Unicorny

In this episode of The Unicorny Marketing Show, we pull back the curtain on a crucial, yet often overlooked, role in marketing: product marketing. Host Dom Hawes sits down with Leonard Burger to explore how product marketers act as the glue that binds sales, engineering, customer success, and strategy.

With product marketing well-established in the US but still emerging in the UK, this conversation digs into the core responsibilities that product marketers handle every day—simplifying complex products, aligning internal teams, and ensuring the customer’s voice drives business decisions.

Key points:

• Product marketing as the essential glue between departments.
• The phases of product marketing, from internal conversations to messaging and deployment.
• Product marketers’ role in bridging gaps between teams, including sales, engineering, and customer success.
• How side hustles can contribute to the core roles in marketing.

If you're curious about the wider role of product marketing, this episode will shed light on how it influences various parts of a business.

Leo is a product marketing specialist by day and fintech geek by night. Currently active in fintech marketing, his professional experience spans across multiple industries and countries. Besides marketing he also has a passion for startups, innovation and venture capital.

Full show notes: Unicorny.co.uk 

LinkedIn: Leonard Burger | Dom Hawes 

Website: Leonard Burger bio

Sponsor: Selbey Anderson 

Other items referenced in this episode:

Product Marketing Misunderstood by Richard King and Bryony Pearce

The Customer-Funded Business by John Mullins

The Role of Product Marketing in Business

Dom Hawes introduces the episode, focusing on product marketing's role as a key connector between different business functions. Leonard Burger, the guest, is introduced.

Leonard's Journey into Product Marketing

Leonard shares his career journey, from starting as a pricing analyst to becoming a product marketer, and explains the unique responsibilities that come with this role.

Key Qualities of a Product Marketer

Leonard discusses the essential traits for product marketers, including curiosity and the ability to understand technical details while connecting them to broader business goals.

Defining product marketing and its core responsibilities

Leonard explains how product marketing evolved from the tech sector, especially in Silicon Valley, and its role in connecting technical and strategic elements within a company.

Product marketing misunderstood

Leonard talks about the misconceptions surrounding product marketing in Europe and discusses how positioning and messaging are the core responsibilities of the role.

The four-phase plan for product marketing

Dom summarises Leonard's process for successful product marketing: understanding the product, crafting a message, identifying the audience, and developing product demos.

Product marketers as the bridge between departments

Leonard explains how product marketing builds bridges between departments like engineering, sales, and customer success, helping everyone work cohesively toward product success.

The challenges of aligning product marketing with other functions

Leonard discusses the challenges product marketers face in aligning with other teams and the time it takes to show the long-term value of product marketing.

The importance of face-to-face collaboration

Leonard stresses the importance of maintaining regular, informal communication within the office to keep marketing aligned with other departments, especially in a hybrid work environment.

Internal marketing of products

Leonard highlights the often-overlooked role of marketing products internally, ensuring that everyone in the organisation understands the product's value and story.

Wrapping up: Product marketing as strategic marketing

Dom highlights that product marketing now covers many traditional marketing roles, focusing on cross-department connections and consistent messaging both internally and externally.

In this continuation of Dom Hawes' conversation with Simon Carter, the focus shifts to the challenges facing marketing leadership and the role of trade bodies.

They discuss how marketing organisations often fall short in supporting senior marketers, which affects the profession’s growth. Simon highlights the importance of earning respect within organisations and the difficulties posed by hybrid working on building professional relationships and advancing careers.

Key topics:

• The lack of support for senior marketers from trade bodies

• The challenge of earning respect and demonstrating marketing’s value

• The impact of hybrid work on networking and career progression

This episode explores how marketers can enhance their influence and become more valued in their companies.

A commercially articulate senior leader, with a track record of helping businesses grow significantly in the digital world. With roles in both the permanent and interim market, leading organisations through significant change and transformation across a wide range of sectors – from Automotive to Retail, Financial Services to Utilities, Telco to Technology, Travel and Leisure to Education, and into the Third Sector – in both consumer and business-to-business roles, operating on both the client and agency side, in permanent and independent positions. A Liveryman with the Worshipful Company of Marketors, former weekly columnist for a Marketing magazine, Pro-Vice Chancellor for Coventry University, and a director of a 200-property Freehold company.

