CMO Huddles News

Transition Team Huddle: Let's Discuss The CMO Job Search

Fri, 03 Apr 2026 15:12:06 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 512: Finding and Winning Your Next CMO Role

A tough CMO job search can mess with your confidence fast.

The search runs longer than expected. A role looks right on paper, then gets murkier as the conversations unfold. The company says it wants growth, but the real issue may be churn, product, or a CEO still figuring out what kind of marketing leader the business needs.

That’s what makes this market hard.

You are not only trying to tell a strong story about yourself. You are also trying to judge whether the opportunity in front of you is one you can win in.

Executive recruiter Erica Seidel, founder of The Connective Good, has a front-row seat to how CMO hiring is working right now. In her conversation with Drew, she gets into what CEOs say they want versus what they are really hiring for, how to frame your story when growth is hard to prove, and how to spot the signals that a role may be shakier than it first appears.

What You’ll Take Away:

Why every hire is a set of tradeoffs and how to position yourself
What CEOs mean when they ask for a “growth partner”
Why business context matters as much as headline results
How AI fluency is showing up in CMO hiring
How to shape your story before others define your narrative

Signals to Read:

If the role is built for growth or cleanup
What a CEO’s reaction to pushback reveals
If the job spec reflects reality or an “11 out of 10” wish list
If the company can make tradeoffs
How culture and pace show up before day one

If your CMO job search has you questioning your story, your fit, or your instincts, this episode will help you get more confident on all three.

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegademarketing.com/podcast/

Why Efficiency Is Not a Growth Strategy

Tue, 31 Mar 2026 20:27:11 GMT

"Our PE firm just mandated a 30% efficiency improvement," shared a CMO from a $135 million SaaS company. When I asked if this was based on any real-world success story, the answer was a quick, “Nope. It’s just PE being PE.”

I shouldn’t have been shocked, but aghast feels about right. And then it got worse. Three other CMOs at the table said they’d been handed the exact same mandate.

The Efficiency Epidemic

Let’s call this what it is: the efficiency epidemic.

Like most epidemics, it spreads quickly and sounds rational at first. After all, who’s against efficiency? And with AI unlocking new levels of productivity, it feels like the obvious place to focus.

But here’s the problem: efficiency is not a growth strategy.

At best, it’s an enabler of one. At worst, it’s a convenient distraction that gives the illusion of progress while starving the very things that drive revenue. In that moment, I said something I wish more CMOs would say out loud: “If 30% is the answer, what exactly was the question?” No one had one, because the number itself was arbitrary.

Which makes the strategy arbitrary, too.

Efficiency Is Not the Strategy

Now, before anyone accuses me of being anti-efficiency, let’s acknowledge an oldie but goodie: Southwest Airlines. Southwest built one of the most profitable airline models in history through an obsession with operational efficiency, even moving the fueling port to shave minutes off turnaround time.

But that efficiency was never the end goal. It was always in service of the customer—lower fares, more reliable schedules, and a consistently friendly experience that built loyalty over time.

Efficiency wasn’t the strategy. It was the engine. The strategy was customer value.

Which brings us back to today and the real opportunity before us. Imagine if those same PE firms said: take all that AI energy and aim it at the customer, from start to finish.

Make buying easier, demos sharper, onboarding faster, and products easier to adopt. Build better feedback loops, listen more closely to every interaction, and tell more customer stories that make your customers the heroes.

That’s not just a better use of AI. It’s a better business strategy.

Because when you start with the customer, efficiency tends to follow. But when you start with efficiency, you often lose sight of the customer—and eventually, growth.

Start With the Customer

So here’s the challenge for CMOs. Push back, not emotionally, but strategically, and reframe the conversation around what actually drives results.

That 30% number? It’s made up. Your customer isn’t.

But this isn’t a battle you can win alone. It requires alignment across the C-suite, from the CEO to the CFO to the CRO, because the mandate didn’t come from marketing—and the response can’t either.

The companies that win in the AI era won’t be the most efficient. They’ll be the most customer-aligned.

And importantly, CMOs are in the best position to lead this shift, not because of their title, but because they’re closest to the truth [or at least they should be].

Written by Drew Neisser

Expert Huddle: Let's Discuss Right Kind of Wrong

Fri, 27 Mar 2026 16:59:49 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 511: Failing Well Beats Playing It Safe

Too many companies treat every failure the same. That makes people more cautious, more guarded, and less willing to take the smart risks innovation requires.

Amy Edmondson argues that not all failures deserve the same label. Some are preventable. Some come with complexity. Then there is intelligent failure, the kind that comes with thoughtful experimentation in new territory and produces the learning that moves innovation forward.

In this episode, Drew Neisser brings in Harvard Business School professor Amy Edmondson, author of Right Kind of Wrong, to look at what leaders need to do if they want teams experimenting and learning in unfamiliar territory. For Amy, that starts with a clear goal, a bet no bigger than necessary, and the kind of questions that create enough psychological safety for people to share what they’re seeing early. So even when the result falls short, the learning is still useful.

What You’ll Take Away:

The difference between preventable, complex, and intelligent failure
Why intelligent failure belongs in new territory
What makes an experiment smart, small, and worth running
Why high achievers often need a better frame for failure
How playing not to lose distorts innovation

What This Asks of Leaders:

Stop treating every miss as proof someone messed up
Make the goal clear before the experiment starts
Keep the bet no bigger than necessary
Ask questions that invite candor instead of caution

If your team needs a smarter way to think about failure, risk, and learning, this one is worth a listen.

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegademarketing.com/podcast/

The New Leadership Redline: Refusing to Engage With AI

Tue, 17 Mar 2026 16:53:44 GMT

"If you piss off one of our salespeople, I will take you out."

That was the suddenly deadly serious warning from Snowflake CMO Denise Persson during a conversation I had with her and former Snowflake CRO Chris Degnan in front of 32 entranced CMOs. It was a mic-drop moment that prompted an immediate question in my mind:

What are your leadership redlines?

We had been discussing how marketing teams should work with sales and what behaviors cross the line. Denise didn’t hesitate. As she explained it, upsetting a salesperson isn’t just a minor offense. It threatens one of the most important relationships inside the company.

A clear redline.

A New Leadership Redline

Great leaders tend to have a clear redline. They know the behaviors they simply won’t tolerate because those behaviors undermine the company. Lately, however, I’ve been wrestling with a different kind of redline.

AI adoption.

After giving employees access to the tools and providing training, how long should leaders tolerate non-usage?

One leadership perspective I heard recently reframed the issue this way: imagine a job candidate saying, “I’m excited about this role, but I should mention that I don’t use electricity or the internet.”

That would sound absurd.

In many ways, AI is quickly becoming the same kind of foundational capability.

During a recent Huddle, one CMO shared that every employee was now being rated on a scale of 1 to 5 for AI proficiency. A one meant non-usage. A five meant someone operating almost like an AI engineer. The goal was to get most of the organization to at least a three. After training, however, staying at a one was a ticket out the door.

When the Redline Gets Complicated

At our Strategy Labs, several CMOs raised a more complicated challenge: employees who object to AI for moral reasons, whether due to energy and water consumption or copyright concerns. Some leaders had tried to present comparative data showing that LLM queries use similar energy to Google searches. But most agreed that if someone holds a deeply principled objection, data alone probably won’t change their mind.

This is where leadership gets uncomfortable. Time for some radical candor?

I love having employees who challenge themselves to use AI in increasingly creative and productive ways. The best marketers I know are experimenting constantly. They are curious. They are learning in public. They are pushing the tools further every week.

My Redline?

Would I hire someone who refuses to use AI at all?

Not a chance.

Leadership requires empathy. But it also requires clarity about the standards that move the company forward. For Denise Persson, one redline is protecting the relationship between marketing and sales.

For many CMOs right now, another redline may be emerging.

Refusing to engage with AI.

So I’m curious. What are your leadership redlines?

Written by Drew Neisser

CMO Huddlers Discuss Putting Customers at the Center of the Company

Fri, 13 Mar 2026 14:42:14 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 509: The Real Work of Customer Obsession

Most companies say they put customers at the center of their business. Few actually operate that way.

In this episode of Renegade Marketers Unite, Drew Neisser talks with JD Dillon (Tigo Energy), Carlos Carvajal (Anaqua), and Nikhil Chawla (Resilience) about what it takes to turn customer voice into real organizational change.

Together, they unpack what customer-centric leadership looks like in practice—from retention programs and executive briefings to listening to real sales calls and turning customer signals into action across the business.

The result is a more operational view of customer obsession, one where the voice of the customer shows up not just in dashboards, but in meetings, decisions, and everyday habits.

The big idea: Customer centricity becomes powerful only when it shows up in everyday habits—meetings, messaging, and decisions. If you want to move from customer-aware to customer-obsessed, this episode delivers practical strategies you can apply immediately.

What You’ll Learn:

Why customer obsession must show up in company habits, not just strategy decks
How marketing leaders are using customer voice to shape planning and priorities
Why stories and quotes from customers often move teams faster than dashboards
How narrowing customer centricity to a clear job-to-be-done makes it actionable
Why customers should appear in all-hands meetings, planning sessions, and executive briefings
How marketing teams can turn customer conversations into a repeatable growth engine

Three perspectives on Customer-Led Growth:

JD Dillon: Make Customer Commitment Visible

JD shares how combining marketing and customer experience leadership helped Tigo Energy tackle its biggest challenge—retention. One result: the Green Glove Service, a hands-on installer support program that improves outcomes while reinforcing a customer-first culture across the company.

