We also discuss:

• Challenges in maintaining creativity in B2B marketing
• Embracing video as a key channel for reaching and engaging the target audience
• Incorporating emotive and opinion-driven content in localized efforts
• Drawn inspiration from B2C campaigns

Today we are speaking with Emma Roffey, the former VP of marketing for EMEA at Cisco. With a career spanning nearly two decades at Cisco, Emma has witnessed and contributed to the evolution of IP-based networking technologies which have shaped the digital landscape we know today.

Emma's journey at Cisco is a testament to her creativity, energy, and passion for what she does. 

We discuss:

• Factors contributing to the sea of sameness in B2B
• The challenges of executing a humor-based campaign
• The need for questioning and breaking the norm in jargon-filled communication
• Drawing parallels between B2B and B2C marketing
• The need for businesses to adapt, be smarter, and maintain their brand value

Today we have a very special guest joining us - David Gentle, the Global Head of Message and Insight at Fujitsu. Like Don Draper himself, David is a communication expert with a strong track record of delivering impactful messages. In this episode, we dive into the world of brand marketing and thought leadership at Fujitsu, exploring their journey of transformation and their commitment to innovation and sustainability.

We discuss:

• Fujitsu's transformation from IT hardware to IT services and consulting
• Importance of brand marketing during periods of change and momentum
• Cultural Differences in Advertising
• Importance of aligning stakeholders
• Advice to avoid overthinking and trust in creativity

In this episode, we talked to Kristin Owens, VP Corporate Marketing at Checkpoint Software. Kristin talks about how the leading supplier of cybersecurity solutions is reinventing itself in the ever-evolving B2B market. Kristin shares valuable insights on Checkpoint's approach to brand and demand marketing, and how they are implementing above-the-line campaigns in a historically more conservative industry.

We discuss:

• The importance of storytelling and humanising the message
• Results and performance of TV and podcast advertising experiments
• The importance of personalization in connecting with decision-makers
• The dynamic nature of resource allocation based on real-time data and measurement

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

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

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

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

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

In this episode, we'll explore:

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

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

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

We discuss:

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

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

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

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

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

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

We discuss:

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

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

We discuss:

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

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

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

We discuss:

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

Mentioned in this episode:

B2B Needs Don Draper Live - 30th May 2023

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

B2BNDD live

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B2BNDD live

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

We discuss:

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

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

We discuss:

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

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

We discuss:

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

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

We discuss:

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

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

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

We discuss:

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

Sara is a creative marketing leader with more than 15 years of experience in high-growth, fast-paced martech organisations. She is passionate about building revenue-oriented marketing teams.

We discuss:

1. The challenge of marketing to marketers
2. What B2B marketers can learn from sales-focused models
3. Advice for B2B brands facing a likely economic downturn
4. How big brand campaigns can drive short-term sales
5. Why now is the ‘Golden Age’ of marketing

The last year of the podcast has welcomed some fantastic guests from a broad spectrum of brands giving their views on how B2B Marketing is changing and how they’re running marketing in their organizations

Richard and Cos respond to key points shared last season and their thoughts on the matter. 

We discuss:

1. Why now is a good time to be in B2B Marketing
2. Emotion and creativity the new paradigm in B2B Marketing
3. The key lessons B2B brands can learn
4. The problem within B2B right now
5. What being a bit more Don Draper mean for B2B brands

Using creativity and self-deprecating humour, Kirsten has helped transform the brand into an incredible success story and has elevated the ŠKODA brand.

We discuss:

1. How Skoda used marketing to refresh brand perception
2. Utilising the power of creativity to engage a greater audience
3. How Skoda is utilising emotional marketing today
4. Why there is a lack of creativity within the automotive industry

Mariska comes to us with deep experience in IT and has skills in brand management, marketing planning, lead generation, and strategic marketing.

We Discuss:

1. Effective B2C strategies that can be applied to B2B
2. The power of hyper-targeting specific audiences
3. Balancing long-term brand building with short-term sales activation
4. The best ways to drive growth for B2B brands
5. How to build strong brand awareness with new audiences

Mace connects expertise across the entire property lifecycle for the benefit of their clients, communities and society more widely. 

Danielle has 18 years’ of experience working in marketing communications teams within the property and construction industry. 

We discuss:

1. How B2B marketing influences policy 
2. How the build environment affects people’s lives 
3. When Mace use emotional messaging vs rational messaging 
4. What the future holds for B2B Marketing

For Nikki, it’s all about relationships - whether working with sales teams, suppliers, partners or colleagues, success for her has come through continuous and highly effective collaboration.

Nikki Believes B2B marketing is not human enough and is passionate about changing that. 

We discuss:

1. Imposter syndrome. Is it common in the marketing industry?
2. The power of marketing in sales-focused businesses
3. How to build a strong personal brand in B2B Marketing
4. What the future holds for B2B Marketing

True is in the business of making a difference. They harness data-driven and cultural insights to unearth powerful human truths that are creatively transformed into memorable brand communications – and delivered with pinpoint media accuracy.