Full show notes: Unicorny.co.uk 

LinkedIn: Simon Carter | Dom Hawes 

Sponsor: Selbey Anderson 

Other items referenced in this episode:

CIM

DMA

IPA

Mark Ritson’s Mini MBA

80. The Unicorny Marketing Manifesto: What marketing is

Introduction and recap of part 1

Dom briefly recaps part one, touching on the divide between short-term and customer-centric organisations. He sets the stage for part two, focusing on leadership and marketing representation.

Leadership and trade bodies

Dom and Simon discuss the shortcomings of trade bodies like the CIM and DMA, which focus more on junior members and revenue rather than supporting senior marketers.

The isolation of leadership

Simon shares how networking and hard work helped him advance, despite the lack of formal support from trade bodies.

Hybrid working and the networking gap

Simon expresses concern about how hybrid work affects younger professionals’ ability to build important career connections that were easier in traditional work settings.

Simon’s definition of marketing

Simon defines marketing as understanding customers and aligning with company goals. He and Dom discuss how marketing can drive growth by offering customer-centric solutions.

Improving internal communication

Simon stresses the importance of marketing teams being recognised within their organisations and suggests that proactive communication can highlight marketing’s value to leadership.

What marketers should stop and start doing

Simon advises marketers to stop apologising for their role and be more confident in promoting their contributions. He encourages them to represent the customer’s voice more boldly.

Final reflections and key takeaways

Dom summarises the episode, emphasising the importance of internal communication and the need for marketing to demonstrate its value. He encourages listeners to apply these ideas to their own work.

In this episode of The Unicorny Marketing Show, Dom chats with Simon Carter, a marketing expert with a diverse background in industries such as financial services, utilities, and B2B.

The conversation focuses on why marketing is often undervalued in organisations, touching on leadership, company culture, and the ongoing struggle for marketers to have a seat at the strategic table. Simon shares candid insights on how marketers can reposition themselves as vital to business success, offering lessons from his own career, from NatWest to Thomas Cook.

Key topics:

• The concept of marketing as a company's centre of gravity

• The long-term vs short-term marketing debate and its impact on brand building

• How marketers can elevate their role by owning the voice of the customer

The conversation is essential for any senior marketer navigating the challenge of positioning marketing as a strategic business driver.

A commercially articulate senior leader, with a track record of helping businesses grow significantly in the digital world. With roles in both the permanent and interim market, leading organisations through significant change and transformation across a wide range of sectors – from Automotive to Retail, Financial Services to Utilities, Telco to Technology, Travel and Leisure to Education, and into the Third Sector – in both consumer and business-to-business roles, operating on both the client and agency side, in permanent and independent positions. A Liveryman with the Worshipful Company of Marketors, former weekly columnist for a Marketing magazine, Pro-Vice Chancellor for Coventry University, and a director of a 200-property Freehold company.

Full show notes: Unicorny.co.uk 

LinkedIn: Simon Carter | Dom Hawes 

Sponsor: Selbey Anderson 

Other items referenced in this episode:

81.The Unicorny Manifesto: Why 'phony wars' kill credibility

58. Battle of Beliefs: Does professional certification kill marketers instinct? With Paul Worthington

The 95:5 rule by John Dawes 

Marketing Trek: CSATs & NPS Are Garbage

In Part 2 of our conversation with Clare Jones, CMO of System C, we explore the challenges of rebranding, maintaining brand integrity, and the strategic art of prioritising customers.

Clare shares her experience of unifying multiple brands into one cohesive identity while staying true to core values. She also introduces her "rule of thirds" for campaign planning—emphasising the importance of balancing groundwork, execution, and follow-up for maximum impact. What is covered:

• How to manage a complex rebranding process while preserving brand equity.
• The significance of aligning internal values with external brand perception.
• Strategic customer prioritisation through stack ranking.
• Using “time to value” as a KPI to build stronger customer relationships.

