Gayla Huber, President @ IntegriShield
Introducing the incredible Gayla! Gayla, you are a highly respected and accomplished industry veteran that sets an incredible example for so many women. Can you share a bit about your professional journey in affiliate and performance marketing and how you ended up starting IntegriShield?
I had my first taste of performance marketing in 2007. I had been with an international shareowner processing company for over a decade doing corporate marketing, so when an opportunity to develop this new thing where banner ads showed up on mobile phones, I had to see what it was all about. Needless to say, I caught the performance bug and became a data junkie. I’m really fortunate to have had the opportunity to identify technically and analytically how to target the right consumers so early in the digital marketing years. You can look back and start to see how things we take for granted at the time were instrumental in preparing us for what is to come.
After it sold, I decided to stay on the performance side and went to Gragg Advertising and focused primarily on the EDU vertical. In 2010, regulations were heightened, and it seemed like there were not many in advertising on the buyer side who really knew logistically how to deal with it. I spent my weekends reading regulations and putting strategies together for my team at the agency to implement. It didn’t take long to realize a human only approach was going to become unmanageable at some point.
We started what would become IntegriShield inside the agency as a service at first. We tested out software already on the market but at the end of the day, none of it reduced our headcount enough to justify it. That’s when we decided we could do it better. IntegriShield was officially started in 2012. All of my accounts at the agency were the first clients and I’m still working with most of them today.
IntegriShield was born out of a mission to address the problems faced by marketing and compliance professionals. Can you tell us a bit about what IntegriShield offers and your role in providing these services?
We really did start to solve problems because I needed it to solve my problems as a marketer. That’s really what makes us different in my opinion. When you look at your product and services through the eyes of the user and not just what a software company thinks would be cool. It changes how you prioritize.
We are a web monitor. It sounds like a lot, but we intentionally built our software to be platform agnostic because in digital marketing, we know nothing is ever constant. We have to be able to search any platform, website or ad that comes out. Clients can use us solely as software or they can use us in a full-service capacity. We identify the risks on the web and for most of our clients we also fix the issues that are found.
Can you share a specific example of how your software and service solution has made a significant impact in helping a client navigate the complexities of brand protection or regulatory compliance?
Do I have to choose just one? We have been around since 2012 and have retained over 90% of our clients every single year we have been in business. We need to make an impact every single day, and I truly believe my team does. We have had some interesting things happen over the years. We are able to supply documentation to our clients if they get any regulatory interest. We have taken down 10’s of thousands of websites over the years which were fraudulent or pretending to be out clients. I like to point out to regulators when we meet that we get more done than they do to protect our clients and their consumers.
IntegriShield is focused on monitoring, discovering, reviewing, and remediating online content and brand usage. What trends or developments in technology and compliance do you anticipate will have the most significant impact on your industry in the near future, and how is IntegriShield preparing to tackle these challenges?
Nothing stays the same. We must implement work-arounds or new products consistently to tackle everything that comes out. Not just that but once a bad actor knows we are watching them, they look for ways to trick out system. We crawl everything from source code to images, video and audio. We crawl targeted domains but also track unknown content that brands don’t even realize exist. This gives us a huge advantage when it comes to our competition but also ensures we are identifying all the new ways marketers are behaving. This is also where the data junkie in me comes in handy. We have so much data we can use to identify if suddenly we are not seeing violations of a particular type or on a particular platform. And this can be seen within a day to a few days which makes us quick to respond.
What types of clients or businesses should consider reaching out to you and IntegriShield for their compliance needs, and what sets your company apart from competitors?
Any company which touches a consumer at any point in the consumer journey. We work with brands, networks, publishers, and more. We work across any consumer facing vertical. We are in over 50 countries and crawl in any language. Our clients range from small businesses to large corporations. Compliance should be accessible to all businesses. We believe in being inclusive in every aspect of business and have created a scalable product so whether your budget is small, or you need flexibility, we can still be there to protect your company.
Besides the great pricing and technology which I believe make our compliance monitoring the best in the world, we are a partner. We invest in the success of all our industries. We work with and have worked over the years with several associations and self-regulatory groups to monitor and enforce industry best practices. We are highly involved in educating and speaking with federal and state regulators and congressional offices.
It's evident that IntegriShield has experienced remarkable growth in recent years. Can you share some insights into the strategies and key factors that have contributed to this growth, and what ambitions do you have for the future of the company?
