In this Enterprise World’s special edition, we commend and showcase some of the enterprising women of the year 2022.
In this search, we crossed paths with Lisa S. Jones. Lisa has not only established herself as a successful entrepreneur but also a remarkable and inspiring leader. Her company EyeMail Inc. with its unique focus and innovative service offerings is highly commendable and sought-after in the market.
Now, without further wait, let’s get on with our conversation with Lisa S. Jones, Founder, and Chief EyeMail Officer (CEO) of EyeMail Inc. Let’s get to know more about the EyeMail Inc, her professional journey, and her valuable insights!
1. Brief us about the EyeMail Inc, what inspired you to start the EyeMail Inc?
EyeMail Inc. was founded in 2004, headquartered in Atlanta, GA. Our core focus is the continual advancement of email communications and how to inspire action in the email inbox, mobile, and beyond.
We at EyeMail Inc, believe your messages deserve to be Seen, Heard, and Felt.
Studies have identified on average we receive approx. 120 emails a day, yet 73% remain unread. The question becomes for all of us and our brands, how will our email communications be different for our intended audience in the inbox and mobile?
Video provides a way to show emotion, tone and to personalize a communication experience to increase engagement.
EyeMail Inc as a patent-pending marketing communications technology enables full video (up to 60 seconds) to play automatically inside the email & mobile, to increase customer engagement. EyeMail Inc breaks through the inbox clutter, as a competitive differentiator. The technology instantly plays high-quality video inside the email to increase open rates and keeps the action buttons next to the video to increase click-through rates.
We have an iconic formula that helps brands to extend their video storytelling to the email inbox to capture attention, engage audiences and inspire action to increase open and click-thru rates and build a stronger bond to brand offerings.
Clients include: PepsiCo, Delta Air Lines, Porsche North America, Microsoft, Harvard Business School, WarnerMedia, The Coca-Cola Company, Make-a-Wish Organization, and a host of Enterprise, non-profit and mid-tier brands.
I was inspired to start EyeMail Inc out of a desire to live my life to its fullest potential, to embrace the discovery and journey of entrepreneurship, and to honor the memory of my Mom. I have learned that sometimes in life, situations will help you to see or redefine your direction or path forward.
As a corporate executive for several years, I thought my career path was set, but I made a pivot. One summer morning at 8:24 am, I received a phone call that changed my life. My Sister called to advise me that our Mother has passed away, at home, alone at the age of 61. I remember the profound effect that one communication had on my life.
I decided to start a company that would be inspiring, global, and deliver value and my commitment to honoring my Mothers name became and remains the driver, purpose, and motivation for me starting and continuing to grow the EyeMail Inc brand.
I thought about how 1 communication has changed my life, so I said maybe I will start a communications business. When we think about communications, we think about verbal, not verbal, in writing and then I thought about Email. In one click, a message can be delivered anywhere in the world and with no inventory. I said well maybe I will start an Email business.
I began my research by signing up for 150 Enterprise and various brands’ email marketing newsletters and marketing communications. I was fascinated to find out that they all had something in common. Either the email communication was a graphic, a hyperlink, or a static image with a play button. I did not feel special, I was not inspired to click or take action.
My motivations kept accelerating with my belief system, I said “what if I could give Email a personality, what if email could be brought to life with automatic play video directly in the email inbox?” And with this shift in purpose and motivation the global brand of EyeMail was born and this was the foundation.
2. What are the products or services the EyeMail Inc focuses on? How are your services different from those in the market?
We partner with forward-thinking progressive brands who are early adopters and market leaders who embrace the need to elevate their customers’ communication experience. These brands understand the importance of immediate and advanced communications and constantly seek new and innovative solutions to engage and reach internal and external audiences quickly.
EyeMail Inc products include:
EyeMail is a patent-pending marketing communications technology, that enables full video (up to 60 seconds) to play automatically inside the email & mobile, to increase customer engagement. Delivers the video in 15K in size with no downloads, thumbnails, five-second animated gifs, or hyperlinks required to play the video in the inbox.
Key focus areas include customer communications, event marketing, and employee engagement initiatives. This is a unique and compelling media that is customer-centric. With EyeMail, video in email campaigns yields an average of 60% unique views and an average of 38% click-through rate compared to industry-standard email rates of 20% and 4% respectively.
Closed Captioning Feature: EyeMail believes in the importance of inclusiveness and accessibility in enabling communication experiences. According to the World Health Organization, over 466 million people worldwide have disabling hearing loss. In consideration of reaching a larger (untapped) audience, EyeMail has added a closed captioning feature to enable viewers to engage and follow along with the words as the video content is playing. Closed captioning is not only the right thing to do to engage a broader audience, it also yields higher returns on investment.
EyeCon delivers an interactive engaging logo experience for your brand’s email signature line to come to life, as part of a brand 360 touchpoint experience. This could be to celebrate a company milestone or to personalize the email communication.
