Podcasts about b2b marketing

Big budgets and star power don't guarantee success. Sometimes it takes time, refinement, and the right story to win an audience.That's the journey of The Gilded Age, the HBO drama that overcame early skepticism to become a hit. In this episode, we dig into its marketing parallels with the help of our special guest Laura Goldberg, Chief Marketing Officer at Auctane.Together, we explore what B2B marketers can learn from practicing patience, locking in product-market fit, and doubling down when momentum builds to gain lasting growth.About our guest, Laura GoldbergLaura Goldberg is the Chief Marketing Officer at Auctane. She is a seasoned, operations-driven go-to-market executive with a proven track record of propelling software companies to new heights, particularly serving small and medium sized businesses (SMBs), a vital segment for Auctane. Goldberg excels in crafting data-driven marketing strategies that resonate with customer needs, and her expertise will be key in advancing Auctane's mission to deliver exceptional shipping and mailing experiences to businesses worldwide.Previously, Laura was the CMO at Constant Contact, a digital marketing platform trusted by millions of small businesses and nonprofits. She has also held marketing leadership positions at Kabbage, an American Express Company, and LegalZoom, where she played key roles in driving customer growth, revenue expansion, and EBITDA improvements, leading to successful exits for both companies.What B2B Companies Can Learn From The Gilded Age:Patience is essential. The Gilded Age wasn't an overnight success—it built momentum slowly, and Laura sees the same in B2B marketing. “You gotta have patience. You gotta see it more than once. It has to build. You may not, be a… hot [thing] out of the gate. But… it's gonna build. Nobody makes a decision… with The Gilded Age, it's, you know, a solid hour and you gotta pay attention. Like you have to make a commitment to it and it takes time.” Marketing results rarely happen instantly. Success comes from committing, nurturing, and allowing campaigns to grow into traction over time.Product-market fit is non-negotiable. The show's elaborate sets and costumes bought it some time, but what kept audiences hooked was stronger storytelling in later seasons. Laura draws a clear B2B parallel: “You may have some stumbles outta the gate… You gotta deliver the goods. The product market fit, if you will, has to be there eventually. It doesn't have to be perfect right outta the gate, but it has to get to perfect pretty quickly.” In other words: creative campaigns and strong distribution will only get you so far—if the product doesn't ultimately deliver, marketing can't save itLean in when you gain traction. Once The Gilded Age started buzzing online, the promotion amplified everywhere. Laura says the same is true for B2B: “Once you get traction, lean in. When I tell you that my socials, everything I see is talking about this show… I see Mr. Russell in his flower suit all over the internet. By the way, I think it's an interview from two years ago that I keep seeing. So recycle all that stuff. But like once you feel that traction gripping, lean in, like repeat, be on everything. Repost, retweet… you have to lean in when you're doing well and really get that momentum.” Marketers should maximize momentum, recycle strong content, and make sure their presence is unavoidable when the audience is paying attention.Quote“ Customer, customer, customer. I feel like too many times it's really easy to talk about why your product's great and what it does… but you really have to frame it in the, what are you doing for me and me being the customer. How am I making things faster, cheaper, better for your end customer with what we're doing, and making sure that you're not just yelling features and functionality at people.”Time Stamps[00:55] Meet Laura Goldberg, Chief Marketing Officer at Auctane[01:14] Why The Gilded Age?[02:57] The Role of CMO at Auctane[09:50] What is The Gilded Age?[26:28] The Craft of Period Pieces[29:19] B2B Marketing Lessons from The Gilded Age[31:43] Laura's Marketing Strategy as a CMO[37:25] Winning Across Channels[49:35] Final Thoughts and TakeawaysLinksConnect with Laura on LinkedInLearn more about AuctaneAbout Remarkable!Remarkable! is created by the team at Caspian Studios, the premier B2B Podcast-as-a-Service company. Caspian creates both nonfiction and fiction series for B2B companies. If you want a fiction series check out our new offering - The Business Thriller - Hollywood style storytelling for B2B. Learn more at CaspianStudios.com. In today's episode, you heard from Ian Faison (CEO of Caspian Studios) and Meredith Gooderham (Head of Production). Remarkable was produced this week by Jess Avellino, mixed by Scott Goodrich, and our theme song is “Solomon” by FALAK. Create something remarkable. Rise above the noise. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

#288 AI in Marketing | In this episode, Dave is joined by three B2B marketing leaders: Sara Ajemian, Head of Brand & Communications at SOCi, Jennifer Delevante-Moulen, CMO at Knak, and Tara Robertson, CMO at Bitly. Together they share real-world perspectives on how AI is actually shaping marketing teams today—what's working, what's not, and how leaders are adapting.Dave and the panel cover:The most overhyped AI use cases in B2B marketing (and where human nuance still wins)Real success stories, including building an AI-powered content research engine, scaling global localization, and using AI to make creative teams more data-drivenHow CMOs are personally using AI as a strategic thought partner for board prep, customer insights, and team coachingWhether you're experimenting with new tools or figuring out how to bring AI into your strategy, this conversation gives a grounded look at what B2B marketing leaders are really doing today.Timestamps(00:00) - – Intro (03:08) - – Meet the panel: SOCi, Knak, Bitly (07:08) - – Has AI met or missed expectations? (11:53) - – The most overhyped AI use cases (15:08) - – Why human nuance still matters in personalization (20:08) - – The imposter syndrome of AI adoption (23:08) - – The power of AI with memory (25:48) - – Best AI use cases from the panel (31:43) - – Scaling global localization with AI (34:43) - – Training brand teams to be more data-driven (38:43) - – How CMOs personally use AI in their workflow (42:43) - – Using AI as a strategic thought partner (46:43) - – Coaching teams with AI feedback loops (48:43) - – The frustrations of iteration and tool updates (52:43) - – Is leadership pushing AI adoption? (56:43) - – Budgeting and building a modern AI-enabled tech stack (59:43) - – Final takeaways and closing Send guest pitches and ideas to hi@exitfive.comJoin the Exit Five Newsletter here: https://www.exitfive.com/newsletterCheck out the Exit Five job board: https://jobs.exitfive.com/Become an Exit Five member: https://community.exitfive.com/checkout/exit-five-membership***Today's episode is brought to you by Knak.Email (in my humble opinion) is the still the greatest marketing channel of all-time.It's the only way you can truly “own” your audience.But when it comes to building the emails - if you've ever tried building an email in an enterprise marketing automation platform, you know how painful it can be. Templates are too rigid, editing code can break things and the whole process just takes forever. That's why we love Knak here at Exit Five. Knak a no-code email platform that makes it easy to create on-brand, high-performing emails - without the bottlenecks.Frustrated by clunky email builders? You need Knak.Tired of ‘hoping' the email you sent looks good across all devices? Just test in Knak first.Big team making it hard to collaborate and get approvals? Definitely Knak.And the best part? Everything takes a fraction of the time.See Knak in action at knak.com/exit-five. Or just let them know you heard about Knak on Exit Five.***Thanks to my friends at hatch.fm for producing this episode and handling all of the Exit Five podcast production.They give you unlimited podcast editing and strategy for your B2B podcast.Get unlimited podcast editing and on-demand strategy for one low monthly cost. Just upload your episode, and they take care of the rest.Visit hatch.fm to learn more

How are top B2B marketing teams structured? What are their secrets and what do they outsource?In this episode of The Content 10x Podcast, hosts Amy Woods and Hayley Evans, reflect on the big takeaways and learnings from 20 interviews with senior B2B marketing leaders on our sister show B2B Content Strategist.Instead of Amy interviewing, Hayley turns the tables and interviews Amy to uncover the big themes that emerged.Find out:How B2B marketing teams are structured (and how they stay lean yet agile)Cross-functional collaboration - where content teams fit in and how they work with sales, analytics, and other departmentsWhat gets kept in-house vs outsourced and how it's a balancing actThe importance of a good brief for all project and pieces of work, whether working with in-house teams or external partnersImportant links & mentions:Blog post: https://www.content10x.com/341Amy on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/amywoods2Hayley on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/hayleyevans888B2B Content Strategist Podcast: https://www.content10x.com/b2b-content-strategist/Episode 340 AI in B2B Marketing: What's Working, What's Failing, and What's Next: https://www.content10x.com/340Content 10x: https://www.content10x.com/Amy's book: www.content10x.com/book (Content 10x: More Content, Less Time, Maximum Results)Amy Woods is the CEO and founder of Content 10x, a creative agency that provides specialist content strategy, creation and repurposing support to B2B organizations.She's also a best-selling author, hosts two content marketing podcasts (The Content 10x Podcast and B2B Content Strategist), and speaks on stages all over the world about the power of content marketing.Join hundreds of business owners, content creators and marketers and get the latest content marketing tips and advice delivered straight to your inbox every week https://www.content10x.com/newsletter

#287 Brand Marketing | In this episode, Matt is joined by Amrita Gurney, a veteran B2B marketing leader who has scaled some of Canada's fastest-growing startups and now works as a fractional CMO. At Float, she led bold offline campaigns, from billboards and buses to TV spots, that helped the company stand out against major banks and build lasting brand recall.Matt and Amrita cover:Why offline ads like billboards and transit campaigns are making a comeback in B2B marketingHow creative choices — bold colors, emotional messaging, and relatable personas — can make or break brand campaignsWhat B2B marketers should know about budget allocation, measuring recall, and balancing brand vs. performance marketingWhether you're running your first brand campaign or rethinking your spend mix, this episode will give you fresh ideas on how to stand out in B2B marketing.Timestamps(00:00) - – Intro (03:08) - – Amrita's background and career journey (04:28) - – Why Float invested in offline ads (06:08) - – Launching their first billboard campaign (08:08) - – Taking bold risks with creative (10:08) - – Human-centered messaging vs. product copy (12:08) - – Expanding into buses, subways, and airports (15:08) - – Testing (or not testing) creative concepts (16:08) - – What brand recall really means in B2B (18:08) - – Measuring lift from offline campaigns (22:43) - – Balancing brand vs. performance spend (24:43) - – Lessons from consumer marketing in B2B (26:43) - – How they chose cities and placements (29:43) - – Budget breakdown and allocation (33:43) - – Tracking TV ad performance (35:43) - – How long to run campaigns for impact (36:43) - – Advice for marketers considering offline ads (38:43) - – Closing thoughts and takeaways Send guest pitches and ideas to hi@exitfive.comJoin the Exit Five Newsletter here: https://www.exitfive.com/newsletterCheck out the Exit Five job board: https://jobs.exitfive.com/Become an Exit Five member: https://community.exitfive.com/checkout/exit-five-membership***Today's episode is brought to you by Knak.Email (in my humble opinion) is the still the greatest marketing channel of all-time.It's the only way you can truly “own” your audience.But when it comes to building the emails - if you've ever tried building an email in an enterprise marketing automation platform, you know how painful it can be. Templates are too rigid, editing code can break things and the whole process just takes forever. That's why we love Knak here at Exit Five. Knak a no-code email platform that makes it easy to create on-brand, high-performing emails - without the bottlenecks.Frustrated by clunky email builders? You need Knak.Tired of ‘hoping' the email you sent looks good across all devices? Just test in Knak first.Big team making it hard to collaborate and get approvals? Definitely Knak.And the best part? Everything takes a fraction of the time.See Knak in action at knak.com/exit-five. Or just let them know you heard about Knak on Exit Five.***Thanks to my friends at hatch.fm for producing this episode and handling all of the Exit Five podcast production.They give you unlimited podcast editing and strategy for your B2B podcast.Get unlimited podcast editing and on-demand strategy for one low monthly cost. Just upload your episode, and they take care of the rest.Visit hatch.fm to learn more