Carlos Carvajal: Build the Customer Habit

Carlos focuses on turning customer listening into a marketing habit. From direct conversations with customers to executive briefing programs that bring prospects into deeper dialogue, he shows how consistent exposure to customer stories strengthens messaging, improves win rates, and builds alignment across teams.

Nikhil Chawla: Focus Customer Centricity on Real Problems

Nikhil argues that “customer centricity” becomes powerful only when teams narrow it to specific problems they can solve. At Resilience, that means combining tools like Gong and AI analysis with integrated data pipelines to shorten feedback loops and surface the customer signals that matter most.

This Episode Is For

B2B CMOs and marketing leaders who want to move beyond talking about customer centricity and start embedding customer insight into how their organizations actually operate.

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegademarketing.com/podcast/

AI Is Exposing a Writing Problem in Marketing

Tue, 10 Mar 2026 15:43:11 GMT

"A few staffers are generating slop, because they haven't done any thinking before they prompt," complained a CMO from a Series B tech startup. Having gained the Huddles’ attention, he added, "Then they massage it 77 times to pretend that they're doing work."

Nods of “been there, seen that” ricocheted across the Zoom windows.

I held my tongue for a moment. Then came my questions. Did they have writing skills before they took the job? No. Had they been trained on the tools? Yes. Are there editors helping them understand what good looks like? One. And she’s swamped.

This CMO is hardly alone. Versions of this conversation are happening in marketing departments everywhere as teams race to adopt AI.

And yes, the slop is real.

The Problem Isn’t AI

The deeper issue isn’t AI. It’s writing. AI will not turn bad writers into good ones, and it definitely won’t turn them into great ones. Good writing starts with clear thinking.

My AP English teacher, Mr. Ulander, drilled something into us that has stayed with me for decades: “If you can’t write, you can’t think.” Still true.

We Need More Martys

As an assistant AE at JWT, every conference report and client proposal I wrote was heavily edited by my boss Marty Susz. His edits were so comprehensive that the documents looked like redacted CIA reports. Six months later, the edits were minimal.

Not because Marty got nicer. Because I got better.

Most senior marketers I know had a Marty somewhere in their early careers. Someone who forced us to think harder, write more clearly, and strip away lazy ideas disguised as prose.

Who was your Marty?

Raise the Bar

Here’s the leadership challenge today. AI tools can generate endless drafts, but they can’t fix weak thinking. And if we flood the world with mediocre content, marketing will lose credibility with CEOs, sales teams, buyers, and increasingly with machines deciding what shows up in LLMs.

Slop won’t help with SEO or AEO. Or customers.

So CMOs have a job to do.

It starts with hiring. Critical thinking is hard to teach, but curiosity can be spotted early. Hire lifelong learners who already show writing aptitude and the hunger to improve.

Then set a quality bar. “Good enough” cannot mean “the AI produced something readable.” It has to mean thoughtful, differentiated, and unmistakably on brand.

Bring editors back. Great writers are developed through rigorous feedback, not endless prompt tweaking.

And finally, use AI to reinforce standards, not lower them. Imagine a Brand GPT that checks every piece of content for clarity, originality, and voice before it ships.

AI can accelerate great thinking. But it cannot replace it.

If we want the next generation of marketers to distinguish between slop and substance, we’re going to need a lot more Martys in the world.

Pass It On

So I’m curious… Who taught you to write?

And are you giving that same gift to the next generation of marketers?

Thanks, Marty.

Written by Drew Neisser

Expert Huddle: Let's Discuss Autonomous Transformation

Fri, 06 Mar 2026 15:27:40 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 508: Autonomous Transformation: The Strategy Shift for AI

AI is forcing a leadership choice. You can treat it like a stack of use cases and end up with a lot of motion and a little progress. Or you can start with a clear vision of the future you want, make strategy visible, and use that to align decisions across the business. 

In this episode, Drew Neisser talks with Brian Evergreen, author of Autonomous Transformation, about why the AI conversation so often collapses into tools and use cases, and how leaders can pull it back to vision, outcomes, and the kind of alignment that drives transformation.

What you’ll take away:

Why optimization can keep you busy while you stay stuck
How to make a future vision concrete enough to act on
What “no strategy without vision” means, and how to spot fake strategy
Why leaders default to scorecards, and how it stalls transformation
How Brian’s “nindrant” separates “we can do” from “we need alignment”
Why use case first AI limits gains, and how to shift to value creation

Plus:

A simple workshop to surface visions before projects
A clean split between what marketing can do now and what needs CRO and CFO alignment
How to move AI from tool talk to a value creation leadership conversation

If you are tired of AI conversations that start with tools and end with small wins, listen to this episode for a vision first approach that changes what you do next.

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegademarketing.com/podcast/

CMO Strategy Labs: Pure Peer Wisdom

Tue, 03 Mar 2026 22:56:56 GMT

I’m exhausted. The good kind.

The kind you feel after winning a three-set singles match. Legs heavy. Heart racing. Brain buzzing with triumphant fatigue.

Four Cities, One Throughline

Four cities. Four Strategy Labs. Four 4-hour workshops followed by 2-hour dinners. Dozens of honest conversations about the biggest challenge of our collective careers: how we adapt as leaders in the AI era.

And the weather tried to take us out.

Boston was supposed to be fully in person. Enter the Bomb Cyclone. Flights cancelled. Snow everywhere. City travel bans. We pivoted to virtual in less than 24 hours, and 10 marketing leaders still showed up and stayed fully engaged for four hours. That alone felt like a small miracle.

New York was next, and we went hybrid because one moderator and one speaker were still stuck in Boston. Two of the thirteen registered CMOs could not make it into the city. Eleven braved the cold anyway and leaned in hard.

Hybrid is never simple, but the energy of the participants carried the day.

On Wednesday morning, light snow delayed our departure by three hours. We landed and went straight to Relias (our host that day), arriving just in time to join nine leaders who were already deep in conversation. No drama, just focus.

Getting to Atlanta was easy peasy. By then, it felt like the universe had decided we had earned a smooth flight.

Why This Worked

Across every stop, what struck me most was this: nothing beats a well-structured, well-moderated discussion among peers. No panels. No posturing. Our sponsors were in the room, sharing invaluable insights, not pitches. [Okay, maybe there were a few moments of pitching, but not the "ooh ick, can we write it up?" variety.]

You can consume endless content about AI org design, copilots, agents, AEO, automation, and positioning. But put 10 to 12 curious CMOs around a table with a real problem and give them space to think together? That is rocket fuel.

Then you break bread. Old friends. New friends. Shared scars. Shared ambition. Laughter that only comes from people who know the weight of the role. And of course, the occasional, "Wow, you're taller than you look on Zoom."

Right now, I am too tired to distill the big insights from 22 hours of conversations. All I know is that the lingering joy is real. Bringing over 40 marketing leaders together to exchange solutions in real time is energizing in a way that is hard to explain unless you have felt it.

A big highlight for me was the final stop in Atlanta. The selfies tell the story better than I can. Big smiles. Smart people. Gratifying exhaustion. [And regrets that I didn't take selfies in the other markets!]

Flocking awesome.

Special thanks to our insight-rich sponsors HG Insights, 1mind, Webflow, Firebrick, Inc., and their awesome representatives Scott Gordon, Nik Koutsoukos, Amanda Kahlow, Guy Yalif and Bob Wright (I'd hit the road with y'all anytime!)

Written by Drew Neisser

CMO Huddlers Discuss Marketing Org Design

Fri, 27 Feb 2026 15:42:21 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 507: When Org Design Shapes Strategy

Marketing org design isn’t an HR exercise. It determines whether your team spends the year reacting… or actually executing.

In this episode of Renegade Marketers Unite, Drew sits down with Charles Groome (Insightful) and Heather Adkins (Trimble) to unpack what a 2026-ready marketing organization really looks like.

Spoiler: It’s not built around functional silos.

Instead, they explore campaign-led team structures, mindset-driven hiring, and operating systems designed for speed, adaptability, and accountability.

You'll hear:

How Insightful uses an effort + outcomes framework to evaluate performance
Why Trimble reorganized around nine global initiatives instead of functional silos
The rise of integrated campaign units to tighten alignment
How to hire T-shaped marketers who blend storytelling and data
Ways to give teams more autonomy without sacrificing accountability
How better org design can reduce burnout and increase clarity

If your team structure hasn’t changed in years, your team may struggle to adapt when the market shifts.

This conversation will challenge how you think about structure, talent, and what it takes to build a marketing team that can pivot with confidence.

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegademarketing.com/podcast/

The 10x Trap: When AI Productivity Turns Into AI Exhaustion

Tue, 24 Feb 2026 21:11:00 GMT

“The pressure to do more with less is not new. It is the expectation that AI can 10x productivity that is killing me,” lamented a CMO from a PE-backed SaaS company. Yikes.

10x Pressure Is The New Problem

The mandate to do more with less has been around forever. What feels different now is the assumption that AI makes 10x productivity not just possible, but mandatory. That is a heavy lift.

Before AI, I would have said a leader has three fundamental jobs:

Set the vision
Build the team
Allocate resources

Those jobs have not changed. But the speed and scale at which decisions compound absolutely have. AI enables teams to produce, analyze, and experiment faster. It reduces friction in starting projects and lowers the cost of iteration. That sounds like pure upside.