EyeMail Software as a Service platform This offering will enable customers in minutes to create EyeMail experiences in minutes. EyeMail Inc Video in Text platform is anticipated for release Q2, 2022. It’s an exciting season in motion!
Video in Text solution will allow video content to play directly in the text message string with no download required. Anticipated release Q3, 2022.
Future Plans The roadmap for EyeMail also includes expanding to additional countries, more strategic partnerships, and collaborations to continue to innovate and learn from our customers in terms of how we can best continue to support their communication needs. EyeMail Inc are also into additional industry sectors for entertainment, hospitality, and retail.
3. Please tell us about your team?
Honored to work daily with such dynamic thought-leadership on the EyeMail Team. The team makes every day an adventure of discovery and learning. We have a globally diverse team of innovative professionals from the ages of 21-78 years old, who are focused on delivering their best on every project.
We believe in embracing our diverse backgrounds, experiences, and cultures with a strong belief in integrity to best collaborate and deliver global value to our customers. We also take the time to learn from each other at every stage of the journey.
Innovation is a core part of our DNA at EyeMail Inc. As a cohesive team, we collectively brainstorm, categorize and test new ideas in EyeMail Inc roadmap to further advance communication in the inbox, mobile, and text messaging. EyeMail Inc constantly research and monitor industry trends and predictions and we focus on how we can help customers elevate the email effectiveness and inspire action and deliver the best Email engagement experience on the Planet.
I believe it is important as a leader to remember the importance of human connection and to ensure that it exists for open communication at all levels of an organization.
4. Please brief us about your professional experience
My career started at NASA as a Logistics Specialist managing shuttle payloads and inventory levels and validation of mission-critical shuttle initiatives. As a Corporate Executive, I gained in-depth knowledge and expertise in the area of infrastructure management, product management, and Supplier Diversity. Serving in the Office of Supplier Diversity enabled me to develop an in-depth understanding of corporate initiatives to ensure an inclusive supply base, the importance of supplier partnerships, and advancing support for diverse and women-owned business enterprises to facilitate access to equal contract opportunities and introductions. All of my career roles and responsibilities over the years have helped to expand and shape my vision, outreach, focus, understanding, and determination to see EyeMail Inc. continue to grow globally.
Originally from Montgomery, Alabama received my B.S. in Logistics and Procurement and my MBA in Marketing Management from Alabama A&M University, advanced certification from the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth, and currently attending Harvard Business School.
5. What are the key achievements of your business journey?
I am humbled and grateful for all the experiences over the years, including the ups, downs, and curves, lol to celebrate and reach key milestones in the journey. I am inspired to know that I started EyeMail in 2004 and have sustained over the years to pursue my dream and execute my vision for a global product and EyeMail Inc.
Key achievements include:
- Launch of Super Bowl email communications to millions, via EyeMail technology.
- Pre-launch of Microsoft Windows 11, to millions of inboxes via EyeMail technology.
- Delta Air Lines ‘Catalyst of the Year’ award for impact on digital email strategy.
- Stevie Award for ‘Innovator of Year’.
- Microsoft Mentor Protégé Company and to have worked with Senior Architect in the Microsoft Innovation Center on EyeMail’s Roadmap.
- Forbes Magazine featured an article on EyeMail and building a global team with compassionate leadership.
- 1 of 10 businesswomen to admire in 2021
- Honored to have built and worked with such a talented global team.
- *Most importantly, I am proud to have created a successful company, in honor of the memory of my Mother, Gladys D. Jones. This was a core goal that inspired me to keep going and to keep reaching for excellence.
6. Any client experience you would like to highlight?
I would like to highlight one of our most recent customer partners: PepsiCo.
PepsiCo is one of the world’s leading food and beverage companies serving more than 200 countries and territories around the world. Additionally, they have an initiative named, the Stacy’s Rise Project. The program is dedicated to helping women grow their businesses through mentorship, funding, and support. As CEO & Founder, EyeMail in 2020 was selected as 1 of 10 women businesses nationwide to participate in this signature program.
As a result of the advocacy and support of PepsiCo and Stacy’s Rise, providing EyeMail a platform to showcase our technology and offerings, we officially became a Supplier Partner to PepsiCo in 2021! In one of our most recent projects, we helped support the launch of PepsiCo Super Bowl Tasty Rewards email communications, via EyeMail technology.
Thrilled for this partnership is an understatement, as this reminds us all of the importance of taking time to learn more about emerging businesses and the potential value they can deliver globally. I just want to thank PepsiCo for their commitment to excellence and for believing in me, our global team, and the EyeMail brand. It’s a joy and an honor to work with the PepsiCo team.
What is your favorite quote?
My favorite quote is one that I created:
“Greatness can be born from anywhere in the world and Significance is not geographically defined”
Lisa S. Jones