Not every launch succeeds on day one, but the brands that endure find ways to win over time.That's why we're turning to Clue, the 1985 murder mystery comedy with three different endings. Despite bombing at the box office, it grew into a beloved cult classic. In this episode, we break down its lessons with the help of special guest Christine Royston, Chief Marketing Officer at Wrike.Together, we explore what B2B marketers can learn from building strategy before execution, balancing brand and demand, and embracing word-of-mouth to turn audiences into passionate advocates.About our guest, Christine RoystonChristine Royston is a visionary global marketing executive with a proven track record of scaling iconic technology brands, architecting go-to-market transformation, and driving category leadership in the enterprise SaaS space. As Chief Marketing Officer at Wrike, Christine leads the company's worldwide marketing strategy, fueling enterprise growth, brand acceleration, and customer-centric innovation at scale.With more than 20 years of experience across global B2B markets, Christine has built and led high-performing teams at some of the world's most recognized technology companies—including Salesforce, Dropbox, and Imperva—where she helped pioneer marketing strategies during moments of hypergrowth and IPO. She most recently served as Global Head of B2B Marketing at Udemy and as Vice President of Marketing at Bitly, where she was instrumental in repositioning both brands for business adoption and long-term growth.Christine's executive leadership spans Sales-Led and Product-Led Growth (PLG) models, across direct sales, freemium, and self-service go-to-market motions. Her ability to unify global teams, expand into new international markets, and launch cross-functional marketing engines has positioned her as a sought-after leader in growth-stage transformation and scaled enterprise performance.An expert in enterprise marketing strategy, customer lifecycle innovation, and multi-channel demand generation, Christine has driven business results across cloud computing, cybersecurity, financial services, and manufacturing verticals. She is also known for her passion for mentoring future marketing leaders and building diverse, inclusive, and impact-driven teams.Christine holds a B.A. from the University of Virginia and an International MBA in Global Marketing from the University of South Carolina's Darla Moore School of Business. She brings a global lens to every challenge, with leadership experience spanning the U.S., Europe, Asia, and Latin America.What B2B Companies Can Learn From Clue:Strategy matters more than star power. Even the best team can't save a weak story. Clue had an all-star cast, but without a clear throughline, it flopped at the box office. Christine draws a parallel to marketing: “Even if you have the best team in the world, without a great strategy, you're not gonna win. You've got to have a really fantastic strategy and a really great team to back it up, so that you can kind of play on everybody's strengths, but you're all pointed in the right direction.” Don't confuse talent or resources with strategy. Success comes from aligning everyone around a clear, shared story.Balance is everything. Clue was billed as both a mystery and a comedy, but leaned heavily into the silliness, confusing audiences who expected a tighter whodunit. Christine sees the same trap in B2B: “The movie was… touted as a mystery and a comedy, but it was definitely way more on the comedy side. And so thinking about that balance… and making sure that you're really being clear with your intent of messaging, your intent of the brand.” Great marketing requires a balance between brand, demand, clarity, and creativity. Overweighting one side leaves your audience uncertain about what you really stand for.Word of mouth is your secret weapon. Despite its failure in theaters, Clue became a cult classic through community and conversation. For Christine, that's a marketing playbook: “The fact that it did become this cult classic highlights the importance of word of mouth. How do you make sure you're getting in front of people who will be interested in your product, or interested in your movie, and making sure that you're leveraging communities [and] social as a way to get in front of people who maybe aren't going to go to the box office.” Buzz builds longevity. Beyond paid campaigns, you need advocates, communities, and conversations that keep your brand alive long after launch.Quote“ How do you differentiate yourself and do something a little different. Bring some humor into what is normally a pretty straight-laced B2B technology type of industry. I think people like a little fun in their day-to-day.”Time Stamps[00:55] Meet Christine Royston, Chief Marketing Officer at Wrike[01:01] Why Clue?[01:24] The Role of CMO at Wrike[03:05] The Origins of Clue, The Movie[14:04] B2B Marketing Lessons from Clue[28:10] Balancing Brand vs. Demand[29:50] Wrike's Brand and Content Strategy[33:21] AI's Role in Modern Marketing[35:11] Wrike's Survey on AI's Impact[40:20] Final Thoughts and TakeawaysLinksConnect with Christine on LinkedInLearn more about WrikeAbout Remarkable!Remarkable! is created by the team at Caspian Studios, the premier B2B Podcast-as-a-Service company. Caspian creates both nonfiction and fiction series for B2B companies. If you want a fiction series check out our new offering - The Business Thriller - Hollywood style storytelling for B2B. Learn more at CaspianStudios.com. In today's episode, you heard from Ian Faison (CEO of Caspian Studios) and Meredith Gooderham (Head of Production). Remarkable was produced this week by Jess Avellino, mixed by Scott Goodrich, and our theme song is “Solomon” by FALAK. Create something remarkable. Rise above the noise. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Did you know that 95% of brands lack a solid sound identity? If you've never given much thought around audio branding, then this podcast episode is a must-listen. In this episode of the B2B Marketing Podcast, David Rowlands, Head of Product, B2B Marketing spoke with Neil Montgomery, Audio Brander, Almost Nothing Audio Branding. To kick off the episode, Neil shares his journey from a music degree to a sales role and a big four accounting firm, before transitioning to audio branding. He discusses the impact of audio branding on brand recognition, citing Intel's 1995 jingle and Netflix's audio logo as examples. Not only does the episode cover the science behind audio branding but Neil also addresses its revenue impact, as well as its place on social media platforms such as TikTok and Instagram. If you're looking to build a strong audio brand, stay tuned until the very end.

#286 Growth | In this episode, Dave is joined by Kevin White, Head of Marketing at Common Room, a leading customer intelligence platform for go-to-market teams. Kevin shares insights from his experience helping teams capture and act on digital breadcrumbs to optimize their marketing and sales efforts.Dave and Kevin cover:How to be a good marketer even when you're not the Subject Matter ExpertSignal-based marketing and how it is transforming the buyer's journey by focusing on the right actions instead of just clicksB2B influencer marketing plays that workTimestamps(00:00) - - Intro to Kevin (06:17) - - How to Be Good At Marketing When You're Not a Subject Matter Expert (08:55) - - Why You Should Stay Close to Your Customer (16:14) - - How to Manage a Marketing Team with Limited Resources (18:33) - - Eliminating Ineffective Marketing Efforts to Drive Real Results (25:06) - - Signups and Demos Boost From LinkedIn (26:12) - - How to Attribute ROI in Multi-Platform Marketing (30:22) - - Creating Authentic and Valuable Content (35:01) - - Generating Pipeline with Economic Buyer Signals (36:42) - - Increasing Digital Touchpoints (40:40) - - How To Maximize Actionability, Volume, and Conversion Rate (42:26) - - LinkedIn Measurement Send guest pitches and ideas to hi@exitfive.comJoin the Exit Five Newsletter here: https://www.exitfive.com/newsletterCheck out the Exit Five job board: https://jobs.exitfive.com/Become an Exit Five member: https://community.exitfive.com/checkout/exit-five-membership***Today's episode is brought to you by Knak.Email (in my humble opinion) is the still the greatest marketing channel of all-time.It's the only way you can truly “own” your audience.But when it comes to building the emails - if you've ever tried building an email in an enterprise marketing automation platform, you know how painful it can be. Templates are too rigid, editing code can break things and the whole process just takes forever. That's why we love Knak here at Exit Five. Knak a no-code email platform that makes it easy to create on-brand, high-performing emails - without the bottlenecks.Frustrated by clunky email builders? You need Knak.Tired of ‘hoping' the email you sent looks good across all devices? Just test in Knak first.Big team making it hard to collaborate and get approvals? Definitely Knak.And the best part? Everything takes a fraction of the time.See Knak in action at knak.com/exit-five. Or just let them know you heard about Knak on Exit Five.***Thanks to my friends at hatch.fm for producing this episode and handling all of the Exit Five podcast production.They give you unlimited podcast editing and strategy for your B2B podcast.Get unlimited podcast editing and on-demand strategy for one low monthly cost. Just upload your episode, and they take care of the rest.Visit hatch.fm to learn more

Nathan brought Jay back to dive deeper into the intricacies of LinkedIn advertising, discussing the challenges and strategies involved in B2B marketing. From the differences between B2B and B2C marketing, the significance of budget allocation in ad campaigns, and best practices for optimizing LinkedIn profiles, Jay shares his journey into digital marketing, emphasizing the role of targeted messaging and audience understanding in successful campaigns. They also chat about AI. Watch the full episode.  Guest Name: Jay Rathell Title: LinkedIn Ad Expert Company: Yamaro 83 Expertise: Building successful social media ad campaigns that drive results. Website: https://yamaro83.com/ Social: https://www.linkedin.com/company/yamaro-83/   On November 13, the best business conference in the Pacific Northwest #letsconnectconference. Check it out, https://letsconnectpnw.com/2025-conference/. Get your tickets. Watch the LTM Podcast Shorts playlist. Watch the The Entrepreneur Grind playlist.  

In light of AI search, is SEO dead? Not so fast. Clarity's Chief Digital Officer, Tom Telford, joins FINITE to bust myths and bridge the gap between comms and marketing. Drawing on lessons from the dot‑com era to today's AI reality, Tom shows where CMOs and CCOs must lock arms, and where their functions should stay distinct. Expect practical ways to align on metrics and budgets, and make PR, SEO, content, social and paid amplify each other. Disclaimer: Clarity is the main sponsor of the FINITE Podcast. 

#285 Creative Strategy | In this episode, Dave is joined by Pranav Piyush, Founder & CEO of Paramark, a measurement platform helping B2B and B2C companies run smarter marketing experiments. Pranav is known for turning strategy documents into repeatable creative processes that generate campaigns, ads, and content tied directly to a company's story.Dave and Pranav cover:How to translate your company narrative into concrete marketing campaigns and creative hooks across channelsWhy creative output (not measurement) is the biggest bottleneck for most B2B marketing teams todayThe frameworks like category entry points, jobs-to-be-done, and behavioral psychology that help marketers spark fresh, testable campaign ideas month after monthYou can expect a practical, example-filled conversation on turning strategy into execution and building a creative engine that never runs dry.Timestamps(00:00) - – Intro and audience roll call (05:09) - – Why narratives often get stuck in a Google Doc (08:09) - – Foundational docs you need before creating campaigns (13:09) - – Category entry points and jobs-to-be-done explained (17:09) - – How to feed company inputs into AI tools (23:09) - – Generating ad campaign ideas with real examples (25:09) - – Using analogies (like basketball) to explain complex concepts (29:54) - – Where AI falls short (and why human judgment matters) (32:54) - – Mining sales call transcripts for campaign hooks (36:54) - – Turning customer objections into marketing messages (40:54) - – Repurposing podcasts, presentations, and blog posts into new formats (44:54) - – Systemizing idea generation for repeatable output (48:54) - – Closing thoughts and audience Q&A Send guest pitches and ideas to hi@exitfive.comJoin the Exit Five Newsletter here: https://www.exitfive.com/newsletterCheck out the Exit Five job board: https://jobs.exitfive.com/Become an Exit Five member: https://community.exitfive.com/checkout/exit-five-membership***This episode of the Exit Five podcast is brought to you by Qualified.AI is the hottest topic in marketing right now. And one thing we hear a lot of you marketers talking about is how you can use AI Agents to help run your marketing machine.That's where Qualifed comes in with Piper, their AI SDR agent.Piper is the #1 AI SDR Agent on the market according to G2, and hundreds of companies like Box, Asana, and Brex, have hired Piper to autonomously grow inbound pipeline. How good does that sound?Qualified customers are seeing a massive business impact with Piper: a 3X increase in meetings booked and a 2X increase in pipeline.The Agentic Marketing era has arrived. And if you're a B2B marketing leader looking to scale pipeline generation, Piper the #1 AI SDR Agent is here to help.Hire Piper, the #1 AI SDR Agent, and grow your pipeline today.You can learn more at qualified.com/exit5

Ben Smith, Marketing Director at Reachdesk, shares his journey from professional ice skater to marketing leader and dives into the power of gifting in B2B. He explains how Reachdesk helps businesses source, personalize, and automate gifting at a global scale, and why combining physical and digital experiences creates deeper customer connections. Ben also discusses Reachdesk's marketing strategy, the role of AI in modern marketing, and why personalization, creativity, and genuine relationship building are key to successful outreach.   About Ben Meet Ben Smith, a dynamic marketing leader with a passion for driving strategic growth and creative impact. As a seasoned professional at Reachdesk, he's helped brands build stronger connections, unlock new opportunities, and deliver customer experiences that truly engage. Known for translating big ideas into measurable results, Ben shares actionable insights on outbound and allbound strategies — from sparking pipeline to scaling engagement. Join us as he brings fresh perspectives and stories from the cutting edge of modern marketing.   About ReachDesk At Reachdesk, we believe that strong relationships fuel success. Whether you're engaging prospects, celebrating customers, or recognizing employees, our platform makes it simple to deliver personalized moments that resonate at scale. As the only fully integrated gifting and swag solution, we empower go-to-market and people teams to: Strengthen connections with prospects, customers, and employees. Remove operational headaches with a seamless global fulfilment network. Measure the impact of every send, so gifting becomes a strategic advantage, not just a nice-to-have.   Time Stamps 00:00:00 - Introduction to Marketing B2B Tech Podcast 00:00:18 - Guest Introduction: Ben Smith from Reachdesk 00:00:41 - Ben's Unique Career Journey 00:01:42 - What Reachdesk Does 00:02:31 - Challenges of International Shipping 00:03:15 - The Importance of Physical Gifts in a Digital World 00:04:30 - Customer Use Cases for Reachdesk 00:05:55 - Navigating Gifting Mistakes and Concerns 00:07:36 - The Philosophy of Gifting in Marketing 00:09:02 - Marketing Strategies at Reachdesk 00:11:35 - Building Brand Reputation vs. Driving Leads 00:13:04 - Influencer Marketing in B2B 00:15:05 - Understanding the Buying Committee 00:18:00 - Identifying Gifting Touchpoints in the Customer Journey 00:22:04 - The Impact of Technology on Marketing 00:25:21 - Advice for New Marketing Professionals   Follow Ben: Ben Smith on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bensmith-reachdesk/ Reachdesk website: https://www.reachdesk.com/ Reachdesk on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/reachdesk/   Follow Mike: Mike Maynard on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikemaynard/ Napier website: https://www.napierb2b.com/ Napier LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/napier-partnership-limited/ If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe to our podcast for more discussions about the latest in Marketing B2B Tech and connect with us on social media to stay updated on upcoming episodes. We'd also appreciate it if you could leave us a review on your favourite podcast platform. Want more? Check out Napier's other podcast – The Marketing Automation Moment: https://podcasts.apple.com/ua/podcast/the-marketing-automation-moment-podcast/id1659211547

**Originally published on October 16, 2024**This replay features the brilliant Liza Adams - AI advisor, fractional CMO, and one of the top 50 CMOs to watch in 2024. We talked about her journey from Manila to Michigan, why gratitude fuels her leadership, and how she's spent 20+ years helping B2B tech companies elevate marketing from “tactical” to truly strategic.Liza's perspective on AI, trust, and building defensible moats is refreshing and practical - I left this convo inspired and with about ten new quotes for my wall.- Jane-----------In this episode of Women in B2B Marketing, host Jane Serra sits down with Liza Adams, AI advisor and fractional CMO. Liza shares how her engineering roots shaped her early entry into AI, and why she's passionate about marketing's role as a strategic driver of business growth (not just the “campaigns and events team”).This episode covers:Liza's journey from immigrant roots in the Philippines to tech executive in the U.S.Why marketing must reclaim its North Star: deep customer understandingThe three passions guiding her career: elevating marketing's strategic value, championing diverse voices, and using business as a force for goodPractical frameworks for evaluating product-market fit and building defensible moatsHow AI can shrink research cycles, spark alignment, and elevate marketers from tacticians to strategistsTrust as the ultimate differentiator - why “brand building” is really “trust building”Examples of how teams are using custom GPTs to boost productivity and decision-makingHer advice to CMOs in today's “pressure cooker” environmentLiza also shares the golden rule of modern marketing: be an amazing human first, then an amazing marketer. (yesssssss!!)Key Links:Guest: Liza Adams: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lizaadams/Host: Jane Serra: https://www.linkedin.com/in/janeserra/ Discussed in Episode:Disrupt or Be Disrupted: AI's Verdict on Your Product's DefensibilityCompetitive Defensibility Analyzer GPT––Like WIB2BM? Show us some love with a rating or review. It helps us reach more listeners.

