Peter Scherr of NOOM: Inside NOOM's Marketing Evolution

This episode of CMO Weekly features an interview with Peter Scherr, the Chief Marketing Officer of Noom. Hosted by Hayley Clover, the show delves into Scherr's career and his current role guiding Noom's marketing strategy.Key Discussion Points: Career Trajectory: Scherr discusses his diverse career path, which began in investment banking before he quickly realized it wasn't his passion. He then moved into digital marketing, working at a startup acquired by DoubleClick (now part of Google). This experience provided a foundational understanding of building a digital business. He went on to hold key marketing roles at companies like JetBlue, American Express, and Vroom, where he helped build the brand and take it public. Joining Noom: Scherr was drawn to Noom because it sits at the intersection of technology and healthcare and has a mission to empower people to live better, longer lives. He was also excited by the company's evolution from a weight loss app to a broader digital health platform. Marketing at Noom: Scherr explains that Noom's marketing is science-backed but focuses on storytelling that people can relate to, such as struggles with willpower or the relief of progress. The company leads with empathy, transparency about benefits and costs, and aims to resist hype. Noom's approach emphasizes understanding the "why" behind behavior, not just the "what," to help users build healthy habits. Measuring Success: Beyond clicks, Noom measures success through metrics like the lifetime value to customer acquisition cost ratio (LTV to CAC) to ensure profitable growth. Retention is a huge component of LTV, and they measure it by tracking user engagement with lessons and coaching, and whether users feel more confident over time. Use of AI and Channels: While AI is not used to create all content due to the industry's strict regulations and need for human review, Noom uses it to support human coaches, analyze marketing data, and create personalized plans for users. Scherr states that the company's brand efforts are dominated by TV and OTT, while digital channels are focused on paid social in Meta and Google. Leadership and Advice: Scherr describes his leadership style as one of empowerment, encouraging team members to act as CEOs of their respective channels. He emphasizes accountability, developing people, and leading by example with fairness and ethics. He advises new marketers to dive deep into their channel but also to pay attention to how all the different parts of a campaign work together.#cmoweekly #marketing #startup #podcastinterview #noom