Until the time saved simply gets filled with more work.

Geoff Woods, in his book The AI-Driven Leader, makes a bold claim in Chapter 12 that leaders can indeed 10x the impact of every employee. I (hesitantly) agree with the spirit of it. Leaders should absolutely understand these tools well enough to unlock step function gains.

10x Impact Is Not 10x Output

If every marketer produces 10x more content, does the brand get 10x stronger? If every team runs 10x more campaigns, does revenue grow 10x faster? Or do we just create 10x more slop?

This is where leadership gets real.

When AI creates capacity, leaders make a choice. Do we increase volume, increase quality, increase experimentation, increase learning, cut staff, or as unlikely as it sounds, just create breathing room? Many organizations default to volume.

That is how AI leverage quietly turns into AI exhaustion.

The goal should not be 10x labor. It should be 10x leverage. Faster insight to decision. Sharper positioning. More strategic focus. Better judgment applied to the right problems. That requires restraint.

The Leadership Challenge Now

For CMOs, especially, AI makes it easier to push stuff into the market. More content. More touchpoints. More “activity.” Maybe even more products. The danger is not doing too little. It is flooding the market and your team with too much. When everything accelerates, clarity erodes.

Acceleration without clarity is a recipe for burnout.

Leadership has not fundamentally changed. But leaders now have to design how humans and machines work together. They have to decide what stops, not just what starts.

That is the uncomfortable part.

I will be digging into this with Geoff Woods on Friday, February 27 at 1 pm ET. We will explore what 10x impact really means, what it does not mean, and how leaders can unlock AI without crushing their teams.

If you would like an invite, send an email to SUPPORT AT CMOHUDDLES dotcom with the subject line: AI-Driven Leader.

This conversation is not theoretical anymore.

Are you seeing AI create leverage in your organization, or just more work?

Written by Drew Neisser

Expert Huddle: Let's Discuss Positioning

Fri, 20 Feb 2026 15:33:20 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 506: Positioning as a Growth Lever

Feature-and-function decks aren’t winning anymore.

In this episode of Renegade Marketers Unite, Drew sits down with Bob Wright (Firebrick) to break down how B2B CMOs can use positioning to drive growth, shorten sales cycles, and stand out in crowded markets.

They unpack why product-first stories fail, how to get to “one voice” across the company, and what it really means to own a key business problem that buyers care about.

In this episode:

The three biggest positioning mistakes: product-first thinking, misalignment, and no owned problem
Creating urgency when “do nothing” is the real competitor
Why “why you, why now” matters more than “how it works”
When and how to rethink positioning after PLG, acquisitions, or expansion
How to stand out in a world of AI sameness
Building positions that sales actually uses

If your messaging is drifting into “blah blah blah” territory, this episode will help you reset around problems, not products.

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegademarketing.com/podcast/

When Pipeline Is Up but Revenue Isn’t: A CMO Sales Reset

Tue, 17 Feb 2026 21:49:36 GMT

“Help, the blame game with Sales is starting, and my job is on the line,” shared a rattled CMO at a $100M martech company. Nothing says Valentine’s Day like unrequited love.

Instead of sending flowers, I ruminated. Yeah, I did. After all, this CMO had done a lot right. They sharpened the strategy and ICP, rebuilt the demand-gen team at light speed, and filled the pipeline with more high-quality leads than the company had ever seen.

And yet… revenue wasn’t following.

Follow-up was inconsistent. CRM data was muddy. Rejection reasons were vague. Sales was under pressure. Marketing had the metrics. The tension was rising.

If you’ve been a CMO for more than a minute, you know this story.

Here’s the uncomfortable truth: there is no such thing as a successful CMO who “just fills the pipeline.” If Sales doesn’t close, everyone loses. Including you.

Even when it’s not your fault, it’s still your relationship to fix.

So what can you do before this turns into a messy breakup?

Stop Defending Leads. Start Diagnosing Conversion.

Winning the metrics argument only widens the divide. Sit down with Sales and look at stage-by-stage conversion. Where are deals stalling? What objections repeat? Shift from “Why aren’t you following up?” to “How do we win more together?”

Get Closer to the Front Lines

Listen to sales calls. Read rejection notes. Sit in pipeline reviews. Often, the issue isn’t lead quality. It’s messaging gaps, unclear positioning, slow response times, or reps chasing the wrong deals. Fix the system jointly.

Co-Own the Close

Marketing can’t stop at demand gen. Use AI to analyze call transcripts for objection patterns. Build dynamic AI-compiled battle cards. Arm reps with persona-specific first-call narratives and proof points. Make it easier to act than to ignore.

Align on One Scoreboard: Revenue

MQL is a marketing word. Revenue is a company word. Build a shared revenue model with Sales leadership. Agree on what “qualified” really means and what conversion rates are required to hit your plan.

Create a Joint Win Before the Breakup

Pick one ICP, one segment, or one campaign. Launch a 60-day “Revenue Reset” sprint with Sales leadership. Meet weekly. Adjust messaging. Tighten targeting. Improve follow-up discipline. Track pipeline progression, not just lead volume.

Because at $100 million, you’re much more than a lead engine. You’re a revenue architect.

On Valentine’s Day or any other day, the CMO who survives isn’t the one who proves Sales wrong. It’s the one who helps Sales win.

Questions For CMOs

Have you ever inherited a full pipeline and a broken close rate? What did you change first?

Written by Drew Neisser

Expert Huddle: Let's Discuss RepuTracker

Fri, 13 Feb 2026 15:34:05 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 505: Making Reputation Measurable (and Defensible)

Many CMOs face the same dilemma: You’re asked to prove “brand,” then told brand tracking is too expensive. So you invest in analyst relations, adjust PR, navigate layoffs, or shift strategy without a reliable way to show how those moves affect market perception. 

RepuTracker was built to solve that problem.

Developed for members of the CMO Huddles Leader program, RepuTracker provides a monthly, evidence-based view of your company’s reputation so you can see whether it’s rising, slipping, or holding steady, and why.

In this episode, Drew is joined by Taran Nandha (Growth Natives) to demo the RepuTracker beta. They show how the tool tracks reputation month to month across multiple signals, then get practical about how to read the output, explain it to leadership, and see whether your moves are showing up in the market.

In this episode:

How RepuTracker turns scattered public signals into a monthly reputation score with trends and competitor benchmarks.
What it measures across key dimensions: Power of voice, awareness, engagement, perception, and employee sentiment.
How sources and weighting work behind the scenes across dozens of platforms.
How to use trendlines and recommendations to move from “we dipped” to a clear next step.

Plus:

Why direction over time matters more than one noisy review or spike.
How to sanity-check dips using internal context and profile audits.
What could come next, from deeper source auditing to tracking visibility in AI search and LLM references.

If you’re curious how RepuTracker works, what signals it pulls from, and how to interpret the output month to month, this episode is the walkthrough.

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegademarketing.com/podcast/

CMOs Can’t Win in Companies Where Leadership Is Optional

Tue, 10 Feb 2026 18:08:19 GMT

“We’re founder-led, and all the execs are still players, not coaches,” shared the new CMO at a $75M services company, “Oh, and they’ve never had a marketing leader.” Sound familiar?

Fortunately, this CMO knew all of this going in and was prepared for the challenge. Many are not. And when they’re not, the results are not pretty.

I’ve heard versions of this story too many times. The role looks exciting. The growth curve looks promising. The CEO seems open. Then, two weeks in, you realize the executive team is full of brilliant doers who have never been asked, or forced, to lead at altitude.

Here’s the uncomfortable truth: you can’t be a successful CMO in a company where leadership is optional.

Step 1: Vet The Executive Team

CMOs are great at diligence on the market, the product, and the pipeline. Some are less rigorous about vetting the people they’ll be leading alongside. Before you say yes, ask how decisions are made, what actually gets delegated, and when the exec team last invested in its own development.

If everyone is still playing their old functional position, the CMO role quietly becomes fixer-in-chief. That’s not leadership. That’s burnout with a title.

Step 2: Move From Players To Coaches

This is delicate terrain. Telling a founder or CRO they need to “level up” is a great way to shorten your tenure. Instead, frame the shift as a company growth issue, not a personal failing.

One practical move is to adopt a shared operating system, such as OKRs or EOS. Systems depersonalize the change. Suddenly, it’s not your opinion. It’s how scaling companies operate.

Step 3: Normalize Leadership Coaching

Elite performers have coaches. Executives should too. Bringing in a leadership coach isn’t therapy. It’s leverage. As a CMO, you don’t have to champion this alone, but you can help the CEO see it as an investment in scale.

Step 4: Be An Impact Player

In my conversation with leadership advisor Liz Wiseman at our 2024 Super Huddle, she talked about the difference between multipliers and diminishers. Multipliers make others smarter and more capable. Diminishers, often unintentionally, create dependency by rescuing instead of enabling. [By the way, I highly recommend that every CMO or want to be CMO read both of Liz’s books, “Multipliers” and “Impact Players.”]

At the risk of redundancy, a CMO can only succeed as a leader if the other execs lead as well. If you’re the only one coaching while everyone else is still playing, you’ll be a cultural aberration and end up as the proverbial rejected organ.

And that’s an icky place to be.

