Coworking with Ryan Deutsch

On Wednesdays, we wear pink spotlight Retail Brew’s readers. Want to be featured in an upcoming edition? Click here to introduce yourself.

Ryan Deutsch is chief customer officer at retail marketing platform Bluecore, which works with retailers like Wayfair, Gap, and J.Crew.

How would you describe your job to someone who doesn’t work in retail? I ensure shoppers feel seen, known, and valued by the brands they engage with by helping brands unlock the power of their existing customer data to make experiences feel more meaningful and personalized. I identify ways for brands to leverage the “friendship” a shopper has built with them to create seamless and genuine customer relationships.

One thing we can’t guess about your job from your LinkedIn profile? The sheer degree of empathy required to do this job well. I spend a large portion of my day helping my teams, from engineering to customer success, understand the actual context and challenges of retail customers. My profile will show that I’ve been both a retailer and a service provider, but it doesn’t show how influential my previous roles have been in helping me empathize with my customers. Since I understand the challenges of driving revenue and increasing inventory turns, I can use that experience to help my teams create better products and become better listeners.

What’s your favorite project you’ve worked on? I am incredibly proud of the Bluecore Marketing Agent that launched at the end of February. It was born directly from empathy for the Monday morning dread that every retailer knows. About six months ago, we asked 40 of our customers to name one thing AI could do to make their lives better. They were unanimous: “Help me prepare for Monday morning meetings.” We built the Marketing Agent to do exactly that. It has access to all the historical and real-time data, allowing a marketer to simply talk to the AI to get insights and recommendations in minutes that used to take teams of experts hours to compile. I have really enjoyed developing a product that will change the game for our retailers and save marketers time preparing for Monday meetings.

Which emerging retail trend are you most excited about right now, and why? I’m particularly interested in influencer marketing because it provides an entry point for shoppers to discover new things through a trusted community. Once that initial relationship is built, brands can then hand off the experience to AI for automation and personalization. In real time, we are seeing brands, like Alo Yoga, become category leaders through the power of influencer marketing, and I think there is still more to be unlocked there.

What’s your go-to coffee order? My go-to choice is bold: black coffee. However, if I’m looking for a guilty pleasure pick-me-up, it’s an Iced Mint Mojito from Philz!

Worst piece of advice you’ve received? “Become an accountant.” My father gave me that advice in college with the goal of getting me off his payroll as quickly as possible. While I did follow it, became a CPA, and even met my wife at the accounting firm, I was a terrible accountant. I only lasted three years before realizing my path lay in retail.

What was your favorite retail product when you were 15, and what’s your favorite retail product now? At 15, it was definitely the stereo in my room—it was my favorite thing in the world. Today, it’s a tie between my iPad, which I use for everything from AI note-taking to media consumption, and my Peloton.