Listen for practical insights on rebranding, customer prioritisation, and effective campaign strategies in this second part of our conversation with Clare Jones.

Clare has a long history in B2B marketing, developing strategies to build brands and drive growth for software businesses.

Clare thrives on delivering results-driven integrated demand generation programmes with clear goals and outcomes, which have been recognised with industry awards. Clare has successfully executed on brand strategy which incorporates acquisitions as part of an overall growth strategy.

A passionate marketeer, Clare recognises the contribution every member of the team can make and enjoys creating high performing teams. And of course, have a little fun along the way.

Full show notes: Unicorny.co.uk 

LinkedIn: Clare Jones | Dom Hawes 

Website: System C

Sponsor: Selbey Anderson 

Other items referenced in this episode:

Gartner

Géraldine Tenten's Unicorny episodes

Introduction and recap of Part 1

Dom Hawes begins Part 2 by summarising the key topics covered in the previous episode, setting the stage for a deeper exploration of rebranding and customer prioritisation.

The challenges of rebranding and maintaining integrity

Clare discusses the complexities of merging multiple brands into one, the importance of preserving brand equity, and the internal process of aligning the company’s values with its external brand identity.

Why brand values matter and how to live them

Clare emphasises the need for authenticity in brand values, sharing her approach to embedding these values across the organisation and ensuring they resonate with both employees and customers.

Building internal buy-in during rebranding

Clare talks about the importance of securing buy-in from key stakeholders during the rebranding process. She shares strategies for involving senior leadership and employees early on to ensure the brand reflects the company’s true identity.

Stack ranking and customer prioritisation and the ‘rule of three’

Clare explains her method for prioritising customers through stack ranking, focusing on those most likely to engage while ensuring others are nurtured appropriately. Clare introduces her "rule of thirds" approach to campaign planning: dedicating equal time to groundwork, execution, and follow-up to maximise effectiveness.

Time to value as a KPI

The discussion turns to the concept of “time to value” as a key performance indicator, highlighting its role in building trust and delivering measurable benefits to customers.

Final thoughts and key takeaways

Dom wraps up the episode by summarising the main insights from the discussion, underscoring the importance of authenticity, strategic prioritisation, and effective campaign management in modern marketing.

In this episode of The Unicorny Marketing Show, Clare Jones, CMO of System C, challenges the common perceptions around demand generation, explores the changing dynamics of B2B buyer behaviour, and discusses the complexities of mergers and acquisitions.

Clare highlights why marketing needs to be involved at every stage of the buyer's journey and makes a strong case for its importance at the board level. You’ll gain insights on how marketing can influence M&A processes and why collaboration between sales and marketing is crucial.

• The importance of combining demand generation and brand work for effective marketing.
• How viewing sales as a marketing channel can redefine customer relationships.
• The strategic role of marketing in mergers and acquisitions, especially in unpredictable markets.

Listen in to hear Clare’s advice on navigating these challenges in today’s business environment.

Clare has a long history in B2B marketing, developing strategies to build brands and drive growth for software businesses.

Clare thrives on delivering results-driven integrated demand generation programmes with clear goals and outcomes, which have been recognised with industry awards. Clare has successfully executed on brand strategy which incorporates acquisitions as part of an overall growth strategy.

A passionate marketeer, Clare recognises the contribution every member of the team can make and enjoys creating high performing teams. And of course, have a little fun along the way.

Full show notes: Unicorny.co.uk 

LinkedIn: Clare Jones | Dom Hawes 

Website: System C

Sponsor: Selbey Anderson 

Other items referenced in this episode:

Dale Harrison’s Unicorny episodes

Sarah Robb’s Unicorny episodes

CVC

Introduction to Clare Jones and demand generation

Dom introduces the episode, outlining the focus on demand generation and its importance in modern marketing. He introduces Clare Jones' expertise and sets the stage for an in-depth discussion on the topic.

The relationship between demand generation and brand building

Clare discusses the need for a balanced approach to marketing, where demand generation and brand equity work together. She critiques the industry’s use of jargon and advocates for a more straightforward, integrated strategy.