Questions For CMOs

So I’m curious:

When you’ve taken on a CMO role, how much did you vet the exec team, not just the mandate?
And if you’ve been in a founder-led organization, what actually helped leaders make the shift from players to coaches?

Written by Drew Neisser

CMO Huddlers Discuss Intentional AI Adoption

Fri, 06 Feb 2026 18:24:24 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 504: Intentional AI Adoption

AI is now a standing agenda item. It shows up in QBRs, board packets, and 2026 budget plans with a big expectation stamp on it. CMOs are being asked to operationalize it fast, prove value in workflows, and keep risk, governance, and tool sprawl under control.

To get specific about what to prioritize next, Drew brings together Guy Yalif (Webflow), Andy Dé (Lightbeam Health Solutions), and Kevin Briody (DisruptedCMO). Together, they focus on how CMOs can move from scattered experiments to intentional AI adoption across people, process, and technology, and what it takes to make AI a trusted part of how marketing runs.

In this episode:

Guy shares an AI fluency maturity model and explains why the shift to operational excellence is a change management challenge.
Andy breaks down agentic AI and workflow automation with examples from CI, outbound, RFPs, content, and AEO, using “why, what, how, so what.”
Kevin focuses on the people and platform side, from job anxiety and culture to vendor shakeouts and MarTech-level discipline.

Plus:

Centering AI plans on people and fluency so it feels additive, not threatening.
Using councils, fast-track approvals, and guardrails to scale safely.
Balancing efficiency with human experience and customer acceptance.
Treating AI tools like core MarTech, with scrutiny around contracts, integrations, and vendor longevity.

If you want your 2026 AI plan to feel like a strategic advantage instead of a collection of pilots, this conversation will help you decide what to run, what to scale, and what to skip.

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegademarketing.com/podcast/

Career Huddle: Let's Discuss The Framemaking Sale

Fri, 30 Jan 2026 18:55:51 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 503: The Framemaking Sale: Building Buyer Decision Confidence

Most marketers worry about whether buyers trust their brand. Brent Adamson, author of The Framemaking Sale, argues that the actual issue sits somewhere else: Buyers do not trust themselves.

In this episode, Drew sits down with Brent to challenge three big assumptions: That more supplier trust is the answer, that buyers have a neat journey to map, and that customer centricity is always the right north star.

In this episode:

Why decision confidence matters more than supplier trust
How shifting from “trust us” to “trust yourselves” reshapes GTM
How to rethink buyer journeys through the “never again” and spaghetti-bowl lens.
Framemaking in practice, from nudges and checklists to maturity models.
The three Es, Establish, Engage, Execute, as a shared marketing and sales playbook.

Plus:

Escaping the smartness arms race by editing content to reduce anxiety and build buyer self-confidence.
Turning social proof into a confidence engine, using “other customers like you…” stories.
Making content supplier-agnostic, helping buyers ask better questions and weigh tradeoffs.

If you want your buyers to trust themselves enough to decide, start here.

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegademarketing.com/podcast/

25,000 LinkedIn Followers: A Huddle That Keeps Showing Up

Tue, 27 Jan 2026 22:34:11 GMT

Now that’s a big huddle.

Last Friday night, my wife and I were with my son and his girlfriend in Brooklyn at a way too cool-for-us boomers' Lebanese restaurant. As the mezzes pounced on our table, a text from a colleague called my attention to a mildly absurd milestone:

25,000 followers on LinkedIn.

For context, the largest documented huddle of emperor penguins is around 4,000. So either I’ve assembled six Antarctic mega-colonies… or I’ve spent far too many Saturdays typing into the LinkedIn void about B2B marketing.

Probably the latter.

On one hand, this is a big so what. Followers don’t fix messy org charts. They don’t clean up pipeline math. And they definitely don’t stop CMOs from getting blamed for things they don’t control.

If they did, we’d all be out of jobs.

On the other hand, it’s kind of cool.

Because I know who many of you are.

You’re the CMOs and marketing leaders who actually enjoy debating positioning.

Who appreciates the distinction and oh so powerful coupling of brand and demand.
Who recognizes that not everything you can measure matters.
Who reads a post about frustrations with PE firms and thinks, “Finally, someone said it.”
Who geek out on B2B marketing not because it’s glamorous, but because it’s hard.

This “huddle” didn’t form because of hot takes or growth hacks. It formed because a lot of us are trying to do serious work in increasingly noisy conditions. We’re comparing notes. Sharing scars. Calling out nonsense. And occasionally laughing at ourselves when things don’t go as planned.

Which, let’s be honest, is often.

So thank you.

+ For reading.

+ For sharing.

+ For commenting.

+ For disagreeing thoughtfully.

+ For sending DMs that start with, “I thought I was the only one.”

I’ll keep showing up (almost) every week with a rant, a story from the huddle, and the occasional penguin metaphor because, yeah, it’s on brand.

After all, 25,000 is a big number. But it’s still just a huddle.

And huddles work best when everyone leans in.

Written by Drew Neisser

Bonus Huddle: Let's Discuss AI Workflows

Fri, 23 Jan 2026 15:41:29 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 502: Unlocking B2B Intelligence with AI Workflows

If AI is only helping you write copy, you are leaving real leverage on the table. 

Every marketing team is buried in invisible busywork; a trail of repetitive, manual steps hiding inside every task. So what happens when you take one of those messy workflows, map every step, and rebuild it?

In this episode, Drew talks with Dave Brong (Level Agency) about how CMO Huddles transformed a messy, 10-step post-meeting grind into an automated system that transforms hundreds of conversations into structured insight, searchable intelligence, and real business value.

In this episode:

How a manual, repetitive workflow became an automated intelligence engine
How transcripts, metadata, and semantic search unlock institutional knowledge
The reality: Only ±10% of the system relies on AI (code does the heavy lifting)
When to use low-code tools vs. engineers for reliability, privacy, and scale

Plus:

A simple method to audit workflows and spot automation opportunities
How to balance build vs. buy for AI workflows
How to amplify human judgment instead of replacing it

If you are tired of manual follow-up, underused data, and AI hype without impact, this conversation is for you. 

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegademarketing.com/podcast/

When SDR Pipeline Collapses and the Data Finally Tells the Truth

Tue, 20 Jan 2026 16:51:03 GMT

“The big problem was our SDR-generated pipeline collapsed,” admitted a CMO from a $75M SaaS company. “All the other sources of pipeline, including marketing and partners, were on track.” The 14 other CMOs in the huddle leaned forward, appreciating the honesty while squirming, knowing full well this could happen to them.

This is the moment every CMO dreads.

Not because something broke. Things always break.

But because the data finally told the truth.

When The Numbers Get Clear

Here’s what struck me. This CMO didn’t hide behind blended pipeline numbers or wave vaguely at “market conditions.” He had clean, precise source data, which allowed him to see something uncomfortable. The failure was inside his own house.

And he said it out loud.

That’s leadership.

Precision Beats Blended Pipeline

Too many organizations still treat pipeline like a stew. Everything goes in, it tastes fine, and no one asks which ingredient spoiled the batch. But when SDRs are lumped into “sales-sourced,” partners get blended into “field,” and marketing is measured only by volume, you don’t get insight. You get mush.

Precision matters because you can’t fix what you can’t isolate. In this case, isolating the problem led to a much harder, but much more productive, conversation. “The SDRs didn’t make it to booking,” the CMO continued. “So that opened a whole other conversation. And since I run sales development as well as marketing, that was on my plate to resolve.”

That sentence should be taught in CMO school.

First, the diagnosis didn’t stop at pipeline creation. The real failure wasn’t leads. It wasn’t meetings. It was conversion to bookings. That distinction only shows up when you’re tracking the full arc, not just celebrating top-of-funnel motion.

Second, there was no finger-pointing. No “sales problem.” No “handoff issue.” Ownership stayed put.

But here’s the kicker. This insight came too late in the process.

If SDR-sourced pipeline had been tracked weekly with the same rigor as marketing programs or partner deals, the warning signs would have appeared earlier. Conversion rates slipping. Deal velocity slowing. Stages stalling. The collapse didn’t happen overnight. It just wasn’t noticed until the numbers forced the conversation.

Four Moves To Prevent The Next Surprise

Get ruthless about pipeline source definitions. If you can’t clearly separate SDR, marketing, partner, and field contributions, you’re flying blind.
Follow pipeline all the way to bookings. Activity metrics are noise. Revenue outcomes are signal.
Inspect earlier, not louder. Dashboards don’t prevent failure. Attention does.
Model ownership. When the problem lives in your org, say so. Your credibility compounds fast when you do.

The irony is that this CMO didn’t share a success story. He shared a miss. And every CMO in the room trusted him more because of it.

Sometimes the most valuable data point isn’t growth.

It’s the moment the numbers force you to lean forward and deal with reality.

Written by Drew Neisser

CMO Huddlers Discuss Budgeting with Conviction

Fri, 16 Jan 2026 16:44:43 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 501: A Marketing Budget the C-Suite Believes In

Growth targets keep climbing while cost lines tighten, and planning season starts to feel very personal for CMOs. AI threads through every conversation, zero-based thinking pulls against last year’s baseline, and the goalposts never seem to hold still.

So the job becomes building a budget you can walk into the room with, own, and defend with conviction.

