Marketing Unplugged

Tyler Lessard is the VP of Marketing at Vidyard, a leading provider of video marketing and video selling solutions for businesses. He is a storyteller that is dedicated to providing exceptional customer experiences. Prior to Vidyard, he led the Global Alliances and Business Development department at Blackberry. Tyler shares how he sees video marketing evolving over the upcoming years, how marketers can leverage and think about B2B storytelling in a much better way, and what personalized content really looks like from a bird's eye view.

Key Takeaways:

[2:00] Marketo named Tyler as one of the 50 Fearless Marketers in 2019. What does it mean to be a Fearless Marketer?

[3:30] Marketing has become a victim of its own success. We are bombarded with so many messages!

[6:00] Instead of focusing on the B2B, focus on the human-to-human interaction.

[7:25] Our content has to be hyper-empathic to our audience.

[14:50] Where does Tyler see video marketing going in the next five years?

[19:45] How can marketers get the personalization aspect right?

[24:10] When marketers think of 'B2B Storytelling,' they automatically go into customer stories but marketers can dive deeper into that.

[30:15] Tyler spent 10 years at BlackBerry; what lessons did Tyler learn about the longevity of a product and the quick changes in consumer demands?

[33:25] Vidyard makes employee experience a priority to help retain their top talent across the country.

[37:00] Employees today are looking to be part of the organization as well as be empowered to make changes and grow. They can't do that if they don't have the same information as the executive team.

[41:45] As a parent, how does Tyler teach an open mindset, continuous learning, and embracing tough challenges to his children?

[45:40] What's the most Canadian thing about Tyler?

[48:15] Tyler's legacy

Mentioned in This Episode:

Vidyard.com

Tyler on LinkedIn

Marketo's Fearless 50

Jon Miller is the CEO and co-founder of Engagio, a B2B marketing engagement platform that empowers revenue teams to combine the best of lead and account-based marketing to win new business and drive account growth. Jon has a physics degree from Harvard and an MBA from Stanford and is a B2B thought leader and evangelist speaking at conferences around the globe.. In this episode, Jon shares how he knew it was the right time to leave Marketo, what B2B marketing will look like in 2025, and why his mom is one of his greatest role models.

Key Takeaways:

[2:00] Why does Jon do what he does?

[7:55] Jon became an entrepreneur by accident. He started his company when his wife was pregnant and he still had a mortgage.

[11:35] How did Jon know it was the right time to start Engagio?

[16:30] Jon loves to teach and comes from a long line of teachers. He enjoys being able to simplify complex subjects for his audiences.

[18:35] Marketing is evolving, and account-based marketing is no different. The value of account-based marketing is becoming real as more marketers understand the value.

[21:20] The key to being successful in account-based marketing.

[24:00] What are some of the best ways the CMO and VP of sales can work together and become aligned?

[27:20] Jon shares his thoughts on where marketing is headed in the next five years and beyond.

[32:55] How will marketing be affected by the ups and downs of our economy?

[36:55] It is known that Jon is an incredibly collaborative leader, but what does that look like on the ground?

[41:30] WhyJon's mom is his biggest role model.

[45:00] What are s the key differences between Harvard and Stanford?

[47:05] What kind of legacy does Jon wish to leave behind?

Mentioned in This Episode:

Jonmiller.com

Jon on LinkedIn

Engagio.com

Marketo.com

The One to One Future, by Don Peppers and Martha Rogers

Nancy Harhut is the Co-Founder of HBT Marketing and has over a decade of experience as a Creative Director with a focus in Behavioral Science. She has worked at the executive-level for companies such as Hill Holliday and Mullen and is an award-winning keynote speaker taking the stage across the globe.

Key Takeaways:

[2:10] Nancy was first inspired by Robert Cialdini's book Influence and his work sparked a long journey down behavioral science and its application into marketing.

[5:30] Even with the use of behavioral science, it still isn't a magic bullet. We can't make people do what they don't want to do.

[7:15] How does Nancy's approach differ from other marketing agencies?

[10:50] How does behavioral science help with the discovery process of an ideal customer persona or avatar?

[19:20] As a keynote speaker, the key is to never stop learning. Nancy is always consuming various sources of information so she can deliver better messages on stage.

[24:50] Are marketers today bold enough? It depends. Some come in really swinging at full force whereas others take it slow — almost too slow — because they have a lot at stake.

[26:15] There is a duplication of a lot of best practices, but not enough duplication of next practices.