The impact of the pandemic on buyer behaviours

Clare shares insights from her MBA dissertation on how the pandemic altered buyer behaviours. She highlights the growing role of digital channels and the increasing influence of millennials in B2B decisions.

Rethinking the role of sales in marketing

A discussion on whether sales should be considered a part of marketing. Clare argues for closer integration, highlighting the ongoing role of marketing in customer advocacy and relationship management.

The challenges of long B2B sales cycles

Dom and Clare explore the difficulties of lengthy B2B sales cycles, the need to understand decision-making units, and the importance of collaboration between sales and marketing.

Managing mergers and acquisitions with agility

Clare discusses the importance of understanding market volatility and the role of marketing in navigating mergers and acquisitions. She shares strategies for ensuring successful integration of acquired companies.

The strategic role of marketing in M&A

The conversation focuses on the tactical and strategic implications of M&A for marketing. Clare emphasises the importance of early involvement in the M&A process to align with business goals.

Challenges in merging brands and cultures

Clare explores the complexities involved in merging brands and cultures during acquisitions. She highlights the importance of a research-driven approach to brand integration and the need to handle cultural differences with care to avoid disruption.

Handling brand equity and emotional attachment in acquisitions

A deeper discussion on the emotional aspects of brand equity when acquiring founder-led companies. Clare talks about the importance of respecting the legacy of the acquired brand while making data-driven decisions for the future.

The delicate process of post-acquisition integration

Clare addresses the critical early stages of post-acquisition integration, where the acquired company is most fragile. She discusses the risks involved and the need for constant communication to ensure a smooth transition.

Dom’s end bit

The episode concludes with Dom summarising the key points discussed. Dom highlights the importance of early marketing involvement in M&A processes, the need for careful brand and cultural integration, and how marketing can drive value in complex business environments.

In this continuation of the discussion with Professor Ben Bensaou from INSEAD Business School, Dom explores how organisations can build a robust framework for continuous improvement and creativity.

Bensaou introduces the concept of the "innovating engine," explaining how companies can create a structured environment that encourages all employees to contribute new ideas while balancing these efforts with the demands of day-to-day operations.

• Understand how to set up a structured approach to generating and implementing new ideas.
• Learn about the crucial role middle managers play in nurturing a culture of creativity.
• Discover examples from large companies like Bayer and BASF on how they effectively manage new ideas.

This discussion provides practical advice for those looking to create a more dynamic and forward-thinking environment in their organisation.

Ben M. Bensaou is Professor of Technology Management and Professor of Asian Business and Comparative Management at INSEAD, Fontainebleau, France. He served as the INSEAD Dean of Executive Education from 2018 to 2020. He was a Visiting Associate Professor at the Harvard Business School for 1998-1999, a Senior Fellow at the Wharton School of Management for 2007-2008 and a Visiting Scholar at the Haas School of Business at UC Berkeley for 2013-2015. He was also a Visiting Professor at Kobe University for 2021-2022.

Bensaou is a leading expert on Innovation and how to build, maintain, and enhance a company’s collective innovating capabilities. He was nominated for the 2023 Thinkers50 Innovation Award and his book Built to Innovate: Essential Practices to Wire Innovation into Your Company’s DNA (2021, McGraw-Hill) was selected as one of the Thinkers50 Top 10 Management Books for 2022. Bensaou explains in detail his systematic approach. It defines specific innovative practices and roles for employees at each level of the organization, offers tools and a process methodology for innovating, and presents a host of vivid case studies that illustrate the dramatic benefits possible.

Full show notes: Unicorny.co.uk 

LinkedIn: Ben M. Bensaou | Dom Hawes 

Website: benbensaou.com

Sponsor: Selbey Anderson 

Other items referenced in this episode:

Built to Innovate by Ben M. Bensaou with Karl Weber

Basotect,

BASF

Fostering Employee Innovation at a 150-Year-Old Company by Monika Lessl, Henning Trill, and Julian Birkinshaw, Harvard Business Review

Introduction to part 2

Dom Hawes briefly recaps the first part and shifts focus to applying the concepts of continuous improvement within organisations, moving from idea generation to structured processes.