To get there, Drew brings together Andrew Cox (Forrester), Lisa Cole (2X), and Alan Gonsenhauser (Demand Revenue). The conversation centers on tying spend to strategy, translating marketing into CFO-ready terms, and giving AI a role in the plan that the numbers can support.

In this episode:

Andrew shares Forrester’s view on moving past “last year plus X,” building budgets around corporate objectives and campaigns, and forcing prioritization.
Lisa applies a zero-based mindset to business priorities, uses a 70-20-10 program mix for core, flex, and test, and frames marketing as an ATM of Audience, Trust, and Monetization.
Alan outlines the signals of strong and weak budgets, tying the majority of spend to growth campaigns and long-term value plans, and maintaining a year-round working relationship with the CFO.

Plus:

Keeping tech spend in check, including guidelines for MarTech mix and contract flexibility
Positioning brand and PR in financial terms like pipeline influence, win rates, and pricing power
Responding to AI efficiency pressure by fixing workflows first and framing value in utilization, speed, and scalability
Why the budget should be the numerical expression of strategy, not a defense of legacy spend

If you want to walk into your next budget review with a clear story, solid numbers, and conviction, this conversation will help you get there.

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegademarketing.com/podcast/

500 Episodes In: What Hosting a Niche B2B Marketing Podcast Taught Me

Tue, 13 Jan 2026 16:20:17 GMT

“Drew, I’m thinking about starting a podcast, but I don’t know if I have 500 episodes in me.” Neither did I. I could only find 5 good ones in the first 30 recordings.

When I launched Renegade Marketers Unite in 2017, I wasn’t chasing scale, sponsors, or some master content plan. I was chasing curiosity. One conversation at a time.

Nine years later, we just dropped Episode 500.

The Biggest Surprise

Here’s the biggest surprise about hosting a podcast that no one tells you. The learning sneaks up on you. Quietly. Like osmosis.

You show up week after week, ask smart people good questions, really listen, and over time your instincts sharpen. Your pattern recognition improves. Your BS detector gets stronger. And if you’re lucky, you get better at finding the insights others can learn from and going off-script when nuggets beckon.

A Few Pro Tips For The Long Haul

First, I’ll share the best advice I internalized from a world-class reporter: “Prepare to be spontaneous.” The better prepared you are, the easier it is to listen and riff on the good stuff.

Second, consistency beats perfection. Every time. You don’t need a viral moment. You need the next episode.

Third, mix it up. I started with 1:1 CMO interviews only. These days, many episodes feature two or three CMOs at a time. The dynamic is different. Easier on the guests. Better energy. They bond. It’s basically a mini huddle.

Episode Highlights

My favorite episode?

Episode 100. Interviewing my father. Hard to top that.

Second favorite?

Episode 400 with Jorge Pablo Garcia Borboroglu (Popi) García Borboroglu, founder of the Global Penguin Society. His lifelong passion turned into a global mission. So inspiring. [CMO Huddles proudly donates 1% of revenue to this terrific org.]

Most popular episode?

Chandar Pattabhiram, back when he was Marketo's CMO. I’m pretty sure the entire Marketo Nation downloaded that one.

And keep in mind, this is a niche show. No celebrities. No clickbait. Just marketing execs and related experts talking shop.

Why I’m Not Done Yet

The best part of all of this for me?

Several times a year, I’ll meet a CMO, and they’ll say, “I’ve been listening to your podcast for years. It inspired me to do...”

That’s flocking awesome.

How many more episodes will I record? Honestly, I have no idea.

But as long as there are courageous CMOs to interview, curious marketers to reach, and a mic that still works, I’m not done yet.

Special thanks to my flocking awesome guests on Episode 500, Udi Ledergor, Denise Persson, Chris Degnan and Carilu Dietrich AND our intrepid production team, Melissa Caffrey, Laura Parkyn + Ishar Cuevas.

And deep gratitude to the hundreds of CMOs who joined me in episodes 1-499.

Written by Drew Neisser

B2B Marketing Moves from the 2025 Super Huddle

Fri, 09 Jan 2026 15:49:31 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 500: B2B Marketing Moves from the 2025 Super Huddle

Nine years in. 500 episodes later. Hundreds of CMOs on the mic. A deep well of marketing wisdom for anyone brave enough to draw from it.

This milestone episode is a celebration of the bold B2B ideas, experiments, and hard-earned lessons that have filled the show from day one. Thank-you to every marketer who has listened, shared, and dared to try something new because of what they heard here.

Recorded live at the 2025 Super Huddle, Drew’s conversations with Udi Ledergor, Denise Persson and Chris Degnan, and Carilu Dietrich anchor this milestone episode.

In this episode:

Udi shares how Gong pulled off a Super Bowl spot on a regional budget, aimed it at VPs of Sales, and tracked impact in traffic, conversations, and pipeline.
Denise and Chris explain how a CMO and CRO stayed aligned through four CEOs at Snowflake and evolved the story from “cloud data warehouse” to “data cloud,” all in lockstep.
Carilu shows how Lovable is building a movement with real users as influencers, a CEO who lives on social, and a speed-first mindset tuned to the pace of AI and customer buzz.

Plus:

Why a “crazy ideas” budget creates room for standout plays that still satisfy the CFO
How empathy for sales and shared ownership of the number strengthen CRO-CMO alignment
How CEO-led social, customer stories, and edutainment power modern B2B brands
What it takes to move at AI speed while keeping product value and customer love at the center

If you want a concentrated hit of CMO-level courage, alignment, and playmaking, this milestone episode is your highlight reel.

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegademarketing.com/podcast/

5 Sneaky AI Plays CMOs Use to Educate CFOs on Marketing Value

Tue, 06 Jan 2026 17:27:21 GMT

“Our CFO has never had to go out and get customers; he's only bought them through acquisition,” shared a CMO from a $2.5 billion services company. The other CMOs in the huddle sympathized with the challenge of explaining marketing to a neophyte; they’d all been there.

Silently, I fumed.

How can you call yourself a CFO if you don’t understand the basics of marketing?

As a CFO, you have only a few investment levers to pull: acquisition, product/R&D, sales, and yes, marketing. And of these, ironically, acquisition is the riskiest. In this context, marketing is a far safer bet, consistently delivering a solid return. But how do you educate someone who doesn't realize they're ignorant?

Since the straightforward approach will probably fail, let's have some fun and sharpen your AI skills along the way. Here are five sneaky, AI-fueled ways to educate your CFO on the power of marketing:

1. Build a Financial Model Comparing Acquisition ROI to Marketing ROI Over a 5-Year Period

Turn your typical CAC-to-LTV ratios into visual storytelling. Use ChatGPT to help craft the narrative, then plug the numbers into a slick dashboard using Excel Copilot or Tableau Pulse. Nothing beats showing how $5 million in marketing can drive more value than a $50 million acquisition.

2. Build a Business Game That Can Only Be Won With Marketing Investments

Gamify the decision-making. Use AI tools like Inworld or ChatGPT+Unity plugins to create a simple simulation: players are given a fixed budget and must grow revenue over five quarters. Only those who balance brand investment, demand gen, and customer experience win. Bonus: sneak in a “CEO Mode” where the CFO sees how marketing reduces long-term CAC and improves valuation.

3. Give Them an Autographed Picture of Warren Buffett Saying, “Brand is a Moat.”

Use DALL·E to create a deepfake-y but tasteful image of Buffett with your logo in the background. Slap it in a frame and hand it over with a wink. Humor is a surprisingly effective trojan horse.

4. Create a CFO Hall of Fame Infographic That Showcases 5 CFOs Who Leveraged Marketing to Epic Success

Gemini 3 makes dynamic infographic creation easy. Prompt it to find CFOs who invested in marketing-led growth (think Salesforce, Adobe, or even P&G).

Hang it outside the CFO’s office like it’s the 1927 Yankees.

5. Create a Video of Your CFO Accepting the “CFO of the Year” Prize and Thanking The Marketing Department

Use Sora to script and render a 60-second awards speech with future-you beaming from the front row. Show it at the next leadership offsite with full Oscar-style gravitas. Who says you can’t manifest vision into reality?

Bottom Line

Educating the CFO doesn’t have to be dry decks and defensive meetings. With AI in your corner, you can reframe the marketing conversation and turn skeptics into believers, and budget-slashers into brand champions. So go ahead, get sneaky. Your brand’s future, and your budget, may depend on it.

Written by Drew Neisser

CMO Huddlers Discuss Successful Event Strategies

Fri, 02 Jan 2026 16:12:32 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 499: The Event ROI Reality Check

Events sit at the crossroads of joy and heartburn for B2B marketers. The magic of getting customers together in real life is real, and so is the pain when sales skips the pre-work and ROI gets fuzzy. With every dollar under scrutiny, CMOs are treating events as strategic bets that have to earn their spot on the plan.

In this episode, Drew talks with Charles Groome (Insightful), Jamie Gier, and Lorie Coulombe (Equity Shift) about how they decide which events to do, design experiences people remember, and turn field time into pipeline. They cover event portfolios, sales pre-work, and the simple tools that keep everyone aligned before, during, and after the show.

In this episode:

Charles sorts events into three buckets, leans into a listening circuit with smaller meetups, and looks at target-account impact to decide where bigger bets belong.
Jamie frames events around getting discovered, creating memorable experiences, and driving deals, with customers on stage and pods focused on key accounts.
Lorie sets clear goals for each event, does deep homework on audiences and geographies, and locks in sales pre-work and follow-up expectations.