We discuss:

1. The key takeaways for B2B marketers from EffWorks Global
2. The difference between efficiency and effectiveness
3. How the best B2B marketers approach investment for growth
4. Balancing brand building vs short-term sales activation
5. The importance of ‘reach’ when it comes to effectiveness

Nick has launched new publications and apps across the UK and managed teams with large budgets across online and offline channels. Now, most of his time goes towards developing B2B lead generation.

We discuss:

1. The state of UK media and advertising
2. How Reach PLC support programmatic ad buying
3. The digital transformation of Reach PLC
4. How traditional local media publishers can remain relevant

Martin has been helping brands of all sizes grapple with the challenges and opportunities of the digital revolution. He was the winner of an IPA Effectiveness Award and is a regular speaker on digital strategy, including at SXSW.

We discuss:

1. The opportunity for creativity in B2B 
2. How B2B marketing can become more ambitious 
3. Fame and customer consideration
4. The importance of category reach and consideration

Michael has a background in growth marketing and brand-building, spanning both B2C and B2B industries, having worked at both start-ups and Fortune 500 companies. Prior to SVB, he held senior roles at Mastercard and IBM, to name just a few. 

We discuss:

1. How SVB grows brand awareness with their target audience
2. What brand marketers are doing wrong
3. The importance of retention vs winning new customers
4. How B2B marketers can use advertising to better achieve goals

Isobel is a creative and strategic marketer, passionate about big media brands and driving business growth.

TikTok is the leading destination for short-form mobile video, whose mission is to inspire creativity and bring joy.

We discuss:

1. How TikTok helps B2B businesses achieve their marketing goals 
2. What B2B brands should know about TikTok audiences
3. Why B2B marketers undervalue the importance of creativity
4. The role of humour in TikTok’s B2B Marketing

He’s an all-around experienced marketer, having worked in both B2B and B2C environments, clientside and agency. Just Eat for Business offers a huge variety of great-tasting and quality food, all through a single account.

We talk about:

1. Which parts of “Just Eat” are carried across to a B2B audience
2. What media is best for sales activation and brand building
3. How to balance brand-building with driving demand
4. The process of rebranding and selling to senior stakeholders

We thought it’d only be right to bring them back on the show to talk about what they’ve learned so far from the event, which has been something of a landmark since it’s the first time there’s been an award for B2B creativity. 

We discuss:

1. Why this year's Cannes Lions was so important for B2B marketing
2. What work got recognition at Cannes this year
3. Advertising vs product extension vs business models
4. The focus on work around social purpose

Miriam has worked in B2B strategic marketing roles for 17 years, delivering award-winning content for agencies such as M&C Saatchi, Adjust Your Set and Oliver Agency, before moving to Meta.

She helps people understand how Meta can help build communities and drive business growth. Miriam is also a strong leader in driving Diversity & Inclusion within Meta and sits within the trade body of D&I boards at the IAB and ISBA.

We talk about:

1. The best strategies to drive long-term growth for B2B brands
2. What separates great ads from average ones
3. When to start thinking about brand management
4. What the Metaverse actually is and the implications for brands

WARC features advertising case studies and best practices from more than 50 respected industry sources, including Cannes Lions, The IPA and the DMA.

We discuss:

1. Why now is a great time to be in B2B marketing
2. The B2B effectiveness Ladder - Explained
3. How to move up the B2B Effectiveness Ladder
4. A scientific approach to B2B marketing

Prior to Similarweb, James was CMO at Exonar and held senior roles at Microsoft across both B2B and B2C products. 

We discuss:

1. The benefits and drawbacks of hyper-targeting
2. When to invest in above the line advertising
3. How the best B2B brands tell compelling stories full of emotion
4. How Similarweb budgets towards brand building vs sales activation

Max is helping to scale SAP's start-up partner ecosystem, make connections between start-ups and enterprise customers, and expand into new markets across the Americas, Europe, Middle East, and Asia. 

We talk about:

1. The role of design and creativity within brand growth
2. When to focus on brand building vs demand gen
3. Staying true to brand while showing innovation and difference
4. How to effectively communicate brand purpose

We discuss:

1. The best way to drive long-term growth in B2B businesses
2. His approach to growing B2B business for Royal Mail
3. How to keep a team at the sharp end of creativity
4. Creating an environment that performs today and creates the future

Her most recent achievements include rebranding two different businesses within 12 months. She now heads up the marketing of Deliveroo’s corporate offering; Deliveroo for Work in 10 markets. 

We discuss:

1. The size and scale of the B2B side of Deliveroo
2. Communicating a B2B proposition with a ubiquitous consumer brand
3. The framework for successfully rebranding a B2B business
4. Using advertising to grow existing customers - and win new ones

Steve leads their PR, AR, Customer Advocacy and Internal Communications teams across EMEA. He is a member of the Global Marketing Senior Leadership Team and is also accountable for Internal Communications globally. 

We discuss:

1. The key parts of the Rackspace story
2. How internal communications have shifted
3. The main tools and channels used to build customer advocacy
4. How Rackspace manages brand building and sales activation
5. The best ways to drive long term growth in B2B marketing
6. How advertising impacts the company's ability to set prices and build B2B brands

Amie leads an award-winning team of 80 marketing professionals focused on driving growth, through generating quality leads and converting them into a sales pipeline.