The innovating engine approach

Ben Bensaou introduces the "innovating engine," a framework that allows organisations to foster creativity while maintaining daily operations. He discusses how this approach can be established and sustained across different organisational levels.

Maintaining balance between creativity and daily tasks

Bensaou explains the need for a balance between ongoing tasks and the pursuit of new ideas. He highlights how companies can allocate time and resources to ensure that both are managed effectively.

Middle managers: A key role

The discussion turns to the often underappreciated role of middle managers, who are essential in linking ideas from frontline employees with leadership. Bensaou stresses their importance in ensuring that good ideas are supported and brought to life.

Lessons from BASF and Bayer

Bensaou shares insights from BASF and Bayer, showing how these companies have created structured approaches to managing new ideas. He describes initiatives like Bayer’s "We Solve" platform that encourage employees to contribute solutions across the organisation.

Success through collaboration platforms

The conversation explores the effectiveness of collaborative platforms like Bayer’s "We Solve," where employees from various departments can offer solutions, leading to successful new products and processes.

Marketing’s role in fostering creativity

Dom reflects on the unique position of marketers, who are closely aligned with customer needs and problems, making them well-suited to drive creative efforts within their organisations. He discusses how aligning marketing with innovation can lead to greater customer satisfaction and business success.

In this episode of The Unicorny Marketing Show, Professor Ben M. Bensaou of INSEAD Business School joins us to discuss how organisations can build a culture where innovation thrives.

Bensaou shares real-world examples from companies like Starwood Hotels and Fiskars, showing how even established businesses can invigorate their innovation processes by involving everyone, not just the experts.

• Understand how to foster innovation across your entire organisation.

• Learn the significance of considering non-customers in your innovation strategy.

• Discover ways to manage and sustain innovation beyond just the R&D teams.

Don’t miss out on this valuable discussion that could transform your approach to innovation in business.

Ben M. Bensaou is Professor of Technology Management and Professor of Asian Business and Comparative Management at INSEAD, Fontainebleau, France. He served as the INSEAD Dean of Executive Education from 2018 to 2020. He was a Visiting Associate Professor at the Harvard Business School for 1998-1999, a Senior Fellow at the Wharton School of Management for 2007-2008 and a Visiting Scholar at the Haas School of Business at UC Berkeley for 2013-2015. He was also a Visiting Professor at Kobe University for 2021-2022.

Bensaou is a leading expert on Innovation and how to build, maintain, and enhance a company’s collective innovating capabilities. He was nominated for the 2023 Thinkers50 Innovation Award and his book Built to Innovate: Essential Practices to Wire Innovation into Your Company’s DNA (2021, McGraw-Hill) was selected as one of the Thinkers50 Top 10 Management Books for 2022. Bensaou explains in detail his systematic approach. It defines specific innovative practices and roles for employees at each level of the organization, offers tools and a process methodology for innovating, and presents a host of vivid case studies that illustrate the dramatic benefits possible.

Full show notes: Unicorny.co.uk 

LinkedIn: Ben M. Bensaou | Dom Hawes 

Website: benbensaou.com

Sponsor: Selbey Anderson 

Other items referenced in this episode:

Built to Innovate by Ben M.

Bensaou with Karl Weber

Fiskars

How gamers with disabilities helped design the new Xbox Adaptive Controller’s elegantly accessible packaging by Deborah Bach, Microsoft

Blue Ocean Strategy by W. Chan Kim and Renée A. Mauborgne

Unicorny episodes Maja Gedosev from JetBlue Airways

Joyce King Thomas' VCU Brandcenter graduation speech May 2019

The state of creativity in business

Dom Hawes explores whether short-term thinking and remote work are stifling creativity in business. He introduces the episode’s focus on reigniting innovation with insights from Professor Ben Bensaou.

Meeting Professor Ben Bensaou

Professor Ben Bensaou shares his background and his work in helping organisations enhance their ability to innovate. He introduces his approach to transforming traditional companies into leaders in innovation.