Plus:

Build an event portfolio that blends big shows, listening trips, CABs, and customer moments.
Use themes, news hooks, and customer voices to stand out in crowded halls and drive recall.
Align sales and marketing via pods, shared KPIs, and simple scoreboards.
Tighten spend with regional focus, partner co-hosting, and clear criteria.

If events are on your 2026 budget and you want them to pay in pipeline, this episode will help you pick, plan, and prove them with more confidence.

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegademarketing.com/podcast/

CMO Huddlers Discuss Building the Marketing Team’s AI Acumen

Fri, 26 Dec 2025 16:06:35 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 498: Leading Teams Through the AI Learning Curve

AI is now part of the job, whether your team feels ready or not. Some folks jump in with prompts and pilots; others stay on the sidelines while the pace keeps picking up. How do you turn that mix into a team that understands AI, uses it well, and gets stronger with every experiment?

Drew talks with Jakki Geiger (Arango), Betsy Daitch (Canoe Intelligence), and Grant Johnson (Chief Outsiders) about what it takes to uplevel AI skills across marketing. They get into hiring for AI-forward talent, picking use cases that matter, and tracking progress so experiments turn into repeatable, results-focused habits.

In this episode:

Jakki hires AI-forward talent, builds digital twins for leaders, and kicks off AI projects from SDR pilots to sales enablement knowledge bases.
Betsy uses Gemini, an “Upleveling Marketing Efficiency” tracker, and QBR AI projects to lift adoption across product, growth, and corporate marketing.
Grant sets AI proficiency goals, runs workshops, and assigns ownership so each marketing function keeps building capability over time.

Plus:

How to create a safe space for AI experimentation anchored to clear business goals
Ways to narrow use cases so pilots stay manageable and show impact
Why documentation, ownership, and simple workflows keep AI programs alive
How CMOs can model AI use and report progress in language the C-suite cares about

Tune in if you are serious about raising your team’s AI game and want practical ways to build confidence, capability, and momentum.

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegademarketing.com/podcast/

CMO Huddlers Discuss AI in B2B Marketing

Fri, 19 Dec 2025 16:00:37 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 497: AI in B2B Marketing: Wins, Misses, Next Moves

GenAI now sits inside content workflows, SDR outreach, and competitive intelligence. Marketing teams are seeing real wins and real growing pains, and the open question is where to focus next.

To answer that, Drew brings together Kelly Hopping, John McKinney (Cornerstone Licensing), and Brian Hankin (Altium Packaging) to share the AI plays they are running right now and how they’re leading the charge. Here’s how:

In this episode:

Kelly shows how AI weaves through content, SDR workflows, web chat, product work, and SEO, plus how OKRs and certifications lift AI fluency across the team.
John uses AI agents for competitor tracking, outbound support, and coding, and treats AI as a sparring partner for strategy before it reaches the C suite.
Brian runs an AI campaign engine that builds multi-touch programs in minutes and tracks lifts in engagement, qualified leads, proposals, and wins.

Plus:

How AEO connects to SEO and what needs to shift for LLM-driven discovery
How leaders model AI use with internal knowledge bases and cross-functional pilots
How to structure AI readiness
Where CMOs can start

Tune in if you want AI use cases you can put to work now and a clearer view of where to point your team next.

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegademarketing.com/podcast/

Career Huddle: Let's Discuss How B2B Brands Grow

Tue, 16 Dec 2025 23:09:26 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 496: Budgeting with Conviction

When it comes to marketing, everyone has opinions—but few have proof. That’s where Professor Byron Sharp steps in.

In this episode, Drew sits down with the globally renowned marketing scientist and author of How Brands Grow to unpack what B2B marketers are getting wrong, what they should measure instead, and why focusing only on in-market buyers is a recipe for decline.

Byron drops truth bombs on:

Why mental availability drives physical availability (not the other way around)
How B2B marketers are shooting themselves in the foot with fluffy brand campaigns
What to measure if you want to track real progress
Why B2B growth takes time—and how to prove it’s working

Plus, why CMOs should stop pretending that awareness is enough and start earning a place in buyers’ brains before they’re ready to buy.

Whether you’re defending your brand budget to a CFO, fighting for longer-term investment, or just trying to grow your share of voice without blowing it all in Q1—this episode delivers the mental fuel (and science) to make your case.

To hear the rest of this CMO Huddles Bonus Huddle, visit CMO Huddles Hub on YouTube.

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegademarketing.com/podcast/

5 Ways AI Creates Marketing Value When CEOs Demand Cuts

Tue, 16 Dec 2025 16:27:41 GMT

“Our CEO asked me to reduce our headcount by 25% while raising our pipeline targets by 25%,” shared a CMO from a $135M tech company. The virtual huddle went silent as each CMO recognized the likelihood they’d be given the same challenge very soon.

Rather than fight this one, I asked other CMOs how they’re handling these kinds of impossible-sounding requests.

Lisa Cole, CMO of 2X, didn’t just have an answer-->she offered a framework.

And it starts by reframing the conversation.

“There are five ways that AI can deliver value to an organization in the context of marketing,” Lisa explained. “If you can frame your response in one of these five ways, rather than just responding to a 25% blanket statement, you can set yourself up for something you can actually deliver on.”

Here’s Lisa's framework:

1. Budget Efficiency & Flexibility

AI enables smarter execution—faster, cheaper, and with fewer human hours. But Lisa’s not just talking about replacing manual tasks. “Think about reducing costs of execution, replacing manual work, consolidating the random acts of duplicative agencies you might have.” It's about surgical streamlining, not reckless slashing.

2. Tech Stack Optimization

Many CMOs are sitting on a tech stack that’s more bloated than beneficial. “I know CMOs whose tech budgets rival that of CIOs,” Lisa noted, “but they die under the weight of random data manipulation across the stack.” AI can help connect those dots—bridging systems, activating data, and delivering on long-promised ROI.

3. Pipeline Acceleration

This is about more than speed—it’s about intelligent velocity. “If you can reimagine the campaign workflow itself and then apply AI to it, yes, you can get there,” Lisa said. She means faster time to impact: from idea to execution to revenue-generating result.

4. Scalability Without Headcount

Lisa offered this gem: “I may not be the strongest product marketer, but you know what? AI could address that capability gap.” In other words, AI can augment your team’s skill set without adding new headcount—allowing you to scale capabilities (like product launches or content production) without scaling costs.

5. Speed to Market as a Differentiator

“Speed to market actually is a competitive advantage,” Lisa emphasized, especially as AI-native startups outpace slower-moving enterprises. “Brand is certainly part of our moat, but in an AI-first world, speed is part of that moat too.”

So when the CEO drops the 25/25 bomb on you—cut staff by 25%, increase pipeline by 25%—don't panic. Try reframing the conversation with questions like:

“What if I could increase speed to market by 25%?”
“Or improve conversion rates in the pipeline?”
“Or get more out of our existing tech investments?”

I thought this was brilliant. Would this approach work for you? If not, why not?

Written by Drew Neisser

CMO Huddlers Discuss Growing High-Performing Teams

Fri, 12 Dec 2025 15:27:17 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 495: Teams Built for Growth and Grit

Recruiting great marketers is tough work. Sustaining performance, growth, and energy over time demands deliberate choices. Those choices shape the culture, the pace, and the results your team can sustain through whatever comes next.

To see how this plays out across very different orgs, Drew talks with Dan Lowden (Blackbird.AI), Marni Puente (SAIC), and Amy King (Relias) about the teams they’ve built and the systems that keep them performing. They break down who they hire first, how they set structure and expectations, and how coaching, intelligent failure, and AI-supported workflows help people grow and stay motivated.

In this episode:

Dan builds a lean, senior, hands-on startup team and fosters a test-and-learn culture where people move fast, try new things, and learn together.
Marni reshapes a communications-heavy function into a modern marketing org, adding commercial and demand capabilities and aligning work to OKRs and transparent dashboards.
Amy leads a marketing reset at Relias, rebuilding leadership and structure, positioning marketing with sales and client care, and modeling vulnerability and continuous learning through change.

Plus:

Why AI committees, battle buddies, and shared learning loops turn hesitation into confident adoption
How OKRs, scorecards, and focused dashboards clarify priorities and tie marketing to revenue outcomes
Where intelligent failure helps teams stop low-value work, share lessons, and build trust
How competency assessments, surveys, and development plans nurture top performers and future leaders

If you’re building, inheriting, or leveling up a marketing team, this episode gives you a ton of moves to help it perform, grow, and stay together.

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegademarketing.com/podcast/

4 Reframes That Help CMOs Win Executive Trust

Tue, 09 Dec 2025 16:14:41 GMT

“How do we show that marketing is really bringing the value?” shared a CMO of a $75m SaaS company. This question stopped me in my tracks. Not because it's new. I’ve heard variations of it for years, but it was asked with such raw frustration. This CMO wasn’t lamenting vanity metrics or campaign performance. She was grappling with something more existential: the credibility of marketing in the eyes of the business.

And she wasn’t alone. During four back-to-back workshops moderated by 4X CMO Kathie Johnson at the 2025 CMO Super Huddle, this same issue popped up repeatedly.

One CMO shared, “We’ve made 150 acquisitions in 20 years. We have three Salesforce instances. And now I’m supposed to prove that marketing is driving value across all of it?” Another said, “We’re responsible for 100% of the pipeline (both PLG and SLG), but proving attribution is still nearly impossible.”

