Welcome back to "B2B Needs Don Draper," the show that puts the martini back in marketing. 

We have a special double-feature episode that dives deep into the world of B2B marketing and the often-neglected power of branding.

Our first guest is David Turner, a seasoned expert in the B2B tech sector with a remarkable track record. David has held senior positions in companies like IRIS Group, Netsuite Oracle, and Unit 4, making him a go-to strategist for businesses ranging from SaaS startups to Private Equity giants. 

With his unique blend of problem-solving skills and brand-building expertise, David is here to shed light on the intersection of private equity and B2B marketing.

Joining David is Richard Parsons, the co-founder of True, a leading creative and media B2B agency that has worked with an impressive roster of clients, including industry giants like Adobe, Cisco, and Oracle. 

With over three decades of experience, Richard brings a wealth of insights into the ever-evolving landscape of B2B marketing.

In this episode, we'll explore:

• How businesses have been pushed down the B2B marketing funnel and the role of commercial objectives in this transformation.
• Why Private Equity companies don't often prioritise branding and how it can make a difference.
• An in-depth look at memorable campaigns, including the London Underground takeover by Iris and the creative campaign CODA.
• The Evolution of Media: How the digital age has changed the way big brand stories are delivered and why some marketers have lost faith in proven strategies.
• Analysing the shift in marketing practices and the importance of incorporating consumer marketing techniques into B2B strategies..
• CMO Roles and Brand Valuation: Discussing the changing landscape of CMO roles and how to value B2B brands in today's market.

Welcome back to B2B Needs Don Draper! In this episode, we dive into the golden age of B2B marketing and why it's an exciting time for businesses in this space. Our two distinguished guests, John Watton, VP of Marketing at VMware, and Richard Parsons, co-founder of True, share their invaluable insights and experiences in the world of B2B marketing.

John Watton, with over 25 years of industry expertise, discusses the dynamic blend of data-driven approaches and brand storytelling, with a special emphasis on sustainability. He explains why there has never been a better time to be a B2B marketer and how the landscape is evolving.

Richard Parsons, a veteran with over 30 years of advertising and marketing experience, provides a wealth of knowledge from his work with leading creative and media B2B agencies. He shares his experiences working with top-tier brands like Adobe, Cisco, and Oracle.

We discuss:

• Why there's never been a better time to be a B2B marketer.
• The connection between brand and lead generation in B2B marketing.
• How channels like Programmatic TV have enriched brand storytelling in the B2B space.
• Strategies for scaling a brand while maintaining a human touch in B2B.
• The changing landscape of B2B events and the role of events like "Explore Barcelona" in the marketing mix.
• The shift from CMOs being 'revenue marketers' to coming from a brand and creative background, along with its impacts.

Jose Pepe Gorbea is an inspirational leader guiding HP's pursuit of revolutionizing digital packaging technology across the globe.

Jose is head of Brands, Agencies, and Sustainability Innovation at HP and manages an international team focused on educating and inspiring brands with a human-centric communication framework. 

His team's work revolves around personalization and sustainability storytelling, driving meaningful marketing innovations that lead to increased penetration and growth in ROI.

With a career spanning over two decades, Jose has harnessed his vast experience to successfully navigate both B2B and B2C sectors. 

His primary focus is centered on empowering marketers to co-create distinctive brand assets, fostering strategic global partnerships on sustainability and creativity, and accelerating HP's digital print technology adoption worldwide through personalized, sustainable innovation.

His work has placed HP at the forefront of making other companies better, guided by the triple bottom line of people, planet, and profit.

We discuss:

1. Embracing the power of simplicity and significance in achieving business goals.
2. How to not just be creative, but be able to sell and market your ideas and solutions effectively.
3. How to find purpose and meaning in your marketing career.
4. How to take a proactive approach to problem-solving and making positive changes in the world.
5. Prioritizing human-to-human connections in marketing strategies.

Carolyn Henry is VP, CMO of Americas Regional Marketing at Intel and is the driving force behind their captivating marketing activations. Leading a team of over 70 marketers, she oversees strategies for consumer, commercial, gaming, and enterprise segments.