Insights from Starwood Hotels

Bensaou discusses a case study involving Starwood Hotels, where 700 frontline managers participated in an innovation exercise in Paris. The result was a significant number of new ideas, highlighting the value of engaging all employees in the innovation process.

Fiskars: Building on a legacy

The conversation turns to Fiskars, a 400-year-old company that systematically entered new markets through a disciplined approach to innovation. Bensaou explains how understanding customer journeys led to the creation of award-winning products like the Waterwheel.

Rethinking innovation myths

Bensaou challenges common beliefs about innovation, stressing that it’s not just for a select few, doesn’t always require major breakthroughs, and shouldn’t be confined to specific departments. He advocates for a more inclusive approach to innovation within organisations.

Structuring innovation efforts

Dom and Ben discuss how to effectively manage innovation within organisations. Ben introduces the concept of encouraging innovation across the entire company, and shares practical advice on how to achieve this.

The importance of non-customers

Ben introduces the idea of non-customers and how focusing on them can lead to valuable innovation opportunities. He provides examples from companies like Nintendo and Philips to illustrate the potential of this approach.

Philips: Shifting focus to unlock opportunities

Ben Bensaou explains how Philips successfully pivoted their sales strategy for a new mercury-free lamp by targeting CFOs and sustainability teams instead of traditional purchasing departments. This shift highlights the value of engaging with non-traditional stakeholders to drive innovation in B2B settings.

Keeping the flow of new ideas

The episode concludes with Ben’s advice on how to consistently generate and manage new ideas. He highlights the importance of looking for innovation opportunities in all areas of business and fostering a culture that supports this.

In this episode, Dom Hawes continues his conversation with Dominic Rodgers, Head of Marketing at Frog Capital, focusing on how purpose is practically applied to scale businesses. Dominic discusses Frog Capital’s use of AI-driven toolkits and how engaging executives in content creation strengthens their impact. The episode also explores how these innovative methods create a unique competitive advantage for purpose-driven companies.

• AI-driven toolkits as a resource for business scaling
• The impact of executive collaboration on content effectiveness
• Purpose-driven approaches that differentiate in the market
• Long-term benefits of aligning purpose with growth

Discover how these methods can enhance your business for sustained success.

Full show notes: Unicorny.co.uk 

LinkedIn: Dominic Rodgers | Dom Hawes 

Website: Frog Capital

Sponsor: Selbey Anderson 

Other items referenced in this episode:

Frog Capital: How to Scale up resources

Frog Capital: How to Scale.ai

Geoffrey Moore’s Unicorny episodes

Ben Bensaou

The Long and the Short of it by Les Binet, Peter Field

Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman

Ehrenberg-Bass Institute

95:5 rule

Introduction to purpose-driven growth

Dom Hawes kicks off the episode by introducing the focus on how purpose-driven businesses can achieve sustainable growth. He sets the stage for a deep dive into Frog Capital's unique approach.

Frog Capital's AI-driven toolkits

Dominic Rodgers introduces the AI-driven toolkits developed by Frog Capital, which are designed to help businesses scale. These toolkits are made publicly accessible, aligning with Frog's purpose of supporting broader business growth.

Innovation through open access

Dominic discusses the innovative decision to make their toolkits available to the public, highlighting how this approach not only serves their portfolio but also acts as a magnet for the right types of companies.

The Godfather strategy: Giving to get

Dominic introduces the "Godfather Strategy", where businesses add value by sharing their resources and knowledge openly, creating a halo effect that strengthens their brand.

Co-creation with operating partners

Dominic explains how Frog Capital co-creates content and toolkits with their operating partners, ensuring that the resources are practical and address the most pressing challenges faced by their portfolio companies.

Building a virtuous cycle in marketing

The conversation shifts to how CMOs can build a virtuous cycle by engaging other executives in the content creation process, leading to more relevant and impactful marketing efforts.

Balancing brand and performance

Dominic shares his approach to balancing brand building with performance marketing, emphasising the importance of reputation and long-term brand awareness in driving sustainable growth.

Purpose as a proxy for brand

Dom and Dominic explore the idea that purpose can serve as a proxy for brand in the boardroom, helping marketers communicate the value of their work more effectively.