In this episode of The Long Game Podcast, Alex Birkett speaks with Nick Lafferty (Head of Marketing) and Josh Blyskal (AI Strategist) from Profound, an AI visibility platform focused on answer engine optimization (AEO). They explore the shift from SEO to AEO, where brands must optimize for AI-driven search experiences across ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google's AI Overviews. The conversation covers why agility is the new moat, how brand mentions and structured content shape AI visibility, and how both startups and incumbents can compete. Nick and Josh share tactical approaches—from Wikipedia and affiliate strategies to structured HTML tables—that improve citations in AI-generated answers. The discussion underscores the rising importance of PR, off-site visibility, and concise, high-utility content in the AI search era.Key TakeawaysAEO Defined: Answer engine optimization is about making your brand the chosen answer in AI-driven search experiences.User Experience Wins: Search is converging with chat—people want answers, not links—so engines prioritize utility and ease.Agility as a Moat: Speed and adaptability matter more than long-term content calendars in today's volatile AI search space.Brand Mentions Beat Keywords: AI models lean heavily on off-site mentions (Reddit, Wikipedia, affiliates) as trust signals.Structured Content Boosts Citations: Bullet points, HTML tables, and concise formatting make content “citation-friendly” for AI.Startups vs. Incumbents: Incumbents benefit from brand equity, but startups can flank them by acting faster and publishing niche, high-utility content.PR Is Back: Media coverage and Wikipedia presence play a critical role in being cited by AI engines.Show LinksVisit Profound on Linkedin and XConnect with Nick Lafferty  on LinkedInConnect with Josh Blyskal on LinkedInConnect with Alex Birkett on LinkedIn and TwitterConnect with Omniscient Digital on LinkedIn or TwitterSome interviews you might enjoy and learn from:Actionable Tips and Secrets to SEO Strategy with Dan Shure (Evolving SEO)Building Competitive Marketing Content with Sam Chapman (Aprimo)How to Build the Right Data Workflow with Blake Burch (Shipyard)Data-Driven Thought Leadership with Alicia Johnston (Sprout Social)Purpose-Driven Leadership & Building a Content Team with Ty Magnin (UiPath)Also, check out our Kitchen Side series where we take you behind the scenes to see how the sausage is made at our agency:Blue Ocean vs Red Ocean SEOShould You Hire Writers or Subject Matter Experts?How Do Growth and Content Overlap?Connect with Omniscient Digital on social:Twitter: @beomniscientLinkedin: Be OmniscientListen to more episodes of The Long Game podcast here: https://beomniscient.com/podcast/

In comedy, the punchline only works if it lands with the audience—and B2B marketing is no different.That's what we can learn from Hacks, a show about a legendary comedian reinventing herself with the help of a Gen Z writer. In this episode, we're breaking down its lessons with the help of special guest Jamie Bell, Chief Marketing Officer at Workshop.Together, we explore what B2B marketers can learn from creating a “writer's room” for fresh ideas, testing content like comedians test their sets, and embracing generational differences as a source of connection rather than division.About our guest, Jamie BellJamie Bell is the CMO at Workshop. She is a marketing leader with a passion for building brands in underestimated industries and demand engines that keep sales teams busy (in a good way!). Over the past 12+ years, Jamie has been lucky enough to work in several early- and growth-stage companies in SaaS, e-commerce, retail, and media.What B2B Companies Can Learn From Hacks:Create a “writer's room” for marketers. Great campaigns don't just come from formal briefs—they need a space for messy, creative riffing. Jamie explains, “We didn't have a writer's room, at least at Workshop, and so when I came back from maternity leave, we added a meeting. We called it the pitch deck… it's just like an open forum for people to do like five-minute pitches, and we just creatively layer on, and it's been a blast.” The lesson? Carve out judgment-free time for brainstorming, where small sparks can snowball into big campaigns.Test your material before scaling. Like comedians who try new jokes on the road, marketers should pilot ideas before investing heavily. Jamie notes, “She does road shows, before to test the set list. So we do some things in like our Happy Monday Club newsletter, where before we'll like super invest in a piece of content, we'll just see if it does better than the other content in that newsletter, and see what the reception of that is before we blow it up a bit.” The takeaway: use small, low-risk formats to gauge response, then double down on what resonates.Bridge generational divides head-on. Hacks thrives on the clash between an aging comedy legend and a Gen Z writer, two perspectives that seem at odds, but create brilliance together. Jamie ties this directly to marketing: “There's so much about marketing and internal communications that I feel is around generational differences… and I think the idea that you take that relationship, you're unapologetic about it and you just talk about it head on… I think it's really great too.” In B2B marketing, don't shy away from generational dynamics; embrace them as a rich source of storytelling and connection.Quote“ Employees are your best brand ambassadors, and you need to spend some effort rolling out things internally. Having employees connected to the mission, the vision, the values.”Time Stamps[00:55] Meet Jamie Bell, Chief Marketing Officer at Workshop[01:33] Why Hacks?[02:07] The Role of CMO at Workshop[03:07] What is the Happy Monday Club?[04:45] The Concept and Creation of Hacks[20:16] Marketing Lessons from Hacks[41:38] Importance of Community and Events[44:03] Workshops' Content Strategy[45:04] Advice for a first-time CMO[48:38] Final Thoughts and TakeawaysLinksConnect with Jamie on LinkedInLearn more about WorkshopAbout Remarkable!Remarkable! is created by the team at Caspian Studios, the premier B2B Podcast-as-a-Service company. Caspian creates both nonfiction and fiction series for B2B companies. If you want a fiction series check out our new offering - The Business Thriller - Hollywood style storytelling for B2B. Learn more at CaspianStudios.com. In today's episode, you heard from Ian Faison (CEO of Caspian Studios) and Meredith Gooderham (Head of Production). Remarkable was produced this week by Jess Avellino, mixed by Scott Goodrich, and our theme song is “Solomon” by FALAK. Create something remarkable. Rise above the noise. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

#284 Brand | Dave sits down with Ari Yablok, Head of Brand at Island, to share his approach to creating a brand in the cybersecurity space. Ari shares his journey from agency life to leading the brand narrative at Island, where he helped build the concept of the "enterprise browser."Dave and Ari Cover:The key differences between category creation and strategic positioning, and why it matters for B2B marketersThe steps to building a brand story that resonates with both your internal team and your target audienceHow focusing on the last 20% of branding efforts can elevate your company above the competitionTimestamps(00:00) - - Intro to Ari (04:33) - - Rapidly Growing Enterprise Browser Company Secures $375M in Series D Funding (08:42) - - SEO Strategy vs Branding (14:09) - - How Brand is an Art and a Science (19:24) - - Challenges in Cybersecurity Branding (21:08) - - Early Stage Marketing (29:48) - - Cognitive Behavioral Branding (34:57) - - How Ari Manages Projects with the Brand Team (37:07) - - Comfortable vs. Uncomfortable Approaches to Brand Strategy (41:25) - - What Founders Really Want to Do (46:31) - - Balancing the Day-to-Day with Visionary Goals Send guest pitches and ideas to hi@exitfive.comJoin the Exit Five Newsletter here: https://www.exitfive.com/newsletterCheck out the Exit Five job board: https://jobs.exitfive.com/Become an Exit Five member: https://community.exitfive.com/checkout/exit-five-membership***This episode of the Exit Five podcast is brought to you by Qualified.AI is the hottest topic in marketing right now. And one thing we hear a lot of you marketers talking about is how you can use AI Agents to help run your marketing machine.That's where Qualifed comes in with Piper, their AI SDR agent.Piper is the #1 AI SDR Agent on the market according to G2, and hundreds of companies like Box, Asana, and Brex, have hired Piper to autonomously grow inbound pipeline. How good does that sound?Qualified customers are seeing a massive business impact with Piper: a 3X increase in meetings booked and a 2X increase in pipeline.The Agentic Marketing era has arrived. And if you're a B2B marketing leader looking to scale pipeline generation, Piper the #1 AI SDR Agent is here to help.Hire Piper, the #1 AI SDR Agent, and grow your pipeline today.You can learn more at qualified.com/exit5

Learn how to capture, create, and convert demand in the AI era If you're still trying to grow your business with traditional funnels and wondering why your capture, create, convert demand strategy isn't working, you're about to discover why those old-school tactics are completely dead. In this episode, I sit down with one of the very few people who actually gets it - Megan Bowen - and we dive deep into the evolution of buyer behavior from the analog buying era all the way through to where we are now in the AI era. We explore why 96% of the buying process now happens before prospects ever talk to your sales team, and Megan breaks down her game-changing framework that's helping B2B companies completely rethink how they approach demand generation. Trust me, you're going to want to have a pen and paper handy for this one because we're going beyond the surface-level funnel nonsense that everyone else is teaching. My guest today is Megan Bowen, CEO of Refine Labs, and she's someone I have tremendous respect for because she actually eats her own pudding. With over 20 years of experience building and scaling go-to-market teams across B2B industries - including companies that achieved IPOs and acquisitions - Megan co-founded Refine Labs in 2020 with a mission to completely change how B2B companies approach their go-to-market strategies. What I love about Megan is that her leadership philosophy isn't some theoretical framework from a business book - it's rooted in real-world experience as an individual contributor, people manager, and executive leader. She understands that without customers, you don't have a business, and she's laser-focused on creating the conditions for long-term relationships and meaningful results.Retry KEY TAKEAWAYS: Volume-based funnel marketing fails because high-intent leads convert at 25% while low-intent leads convert at less than 1% Use "split the funnel analysis" to show the dramatic difference between lead quality and stop wasting budget on low-intent leads By 2030, nearly 100% of buying decisions happen before sales calls, making self-service information critical Put pricing, social proof, and competitive advantages directly on your website to eliminate buyer friction Brand marketing gets you into buyers' "day one consideration set" before they start searching for solutions Dark social is the invisible 6-12 month buying cycle where prospects research before visiting your website Create content that actually solves buyer problems rather than just promoting your services Talk to your customers regularly to understand their evolving needs and grow beyond seven figures Growing your business is hard, but it doesn't have to be. In this podcast, we will be discussing top level strategies for both growing and expanding your business beyond seven figures. The show will feature a mix of pure content and expert interviews to present key concepts and fundamental topics in a variety of different formats. We believe that this format will enable our listeners to learn the most from the show, implement more in their businesses, and get real value out of the podcast. Enjoy the show. Please remember to rate, review and subscribe to the podcast so you don't miss any future episodes. Your support and reviews are important and help us to grow and improve the show. Follow Charles Gaudet and Predictable Profits on Social Media: Facebook: facebook.com/PredictableProfits Instagram: instagram.com/predictableprofits Twitter: twitter.com/charlesgaudet LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/charlesgaudet Visit Charles Gaudet's Wesbites:  www.PredictableProfits.com www.predictableprofits.com/community  

