September 2024 Bonfire Marketer of the Month: Max’s Barnabás Gábor

Each month, Braze selects one individual as our Marketer of the Month in order to celebrate the exceptional work being done by members of our Braze Bonfire community. Whether it's providing support for their fellow marketers or going above and beyond by sharing their innovative ideas and strategies, these individuals are making essential contributions to their companies, their users, and the customer engagement space as a whole.

This month, we’re recognizing Barnabás Gábor, Global CRM Innovation Lead at Max®. Max® is a streaming platform from Warner Bros. Discovery that delivers a personalized user experience to bring unique stories ranging from the best of unscripted to the highest quality in scripted programming. We spoke with Barnabás about his career path, his passion for his role, and marketing for the Olympics. Let’s dive in!

Please tell us about your role and how you got there.

I spent 10 years in the telecommunications industry with leading companies like Vodafone and Telenor, gaining valuable experience across various roles in the B2B and B2C segments, including sales, technology, and marketing. After a decade, I sought a new challenge, which led me to the streaming industry—a passion of mine since childhood. Now, in my seventh year, I am focused on CRM communications for Max® Streaming.

Driven by curiosity, I strive to learn everything I can. My dream is to become a leader who connects the dots quickly, empowers others, and leverages my broad knowledge to break down unnecessary silos. Optimistic, right?

What is your favorite part of your job?

Since childhood, I’ve been captivated by Hollywood and the film and TV industry. I devoured magazines about actors and filmmaking, dreaming of one day landing a role. I eagerly followed movie premieres and new seasons of shows, discussing them with friends. After watching a film, I would dive into behind-the-scenes insights. It’s amusing how fate has led me to work for one of the biggest streaming companies, where I now help deliver information to Max® streaming subscribers from a customer’s perspective.

In my role as Global CRM Innovation Lead, there isn't just one favorite aspect; it's the combination of elements that makes my job fulfilling and fuels my childhood dream and curiosity. My team and I are entrusted with solving problems and then turning them into opportunities. For instance, in the EMEA region, we create and deliver CRM communications in 19 languages. Every day, we innovate to simplify CRM operations without compromising our subscribers' excellent experience, all while partnering with the Braze team.

Transforming the industry and developing CRM requires collaboration, and I’m fortunate to work with top talent from around the globe, many of whom I can proudly call friends.

What has your experience been like working with Braze and the Braze community?

I first encountered Braze three years ago during a big transition when we launched the HBO Max streaming service for European markets. Prior to that, I had worked with other well-known international systems, but from the moment I was introduced to Braze, I was fascinated by its user-friendly UX and the diverse options for setting up CRM campaigns.

Over these three years, the Braze team has always been welcoming, our collaboration reaching the highest level. I believe we have positively influenced each other's strategies in many instances, and I am sure we will continue to collaborate. The Braze team genuinely cares for their customers and works diligently to foster a high-quality community.

Last year, I was honored to be one of the presenters at the Bonfire event in Japan, which resonated deeply with my personal values. I’ve never seen another company work this hard to create and maintain a non-stop community center, where professionals can ask and share practices.

Tell us about a time you used Braze to do something creative.

I think this year was so far the busiest year for me ever. Beyond launching Max® Streaming in 24 markets, I have had the chance to work on the 2024 Paris Olympic Games communications for our European market. Within an extremely short period of prep time we managed to create an amazing plan with the CRM Retention Strategy and Creative teams.

To make sure we cover the Olympic Games in the best way possible, we launched newly-developed automations for pre- and in-game communications about sport events, including starting times, actual scores, and final games. In some of the automations, we even used AI video editing, partnering with a third party to easily create content we could leverage in multiple places. We also created postgame summary communications about medal events and highlights of the day to be on top of every moment of Olympics.

Interested in collaborating to build the future of customer engagement? Join a collective of experts to forge connections, share ideas, and accelerate your career at the Braze Bonfire Community.