With over 20 years of experience, Carolyn has mastered the art of simplifying complexity, delivering results, and leading high-performing teams. Her passion for shaping the future of technology aligns perfectly with Intel's mission to create a better world through advancements in AI, analytics, and cloud-to-edge technology.

We discuss:

1. The balance between creativity and delivering a clear, compelling message
2. How to develop creative strategies that resonate with different personas
3. How Intel tracks and evaluates the impact of creative elements
4. Creating a culture of innovation and creativity within marketing teams

Kerstin Koder is Head of Marketing EMEA at SAP. SAP was named the most valuable brand in Germany by BrandZ™ and is also recognised as the most valuable brand in Europe.

Kerstin has more than 20 years of experience as a B2C & B2B marketer and leader in the IT, telco, media and retail space.

She is responsible for 120 countries and is currently supporting the transformation in SAP’s own Marketing as well as leading the development of the SAP brand, supporting SAP’s on-premise and cloud revenue in key industries.

We discuss:

1. The role of marketing at SAP and what the brand means to B2B customers
2. The channels SAP are using to talk to the CEO/CFOs of the world
3. Balancing the priorities of maintaining a strong brand vs lead generation
4. Brand loyalty versus increasing market penetration

Mentioned in this episode:

B2B Needs Don Draper Live - 30th May 2023

Click here to register for our first ever live event: https://www.trueagency.com/truth-sessions/b2b-needs-don-draper-live

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B2BNDD live

Gerard Vicente is VP of marketing at JP Morgan. He works specifically with wepay.com - JPMorgan’s small business, financial tech and payments division - and is currently responsible for partner, product and brand marketing. 

Prior to this role, he was “Funny Manager” at Comedy Central.

We discuss:

1. What being a comedian taught him about brand building and creativity 
2. The dilemma of creating a “branded house” or a “house of brands”
3. Overcoming the challenge of partner acquisition 
4. The right channels to get brand messaging to the right people

Justin Garrett is the Global Head of Brand and Digital Marketing at Broadridge, a global fintech leader with $5 billion in revenues, handling millions of daily trades.

Before leading this operation, Justin held roles at Accenture, JP Morgan Chase and Citi. 

We discuss:

1. How to get great B2B stories
2. Bringing Broadridge’s brand message to life
3. Communicating the depth of brand offerings

Jennifer Garcia spent five years as the head of integrated marketing at Instagram. Before this, she held senior roles at Google and Nokia.

She has fifteen years of experience in both B2B and B2C marketing. During this time, Jennifer has collated knowledge in integrated marketing, brand marketing, product marketing, corporate communications and go-to-market strategy. 

We discuss:

1. How working at Instagram and Google has shaped her as a leader
2. Convincing senior leaders of the power of brand
3. How to find forward thinking marketers that understand brand
4. Types of media needed for brand building versus sales activation

Brian Rowley is the VP of Marketing at Panasonic Connect. He leads all functions of the brand marketing team, including: brand strategy, creative, go-to-market execution, PR, and brand voice. 

As a natural storyteller, Brian also uses creative campaigns to grow brand awareness. This has allowed him to deliver revenue and profitability for five business units valued at $1B in annual revenue.

We discuss:

1. Influencing the minds of future buyers
2. Balancing competing priorities of brand and demand
3. How B2B marketers can harness emotional messaging
4. The power of distinctive assets

Mark Choueke is author of the new book ‘Boring to Brave’. 

Mark has spent over 20 years at the heart of B2B marketing. Over that time, he’s helped grow more than 50 B2B technology companies across the world and was formerly the editor of Marketing Week Magazine.

Mark has also been a speaker at many B2B events, such as “Think with Google”, and “Viva Technology”.

We discuss:

1. How bravery benefits B2B brands
2. How to produce marketing that drives long term growth
3. Utilising emotional storytelling to connect with B2B audiences
4. How taking risks in B2B can differentiate you from competitors