currently building the mobile program at Credit Sesame, a fast growing FinTech startup.

In your own words, tell us about the apps that you manage?

Credit Sesame’s app conveniently gives users their credit score and provides credit health recommendations based off of that information. It breaks down and simplifies ways users can manage their credit.

How did you get started in mobile marketing?

My wife was an advertiser in the mobile marketing space and I learned a lot about the industry through her. I eventually took on a role within a mobile ad network startup which fast tracked my knowledge even further.

What do you like most about mobile marketing?

I studied marketing in college during a time when “mobile” (let alone digital) was not part of the curriculum. As a digital marketer, I find it very fascinating to be part of an industry that is still growing and hasn’t yet reached its full potential.

What does it take to succeed in mobile marketing?

In this fast paced industry, you need the ability to detect false claims. Advertisers need to trust their intuition, be skeptical, and be prepared to challenge vendors on what value they can legitimately deliver for you. Creating clarity on what’s truly adding value to the program will set you up for success.

What does a quality mobile user look like to you?

At Credit Sesame, we are seeking actively engaged app users that want more than simply viewing their credit score for free. A quality mobile user is someone who is leveraging the provided features and most importantly, interacting with the credit health recommendations our app provides them.

What strategies work best to convert installs into engaged app users?

We communicate to our customers primarily through CRM email. Since we notice email opens are usually on mobile devices, it’s important for us to remind users that they can always check their credit information through our Credit Sesame app. We find this method to be a fairly straightforward to gain engagement.

In the past year, what is one tip you can share which made the biggest performance difference with UA or re-engagement of your app?

So far, every program I’ve been a part of needed a fraud audit. I will work with the MMPs to carry out an audit, and it immediately cuts down on paying for fraudulent installs, thus boosting our ROI.

How do you stay ahead of changes in technology?

Outside of attending conferences, I enjoy discussions with my peers. They often test different vendors which provides insight into technological features. Though the industry moves quickly, the word and reputation of new technologies spreads fast as well.

What do you see as the next big thing in mobile marketing?

More regulation on data privacy and how it affects the targeting options for marketers. In a post-Cambridge Analytica world, we are already seeing how limited targeting options on Facebook affects our campaigns. It will be interesting to see how certain industries respond to these changes.

What advice can you offer to help marketers combat mobile ad fraud?

Understand that fraud, in some form, is inevitable. Leverage the community of your fellow peers to provide serious advice on their experiences with mobile fraud. Their perspectives have given me a lot of guidance on how to combat this problem. I believe it’s up to advertisers to support each other in this space.