Shannon Shae Montoya, Global Head of B2B Marketing, Sponsorships, and Events at Yahoo, joins Barbara Kahn to explore how Yahoo leverages data, creativity, and nostalgia to craft experiential marketing campaigns that leave lasting impressions—revitalizing the brand for new generations and reinforcing its relevance across digital and physical spaces. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#285 Marketing Leadership | In this episode, Dave is joined by Sylvia Lepoidevin, CMO of Kandji, a leading platform for managing and securing Apple devices in the workplace. Sylvia shares her journey from employee #4 to CMO at Kandji, driving the company's growth to a $850M valuation. She talks about her experience building efficient marketing teams, leveraging AI, and creating impactful brand experiences.Dave and Sylvia cover:How AI is reshaping marketing roles and enabling smaller, more efficient teamsStrategies for internal marketing that align and energize cross-functional teamsProduct launches and creative campaigns for brand-driven growthTimestamps(00:00) - - Intro to Sylvia (04:57) - - From Marketing Hire to CMO (09:42) - - Understanding Equity and Financial Outcomes (12:24) - - Wealth and Career Growth (15:04) - - Why It's Important to Have a Clear Career Narrative (19:56) - - Mastering Storytelling in Team Meetings (23:14) - - How to Engage Your Team (23:50) - - Leveraging Feedback Loops to Build a Successful Team (31:06) - - AI Is Enabling Smaller, More Efficient Teams (34:49) - - AI's Impact on Marketing (37:49) - - How Kandji Is Expanding Their Team (40:40) - - Achieving 10x Growth Through Product-Led Strategies (44:20) - - Leveraging Competitor and Apple-Specific Keywords (47:44) - - Minimizing Hiring Risk: Test Roles First Send guest pitches and ideas to hi@exitfive.comJoin the Exit Five Newsletter here: https://www.exitfive.com/newsletterCheck out the Exit Five job board: https://jobs.exitfive.com/Become an Exit Five member: https://community.exitfive.com/checkout/exit-five-membership***This episode of the Exit Five podcast is brought to you by Qualified.AI is the hottest topic in marketing right now. And one thing we hear a lot of you marketers talking about is how you can use AI Agents to help run your marketing machine.That's where Qualifed comes in with Piper, their AI SDR agent.Piper is the #1 AI SDR Agent on the market according to G2, and hundreds of companies like Box, Asana, and Brex, have hired Piper to autonomously grow inbound pipeline. How good does that sound?Qualified customers are seeing a massive business impact with Piper: a 3X increase in meetings booked and a 2X increase in pipeline.The Agentic Marketing era has arrived. And if you're a B2B marketing leader looking to scale pipeline generation, Piper the #1 AI SDR Agent is here to help.Hire Piper, the #1 AI SDR Agent, and grow your pipeline today.You can learn more at qualified.com/exit5

Shannon Shae Montoya, Global Head of B2B Marketing, Sponsorships, and Events at Yahoo, joins Barbara Kahn to explore how Yahoo leverages data, creativity, and nostalgia to craft experiential marketing campaigns that leave lasting impressions—revitalizing the brand for new generations and reinforcing its relevance across digital and physical spaces. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode of the OnBase Podcast delivers a masterclass in building modern go-to-market strategies with ABM at their heart. Host Paul Gibson talks with Robert Norum about why a focused, account-based approach is no longer optional for B2B organizations—it's essential. Robert breaks down the journey from traditional, volume-based marketing to a sophisticated, tiered ABM model that aligns the entire organization.The conversation uncovers the most common challenges businesses face when adopting ABM, from securing leadership buy-in to managing expectations and moving beyond outdated MQL metrics. Robert provides a clear roadmap for success, emphasizing that ABM is not just a marketing tactic but a company-wide directive that unites sales, marketing, and customer success into a single, powerful growth engine.Listen to the full episode to gain the confidence and clarity needed to make ABM your primary GTM strategy.Key TakeawaysABM is the Go-to-Market StrategyFor enterprise organizations, ABM should be the central GTM strategy, not just another marketing program.Focus is EverythingAn account-based approach forces you to concentrate your budget, resources, and people on the accounts that truly matter..Alignment is Non-NegotiableSuccess depends on creating a "SWAT team" across sales, marketing, and customer success, all working toward shared account goals.Pilots Can Be a TrapTreating ABM as a short-term pilot is a recipe for failure; it requires long-term investment and commitment from the top down.Measure What MattersMove beyond MQLs and vanity metrics. Focus on moving the dial within target accounts, expanding your footprint, and creating real pipeline opportunities..Quotes"ABM is the glue that has the potential to really connect organizations and break down silos across different teams"Best Moments (04:37) – The Evolution of ABM: Robert discusses how ABM grew from a one-to-one approach for large enterprises to a scalable, multi-tiered strategy.(09:05) – The Case for Focus: Why concentrating on high-value accounts is the most critical decision a B2B business can make today.(20:12) – The Biggest ABM Challenge: The most common mistake companies make is diving in without defining what ABM means for their organization and getting leadership buy-in.(24:17) – The End of Silos: How an account-based approach fosters an equal partnership between sales and marketing.(30:50) – Winning Over Leadership: Strategies for building a compelling business case for ABM and getting the C-suite excited.(42:40) – The Role of AI: How AI will accelerate ABM, but human intelligence remains essential to brief, interpret, and quality-check the output.Resource RecommendationsBooks:Account-Based Marketing: The Definitive Handbook for B2B Marketers by Bev Burgess.Shout-OutsJon Miller - MarTech entrepreneur,Co-founder at Marketo and EngagioMarta George - Head of EMEA AMB Programmes, Ping Identity.Lianne O'Connor - Global Field & ABM Marketing Director, Fluke Corporation.Andy Johnson - Founder and Director of Client Strategy, HUT 3.Charlotte Graham-Cumming - CEO, Ice Blue Sky Corporation.About the GuestRobert Norum is a B2B Marketer with over 30 years experience. He has worked in magazine publishing, IT distribution, marketing agencies and for the last 20 years as an independent marketing consultant. During this time he has worked on brand, demandgen, channel, ecommerce and sales enablement. For the last 10 years he had specialised in ABM working with a number of leading agencies and directly for wide cross-section of global brands. Since 2017, he has delivered the ABM Essentials training course for B2B Marketing training over 750 marketing professionals in the process. Robert has also been the ABM and Demand Strategy Expert on Propolis since its launch.Connect with Robert.

Why is it still harder for women to be seen, heard, and safe in B2B marketing?

Monster trucks, skeletons, and a CMO who doesn't think about cost analysis very often. In this in-studio conversation, Torq CMO Don Jeter breaks down how brand-led world-building beats feature dumps, why entertainment now matters more than information on the trade show floor, and how a Monster Jam partnership and an episodic LinkedIn “junior intern” series created real pipeline by earning mental real estate long before buyers are in-market. We get into the 60-day rebrand sprints, showing up at Black Hat, aligning sales and product so bold creative actually converts, measuring what matters when attribution gets fuzzy, and using AI for brainstorming without shipping “AI slop.” Stick around to the lightning round where Don reveals his $10M marketing moonshot and the sacred marketing belief he thinks won't age well. If you care about brand, demand, and breaking B2B sameness, watch through to the end and then queue it up on audio for the commute. Key Moments: 00:00: Brand > Features: Cold Open02:09: Rebrand to Stand Out (Not Blend In)03:53: Trade Show Strategy + Monster Jam Booth07:31: World-Building for B2B Brands10:02: Episodic LinkedIn: Meet “Intern Trevor”13:18: Do Bold Stunts Actually Drive Revenue?20:16: Brand x Product x Sales: Tight Alignment30:04: Polarizing on Purpose: Handling the Haters34:30: Collabs, Culture & Consistency (Beyond F1)38:52: AI for Ideas, Humans for Taste45:00: Hiring Creatives + Technical PMM Muscle48:03 Lightning Round (Super Bowl Ads, Hot Takes & More)  Mission.org is a media studio producing content alongside world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

David J. Ebner (Founder, Content Workshop), who shares insights and expert strategies on how to make your B2B marketing stand out.David emphasized the need to create unique, insightful, and customer-centric content that doesn't disrupt the audience's flow. He also discussed the importance of giving away actionable advice to demonstrate true expertise and build trust.

With the global B2B market projected to reach nearly $29 trillion in 2025, digital-first buyers are demanding more personalized, authentic, and human experiences. At the heart of this evolution are creators—marketers, thought leaders, and employees—who are building trust and community in ways traditional brand marketing can't.In this episode, Nicole Jones is joined by two powerhouse voices from LinkedIn's B2B Institute, Ty Heath, Director and Founder of the practice, and Caroline Day, Global Director. Together, they unpack:The evolution of B2B marketing and storytellingThe unique role and value of B2B creatorsHow LinkedIn is empowering brands to leverage creator influenceThe intersection of AI, neuroscience, and employee advocacy in modern marketingWhether you're a marketer, brand leader, or aspiring creator, this episode is packed with insights on how to future-proof your strategy—and your skillset—for the next era of B2B. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We've just announced our 2025 B2B Marketing Awards Shortlist, and we are joined by FunnelFuel, Differentiated, Gravity Global and The Croc to break down some of the juicy details behind this year's theme and campaigns. In this podcast episode, we were joined by Sarah Townsend, Head of Growth & Innovation, The Croc; Chris Omotosho, Managing Director, UK, Gravity Global; Paul Collier, CMO, FunnelFuel; and finally last but not least Jon Buckthorp, Commercial Director, Differentiated. The group discussion kicks off with an overarching look at the B2B industry and how it has led to compelling campaigns that are data-back, creative and commercially successful. In addition, they chat about some of the big categories like ‘Best use of AI', ‘Most commercially successful campaign' and ‘Best campaign with a limited budget'. And if you're looking for thought leadership advice throughout, find out the key traits to success; plus, why failing in today's competitive environment can actually be a positive way of upskilling your team. This year's winners will be announced at the B2B Marketing Awards ceremony on 26 November 2025. You can find all the ceremony details and table booking information on the event website: b2bawards.net.

Great marketing isn't just strategy, it's intuition, timing, and a deep understanding of human behavior. That's the beauty of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, a movie about erasing your memories. In this episode, we're breaking down its lessons with the help of special guest Noha Rizk, Chief Marketing Officer at Incorta. Together, we explore what B2B marketers can learn from putting human emotion at the center of their work, trusting intuition alongside data, and embracing mistakes as the path to growth.About our guest, Noha RizkNoha Rizk is the Chief Marketing Officer at Incorta. With deep expertise in Marketing, brand management, integrated channel management, product leadership, P&L accountability, and change management, across various industries and launching and leading partnerships, marketing and product in over 50 countries, Noha brings extensive experience and insights into how to execute for brand loyalty, growth and sustainable share of the market. Prior to Incorta, Noha led marketing for Meta AI, launching Llama, and leading other open source projects like PyTorch. She pioneered online banking for Amex and Citi, online booking and revenue optimisations and integrated channel strategies in the hotel industry with Starwood and Marriott, led partnerships and loyalty in emerging markets, launched NGO and Gov projects with US state department, launched and spun off two of her own successful businesses and helped organise PayPals enterprise, Platforms and Developer product offerings and streamline their GTM strategies.Noha loves to solve big problems and create groundbreaking products and services that inspire customers and business partners. She focuses on delivering insights and metrics driven outcomes, collaborating with cross-functional teams, and coming up with innovative solutions. She especially enjoys building and developing strong, resilient, and nimble teams that can adapt to changing market needs and customer expectations.Noha is an avid reader, developing painter and pianist, proud mother and animal lover with a passion for helping the private sector thrive in emerging markets.What B2B Companies Can Learn From Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind:Lead with human emotion. Great marketing isn't about features, it's about people. Even in B2B, you're dealing with human psyches, behaviors, and emotions—not faceless corporations. Noha explains, “Even as B2B marketers… you're dealing with individuals. You're dealing with the human psyche, you're dealing with the buying behavior… ultimately that is the objective. The objective is to maintain a relationship with your customers.” The lesson? Build messaging that connects on a human level first, because behind every buying decision is a person making sense of their own emotions.Balance data with intuition. Metrics matter, but numbers can't capture everything. Noha argues that some of the best insights come from being present, listening, and noticing what the data can't show. “Some things can't be measured…A big chunk of marketing has to be intuitive. It's not always purely scientific.” Just as the film's dreamlike narrative reminds us memory isn't linear or logical, B2B marketers need to leave room for creativity, serendipity, and gut instinct, because not everything that counts can be counted.Embrace mistakes as part of growth. Trying to erase failures is as dangerous in marketing as it is in memory. Noha points out, “You can't just erase away the pain… you won't learn if you don't make mistakes. A lot of marketers have to be super buttoned up, their campaigns have to work… there isn't a lot of opportunity for marketers these days to be allowed to make mistakes.” But the best brands learn from experiments that don't go as planned. Failure isn't wasted, it's the raw material for innovation, resilience, and better campaigns down the road.Quote“ As marketers…we explore the human psyche pretty much day in, day out, even if it's not explicitly said. But that's essentially what we do.”Time Stamps[00:55] Meet Noha Rizk, Chief Marketing Officer at Incorta[1:26] Why Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind?[5:51] Role of CMO at Incorta[9:07] Breaking Down Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind[22:11] B2B Marketing Takeaways from Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind[43:56] Final Thoughts and TakeawaysLinksConnect with Noha on LinkedInLearn more about IncortaAbout Remarkable!Remarkable! is created by the team at Caspian Studios, the premier B2B Podcast-as-a-Service company. Caspian creates both nonfiction and fiction series for B2B companies. If you want a fiction series check out our new offering - The Business Thriller - Hollywood style storytelling for B2B. Learn more at CaspianStudios.com. In today's episode, you heard from Ian Faison (CEO of Caspian Studios) and Meredith Gooderham (Head of Production). Remarkable was produced this week by Jess Avellino, mixed by Scott Goodrich, and our theme song is “Solomon” by FALAK. Create something remarkable. Rise above the noise. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Show Resources Jenn Moy's LinkedIn profile - follow and connect! Jackie Morris' LinkedIn profile - follow and connect! Join the LinkedIn Ads Fanatics community and get access to our 4 courses to take you from beginner to expert Rate/Review Contact us with any questions, suggestions, or corrections! Summary B2B buying has never been more complex—decision cycles are longer, shortlists are shrinking, and deals often stall due to indecision. In this episode, I sit down with LinkedIn's Jen and Jackie to unpack how Buyer Group Targeting can help marketers reach the full buying committee—not just the end user—and drive better results. We cover LinkedIn's unique data, real-world success stories, and practical tips for layering this new targeting into your campaigns. If you're ready to boost conversions, improve cost efficiency, and win over the entire buying group, you won't want to miss this conversation. Transcript For the full show transcript, see the show notes page here: Episode 165