The role of purpose in B2B marketing

The discussion concludes with a focus on how purpose can be a powerful tool in B2B marketing, driving both emotional engagement and long-term business success.

Dom’s end bit

Dom wraps up the episode by reflecting on the key insights shared by Dominic Rodgers, emphasising the critical role of purpose in driving both business growth and meaningful marketing.

In this episode of Unicorny, Dominic Rodgers, Head of Marketing at Frog Capital, shares how his company integrates purpose into every aspect of its investment strategy.

Dominic reveals Frog's unique methodology for scaling businesses, emphasising the vital role of purpose in driving both growth and resilience. The discussion explores how aligning purpose with business strategy creates a sustainable and competitive advantage.

• Frog Capital’s unique position in the investment world and how they integrate purpose at every level of their operations.
• The scale-up methodology used by Frog Capital
• The role of purpose in business growth

Listen to this episode to discover how integrating purpose into your business strategy can lead to sustainable growth and resilience.

Dominic Rodgers has worked with businesses ranging from start-ups to large corporations, as well as on the agency side, gaining a wide range of sales and marketing experience across industries such as publishing, technology, arts & culture, and financial services.

In 2008, Dominic helped start Raconteur, the publisher and content marketing agency, where they produced special reports for The Times newspaper. During that time, he predominantly focused on tech topics like Software as a Service, Virtualisation, and Cloud Computing, making his work with Frog, who specialize in investing in these technologies and growing businesses that have reshaped numerous industries, a natural progression.

He joined Frog in 2019 and now leads Marketing and Communications. Dominic particularly enjoys building Frog’s library of Scale-Up podcasts and toolkits called How to Scale, as it embodies Frog’s mission to assist businesses in the Scale-Up phase. Frog’s team of Operating Partners and Senior Partners have encountered many of the challenges software leaders face as they scale their startups, and creating meaningful content to help others overcome these challenges is highly rewarding for him.

Full show notes: Unicorny.co.uk 

LinkedIn: Dominic Rodgers | Dom Hawes 

Website: Frog Capital

Sponsor: Selbey Anderson 

Other items referenced in this episode:

70. How entrepreneurs create value

71. Thesis-Driven Marketing: you heard it here first

Frog Capital: Scale-Up Methodology graphic

Frog Capital: How to Scale up resources

IMP

framework

Clue

Modulr

Evotix

Introduction to Dominic Rodgers and Frog Capital

Dom Hawes introduces Dominic Rodgers, Head of Marketing at Frog Capital, highlighting Frog’s unique position between private equity and venture capital. The episode teases a deep dive into how Frog makes purpose pay.

Frog Capital's scale-up methodology

Dominic Rodgers explains Frog Capital’s methodology for supporting scale-ups, focusing on the day-to-day execution, medium-term planning, and long-term sustainability. He discusses the challenges scale-ups face and how Frog's structured approach helps overcome them.

Role of operating partners in scaling businesses

Dominic Rodgers describes the crucial role of operating partners at Frog Capital, who work closely with portfolio companies to execute growth strategies. The discussion highlights how trust and partnership are key to Frog’s investment approach.

Leveraging toolkits for business growth

The conversation shifts to the practical tools and resources Frog Capital provides, including downloadable templates and toolkits that help businesses implement strategies effectively. Dominic Rodgers emphasises the importance of practical value over mere communication.

Integrating purpose with business strategy

Dominic Rodgers delves into the significance of purpose in Frog Capital’s investment strategy, explaining how purpose-driven businesses are more resilient and better positioned for long-term success. Examples of portfolio companies are discussed to illustrate this alignment.

Purpose as a competitive advantage

Dominic Rodgers and Dom explore how purpose can serve as a competitive advantage in the market. They discuss the symbiotic relationship between purpose and business growth, with purpose acting as a strategic anchor.

Conclusion: The true meaning of purpose

Dom Hawes reflects on the conversation, cautioning against inflating a company’s purpose beyond its natural scope. He emphasises the importance of an authentic purpose that aligns with the company’s core business, setting the stage for sustainable success.

