What happens when a marketing leader decides to halt 90% of content output? For Ben Taylor, Director of Revenue Marketing and Customer Journeys at Cisco, it wasn’t a gamble—it was a strategy.

In this refreshingly candid episode, Ben makes the case that content marketing is (and should be) dead and explains how empathy mapping, design thinking, and intentional "awkward silence" amongst his marketing & CX teams have become his new north star.

We dive into how Ben transformed Cisco’s approach to customer experience by prioritizing deep understanding over high-volume output — and saw 5x pipeline growth as a result. From redefining how marketing supports sales to slowing down in order to speed up, this episode challenges everything you thought you knew about B2B engagement. If you’re tired of creating content for content’s sake, this one’s your permission slip to stop, rethink, and rebuild.

Key Moments:

00:00 How Cisco's Ben Taylor Is Redefining Customer Experience

03:17 Why Marketing Is Core to the Entire Customer Journey

07:23 Content Marketing Is Dead: Here’s What Works Instead

13:25 How Design Thinking Transformed Cisco’s Marketing

29:36 Can AI Be Empathetic? The Real Challenge in CX Automation

36:23 Using Empathy Mapping to Build Better B2B Campaigns

38:19 Agile Marketing: Faster Cycles, Smarter Strategy

45:34 Hiring for Fit: Why Empathy Matters More Than Pedigree

52:15 The Emotional Core of Customer Experience Strategy

01:01:56 Breaking Silos: Aligning Marketing, Sales & Success

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