These are smart, experienced CMOs leading real businesses, and they’re still fighting for legitimacy.

Here’s the truth: If your CEO or CRO is still asking what marketing delivers to the business, that’s a red flag. But it’s also a massive opportunity. Because as painful as that question might feel, it invites a shift in how marketing is framed, measured, and aligned inside the company.

CMOs Need to Reframe Marketing as a Revenue Engine

That starts with shifting the language from activities to outcomes. One CMO described using a simple framework: feed the business, build the business, and create the future. This model helped her team communicate how marketing contributes across time horizons: short-term pipeline, mid-term growth bets, and long-term brand or category creation.

Alignment Isn’t a Buzzword; It’s a Contract

Several CMOs spoke about codifying their go-to-market plans with signed agreements between marketing, sales, and product. “We documented the plan, had the CRO co-sign it, and presented it to the ELT,” one said. Another added, “We did this quarterly, not just annually. Because plans change and so does accountability.”

Metrics Matter, but They Must Match the Impact Timeframe

Not every marketing effort leads directly to pipeline this quarter. Especially in the early stages of category creation or AI adoption, CMOs need to define and align on leading indicators. This might include engagement scores, search volume, brand lift, or even internal metrics like enablement or velocity. “We couldn’t wait for deals to close,” one CMO said.

CMOs Need to Market the Marketing

Internally. Loudly. One leader created a “marketing will/will not do” list, got it signed by the CRO, and sent it to the entire company. Another created quarterly marketing scorecards and published them internally, not just for bragging rights, but to show the strategic role marketing was playing across the funnel.

If you’re still being asked to prove marketing’s value, don’t take offense. Take control.

Written by Drew Neisser

CMO Huddlers Discuss Fractional CMOing

Fri, 05 Dec 2025 15:07:08 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 494: Going Fractional?

Plenty of CMOs reach a point where the fractional model starts to look… intriguing. A little more freedom, a little less 24/7 pressure, and a whole lot of variety.

In this episode, Drew brings together three former full-time CMOs who now serve as full-time fractionals: Alan Gonsenhauser (Demand Revenue), Katrina Klier (Sage Strategy Group), and Marshall Poindexter (yorCMO). They get into what it really takes to succeed in the role, from setting expectations with CEOs and boards to choosing the right clients, managing time and scope, and knowing when the fractional model fits and when it is time to move on.

In this episode:

Alan builds trust fast with structured discovery across leaders and the board, using "three magic wishes" to surface priorities before acting.
Katrina ties marketing priorities to financial and board targets so strategy supports existing growth and margin commitments.
Marshall differentiates fractional work from consulting, using a simple framework and 90-day sprints to drive execution through in-house teams or agencies.

Plus:

Narrowing your niche so you attract clients where you create outsized value
How to set scope, cadence, and availability so part-time does not quietly become full-time
Using process, sprints, and metrics to stay focused when new requests pop up
Planning the transition, from mentoring the incoming full-time CMO to creating a clean off-ramp

Tune in if you are considering going fractional, hiring a fractional CMO, or just trying to understand how this model fits into the modern CMO career.

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegademarketing.com/podcast/

3 Reasons Brand Looks Like It’s Failing When It Isn’t

Tue, 02 Dec 2025 17:28:44 GMT

"At every company I've been at, this brand thing never pays off," said the CFO to a CMO at a $125M SaaS brand. My mind buzzed with questions, starting with: Could all of these CMOs be getting “this brand thing” wrong?

Before we dig into that can of worms, I want to celebrate how this particular CMO handled the situation. “Rather than fight this battle, I don’t break out brand, demand, or other program elements in my budget,” the CMO shared. “Instead, I commit to delivering a certain percentage of pipeline for the year and ask them to let me worry about the executional details.”

That works for me. Would it work for your organization?

Now, back to the real question: Why does “this brand thing” so often appear to fail? Let’s unpack a few likely culprits:

1. The Expectation Gap

The CFO expected brand dollars to produce revenue within a set timeframe. When that didn’t happen, brand got blamed. Was the campaign poorly executed? Was it even a campaign at all? Or just a new logo and a splashy video? More likely, the problem was a failure to connect the dots between brand and demand. Too many CMOs run brand work in a vacuum, hoping it will “lift all boats” without anchoring it to pipeline or product. Brand doesn’t work in isolation. It should make every dollar of demand gen more efficient, but only if the messaging is aligned and consistent.

2. The Timeframe Trap

Brand building is a long game. CFOs want results in quarters. Brands grow in years. The disconnect is predictable and avoidable. A smart CMO sets expectations up front: “Yes, we’re investing in long-term equity. No, this won’t convert tomorrow.” Then, they start tracking brand health over time.

[Side note: If you don’t have brand tracking in place, either get one or join the CMO Huddles Leader program. Why? We are launching RepuTracker.org, a monthly brand reputation tracker that is free for the CMOs in our Leader program. Special thanks to the dev team at Growth Natives for building this incredible tool with us.]

3. The KPI Black Hole

Here’s the sneaky thing about brand: its first wins often show up internally. Employees get clearer on what the company stands for. They stay longer. They refer better candidates. They perform better. But if you're not measuring those outcomes, if you're not telling that story, guess what? Your CFO never sees the value. Great CMOs align their KPIs with business outcomes beyond pipeline. Think recruitment costs, employee engagement scores, win rates, pricing power.

The Bottom Line

“This brand thing” fails when CMOs treat it as a creative exercise instead of a business driver. It fails when there’s myopic measurement. No integration. No patience. It fails when CMOs don’t take control of the narrative.

But when done right? Brand becomes the moat (per my Warren Buffett post). The multiplier. The magnet for talent, customers, and growth. And yes, even CFOs come around.

Written by Drew Neisser

Bonus Huddle: Let's Discuss 2026 Budgeting

Tue, 02 Dec 2025 15:22:01 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 493: Budgeting with Conviction

If your 2026 budget is starting to feel like a no-win puzzle—flat headcount, higher growth expectations, fewer resources—this episode is for you. Craig Moore of Forrester joins Drew to reveal the budgeting mistakes too many B2B CMOs are still making—and what to do instead.

From rethinking budget architecture to organizing around business outcomes, Craig shares the frameworks that enable CMOs to go beyond justifying their spend—and start leading the strategic conversation with CEOs, CFOs, and CROs.

Get ready to challenge your assumptions, realign your org, and turn your budget into a true lever for growth.

In this episode:

The big 3 budgeting mistakes CMOs make
Why campaign-based budgeting unlocks strategy
Areas of volatility in 2026
AI’s Role in Budget Planning

This is just the first half of one of CMO Huddles monthly Bonus Huddles with B2B marketing strategists. To hear the rest of the conversation with Craig, visit CMO Huddles Hub on YouTube.

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegademarketing.com/podcast/

The Million-Dollar Test of a CMO’s Strategy

Tue, 25 Nov 2025 17:30:14 GMT

“My CFO just asked what I could do with an incremental million dollars,” shared a surprised CMO from a $125 million tech firm. Yes, this did happen.

When CMOs Get the Million-Dollar Question

Let’s start by acknowledging the moment. This wasn’t a cost-cutting directive or a request to justify your brand budget. This was an investment question and an opportunity to accelerate growth. A question every CMO should be prepared to answer.

The problem? Many CMOs aren’t.

They hesitate. They go back to their teams. They start pulling together a deck. By the time they respond, the million has either vanished or been rerouted to Sales or Product.

Here’s the thing: the best CMOs already know how they’d spend it. They’ve got a short list of experiments already in market. They’ve tested a new vertical audience, piloted a post-sale nurture, or explored programmatic in new markets. They've soft-launched a CAB and are ready to expand it. They've seen what moves the needle and where the ROI starts to compound.

So when the CFO asks, they don’t speculate. They say, “Here’s what we’ve done, here’s what we’ve learned, and here’s how we’d scale it with a million-dollar boost.”

This is the CMO as investment strategist.

Choosing the Right Growth Bet With New Budget

But don’t just say yes. Start by understanding the ask. What’s the real goal? Why did they ask this question at this point? Is it about expansion revenue or net-new logos? What is their time horizon for spending the money and seeing the results?

Get clarity before you commit. Ask, “What outcome are you hoping to drive with this spend and by when?” Then tailor your recommendation to those expectations.

And don’t forget your CRO, even if you fear they'll want the money for more salespeople. You might co-develop a campaign to re-engage dormant accounts, launch a new product to existing customers, or generate opportunities in a segment Sales is eager to crack. To turn a $1 million into $10 million, you'll need complete alignment.

Also worth considering: you might not need the incremental dollars.

You read that right.

Sometimes the smarter move is to say, “Not now.” If your campaigns are performing but the sales team is at capacity, more leads won’t help. Maybe that money should go to hiring three new quota-carrying reps. Or accelerating a product enhancement that’s been stuck in backlog. The point is, you don’t always need to say yes to prove your value.

Saying no can be just as powerful as saying yes. You can say no strategically, confidently, and with the business in mind.

Because this isn’t about grabbing budget. It’s about showing the CFO that you think like they do. That you see marketing not just as a cost, but as a growth lever. That you can allocate capital with discipline and adjust based on outcomes.

Thinking Like a CFO Without Losing the CMO Lens

The next time your CFO asks, “What would you do with an extra million?” don’t get caught flat-footed.

