While being thrust into launch mode for Radical United came as a surprise to me almost 2 months ago, it forced me to embrace the opportunities that come from being an independent agency/consultancy. When I was running email marketing at Engauge, I made it my business to take all the calls from all the sales people, sit through as many demos as they’d allow and schmooze away with reps at events — all to make sure I could best serve our agency’s customers as a subject matter expert.

In the wake of what I call the launch of the ‘marketing cloud wars’ in 2012, all the strongest players at the time got acquired. At the time, I suspected that new platforms would naturally emerge to fill the void that was being left behind.

In hindsight, I am so grateful for being given the latitude and opportunity to really dig in and get to know some of these platforms and, as a by-product, discover what made some more successful than others.

While all of them touted technological bells and whistles that caught my attention at the surface, it was ultimately a combination of (not to sound cliché) the combination of the leadership, the company culture and their actual dedication to customer satisfaction that separated winners from losers.

I have known Jeremy since his days at Blue Hornet and have always found in him a great friend and a whip-smart industry colleague. When he boldly launched Cordial, I paid attention. If I’d lived in San Diego, I would have jumped on board in a heartbeat. But alas, here I was in Atlanta, watching from 3 hours ahead. In reconnecting with various members of his team, every last person vouches for all of the characteristics of a partner and company I’d want to be associated with.

I have watched the client base grow and the product roadmap mature and, as I’ve been working to launch Radical United, I couldn’t imagine not jumping at the chance to work with the Cordial team.

I’m so excited to announce that we’ve also officially joined forces with Cordial.

Where Radical United Fits In

The quandary that I see so many marketers trapped in is perhaps something I’d lovingly call ‘email-itis’. Marketers (rightfully) fell in love with the results that email marketing drives but left other channels like SMS and mobile push on the sidelines, either due to lack of experience in the channels and/or lack of confidence around how to differentiate, orchestrate and execute across these newer channels.

Our near-term goal is to be a sounding board for brands that have already chosen Cordial, to provide strategic guidance that will allow them to more confidently and intentionally cross the bridge into building a multi-channel marketing communication program that will more closely resemble the types of customer experiences that brands aspire to deliver.

While email does still rock, I’m eager to help brands see that SMS and mobile push are no slouches and are really powerful and effective channels in their own right, but when done right. Radical United is committed to helping Cordial’s customers do just that.

Cordial customers can learn more about our services offerings at www.radicalunited.com/cordial