[26:50] What has been the most successful campaign Nancy has created in her career?

[31:45] Why do the basics of journalism and behavioral science need to bleed into marketing?

[37:15] Nancy shares her thoughts on the decline of the newspaper industry.

[44:05] Do persuasive words ever really change or go out of fashion?

[47:25] How does Nancy apply behavioral science to her personal life?

[52:45] Marketing helps people find solutions to problems.

[55:15] Nancy's legacy

Mentioned in This Episode:

Hbtmktg.com

Nancy on Twitter

Nancy on LinkedIn

"Influence: 6 Principles of Persuasion," by Robert Cialdini

Never Split the Difference: Negotiating As If Your Life Depended On It, by Christopher Voss and Tahl Raz

Mullenlowe.com

HHCC.com

Adamgrant.net

Danariely.com

Brian Kardon has worked in a variety of CMO roles throughout his career, most notably being Fuze, Eloqua, and Forrester. Brian has recently taken on a new CMO role at InVision and shares what the first 90days looks like for him when he starts a new role. Brian also breaks down some of the new challenges he's facing in his line of work and how finding talented people has never been easier!

Key Takeaways:

[1:35] What attracted Brian to InVision?

[4:30] Brian discusses the work culture at InVision. InVision has 900 employees worldwide and zero offices and getting used to this was a challenge for Brian.

[5:55] The first 90 days in any new role you're in, requires building trust.

[6:30] Why we should listen to details and take notice of what other people find important.

[10:40] With a remote team, what are some of the best ways to manage time zone differences?

[16:25] How do you stay engaged with your people even after you've settled into your new job role?

[19:25] You want to actively work together with your leadership team. Go to your CFO before they come to you to make sure your budget and finances are aligned.

[21:50] The key person you need to hire is a 'demand gen' person.

[23:50] InVision has raised 360 million dollars for their company; are there any downsides that come along with big investment money?

[26:45] What's the secret behind the freemium model?

[29:25] Where is the future of marketing going? There's so much information coming at marketers that we can't process. Here's where AI comes in.

[35:15] A good brand promise can really help sustain you when a better product comes along in the market. It gives you time to make the improvements you need to tackle the competition.

[43:05] Brian is a big reader, but he doesn't read too many business books. He uses articles or talks to fellow thought leaders to get a handle on what's developing in the marketplace.

[51:55] Why did Brian get certified in wine?

[54:00] What's next for Brian?

Mentioned in This Episode:

Invisionapp.com

Oracle.com

Beneath a Scarlet Sky: A Novel, by Mark Sullivan

We Were the Lucky Ones: A Novel, by Georgia Hunter

The Paris Architect: A Novel, by Charles Belfoure

A Little Life: A Novel, by Hanya Yanagihara

Jay Baer is a Keynote Speaker, Consultant, and the Founder of Convince & Convert. Jay has advised companies like Nike, The United Nations, Caterpillar, and 36 companies out of the Fortune 500. Jay is also the host of three podcasts: Standing Ovation, Social Pros, and Talk Triggers. In today's episode, Jay discusses how he is able to find patterns in the market, how B2B organizations can excel in their customer experience, and why most marketers don't really know who their buyers are.

Key Takeaways:

[2:35] Why did Jay decide to get a political science degree?

[6:50] Jay has a unique way of dressing, writing, and seeing the world. How did Jay discover his uniqueness?

[11:05] How does Jay know when it's time to write a book or article about a certain topic?

[14:25] Jay likes to rely on mentors and teachers to help guide him/refine him on a topic that will resonate with audiences.

[17:35] Jay grew up with teachers in his household. His mom was an English teacher and Jay shares how that helped him in his current career.

[24:45] What type of business challenges is Jay running into right now?

[27:25] What are two-to-three things B2B organizations need to get right when it comes to the customer experience?

[31:55] Marketing doesn't actually know their customers as well as they think they do. They don't actually interact with their customers.

[38:25] How should we use chatbots or voice to engage our customers?

[42:45] Jay wishes the phone didn't exist. 90% of calls he gets are spam.

[44:20] Where does Jay see content marketing going in the future?

[49:40] Was Jay a confident teenager?

[54:30] Jay was always around entrepreneurship, but no one really gave him the 'entrepreneurship talk.' It was just sort of assumed he'd become one.