We discuss:

1. How ESG plays a role in communications and brand building
2. Merging two globally recognised brands
3. Her view on 'Big Impact" campaigns and how they can be used
4. The importance of emotional messaging in FS marketing

She’s in charge of planning and executing global marketing strategy, her scope covering global proposition development and business stakeholder management across 54 markets. She also mentors and coaches a team of 45 people.

We discuss:

1. How HSBC uses marketing to engage with customers and drive business goals
2. Is it better to increase brand loyalty or increase penetration
3. How the pandemic has impacted customer engagement with financial services
4. The impact advertising has on HSBC's ability to set prices and build brand
5. How to split your budget between lead generation vs longer-term brand building
6. The role sustainability plays in the way HSBC builds their brand
7. How B2B can best harness the power of emotion

She’s responsible for driving Guild’s growth. She also has over 20 years of experience in marketing, digital and communications - both client-side, agency-side and as a consultant.

In previous roles, she’s worked with some of the world’s most recognisable brands including Unilever, the BBC, Viacom, Direct Line and General Mills, to name a few. ​​

We discuss:

1. How Guild successfully grew their user base
2. Creating a community & how it can help B2B brand growth
3. The role of ‘belonging & purpose’ when building a brand
4. Splitting your budget between long term brand building and short term sales activation
5. What’s more important: the idea or the execution

With over a decade's marketing experience in start-up and blue-chip companies alike, Keith currently leads Brand Marketing globally for LinkedIn’s Marketing Solutions business unit.

He has created stand-out marketing campaigns across the US and Europe for a number of well-known brands across the travel, tech & hospitality sectors.

Keith is a keynote speaker in many areas of Marketing, most notably B2B Marketing and Brand Marketing.

We discuss:

1. Unaided brand awareness - What it is and its strategic value
2. What makes an effective campaign and how to measure success
3. Why LinkedIn invests in TV advertising
4. What makes great B2B advertising
5. How B2B can harness the power of emotion
6. How do the best B2B brand builders use LinkedIn to build their brand

She’s ​​led and scaled the Group Marketing and Communications function at Apex as it’s grown from a mid-sized asset management provider to an institutional-sized financial services provider. 

She now runs a centralised global team across all functions and sub-brands.

On top of all that, she was also the Winner of 'Disruptor of the Year' at the 2020 Women in Finance Awards.

We discuss:

1. How to get skeptical execs to believe in the power of ‘brand’
2. The role of the brand positioning
3. How to best drive long term growth in B2B financial services marketing
4. Finding the balance between short-term sales activation and long-term brand building
5. Brand loyalty vs increasing market penetration

Susi leads multi-disciplinary teams to transform data insight into high performing brand strategy and digital experiences. Her team crafts video, multimedia and thought leadership brand awareness content that turns heads and wins awards. 

We discuss

1. How Kaspersky makes content relevant for all customer bases
2. What Kaspersky's brand strategy 'Bring on the future' means
3. How to make the topic of cyber security engaging & fun to build brand
4. The role of fame & how B2B brands should think about achieving it
5. What makes a successful agency and campaign

Mark is responsible for driving the TCS brand & sponsorship strategy across the UK & Europe and applying a consistent, integrated brand strategy. 

He was also global sponsorship manager for Heineken for over ten years, where he led rugby partnerships for the Rugby World Cup and Heineken Champions Cup, among others. 

We talk about:

1. What it means to be 'A bit more Don Draper'
2. What he learned from 10 years at Heineken that he now uses to build brand at TCS
3. Why TCS sponsors sporting events
4. The hidden risks involved with sponsorships
5. Harnessing the power of emotional messaging
6. How TCS use Purpose to build their brand

We hope you enjoy our insightful conversation.

Simon Kucher & Partners is a global consulting firm specialising in strategy, marketing, pricing, and sales. Founded in 1985, the company now has around 1,400 professionals worldwide and is regarded as the world's leading pricing advisor and thought leader.

We talk about:

1. How stand-up comedy experience translates into marketing
2. Risk taking and making the difference
3. Growing your top line vs cutting costs
4. Importance of writing a good creative brief

We hope you enjoy our exquisite conversation with Mark.

True was founded in 2012 to be a different type of B2B agency - to break free from the world of short-term 'performance' and the kind of marketing that swamps the industry without much deeper impact. 

We talk about:

1. What being 'a bit more Don Draper' means to him and his purpose behind launching this podcast
2. Why he co-founded True
3. What B2B advertising is lacking
4. The 5 principles of growth in B2B marketing and why some marketers don't use it

We hope you enjoy our fascinating conversation with Cos.

True was founded in 2012 to be a different type of B2B agency - to break free from the world of short-term 'performance' and the kind of marketing that swamps the industry without much deeper impact.

We talk about:

1. What being 'a bit more Don Draper' means to him
2. Richard's purpose behind launching this podcast
3. Why he co-founded True
4. Richard's take on ABM and how it should be done properly
5. What makes great work stand out

We hope you enjoy our fascinating conversation with Richard.