We have. It’s been exciting to see our hard work pay off. Someone told me at the end of last year when I told them my goals to “run and don’t stop”. I don’t think I have stopped. We as a company decided to work on marketing our brand this year. I know what everyone thinks but marketers really are the worst at marketing their own brand. I’m an introvert – yes, I really am. I’ve had to put myself out there and wow! It has paid off to step out of the day to day of the company and be able to focus on growing our business. I couldn’t do that without my team. They are fantastic!
Gayla, congrats on winning the prestigious AFFY Award for excellence in performance marketing for IntegriShield as Compliance Company Of The Year! What an achievement! And you looked fabulous! Can you share what it means to you and your team to receive this prestigious award and what significance it holds in your professional journey? And, how was it getting roasted by Jeff Ross on stage in front of other industry greats? (Hopefully not too offensive but all in good fun lol)
I’m still riding the high from that night. I can’t thank the AFFY team enough for doing this and recognizing businesses in the industry. I joked on the stage that since we are compliance, we don’t win anything, let alone get invited to the party normally. Creating a compliance category was huge for our side of the ecosystem. The most meaningful thing about that night was that AFFY can’t be bought. You learn quickly most awards are bought, but this meant so much because it was so unexpected. My team and I have worked so hard and I’m so proud of the recognition.
Gayla, looking back to when you were a young girl, what do you think your younger self would have thought about the idea of one day becoming the president of a large, successful organization? Did you always have a sense that you were destined for greatness and entrepreneurship, or did this path unfold unexpectedly in your journey? Does this make you proud to set an example for your daughters that they can achieve whatever they set their mind to?
Definitely not. I knew I wanted to learn how to run a business. I inherited a lot of my father’s drive, and he taught me a lot about his business. I am lucky to have had other men in my life mentor me and help me to get where I am today. I’m thankful for those men because we know that not everyone has those types of opportunities. I would like to think what I’m doing will now result in all the young women in my life being able to see how a woman does it and if I can open doors for others to do better than me, then I would consider that a success.
Gayla, your involvement with LinkUnite on the advisory board is impressive, and it's clear that you're passionate about supporting and connecting women in business. Could you share why you believe it's crucial to encourage and foster connections among women in the business world? How do you see the role of women in leadership positions in the affiliate marketing industry, and what advice do you have for aspiring female entrepreneurs?
My tribe! Amanda and Sara have taken LinkUnite to a next level women’s organization. It is not just networking; it is not just training. It is a group of women who are taking daily actions to make positive changes in not only digital marketing but all the ecosystems we’ve embraced around it. It’s crucial we promote other women. It’s not that men don’t support us, they absolutely do. However, the top of mind, consistent support of other women in the group is making a measurable difference for so many. I am really looking forward to being able to put some KPIs on it!
What do you believe are the most significant challenges and opportunities that the digital marketing industry is likely to face in the coming years, and how can professionals prepare for them?
In my world, it is regulations. I don’t see a slowdown in regulatory activity in the next 5 years. Affiliate marketers, you are a target. No matter what sector you’re serving there is a state or federal regulator looking to make it harder for you to do so in the name of consumer protection. I consider myself a huge proponent of consumer protection. Like many, it is really frustrating the lack of education on the topics being regulated. Legislation is not spaghetti. We need to stop throwing it against the wall just for it to not stick. It needs to be effective and unfortunately, often it is not and can harm the small businesses and consumers it was meant to protect. Get involved with trade associations like LinkUnite, REACH and C3 who are constantly advocating and working to educate legislators about the industry.
We hope to see you and your team at the upcoming Affiliate Ball in Vegas January 16th 2024, the biggest and best event in performance and affiliate marketing and legendary recording artist Fat Joe is locked in to perform! What are some of the things you have enjoyed about the ball over the years and what do you recommend people do to make the most of it for networking and fun?
Show up! The Affiliate Ball is fun event but it can also be a great way to connect with folks outside a tradeshow floor. It’s a much better way to get to know everyone in our industry.
Gayla, outside of your professional life, what are your favorite hobbies or pastimes that help you unwind and relax in your hometown in Kansas?
I’m a huge Chiefs, Royals, KC Current and Sporting KC fan! Really anything Kansas City. KC is great town to live in and work in. My family has a farm so if I’m not on the road, I like to get away where it is quiet and peaceful.