Today we break down why “influencer marketing” (renting audience) is losing to creator-based marketing (renting skill at making viral content) — and how to run it like a system. Guest Robert Lukoszko, founder of Stormy AI, shows how their agent finds creators, pulls contacts, sends DMs/emails, follows up, and even negotiates packages before you step in. We get tactical on budgets, pricing, UGC hiring, TikTok vs YouTube strategy, measurement, and building a compounding “surface-area” of content across the web. Brought to you by Graphed.com — connect your data, ask in plain English, ship shareable dashboards.GuestWebsite: stormy.ai Robert Lukoszko — LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/karmedge X (Twitter): @Karmedge What you'll learnCreator vs Influencer marketing: Why FYP-driven platforms reward great content over big followings — and how to “rent” creators' skill instead of their audience.The scalable workflow: Brief → research → outreach (DM/email) → qualify → negotiate packages → handoff to human for final approval.TikTok UGC machine: Hire 1–3 full-time UGC creators posting 2–3 shorts per day; test cheaply, then double down on breakout templates.YouTube packages that work: Three-video bundles over ~6 weeks build trust & lift; use retainers for your top performers.Negotiation scripts that convert: Lead with “Paid collaboration” in subject/first line, anchor on value, and offer volume/retainer discounts.Pricing reality check: Typical UGC test pieces land in the ~$20–$100/video range (many sweet-spot wins at $20–$50) for micro/nano creators; salaried UGC in EU markets often $1–2k/mo part-time depending on output and quality.Compounding effects: Viral videos spawn follower videos; repeated sightings increase creator reply-rates and lower CPAs.Agents as team members: Why modern stacks look like small pods of engineers orchestrating many narrow agents (research, outreach, follow-ups, CRM status, stop-conditions).Chapters & Timestamps00:00:00 — Cold open: “Stop influencer marketing. Start creator marketing.”00:01:17 — Sponsor: Graph.com (AI dashboards from plain English)00:02:26 — Guest intro: Robert (Founder, Stormy AI) + why YouTube/TikTok matter00:03:49 — The pain of manual outreach and why Stormy exists00:05:55 — How Stormy's research agent finds/qualifies creators (views, recency, fit)00:08:15 — TikTok/UGC playbook: daily shorts, test → double down00:10:04 — It's a numbers game: post volume & breakout templates00:12:00 — “Surface area” strategy: AI pulls from the open web; brand search as moat00:15:03 — Validating features with viral demos before shipping00:17:02 — Building in public: rapid iteration with creator feedback00:18:00 — Outreach mechanics: DMs, scraping bios/Linktree, multi-source emails00:20:06 — Copy that converts: lead with “Paid collaboration” + template tips00:21:46 — Scale metrics: ~200 messages/day across rotated inboxes; reply-rate ranges00:23:29 — Brand effects: recognition boosts replies; upfront vs affiliate by stage00:26:01 — Compounding virality: trend templates, creator social proof00:29:03 — Pricing: $20–$100 UGC tests; sweet spot $20–$50; EU part-time $1–2k/mo00:29:53 — Agentic negotiations: packages, volume, follow-ups, human handoff00:31:04 — Guardrails: budget anchoring, stop-conditions, funny “PayPal link” story00:35:05 — Toolbelt of agents: research, outreach, CRM updates, payments, bulk sends00:36:01 — Architecture: many narrow agents > one monolith00:37:51 — Future: fewer humans in the loop; AI influencers; approvals as human role00:39:16 — Can businesses run themselves? Media = growth flywheel00:41:11 — Hiring philosophy: engineer-heavy teams (Gary Tan advice)00:43:46 — Wrap + where to find Robert & StormyPlaybooks & templates (steal these)Outreach subject lines (email/DM first line):“Paid collaboration: {Brand} x {CreatorName} — 3-video package”“Paid promo + affiliate: {Brand} (fast approvals, simple brief)”First message (short DM/email): “Hey {Name} — we're {Brand}, a {1-line what you do}. Paid collaboration: 1 test short this week (${offer}) + option to extend to 3-video bundle over 6 weeks. You keep creative control; we provide brief + examples. Interested? If yes, quick details + rate card?”Negotiation levers: volume (3-pack → 6-pack), multi-month cadence (1/mo), affiliate top-ups on performance, first-video discount, creative templates proven to hit.UGC hiring filter: Look for micro/nano creators (10k–50k) with at least one breakout (e.g., 500k+ views) in your niche; they have the “spark” but are still rationally priced. (Stormy highlights this pattern in search/fit scoring.) Key quotes (pull-ready)“Creator marketing rents skill at making viral content — not just an audience.”“It's a numbers game twice: mass outreach, then mass posting — let the winners emerge.”“Lead with ‘Paid collaboration' so creators instantly know there's budget.”“Templates win. When a format pops, clone it and scale with more creators.”SponsorGraphed.com — Connect your SaaS/GA4/Shopify/data warehouse → ask in plain English → get dashboards & ad-hoc analysis; share with clients or your team in one click. (Free 10-seat trial for listeners — link in description.)

#281 CRO | Matt is joined by Haley Carpenter, founder of Chirpy, a conversion rate optimization agency. Haley has nearly a decade of CRO experience across agency, SaaS, and eCommerce, and she's known for helping brands use research and testing to make smarter marketing decisions.Matt and Haley cover:Why CRO isn't just A/B testing, and how research should guide every optimization effortHow to approach CRO when you don't have massive website traffic, including scrappy testing methods and toolsThe role of messaging, value props, and social proof in driving higher conversions (and where B2B often lags behind DTC)By the end, you'll have a clearer picture of how to approach CRO as a system, not just a set of tests.Timestamps(00:00) - – Intro (02:09) - – Who is Haley Carpenter (03:09) - – What CRO really means (06:09) - – Research vs. testing explained (10:09) - – Where to start CRO on a website (13:09) - – Testing with limited traffic (17:09) - – Using data for smarter decisions (20:09) - – Building a culture of testing (24:09) - – How to report CRO results (29:09) - – Scrappy tools: Clarity & Hotjar (34:54) - – What B2B can learn from DTC (38:54) - – Why messaging matters more than features (42:54) - – The power of social proof (48:54) - – Common blockers to CRO success (50:54) - – A surprising test result (+7% sales) (52:54) - – Vanity metrics vs. real business outcomes (56:54) - – Closing thoughts Send guest pitches and ideas to hi@exitfive.comJoin the Exit Five Newsletter here: https://www.exitfive.com/newsletterCheck out the Exit Five job board: https://jobs.exitfive.com/Become an Exit Five member: https://community.exitfive.com/checkout/exit-five-membership***This episode of the Exit Five podcast is brought to you by Qualified.AI is the hottest topic in marketing right now. And one thing we hear a lot of you marketers talking about is how you can use AI Agents to help run your marketing machine.That's where Qualifed comes in with Piper, their AI SDR agent.Piper is the #1 AI SDR Agent on the market according to G2, and hundreds of companies like Box, Asana, and Brex, have hired Piper to autonomously grow inbound pipeline. How good does that sound?Qualified customers are seeing a massive business impact with Piper: a 3X increase in meetings booked and a 2X increase in pipeline.The Agentic Marketing era has arrived. And if you're a B2B marketing leader looking to scale pipeline generation, Piper the #1 AI SDR Agent is here to help.Hire Piper, the #1 AI SDR Agent, and grow your pipeline today.You can learn more at qualified.com/exit5

For years, B2B leaders have preached the importance of breaking down organisational silos, yet true cross-functional alignment remains elusive for many. How do you move beyond theoretical collaboration to create a genuinely seamless customer experience where product, marketing, sales, and support all speak the same language?In this episode, we're joined by Mika Yamamoto, Chief Customer and Marketing Officer at Freshworks, who oversees a diverse organization of 1,200 employees. Drawing on her extensive experience at tech giants like Microsoft, Amazon, and Adobe, Mika shares the blueprint behind Freshworks' transformative "uncomplicate" movement.Discover how Freshworks uses this simple North Star to reduce friction across the entire customer journey. Tune in to learn:Why cross-functionality is essential to capitalize on innovations like AI search.Tactics for building a shared "source code" for brand messaging across technical and commercial teams.How to overcome the challenge of unlearning siloed behaviors and fostering a culture of mutual success.Proof points for measuring the impact of alignment on customer satisfaction and employee engagement.The FINITE Podcast is sponsored by Clarity, a full-service digital marketing and communications agency. Through ideas, influence and impact, Clarity empowers visionary technology companies to change the world for the better.

B2B Marketing Budget Allocation: The Sustainable Way Small Teams Should Do ItIf your marketing budget keeps getting cut or ignored, it's not you—it's the model.In this episode, we break down a practical B2B marketing budget allocation for small teams. We explain why top-down and bottom-up alone fall apart, how to validate messaging before you buy reach, and how to shift from BOFU-only spend to a balanced brand + demand mix that compounds.We share the path we use with our 5 BEs framework—start lean and organic, prove the message, then use paid to amplify. You'll hear realistic ROI guardrails, when to rebalance spend, and how category (established vs new) should change your split.Tune in and learn:+ How to avoid the top-down and bottom-up budget traps+ The “validate, then amplify” approach that saves cash and increases impact+ ROI ranges and a stepwise shift from BOFU to demand + brandIf you're a B2B marketer in a small team, this is the clearest way to plan and defend your budget—and actually deliver revenue impact.-----------------------------------------------------

#281 Growth | In this episode, Dave is joined by Chris Walker, CEO of Passetto, and a prominent voice on LinkedIn, where he has been pushing the boundaries of B2B marketing for years. Chris shares actionable insights and tactics on social media strategy, what has changed in marketing over the last five years, and how to build effective feedback loops and flywheels.Dave and Chris also cover:The future of GTM and the evolving role of the CMOWhy sustainable growth is the only path forwardThe transformative role AI will play in B2B marketingTimestamps(00:53) - - Intro to Chris Walker (03:49) - - Managing different perspectives on social media (08:21) - - The ROI of podcasts and social media engagement (13:44) - - Why real-time feedback loops are valuable (19:19) - - Shifting from "growth at all costs" to sustainable growth (25:09) - - Rethinking marketing measurement and ROI (33:04) - - Splitting marketing teams: strategy vs. pipeline creation (40:09) - - How AI is reshaping B2B marketing teams (48:14) - - Chris's approach to creativity and focus (52:59) - - Predictions for the future of B2B marketing (54:37) - - Outro Send guest pitches and ideas to hi@exitfive.comJoin the Exit Five Newsletter here: https://www.exitfive.com/newsletterCheck out the Exit Five job board: https://jobs.exitfive.com/Become an Exit Five member: https://community.exitfive.com/checkout/exit-five-membership***This episode of the Exit Five podcast is brought to you by Qualified.AI is the hottest topic in marketing right now. And one thing we hear a lot of you marketers talking about is how you can use AI Agents to help run your marketing machine.That's where Qualifed comes in with Piper, their AI SDR agent.Piper is the #1 AI SDR Agent on the market according to G2, and hundreds of companies like Box, Asana, and Brex, have hired Piper to autonomously grow inbound pipeline. How good does that sound?Qualified customers are seeing a massive business impact with Piper: a 3X increase in meetings booked and a 2X increase in pipeline.The Agentic Marketing era has arrived. And if you're a B2B marketing leader looking to scale pipeline generation, Piper the #1 AI SDR Agent is here to help.Hire Piper, the #1 AI SDR Agent, and grow your pipeline today.You can learn more at qualified.com/exit5