In this episode of Unicorny, we continue our exploration of the intersection between marketing and entrepreneurship with Sandra Vollrath, a marketing operations leader turned yoga studio owner.

Building on the insights from part one, we examine how Lean Six Sigma principles can help eliminate inefficiencies in marketing departments and why understanding your customer’s challenges is crucial, whether you're running a yoga studio or leading a global marketing team.

This episode is packed with practical advice for marketers aiming to elevate their strategic impact.

• Learn how Lean Six Sigma can improve your marketing operations.

• Understand why focusing on customer needs is essential for success in both B2B and B2C.

• Identify and address inefficiencies in your marketing processes.

Looking to refine your marketing strategy? This episode offers actionable insights that can help you streamline operations and drive results.

Sandra Vollrath is an accomplished marketing professional and entrepreneur with over 25 years of experience. Currently, she is the Director of Consulting (Marketing Operations & Strategy) at Intermedia Global (IMG), where she delivers major marketing operations projects with a team of marketing operations and process consultants.

In 2019, Sandra founded Unwind Yoga Studio in Maidenhead, Berkshire, which is a profitable and thriving business even through challenges like the pandemic, economic disruptions and market fluctuations.

Sandra's career includes significant roles at Bentley Systems Inc., where she excelled in product marketing and global campaign management. She led B2B marketing campaigns for Bentley's flagship product MicroStation, and implemented innovative marketing systems that enhanced operational efficiencies for a global team of 150 colleagues, supporting Bentley Systems' revenue growth.

Sandra is venturing into angel investment, focusing on female-led sustainable businesses, and aims to use her marketing expertise to create value for these ventures. She believes that marketing needs to be a strategic business function, supporting business objectives by creating value and increasing profits, whether in a B2B or B2C, SMB or enterprise environment.

Sandra's commitment to excellence and passion for leveraging marketing to drive business success make her a standout in her field.

Full show notes: Unicorny.co.uk 

LinkedIn: Sandra Vollrath | Dom Hawes 

Website: img

Sponsor: Selbey Anderson 

Other items referenced in this episode: 

Six Sigma

B2B Ignite

Guest host Rachel Fairley

Rebrand Right by Rachel Fairley and Sarah Robb

The holiday mood continues

Dom Hawes introduces the continuation of the holiday-themed episode, reflecting on Sandra Vollrath's journey from B2B marketing to yoga studio ownership and the valuable lessons we can draw from it.

Lean Six Sigma in marketing operations

Sandra discusses the application of Lean Six Sigma in marketing, focusing on the seven areas of waste commonly found in marketing departments and how eliminating these inefficiencies can lead to better outcomes.

Managing brand risk

Dom and Sandra explore the concept of brand risk, discussing the challenges of maintaining consistent messaging and the importance of having solid brand guidelines or “brand recipes” to avoid common pitfalls.

Unnecessary meetings and waiting for approval

Sandra and Dom go over the common issues of unnecessary meetings and the delays caused by waiting for approvals. They discuss how these inefficiencies waste time and resources and explore ways to reduce these challenges, emphasizing the need for clear processes and the potential benefits of service level agreements (SLAs).

The benefits of a side hustle

Sandra emphasizes the value of running a side hustle, sharing how it provides real-world experience that can enhance your effectiveness in a larger corporate role, especially in understanding customer needs and refining product offerings.

Balancing strategic thinking with well-being

Sandra advises marketers on the importance of maintaining balance through movement and stillness, and how this approach can also enhance strategic thinking and overall effectiveness in their professional roles.

The power of customer insight

The discussion shifts to the critical importance of understanding your customers’ challenges and how regularly engaging with them can lead to more effective marketing strategies and better business results.

Cross-functional collaboration for better insights

Dom and Sandra discuss the benefits of cross-functional collaboration, particularly how insights from finance and other departments can provide a more holistic view that enhances marketing strategy.

Dom’s end bit

The episode concludes with a reflection on the similarities between marketing and entrepreneurship, advocating for a mindset that treats marketing departments as entrepreneurial ventures, focused on taking the business successfully to market.