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Telematics as the slingshot: Precision marketing in a world of giants
Financial Institutions: Data-Driven Marketing, Market Your Business, Marketer's Alchemy
3 Minutes
3 Minutes
In a recent episode of the Marketer’s Alchemy podcast, our host sat down with Jill Kellett, VP of Product and Marketing, and Annie Yang, Senior Director of Data Science at Root, to explore how the insurance disruptor is rethinking marketing through the lens of data science. What emerged was a conversation about precision, creativity and the balance between gut instinct and rigorous analytics.
About the guests: Jill Kellett & Annie Yang from Root Inc. |
Jill Kellett, VP of Product & Marketing and Annie Yang, Senior Director of Data Science bring complementary expertise to Root’s customer-focused strategy. Jill blends creative instinct with data-driven insights to shape product strategy, brand storytelling and marketing campaigns, while Annie leverages advanced data science and predictive modeling to translate complex datasets into actionable insights. Together, they exemplify how Root integrates creativity and analytics, ensuring that every decision is both customer-centric and grounded in measurable value. Root Inc. is a technology-driven insurance company that uses smartphone telematics and advanced data science to price auto policies based largely on how people actually drive, rather than on traditional demographic proxies. Operating as a direct-to-consumer carrier, the team at Root combines first-party driving data with third-party records (like driving history and vehicle information) to predict lifetime value and underwriting risk, then feeding those predictions into marketing, pricing and claims workflows.
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What’s inside this episode
When it comes to insurance marketing, Root is proving that size isn’t everything—precision is. In this episode, our guest duo shared how Root is using data not only to acquire customers but also to rethink what customer value truly means. Their story reveals how smaller players can compete (and even win) against industry giants through smart, data-driven decision-making.
We're not going to win on brand spend. We're not trying to target every customer or show an impression to every person in the U.S. We're much more about precision and discipline in our experimentation approach.
— Annie Yang
Senior Director of Data Science, Root Inc.
Prioritizing the right data
Root’s approach to data is both broad and deep. The company leverages first-party telematics data, which tracks driving behavior, alongside third-party data such as insurance history and vehicle records. According to Annie, “We have a ton of models that run daily… all these signals we stitched together into an understanding of customer lifetime value that is then propagated to our various marketing strategies.” This focus ensures that Root isn’t just finding customers—it’s finding the right customers who will have a positive experience and long-term value.
Balancing data and instinct
While data is foundational at Root, the company acknowledges the importance of intuition, especially during moments of change. Jill shared that during a company rebrand, the team had to lean on gut instincts despite limited empirical data. What set Root apart was how they monitored the rollout: with robust dashboarding and clear parameters for success or rollback, they blended bold instincts with disciplined measurement.
Experimentation as a culture
Root treats every campaign and creative concept as an experiment, testing messaging, design, and channels rigorously. This iterative, scientific mindset allows them to refine strategies quickly while uncovering what truly resonates with their audience. “We’re optimizing toward precision and not volume,” Annie explained, underscoring Root’s disciplined focus on long-term value rather than chasing impressions or ad spend dominance.
Don’t try to go head-to-head. If you’re in a saturated market and everybody else is running Facebook ads, you’re probably not going to win. Get creative on your differentiator.
— Jill Kellett
VP of Product & Marketing, Root Inc.
Lessons for marketers
For other businesses, especially smaller ones competing against established giants in the market, Root’s story offers valuable lessons:
- Lean into speed and iteration as a competitive advantage.
- Avoid playing the same game as larger competitors; instead, differentiate.
- Treat every campaign as a test and learn from both wins and failures.
- Balance instinct with disciplined data use to make bold but informed decisions.
As Jill summarized, Root’s success lies in curiosity and creativity: “Don’t try to go head-to-head. If you’re in a saturated market and everybody else is running Facebook ads, you’re probably not going to win. Get creative on your differentiator.”
By marrying data science with bold marketing instincts, Root demonstrates how companies can disrupt even the most established industries and redefine what winning looks like.
Listen to Marketer’s Alchemy on your favorite podcast platform like Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Audible, and rewatch all past episodes over on our YouTube channel.
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