It's not easy to keep pace with constant change. If you want to stand out, you need to pivot (yes, PIVOT!), adapt, and build real connection with your audience.That's the genius of Friends, a cultural phenomenon built on chemistry, community, and conversations that felt timeless. In this episode, we're decoding its lessons with the help of special guest Lisa Cole, Chief Marketing Officer at 2X.Together, we explore what B2B marketers can learn from embracing constant pivots, building your own Central Perk with your community, and why team chemistry often matters more than individual expertise.About our guest, Lisa ColeLisa Cole is currently CMO at 2X. She's a strategic marketing leader with over 24 years of experience driving transformative growth for B2B technology and professional services. As a former CMO at Huron, FARO, and Cellebrite, she has earned industry recognition for enhancing brand positioning, optimizing demand generation, and leveraging AI to accelerate go-to-market strategies. Through her earned accolades from Sirius Decisions, Forrester, and CMO Alliance and her book The Revenue RAMP, she guides B2B leaders in achieving more with less using her proven frameworks. What B2B Companies Can Learn From Friends:Pivot, pivot, pivot. In marketing, staying still isn't an option. New channels, new buyer behaviors, and now AI advancements mean marketers are in a constant state of change. Lisa explains, “Pivot is certainly one, especially now that, it seems like every week there's a new advancement… marketing as a whole is pivot. We're constantly in a period of time in between pivots is compressing.” The same way Ross couldn't move that couch without shouting “Pivot!” every marketer today needs to be ready to shift strategy, adjust direction, and keep moving forward.Create your Central Perk. Every brand needs a place where buyers feel safe, connected, and part of something bigger than a transaction. For the Friends cast, it was Central Perk, a space where they could gather, vent, and support each other without judgment. Lisa says, “You have to create a place… where your target audience, your buyers feel safe to get together and meet and engage as a community… if you care about Central Perk for your buyers, then they'll care about you too.” In B2B, that means investing in communities and experiences where customers can be candid, connect with peers, and build trust—with your brand quietly in the background.Build team chemistry. The Friends cast worked because the chemistry was real—something greater than the sum of its parts. Marketing teams are no different. Lisa says, “Sometimes it's the chemistry that matters more than the expertise. It's not necessarily that I brought together six experts.  It's the way that they work together, sometimes is the real magic.” Great marketing doesn't just come from the smartest experts; it comes from teams (in-house, partners, or both) who click, collaborate, and push each other toward a shared mission.Quote“  I'm not necessarily saying to marketers that this cast needs to be a large in-house marketing team. I'm just simply saying that the people that are in the day-to-day business of executing marketing for your organization, that there is a chemistry between them and that they are working together in a unified way.”Time Stamps[00:55] Meet Lisa Cole, CMO at 2X[01:09] Why Friends?[01:52] The Role of CMO at 2X[03:34] The Creation of Friends[07:54] The Chemistry and Dynamics of Friends[21:59] Marketing Takeaways from Friends[32:17] The Humble Leader[37:36] Introducing Brand Gravity[48:11] 2X's Content Strategy[49:46] Final Thoughts and TakeawaysLinksConnect with Lisa on LinkedInLearn more about 2XAbout Remarkable!Remarkable! is created by the team at Caspian Studios, the premier B2B Podcast-as-a-Service company. Caspian creates both nonfiction and fiction series for B2B companies. If you want a fiction series check out our new offering - The Business Thriller - Hollywood style storytelling for B2B. Learn more at CaspianStudios.com. In today's episode, you heard from Ian Faison (CEO of Caspian Studios) and Meredith Gooderham (Head of Production). Remarkable was produced this week by Jess Avellino, mixed by Scott Goodrich, and our theme song is “Solomon” by FALAK. Create something remarkable. Rise above the noise.

Doing more with less in B2B? This episode shows you how—without burning out your team or your budget.  Tessa Burg talks with B2B leaders, Hannah Woodham and Jenelle Maddox, to map out what's actually working as teams plan for 2026. They break down the wins from 2024–2025, including first-party data, smarter AI, and high-quality content. Then, share where to invest next so you can reach complex buying networks and still prove ROI. You'll hear practical ways to streamline work, personalize at scale, and boost brand visibility in LLMs—without chasing every shiny object. If you want clear steps to align marketing with business goals, improve performance metrics, and make your budget work harder, this conversation gives you the playbook.  Leader Generation is hosted by Tessa Burg and brought to you by Mod Op.  About Hannah Woodham: With over 15 years of experience driving paid channel marketing strategy in a dynamic agency environment, Hannah focuses on leading teams that deliver performance-driven results. Throughout her career, she's helped brands across B2B industries scale their reach, optimize their media investments, and achieve measurable growth through innovative paid strategies. Hannah has a passion for combining data, creativity and emerging technologies—including AI—to build campaigns that not only perform but transform. Hannah can be reached on LinkedIn or at Hannah.Woodham@ModOp.com.  About Jenelle Maddox: Jenelle Maddox is Vice President of Client Success at Mod Op, with more than 15 years of experience leading teams and advising global enterprise clients. She brings executive leadership and marketing strategy expertise to help organizations navigate digital transformation and drive growth, leveraging data-driven marketing, customer experience strategies, and technology enablement to ensure alignment with business goals and measurable outcomes. Jenelle is recognized for developing and scaling both client and employee satisfaction by creating clarity from complexity as a servant leader and multiplier, driving cross-functional alignment to achieve collective success. Jenelle can be reached on LinkedIn or at Jenelle.Maddox@ModOp.com.  About Tessa Burg: Tessa is the Chief Technology Officer at Mod Op and Host of the Leader Generation podcast. She has led both technology and marketing teams for 15+ years. Tessa initiated and now leads Mod Op's AI/ML Pilot Team, AI Council and Innovation Pipeline. She started her career in IT and development before following her love for data and strategy into digital marketing. Tessa has held roles on both the consulting and client sides of the business for domestic and international brands, including American Greetings, Amazon, Nestlé, Anlene, Moen and many more. Tessa can be reached on LinkedIn or at Tessa.Burg@ModOp.com.

#280 Strategy | In this episode, Dave is joined by Gurdeep Dhillon, CMO of Contentstack. Gurdeep has built an impressive career leading marketing at some of the biggest names in enterprise software, from SAP to Adobe, Marketo to Zoura. Now at Content Stack, he's challenging conventional B2B marketing wisdom in rethinking how enterprise companies should approach demand generation and brand building. In this conversation, Dave and Gurdeep dive deep into why marketing is ultimately a game of memory and reputation, not just lead generation.Dave and Gurdeep cover:The role of Demand Gen in 2025 (and what's changed)Why Brand and Reputation should be prioritized over Lead GenerationProven strategies to create urgency and close sales deals in enterprise marketsA glimpse into ContentStack's team structure and how they plan for growthTimestamps(00:00) - - Intro to Gurdeep (06:51) - - Brand and Audience Marketing (08:03) - - How the Role of Demand Gen is Changing (12:13) - - Brand and Reputation > Lead Generation (17:03) - - How Contentstack is Doing Demand Gen (19:41) - - How to Create Urgency to Win Sales Deals (21:22) - - Making a Good Offer in B2B Marketing (22:38) - - Why Being Bold and Taking Risks is Important in Marketing (28:57) - - Selling Your Vision to Leadership (31:38) - - How Contentstack Has Over 10,000 Global ICP Accounts (36:21) - - Team Structure at Contentstack (41:19) - - Running Marketing and Operating a High-Performing Team (43:35) - - Setting Effective Annual Plans (45:50) - - AI's Role in Marketing (49:24) - - Closing Thoughts Send guest pitches and ideas to hi@exitfive.comJoin the Exit Five Newsletter here: https://www.exitfive.com/newsletterCheck out the Exit Five job board: https://jobs.exitfive.com/Become an Exit Five member: https://community.exitfive.com/checkout/exit-five-membership***This episode of the Exit Five podcast is brought to you by Qualified.AI is the hottest topic in marketing right now. And one thing we hear a lot of you marketers talking about is how you can use AI Agents to help run your marketing machine.That's where Qualifed comes in with Piper, their AI SDR agent.Piper is the #1 AI SDR Agent on the market according to G2, and hundreds of companies like Box, Asana, and Brex, have hired Piper to autonomously grow inbound pipeline. How good does that sound?Qualified customers are seeing a massive business impact with Piper: a 3X increase in meetings booked and a 2X increase in pipeline.The Agentic Marketing era has arrived. And if you're a B2B marketing leader looking to scale pipeline generation, Piper the #1 AI SDR Agent is here to help.Hire Piper, the #1 AI SDR Agent, and grow your pipeline today.You can learn more at qualified.com/exit5

In this episode, Guy Bauer, founder and creative director of Umault, shares the single biggest lesson he's learned about marketing: never stop. Through analogies ranging from hand-pumped water wells to Top Gun, Guy explains why consistency matters more than perfection, why most marketing efforts will fail before they succeed, and why hitting pause is the most dangerous move a brand can make. If you've ever been tempted to cut spend or stop campaigns because results look flat, this short, punchy episode will remind you why momentum is everything.

Most brands talk about standing out. Very few actually do it. The ones that win are the ones willing to take a swing, sometimes even a wild one.That's exactly what GoDaddy did with the “Act Like You Know” campaign, a Super Bowl ad that became a cultural moment because of its boldness. In this episode, we explore the marketing lessons behind it with special guest Sydney Sloan, Chief Marketing Officer at G2.Together, we explore what B2B marketers can learn from emotional storytelling, influencer culture, and why building brand in the age of AI requires creativity, boldness, and a willingness to have a little fun.About our guest, Sydney SloanSydney Sloan is a visionary marketing leader with a track record of driving growth and innovation in the tech industry. As CMO of G2, the world's largest and most trusted software marketplace, Sydney is at the forefront of shaping the company's strategic direction. Sydney previously held CMO roles at compliance automation software company Drata, sales tech leader Salesloft, and cloud content management visionary Alfresco.What B2B Companies Can Learn From GoDaddy's “Act Like You Know” Campaign:Take bold swings. Safe marketing doesn't get noticed. To capture attention, B2B brands have to be willing to step outside the comfort zone and take real creative risks. As Sydney shared, “Take a big swing. Go do something outside of your comfort zone.” Boldness is the difference between blending in and breaking through.Your brand is the moat. With paid tactics getting harder, brand is the lasting advantage. It's not about clicks or keywords anymore. It's about the emotional connection people feel. As Sydney says, “Brand is right. It's the emotional connection that you actually build between a brand, which is not a person… and the audience.” In the age of AI, trust and resonance are the true differentiators.Influencers aren't just for B2C. Big-budget companies might hire celebrities, but every B2B brand can find ways to put people at the center of their story. It's about connection, not just reach. Sydney explained, “You can still use influencers, you can still have people connecting to people and doing it in creative ways.” In B2B, credibility often comes best through people, not platforms.Quote“We gotta go back and invest in brand. And what does that mean, and how do I do it? It's not the old playbook. That thing is gone. Display, out the windows. Google search, out the window. We are all at the starting line together. And whoever's the most creative and figures out this new era we're in has an unfair advantage.”Time Stamps[00:55] Meet Sydney Sloan, CMO at G2[01:17] Why GoDaddy's “Act Like You Know” Campaign[03:55] The Role of Influencers in B2B Marketing[11:39] The Role of CMO at G2[13:19] Understanding GoDaddy's “Act Like You Know” Campaign[19:32] B2B Marketing Lessons from GoDaddy's “Act Like You Know” Campaign[33:29] The Power of Creative Marketing[37:50] Final Thoughts and TakeawaysLinksConnect with Sydney on LinkedInLearn more about G2About Remarkable!Remarkable! is created by the team at Caspian Studios, the premier B2B Podcast-as-a-Service company. Caspian creates both nonfiction and fiction series for B2B companies. If you want a fiction series check out our new offering - The Business Thriller - Hollywood style storytelling for B2B. Learn more at CaspianStudios.com. In today's episode, you heard from Ian Faison (CEO of Caspian Studios) and Meredith Gooderham (Head of Production). Remarkable was produced this week by Jess Avellino, mixed by Scott Goodrich, and our theme song is “Solomon” by FALAK. Create something remarkable. Rise above the noise.

#279 Content Strategy | In this episode, Dave joins Holly Xiao from HeyGen for an unfiltered conversation about where AI and video marketing are headed. Holly leads B2B marketing at HeyGen, an AI-powered video platform, and she sat down with Dave to dig into what's working (and what's not) when it comes to creating content that actually connects.Dave and Holly cover:Why video hits differently in B2B and how to make yours stand out without blowing your budgetHow AI is reshaping the content production cycle and freeing up marketers to focus on storytellingWhy early adoption matters, and how small teams can use AI to punch above their weightYou can expect a candid, practical conversation about how to scale content, stay relevant, and make the most of AI.Timestamps(00:00) - – Intro (01:27) - – Why this conversation matters (02:44) - – AI is making marketing exciting again (03:53) - – Dave's early bet on video (05:53) - – How LinkedIn video exploded (07:10) - – ROI vs. brand building (08:25) - – From connection to conversion (10:10) - – Why video feels more human (12:16) - – “Maybe your videos suck” (14:22) - – The problem with corporate videos (16:10) - – The value of repetition and reps (18:34) - – How AI speeds up content cycles (20:51) - – Real AI tools Dave is using (22:28) - – Decks, data, and automation (24:53) - – Why creativity still wins (27:15) - – The return of the creative CMO (31:14) - – Personalized content at scale (33:13) - – AI vs. in-person experiences (35:55) - – Do audiences care if it's AI? (38:41) - – What makes an AI video work (41:18) - – Using AI to test and scale video (43:59) - – What small teams should do first (47:37) - – Final advice: be an early adopter Send guest pitches and ideas to hi@exitfive.comJoin the Exit Five Newsletter here: https://www.exitfive.com/newsletterCheck out the Exit Five job board: https://jobs.exitfive.com/Become an Exit Five member: https://community.exitfive.com/checkout/exit-five-membership***This episode of the Exit Five podcast is brought to you by Qualified.AI is the hottest topic in marketing right now. And one thing we hear a lot of you marketers talking about is how you can use AI Agents to help run your marketing machine.That's where Qualifed comes in with Piper, their AI SDR agent.Piper is the #1 AI SDR Agent on the market according to G2, and hundreds of companies like Box, Asana, and Brex, have hired Piper to autonomously grow inbound pipeline. How good does that sound?Qualified customers are seeing a massive business impact with Piper: a 3X increase in meetings booked and a 2X increase in pipeline.The Agentic Marketing era has arrived. And if you're a B2B marketing leader looking to scale pipeline generation, Piper the #1 AI SDR Agent is here to help.Hire Piper, the #1 AI SDR Agent, and grow your pipeline today.You can learn more at qualified.com/exit5