Mentioned in This Episode:

Jaybaer.com

Convinceandconvert.com

Dressjaybaer.com

Heroicpublicspeaking.com

Kristinapaider.com

Timgard.com

Nicebike.com

Randy is the Co-Founder, CMO, & President of Uberflip, a content experience platform. Randy is the author of the best-selling book on Amazon, F#*k Content Marketing, and the host of The Marketer's Journey podcast. Randy has spearheaded content experience movement to help marketers think beyond content creation. Curious what it means to look beyond content marketing? Or how marketers can seamlessly blend content creation with the demand gen team? Randy answers these questions and more on this week's episode.

Key Takeaways:

[1:55] What is the difference between B2B and B2C content marketing?

[5:50] How to successfully blend a journalistic content approach with the role of a demand gen person. And how this relationship will change over the next ten years.

[13:35] Randy defines what content distribution really means to marketers.

[16:00] Why starting an event essential for starting a movement.

[22:50] Randy reflects back on his career before starting UberFlip and shares some of the important lessons he's learned.

[25:25] The challenges Randy has faced since starting a business.

[30:00] What makes a marketer a good entrepreneur?

[33:55] What does Randy look for in a marketer?

[36:45] Randy shares some of the differences he's seen when it comes to working with U.S. vs. Canadian companies.

[38:20] The venture capital world, in many ways, ruins our expectations of consumers. Randy explains what he means.

[41:45] Randy touches on the strategic hires him and his team have made, and how it helps maintain their success and growth.

[44:30] Why Randy hates anonymous feedback.

[46:25] What culture is not.

[51:05] What's next for Randy?

Mentioned in This Episode:

Uberflip.com

B-rand.com

Go.forrester.com

G2.com

The Marketer's Journey podcast

Matt is a veteran technology marketing leader with more than 25 years of experience in brand, digital marketing, demand generation and revenue management, customer experience and corporate communications. Matt is the CMO of Forcepoint a cybersecurity technology organization, where he leads the company's global marketing organization that includes brand management, corporate communications, events marketing, digital and web marketing, revenue and field marketing, and sales enablement. Matt has been named among the top 20 most influential CMOs by Forbes. In this episode, Matt shares some of his proudest career achievements, where he experiences his a-ha moments, and how to create a culture that pushes the status quo.

Key Takeaways:

[2:00] Matt shares why he is so fond of his hometown of Linz, Austria.

[3:05] What attracted Matt to marketing

[6:00] Matt discusses how great marketers are conceptual on one hand and quantitative on the other.

[10:40] How Matt continues to advance his skills at the executive level

[13:50] Matt sees meetings as a place to have conversations and ask deep and meaningful questions.

[16:25] What is Matt proud of?

[20:30] Matt doesn't believe in sponsorship for sponsorship's sake. You need to be intentional with your brand connections by building use cases with them.

[24:10] We have the opportunity to leverage more tools, more people, and more expertise.

[25:10] How to get the attention of someone and hold it.

[26:55] Where Matt goes to experience his a-ha moments.

[32:30]Marketing is not open-heart surgery. If you make a mistake that's OK.

[33:30] Why our biggest drivers of growth come from failure.

[34:20] There are five roles that the CMO must take on; which one of the five is the most important to Matt?

[39:40] How Matt finds a work-life balance.

[45:10] Why embracing technology is key to becoming a world-class marketer.

[47:15] The strategic skill gap that many marketing leaders face today.

[51:45] The key differentiating factors between B2B and B2C marketing.

[54:00] What's next for Matt?

Mentioned in This Episode:

Forcepoint.com

Matt on LinkedIn

Originals: How Non-Conformists Move the World, by Adam Grant

"The 5 Roles of the CMO," by Jennifer Veenstra on Deloitte

Margaret Molloy is the Global CMO at Siegel+Gale, a renowned branding firm based in NYC. She was named the 2017 B2B Marketer of the year, one of the top 10 most influential women in MarTech, a top 50 power woman of Irish America, a top 40 digital influencer, a top 10 CMOs on Twitter by Forbes, the list goes on. Margaret is also the creator of Wearing Irish, a passion project where she features Irish fashion designers on a worldwide stage. Margaret was born and raised in Ireland and channels her early life experiences in her work today. She is an extremely hard worker and puts an emphasis on bringing connection and an exceptional customer experience to Siegel+Gale. Find out more about Margaret and her marketing journey on this week's episode!

Key Takeaways:

[2:00] Why Margaret in love with the song "Take a Chance on Me" by Abba.

[3:45] How Margaret achieves a work/life balance.

[7:50] Margaret shares how her native Irish upbringing has emphasized her values.