In this episode of The Long Game Podcast, David Ly Khim interviews Michael Walrath, CEO and Chairman of Yext. Known for building and exiting multiple companies—including RightMedia and Moat—Michael shares how Yext evolved from a local lead-gen platform to a digital presence powerhouse. He dives deep into the fragmentation of search, the shift toward generative engines, and the rise of “agentic” AI-powered experiences. With candid reflections on strategy pivots and digital transformation, Michael urges marketers to rethink discoverability, measurement, and structured content in an era where your next customer might not be human, but an AI assistant making decisions on their behalf.Key TakewaysYext's Strategic Pivots: The company evolved from call-based lead gen to local visibility, to enterprise search—each requiring bold but risky reinvention.Google Dominance Has Peaked: With 92%+ of search traffic once flowing through Google, that landscape is now fragmenting due to LLMs and AI agents.Structured Data Drives Discovery: Clean, contextualized data remains a marketer's best lever for visibility—whether on Google or in LLM-powered engines.Brand Visibility Beats SEO Rankings: As AI agents answer more queries, brands must optimize for visibility across platforms, not just search engine results pages.The Agentic Web Is Coming: AI assistants with memory and context will handle more decision-making—marketers must build for both humans and machines.AI Shifts Are Already Here: Yext observed traffic shifts 6+ quarters ago—marketers should act now, not wait, to influence AI results.Reframing Attribution: Zero-click answers and agentic transactions require a shift from traditional web metrics to outcome-focused measurement.Show LinksVisit Visit Yext on Linkedin and XConnect with Michael Walrath on LinkedInConnect with David Khim on LinkedIn and TwitterConnect with Omniscient Digital on LinkedIn or TwitterSome interviews you might enjoy and learn from:Actionable Tips and Secrets to SEO Strategy with Dan Shure (Evolving SEO)Building Competitive Marketing Content with Sam Chapman (Aprimo)How to Build the Right Data Workflow with Blake Burch (Shipyard)Data-Driven Thought Leadership with Alicia Johnston (Sprout Social)Purpose-Driven Leadership & Building a Content Team with Ty Magnin (UiPath)Also, check out our Kitchen Side series where we take you behind the scenes to see how the sausage is made at our agency:Blue Ocean vs Red Ocean SEOShould You Hire Writers or Subject Matter Experts?How Do Growth and Content Overlap?Connect with Omniscient Digital on social:Twitter: @beomniscientLinkedin: Be OmniscientListen to more episodes of The Long Game podcast here: https://beomniscient.com/podcast/

**Originally published on April 12, 2023**This episode features the one and only Thao Ngo - SVP of Marketing at Uptempo and a total gem of a leader. We talked about building team culture across time zones, leading through three back-to-back acquisitions, and why she ditched PR and the company podcast (and what's actually working instead).Thao's smart, hilarious, and brutally honest in the best way. One of my fave convos.- Jane-----------In this episode of Women in B2B Marketing, host Jane Serra interviews Thao Ngo, SVP of Marketing at Uptempo. Thao shares her unique journey from early-career marketing student to global marketing leader - and the lessons she's learned from decades in high tech, M&A chaos, and building high-performing, human-first teams.This episode covers:Leading through three acquisitions (and merging tools, teams, and time zones)The chaos and lessons of combining CRMs, MAPs, websites, and work culturesHow to actually build team culture on Zoom (hint: not forced virtual lunches)Why they paused their podcast, PR, and newsletter, and what's working betterThe live, no-recording MOPs huddles that build real communityHer onboarding playbook, including a slide on "how to work with the CMO"Burnout prevention tips like calendar audits, Slack boundaries, and no-meeting blocksHow Thao uses Slack photos and custom statuses to lead with personalityWhat it's like to lead as an Asian woman in tech, and how she speaks up when it countsThao also shares why building trust and being yourself is the most powerful tool a marketer can have.Key Links:Guest: Thao Ngo: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thaongo/Host: Jane Serra: https://www.linkedin.com/in/janeserra/––Like WIB2BM? Show us some love with a rating or review. It helps us reach more listeners.

Send us a textIn this episode we interview Jill Ransome, SVP of Marketing at Unite Us, a tech company redefining how organizations connect people with the services they need. Jill brings over 20 years of marketing experience—10 of those in leadership roles—and offers a sharp, seasoned perspective on how AI is transforming the content game in B2B.What you'll learn in this episode:Why AI is an amplifier, not a replacement, for content creatorsHow Jill's team uses AI tools like ChatGPT, Qualified, and Sprout to streamline marketing effortsThe importance of structured prompting and creative briefs for quality AI-generated contentWays to blend human insight with AI speed to retain brand authenticityHow Jill creates a culture of experimentation and AI literacy across a remote teamTactical strategies for budgeting and integrating new tools without disrupting the coreWhen not to trust AI—and how to spot the red flagsWhat it really means to align AI tools with business objectives, not hype

Being the underdog might feel like a disadvantage or your greatest marketing edge.That's the brilliance of Steph Curry's story. He redefined basketball not by being the tallest or strongest, but by mastering the three-pointer, staying relentlessly consistent, and building an empire as the face of an underdog brand. In this episode, we explore the marketing lessons from Steph Curry with special guest Brian Gilman, Chief Marketing Officer at ThetaRay.Together, we dig into what B2B marketers can learn from embracing the underdog role, cutting through noise with consistency, and focusing on doing one thing better than anyone else to create real brand gravity.About our guest, Brian GilmanBrian Gilam is the CMO at ThetaRay. He is a visionary Chief Executive with a proven track record in spearheading strategic B2B sales/marketing initiatives and driving robust growth. Brian excels in leading companies through critical transitions, including exit events and funding rounds, while managing large-scale projects and multi-million-dollar budgets. He is an expert in crafting high-ROI programs, fostering C-Level engagements, and negotiating impactful partnerships.What B2B Companies Can Learn From Steph Curry:Play the underdog role. Steph could've gone with Nike or Adidas like every other superstar, but he signed with Under Armour, the underdog, and turned it into a cultural force. Brian says, “His role as an underdog… It's endearing to be able to play the role of underdog as well as he does, and I think that's why people resonate with him as well as they do.” For marketers, especially at scale-ups, that lesson is powerful: people root for challengers who feel accessible and relatable. Positioning your brand as the scrappy player in the game can create emotional connection far beyond features and price.Focus on consistency over noise. Steph's greatness comes from showing up every day and blocking out distractions. Brian says, “He controls what he can control.” In marketing, the same discipline applies. Instead of chasing every channel or campaign, concentrate on the actions that matter most. Steph doesn't let the highs get too high or the lows too low, he just executes. That consistency of effort is what makes him durable and dominant. For B2B, that means resisting the urge to “do it all” and instead building steady momentum with tactics that reliably drive results.Do one thing better than anyone else. Steph didn't try to be everything, he mastered the three-pointer until it broke the NBA. Brian explains, “For me, it's always do one thing really, really well. Forget about the marketing machine, you need that one thing, and then build the next thing.” Just as Curry's deep shooting created “gravity” that opened the floor for teammates, one marketing strength executed brilliantly can lift all your other channels. Don't spread yourself thin, find your version of the 30-foot three-pointer and own it.Quotes“I think that in today's market, successful marketers are gonna throw out the book on convention. I've never seen such a highly competitive environment… and unless you're thinking about speed, cutting out the number of touch points, and getting to that face-to-face interaction as fast as humanly possible, you're never gonna get business anymore.”Time Stamps[00:55] Meet Brian Gilman, Chief Marketing Officer at ThetaRay[01:03] Why Steph Curry?[04:28] The Role of CMO of Thetaray[06:23] Who is Steph Curry?[26:58] B2B Marketing Takeaways from Steph Curry[39:13] Brian's Marketing Strategy[42:20] Final Thoughts and TakeawaysLinksConnect with Brian on LinkedInLearn more about ThetaRayAbout Remarkable!Remarkable! is created by the team at Caspian Studios, the premier B2B Podcast-as-a-Service company. Caspian creates both nonfiction and fiction series for B2B companies. If you want a fiction series check out our new offering - The Business Thriller - Hollywood style storytelling for B2B. Learn more at CaspianStudios.com. In today's episode, you heard from Ian Faison (CEO of Caspian Studios) and Meredith Gooderham (Head of Production). Remarkable was produced this week by Jess Avellino, mixed by Scott Goodrich, and our theme song is “Solomon” by FALAK. Create something remarkable. Rise above the noise.

#278 Content | In this episode, Dave brings together five B2B marketers who aren't just talking about AI, they're actually using it to change how their teams work. Each finalist from the Exit Five x Walnut AI Sessions takes the (virtual) stage to demo their workflow, share results, and answer questions from the judges.Here's what you'll hear:Jillian Hoefer's “content concierge” GPT trained on proprietary research to surface stats, quotes, and data for blogs, sales decks, and thought leadershipJake Heap's workflow using Meshy + VEO 3 to turn a simple mascot into animated 3D brand characters in minutesJessica Lytle's no-code ROI calculator built in Lovable that sales reps now run live on calls to build business casesUgi Djuric's high-volume content engine that scrapes industry news and sales call transcripts, then uses AI to summarize, generate content ideas, and even score leadsAnton Ruis' AI-powered buyer brief builder that pulls real-time economic data and tailors sales messaging to specific personasIt's part workshop, part competition, and packed with creative, tactical ways to put AI to work in B2B marketing today.Timestamps(00:00) - – Dave kicks off in a tux (02:44) - – Record-breaking registrations (03:22) - – Meet the judges: Benny & Jess (08:10) - – Jillian's “victim of repurposing” intro (08:50) - – Building a “content concierge” GPT from research data (10:14) - – Injecting stats + quotes into blogs and decks (14:10) - – How one report fueled 9+ months of content (19:10) - – Jake on bringing AI into marketing ops (20:33) - – Turning a mascot into a 3D character with Meshy (21:18) - – Animating it in VEO 3 (no designer needed) (24:33) - – Cutting animation time from weeks to minutes (30:32) - – Jessica builds a no-code ROI calculator in Lovable (33:41) - – AEs use it live on sales calls (34:25) - – Adding benchmarks + transparency to ROI math (41:43) - – Ugi's AI engine scrapes + summarizes industry news (44:00) - – Training custom GPTs on expert insights (50:40) - – Anton's real-time buyer briefs from economic data (53:15) - – Tailoring briefs for CROs, enablement, PMMs (56:59) - – Judges crown the winning use case + Dave's wrap-up Send guest pitches and ideas to hi@exitfive.comJoin the Exit Five Newsletter here: https://www.exitfive.com/newsletterCheck out the Exit Five job board: https://jobs.exitfive.com/Become an Exit Five member: https://community.exitfive.com/checkout/exit-five-membership***This episode of the Exit Five podcast is brought to you by Qualified.AI is the hottest topic in marketing right now. And one thing we hear a lot of you marketers talking about is how you can use AI Agents to help run your marketing machine.That's where Qualifed comes in with Piper, their AI SDR agent.Piper is the #1 AI SDR Agent on the market according to G2, and hundreds of companies like Box, Asana, and Brex, have hired Piper to autonomously grow inbound pipeline. How good does that sound?Qualified customers are seeing a massive business impact with Piper: a 3X increase in meetings booked and a 2X increase in pipeline.The Agentic Marketing era has arrived. And if you're a B2B marketing leader looking to scale pipeline generation, Piper the #1 AI SDR Agent is here to help.Hire Piper, the #1 AI SDR Agent, and grow your pipeline today.You can learn more at qualified.com/exit5

It's not easy to make people rethink their assumptions. If you want to shift perception, you need to challenge expectations, gently, cleverly, and sometimes with a perfectly executed deepfake.That's the brilliance of Orange's Women's Soccer Ad, a mind-bending celebration of women's soccer disguised as a highlight reel of men's soccer. And in this episode, we're decoding its genius with the help of Angie Westbrock, CEO of Standard AI.Together, we explore what B2B marketers can learn from surprising your audience, staying true to both your brand and your customer, and not allowing biases to affect your content.About our guest, Angie WestbrockAngie Westbock's mission is to build high-performance, diverse teams that transform challenges into opportunities. With a solid background as COO and now CEO, she thrives on aligning our company's strengths to create impactful solutions, all while cultivating a culture that celebrates diversity and encourages groundbreaking ideas.Angie is currently serving as the CEO at Standard AI, a startup using AI and computer vision technology to help retailers and brands optimize operations and bottom lines through real-time insights into shoppers' in-store experiences. With a non-traditional background beginning in CPG and then moving into tech, her experience spans from stealth start-ups to IPO to Fortune 500 companies. Leveraging this expertise in commercialization strategy and growth, Angie is able to guide organizations through every phase of development. What B2B Companies Can Learn From Orange's Women's Soccer Ad:Surprise your audience. Great marketing can earn attention through clever misdirection, then deliver a powerful payoff. The Orange ad didn't just say women's sports deserve respect,  it showed it by tricking viewers into watching with existing bias, then rewiring their perception. Angie explains, “Had they not executed the deepfake as well as they did, you would've noticed it from the beginning, and it would've just validated any of the biases that were already there.” The same applies to B2B: stop announcing your message, design it to unfold in a way that surprises and engages.Technology isn't the story; the outcome is. Orange used advanced deepfake technology, but they never made that the headline. The ad wasn't about AI, it was about bias, identity, and respect. The technology was the tool, not the message. “We always try to  tie it to the customer's use cases and ROI versus just about the tech,” says Angie. This is a trap many B2B companies fall into. You're proud of your tech stack, your infrastructure, your proprietary model, and rightly so. But your buyer doesn't care. They care about what your product helps them become. Sell the before and after, not the engine.Don't let your biases affect your content. Too many B2B marketers create content for the people who already agree with them, existing customers, internal stakeholders, or the "safe" ICP. But powerful messaging challenges assumptions. Orange didn't make an ad to celebrate women's soccer for people who already love it, they made an ad to get skeptics to pause and rethink. Angie says, “It wasn't just to the women to honor them and to empower them. It was actually to the men also, to say, you need to revisit your thinking here.” In B2B, you're often selling change: a new workflow, a new tool, a new way of doing things. That means your messaging needs to meet people where they are, not where you wish they were. Quote“ We get so caught up in what we want to say that we don't take into consideration the very specific viewpoints of the customer that you're selling to and making sure that it's going to land with them in a way that aligns with how they're thinking.Time Stamps[00:55] Meet Angie Westbrock, [01:00] Why Orange's Women's Soccer Ad [01:50] What Standard AI Actually Does[05:33] Why Physical Retail Is Still Underrated[11:38] Designed for Rewatching and Social[13:51] Real Tech, Real Players, Real Impact[14:55] Messaging That Reaches the People Who Need to Hear It[21:59] B2B Marketing Takeaways from Why Orange's Women's Soccer Ad [34:38] Not a Cheap Trick — A Trusted Brand Moment[38:13] It All Starts With a Single Shift in Mindset[40:00] What Marketers Want From In-Store Strategy[47:41] Standard AI's Brand Strategy and Differentiation[52:40] Final Thoughts: Break Through the NoiseLinksConnect with Angie on LinkedInLearn more about Standard AIAbout Remarkable!Remarkable! is created by the team at Caspian Studios, the premier B2B Podcast-as-a-Service company. Caspian creates both nonfiction and fiction series for B2B companies. If you want a fiction series check out our new offering - The Business Thriller - Hollywood style storytelling for B2B. Learn more at CaspianStudios.com. In today's episode, you heard from Ian Faison (CEO of Caspian Studios) and Meredith Gooderham (Head of Production). Remarkable was produced this week by Jess Avellino, mixed by Scott Goodrich, and our theme song is “Solomon” by FALAK. Create something remarkable. Rise above the noise.

How are B2B marketing teams really using AI today?In this episode, we kick off a brand-new mini-series reflecting on the biggest insights from our sister podcast, B2B Content Strategist. First up: AI.After speaking with 20 leading B2B marketers, we've uncovered how teams are experimenting with AI, what's actually working, and where it's going wrong. From content creation to workflow automation, from compliance headaches to the rise of human-centric storytelling — this episode pulls together the lessons, warnings, and opportunities shaping AI in B2B marketing right now.Find out:What B2B marketing teams are using AI for (ideation, drafting, proofreading, workflow automation & more)Why AI is seen more as an efficiency tool than a creatorWhere leaders are drawing the line: originality, brand voice, and thought leadershipThe biggest AI pitfalls — from “samey” content to compliance risksWhich AI tools are most popular with marketing teams todayHow human-led, authentic storytelling is becoming even more important in the AI eraImportant links & mentions:B2B Content Strategist: https://www.content10x.com/b2b-content-strategist/Amy on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/amywoods2/Shannon Howard on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mjcrawford1/Martin Malloy on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/martinmalloy-ca/Luba Czyrsky on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lubaczyrsky/Paul Way on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pkway/Mike D'Errico on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-derrico/Matt Crawford on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mjcrawford1/Content 10x: https://www.content10x.com/Amy's book: www.content10x.com/book (Content 10x: More Content, Less Time, Maximum Results)Amy Woods is the CEO and founder of Content 10x, a creative agency that provides specialist content strategy, creation and repurposing support to B2B organizations.

#277 Growth | Dave is joined by Emma Robinson, Head of B2B Marketing at Canva, and Kristine Segrist, VP of Consumer Marketing at Canva. Together, Emma and Kristine lead the teams driving Canva's growth across both enterprise and consumer audiences, helping the company scale into a platform now used by over 95% of the Fortune 500.Dave, Emma, and Kristine cover:How Canva balances brand-building with pipeline accountability, and why they view brand investment as long-term growth.The playbook Canva uses to turn bottom-up adoption into enterprise deals, including how product signals guide upsell and expansion.How their team structure, data science investments, and creative bets (like the Love Your Work campaign) work together to scale B2B marketing without losing Canva's approachable brand identity.This episode offers a practical look at how one of the world's most recognizable platforms approaches B2B growth.Timestamps(00:00) - – Intro (03:48) - – Canva's marketing org structure (06:48) - – Blurring B2B and B2C (11:48) - – How Canva measures marketing impact (16:48) - – Turning free users into enterprise deals (21:48) - – Data science's role in marketing (24:48) - – Balancing brand bets with ROI (31:23) - – Inside the “Love Your Work” campaign (38:23) - – How Canva executes large campaigns (42:23) - – Building enterprise credibility and trust (45:23) - – FedEx case study on brand governance (49:23) - – Lessons from Google and Meta (53:23) - – Why creativity is a marketing superpower (55:23) - – Closing thoughts Send guest pitches and ideas to hi@exitfive.comJoin the Exit Five Newsletter here: https://www.exitfive.com/newsletterCheck out the Exit Five job board: https://jobs.exitfive.com/Become an Exit Five member: https://community.exitfive.com/checkout/exit-five-membership***Today's episode is brought to you by Walnut.Why are we pouring all this effort into marketing just to push buyers to a “request a demo” or “contact sales” button?Come on, today's buyers don't want to talk to sales right away. They want to explore your product themselves, see how it works, and understand its value before booking a meeting.That's where Walnut comes in.Walnut empowers marketers and GTM teams to create interactive, self-guided product experiences in minutes. Embed these experiences on your site, in emails, or anywhere in your funnel to let buyers engage on their terms, from awareness to close and beyond. That's the beauty of Walnut - you're getting a platform that your sales and CS colleagues can use to showcase the product too.And the best part? You get real intent data—see which features prospects love, where they drop off, and what's actually driving pipeline. Demo Qualified Leads are the new MQL.Over 500 companies, like Adobe and NetApp, use Walnut to drive 2-3x higher website conversion rates and 7 figures in pipeline on a yearly basis. So do you want to drive more leads, shorten sales cycles, and actually show your product instead of hiding it behind another typical B2B CTA? Go check out Walnut.io. And if you tell them Dave from Exit 5 sent you, they'll build out your first demo for free!

Copy and paste content doesn't build a connection. If you want your brand to resonate, you need to go deeper, more human, more emotional, more real.That's executed perfectly by The Last of Us, a post-apocalyptic story that became a global phenomenon not because of monsters, but because of its heart. In this episode, we're taking a closer look with the help of our special guest, Ashley Emery, CMO at VelocityEHS.Together, we explore what B2B marketers can learn from emotional storytelling, breaking traditional formats, and building real resonance with your audience (even in the most unexpected places).About our guest, Ashley EmeryAshley excels in driving growth and innovation in B2B technology organizations, both at the global enterprise and high-growth start-up scale. She holds an Executive MBA and specializes in demand generation and revenue-focused marketing strategies. Ashley has a proven track record of building and leading high-performing marketing teams, having served as Head of Global Campaigns for the Database and Analytics category at AWS, VP of Marketing at Emburse, and most recently, the SVP of Demand Generation at Employ, the parent company of JazzHR, Jobvite, and Lever.What B2B Companies Can Learn From The Last of Us:Story comes before product. In B2B, it's easy to get stuck in the habit of leading with features, capabilities, or technical specs. But as The Last of Us demonstrates, what draws people in is a story they care about, not a list of innovations. Your product may be powerful, but unless your audience understands how it impacts their world or identity, it won't matter. Center the narrative on the customer's journey, pain, and outcome, your product plays a supporting role in that transformation. This shift can completely reframe how you approach content, ads, and even your brand voice. Ashley advises, “Lead with a human-centric storytelling. Don't sell features… the product is the enabler, it's not the hero.”Your audience might not be who you think. “Even if you think you understand your audience, you may not,” said Ashley, who was surprised herself, as she was so drawn to the series. Just as The Last of Us broke out of its presumed “gamer” audience, B2B brands often have unexpected buyers, champions, or influencers they're missing. Assumptions based on firmographics or industry stereotypes can be limiting. VelocityEHS found that their safety-focused customers were actually risk-tolerant thrill-seekers outside of work, which changed how they positioned messaging. This is a call to continuously validate personas, run qualitative interviews, and listen for nuance. Your best buyers may not look like your ICP on paper.The medium shapes the message. It's not enough to have a great story, you have to tailor it to the channel and format. A 60-minute podcast moment doesn't automatically become a good TikTok. Just like a video game plot doesn't translate directly into a TV script, B2B content has to be rewritten for the medium it's living in. That means writing social hooks, designing natively for mobile, and assuming low context. Ian reminds us that, “-if you take an idea that Ashley says in minute 50 of a podcast and drop it onto LinkedIn, and the person has no context at all who this person is or what they do, then the actual insight itself isn't as interesting or valuable.” Meet your audience where they are, mentally, emotionally, and contextually, or risk wasting great content on the wrong canvas.Quotes“Often in marketing, we get scared of emotion. We try to stay very neutral in our language. We don't want to be provocative, we don't want to be bold, and I think we as humans crave that. The show is a perfect example. The boldness, the emotional connection, and the conflict of the characters was really valuable. There's so much raw emotion and connection in the stories that could be told, and not being afraid to tell an uncomfortable story… is powerful.”Time Stamps[00:55] Meet Ashley Emery, CMO at VelocityEHS.[00:56] Why The Last of Us?[01:42] The Role of CMO at VelocityEHS[02:48] Breaking Down The Last of Us[26:47] B2B Marketing Lessons from The Last of Us[27:36] Human-Centric Storytelling in Marketing[35:16 Understanding Your Audience[38:43] Building an Ecosystem of Content[40:20] The Importance of Star Power[42:14] Embracing Emotional Tension in Marketing[46:11] Final Thoughts & TakeawaysLinksConnect with Ashley on LinkedInLearn more about VelocityEHSAbout Remarkable!Remarkable! is created by the team at Caspian Studios, the premier B2B Podcast-as-a-Service company. Caspian creates both nonfiction and fiction series for B2B companies. If you want a fiction series check out our new offering - The Business Thriller - Hollywood style storytelling for B2B. Learn more at CaspianStudios.com. In today's episode, you heard from Ian Faison (CEO of Caspian Studios) and Meredith Gooderham (Head of Production). Remarkable was produced this week by Jess Avellino, mixed by Scott Goodrich, and our theme song is “Solomon” by FALAK. Create something remarkable. Rise above the noise.

There is no pause button on AI. Every day brings a fresh flood of tools, demos, predictions, and pressure to keep up. But what's actually changing inside B2B marketing departments? What's working, what's still hype, and where should CMOs focus?  In this episode, Kevin Ruane (Precisely), Gary Sevounts (Simpplr), and Jeff Morgan (Elements) join Drew to wrestle with how AI is being tested, contained, and scaled inside their teams. They push on when an experiment becomes a mandate, how to keep stacks from turning into a pile of disconnected tools, and why clean data is the deciding factor. The message is clear: AI will not rescue weak strategy. But in the hands of disciplined marketers who are willing to rethink the rules, it changes how marketing runs.  In this episode:  Kevin shares how an AI council and internal champions drive adoption across teams  Gary explains AI as the pipeline's central nervous system that tracks stage flow and triggers timely action  Jeff breaks down SPARK, a Claude prompt framework that defines role, workflow, brand voice, rules, and KPIs  Plus:  How to set AI goals and metrics your CEO will back  Why data readiness is the first step to any AI win  What skills and roles a marketing team needs to run AI safely  When to graduate a pilot into a standard workflow  If you want to hear how CMOs are experimenting with AI and resetting the rules of engagement, this one's for you!  For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegademarketing.com/podcasts/ To learn more about CMO Huddles, visit https://cmohuddles.com/

Show Resources Coupon Code to save money on Shape.io: B2 Bidding/Budgeting Episode Join the LinkedIn Ads Fanatics community and get access to our 4 courses to take you from beginner to expert Rate/Review Contact us with any questions, suggestions, corrections! Summary Struggling to keep your LinkedIn Ads budget on track all month long? You're not alone—this week on The LinkedIn Ads Show, host AJ Wilcox dives deep into the tricky world of pacing your ad spend. From the pitfalls of daily budgets and lifetime caps to the tools and strategies that actually work, this episode is packed with expert insights to help you avoid overspending and take full control of your LinkedIn Ads campaigns. Whether you're managing budgets manually or looking for automation that actually delivers, you won't want to miss this one. Show Transcript For the full show transcript, see the show notes page here: Episode 164