[10:35] Margaret shares why she takes Maya Angelou's quote, "People remember how you make them feel" to heart.

[13:00] Margaret looks into the cosmetic industry and shares three examples of how they make their audience feel.

[18:25] When the market is saturated, brands have to use customer experience as a way to differentiate themselves.

[18:45] Margaret discusses why the customer experience is important now more than ever.

[22:45] Some challenges marketers are facing right now.

[26:05] How to analyze the customer journey.

[28:35] Margaret shares Siegel+Gale's ethos and what it means to them.

[31:45] Why brands must simplify or they risk being disrupted.

[35:00] What is the role of a brand today?

[41:35] Does Margaret have to do a lot of education around her definition of what a brand should be?

[45:45] Margaret shares a little bit about what she's up to outside of Siegel+Gale, and her passion project, Wearing Irish.

Mentioned in This Episode:

Siegelgale.com

Wearingirish.com

Zarina Stanford is the CMO of Syniti. She has managed aspects of marketing at some of the world's largest, most well-known brands (SAP, IBM) around the globe. She is a recognized change agent who spearheads business and transformational initiatives through imagining the possible. Zarina strikes a great balance between the strategy and execution required to drive high-performance marketing in B2B. She received the distinction of "Woman of the Decade in Technology and Innovation" at the Women Economic Forum in 2018.

Key Takeaways:

• [2:30] Why did Zarina make the leap to become a C-level executive?
• [5:10] Always ask the question 'Why' when developing content.
• [6:50] How did Zarina's career in sales prepare her for her marketing career?
• [8:50] What's the one thing, professionally, that Zarina wished she had more time for?
• [11:00] Aside from Magical, what other words would Zarina use to describe the 'M' in Content Marketing.
• [13:30] What are the steps you need to take to create an amazing story?
• [18:40] In today's world, CMOs can't just be thinking about marketing. They need to expand their horizons.
• [21:25] Zarina explains the value of creativity in marketing.
• [24:40] Zarina shares why she made the switch and joined Syniti.
• [39:20] You cannot drive demand without having a strong brand, a strong awareness, and a strong reputation.
• [31:30] North American marketers seem to struggle in Europe and Asia; why is that?
• [35:30] What are some of the marketing practices that are very effective in Asia that marketers in North America aren't using?
• [41:55] How did Zarina become an advocate for more women in STEM positions?
• [44:55] How does Zarina unplug from work?
• [46:15] What's next for Zarina?

Mentioned in This Episode:

• Syniti.com
• Zarina's Keynote Talk at Asia's Content Marketing Summit
• Ikebana

If you're a marketer, I'm sure you've heard of our guest today, Ann Handley. Ann is the Chief Content Officer at Marketing Profs. She is a digital marketing pioneer, best selling author, speaker, influencer, and novice tap dancer. She inspires, engages, and educates marketers every day. As a go-to marketing maven for everyone on our Demand Spring team (not to mention the teams of our clients), we are so excited to sit down with Ann and talk about how she found her way into marketing and what keeps her interested and motivated as one of the top content marketers in the world. Stay tuned for conversations about pharmaceutical advice, how she got to where she is today, and all things content marketing.

Key Takeaways:

[1:25] Ann shares what it was like having a career as a tap dancer.

[3:20] Tap dancing really helped Ann get herself out there and be seen.

[4:15] When Ann was a young child, she decided to create a neighborhood newsletter and that was her first introduction to writing.

[9:15] How did Ann make that transition from being a very shy, introverted person to someone who now speaks on stage?

[12:00] What types of mentors has Ann had over the years?

[18:05] What inspired Ann to start her own company?

[24:20] What does Ann consider to be 'good' writing?

[25:40] Ann offers advice on how to track your content metrics.

[28:25] Ann loves to write. That is by far the favorite part of her career.

[29:30] Which B2B brands practice what Ann teaches?

[30:50] Where does the humor come from in Ann's writing?

[32:55] B2B marketing used to be so dry and dull. How has the industry changed over the years?

[40:05] Why is empathy essential in marketing?

[38:45] Think about your strategy first before you work on your content.

[39:50] What advice does Ann have for young marketers?

[41:15] Where does Ann see B2B marketing headed?

[43:55] Social media hasn't killed writing, but it has changed it.

[44:45] What's next for Ann?

Mentioned in This Episode:

Annhandley.com

Marketingprofs.com

Beryl Markham

Kaushik.net

Christopherspenn.com

Uberflip.com

Vidyard.com