Be ready. Be specific. Be aligned.

And most of all, be the kind of CMO who knows how to turn one million into many more.

Written by Drew Neisser

CMO Huddlers Discuss Leading through Transformation

Fri, 21 Nov 2025 15:58:19 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 491: Pilot, Prove, Scale: How CMOs Lead Transformation

If you’re not transforming, you’re getting left behind. That reality makes transformation anything but presto change; it’s a mindset shift, sustained motion, and a clear “why” your people can see themselves in.

To turn that into visible progress while keeping the ship pointed at a destination the business recognizes, Drew brings together Chris Pieper (ADP), Putney Cloos (Bombora), and David Levy (Foundever) to share how each leads transformation across differently scaled organizations. From making progress visible to earning belief across the org and sustaining momentum through the messy middle, they show how change takes hold.

In this episode:

Chris pilots with sales champions, proves pipeline impact, and turns small wins into momentum.
Putney makes the case for change, maps “scrappy to industrial strength” milestones, and scales what works.
David runs parallel lanes to protect the core while building the future, aligning his org to work ambidextrously.

Plus:

How to make progress visible with simple roadmaps and real milestones.
How pilots, quick wins, and pipeline proof bring sales along.
Why stopping low-value work frees resources for what matters.
What to hire for in ambiguity: people who try new things and move fast.

Tune in if you are steering big change and want practical ways to show progress, win belief, and keep momentum through the messy middle.

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegademarketing.com/podcast/

AEO Reality Check: How to Show Up in LLMs

Tue, 18 Nov 2025 18:19:34 GMT

“I think AEO/GEO is a load of crap,” spouted a CMO from a $250mm SaaS company, adding, “if you follow SEO best practices, you’ll be fine.” After I picked up my jaw from the floor, I pondered this purposeful provocation and asked myself, could she be right? Stick with me as I share what I think I know about AEO.

The Value of Showing Up in LLMs

Showing up in LLMs has significant business value.

Members of the CMO Huddles community report that LLM-generated site traffic converts at 4-6x the rate of traditional Google traffic. These visitors are not your proverbial tire kickers. They’re ready to put you on their short list. So if you haven’t figured out how to track + respond to these visitors appropriately, stop reading this and get on that!

What We’re Getting Wrong About AEO

Brands that ranked high in Google searches are more likely to show up in LLMs

This makes sense, since these brands tend to have broader digital footprints. But I’ve also read that this only applies to about 50% of LLM searches. So that means that in the other 50% of searches, lesser-ranked brands are finding a way into LLM synopses. And if that is the case, then they must be doing something other than SEO-like activities. [If this logic is faulty, don’t blame an LLM, I’m on my own here.]

Yext research agrees with our provocateur CMO

This brilliantly timed bombshell dropped into my email this week: “Yext just analyzed 6.8 million citations across ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity and found that 86% actually come from sources brands already control, like websites and listings. Reddit and forums? Just 2% once location and query intent are factored in.” I’ll give you a second to re-read this.

Is Yext’s research relevant to AEO + B2B brands?

Not sure. Perhaps their CEO, Michael Walrath, will weigh in here. If Yext's research includes B2B brands and complex queries, those of you investing heavily in AEO may want to reconsider. Another reason to hedge on AEO is that it is so damn hard to measure cause and effect right now. Every LLM search delivers unique results. The game is to measure the percentage of times you show up in an LLM query of 23 words on average. Now imagine one word is different each time. My head hurts thinking about the mathematical permutations.

Hedging Your AEO Bet

Many of the AEO “best practices” are things you should be doing anyway. Having extensive Q&As on your website is simply being user-friendly. Taking it a step further and having an answer bot like Webless that pulls from your website content is also being customer-centric.

Another example is having competitive information (including pricing) on your website. Prospects need that info, and if you don’t provide it, the LLM will source it from somewhere else.

Like most humans, I hate gated content. Turns out, so do LLMs. So that's another example of doing the right thing that also may help with AEO.

Conclusion

There's more to cover, but I'm out of space + am counting on my AEO-expert friends to fill in the vast gaps, including the technical stuff (like schema).

Written by Drew Neisser

CMO Huddlers Discuss Building a Team of Storytellers

Fri, 14 Nov 2025 16:42:42 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 489: B2B Storytelling That Scales (and Sells)

The best B2B brands don’t just tell a story. They live it across every team, channel, and touchpoint.

But how do you get everyone aligned — from sales to customer success — without the story getting lost in translation (or buried in features)?

That question sits at the center of this conversation, as Drew talks with Marca Armstrong (Sensera Systems) and Caitlin Cassady (Beyond) about how to build a team of company-wide storytellers. From capturing customer language to coaching teams on how to use it, they reveal how to make your story stick—and scale.

In this episode:

Marca starts with a simple headline story (“build with confidence”) and ensures it shows up consistently in every GTM motion.
Caitlin turns real customer stories into marketing fuel, using a “so what?” filter to connect features to real outcomes.
Together, they treat storytelling as everyone’s job, so marketing, sales, and CX all carry the same story.

Plus:

Measuring story-led work vs. feature blasts
Spotting what moves pipeline
Keeping language sharp so customer phrasing shows up in deals
Making storytelling a team sport across the company

If you want a story your customers instantly recognize—no matter who they talk to—this episode gives you the moves to make it happen.

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegademarketing.com/podcast/

How CMOs Sell Brand to CFOs Who Don’t Believe in It

Tue, 11 Nov 2025 17:37:59 GMT

“Our CFO barely believes in marketing and thinks brand spending is a total waste,” shared 12 CMOs from our community in the last year. Until recently, I offered more sympathy than tips on how CMOs could educate their CFO counterparts. Then I came across Preston Rutherford’s post and thought, brilliant opportunity for "R&D" as defined by Joshua Leatherman, “ripoff and duplicate.”

So, how do you sell a brand to someone trained to kill for cost?

Start With Warren

CFOs revere Warren Buffett. Mention his name, and suddenly, ears perk up like it’s earnings call day. Now drop these Buffittisms on them:

“A strong brand is really potent stuff.”
“Brands are moats.”
“If you can raise prices without losing customers, you've got a great business.”

To Buffett, brand equals pricing power. Moat. Longevity. That’s not marketing fluff—it’s financial strategy. https://lnkd.in/gqpvJkDM

Bring Proof From the Real World

Public companies investing heavily in brand are outperforming expectations and reporting record earnings. Share a few of those results, and your CFO might start asking why you aren’t spending more on brand. https://lnkd.in/gkStuMr7

Give Them Charts and Frameworks

Call it “The Brand Lifecycle,” plot it like a CapEx investment, and suddenly brand spending sounds like smart business. https://lnkd.in/gSdCtkSD

Stack the Endorsements

CFOs, CEOs, and investors—from the boardroom to BlackRock—are backing brand. Six of them even say it out loud in this post. That’s when CFOs start nodding. https://lnkd.in/g5sQ47Nm

Some CFOs Dreamt of Writing Screenplays

Then they became accountants. Give them a dialogue script that scratches that creative itch and explains brand in their language. https://lnkd.in/gadn3JTS

Define What Brand Actually Is

Many CFO, and plenty of marketers, can’t explain the difference between brand and direct response. This chart clears that up. https://lnkd.in/gfyqshcD

Challenge Their Love for ROAS

Higher ROAS can mean you’re underinvesting in long-term growth. This one will trigger them... until the data clicks. https://lnkd.in/gDJtwDc3

Use the 95/5 Rule

Only 5% of your market is currently in buying mode. Brand helps you win with the 95% who’ll buy later. That’s a rule even ex-accountants can love.

Back It All Up With Data

Five big studies. One powerful takeaway: Brand builds future cash flow. Share this and wait for, “Where’d you get this?” https://lnkd.in/gNrE8mHk

The Bottom Line?

Brand isn’t a gamble. It’s a moat. It’s pricing power. It’s long-term value creation.

Just ask Warren.

And Preston Rutherford, thank you for letting me riff off your fine posts.

Written by Drew Neisser

Bonus Huddle: Let's Discuss NetApp's Brand Refresh

Mon, 10 Nov 2025 19:06:43 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 488: One Promise, One Motion: How NetApp Built Strategic Demand

When B2B brands try to be everything to everyone, they end up with what Gabie Boko calls a “brand of commas.” NetApp chose focus instead: One clear promise the whole company could rally behind and a direct line to business growth.

In this episode, Drew sits down with Gabie Boko (NetApp) to unpack how NetApp rallied leadership around Intelligent Data Infrastructure, redefined strategic demand as a shared go-to-market motion, and built alignment from the CEO to sales. Gabie shares how focus, authenticity, and cross-functional trust helped modernize NetApp’s story.

In this episode:

Moving from a “brand of commas” to one durable narrative the company can stand behind for years
Choosing Intelligent Data Infrastructure to stay customer-tested and future-proof without falling into AI-washing
Defining strategic demand as a company-wide motion that unites marketing, sales, and partners

Plus:

How NetApp’s NFL partnerships built reach and brand lift without massive ad spend
How success is measured through share of voice, sentiment, pipeline, and revenue growth
How to avoid category-creation detours and free teams from over-branding every product
The CMO journey from hope to determination, and how to sequence wins without burning political capital

Tune in to learn how one promise and shared accountability reshaped NetApp’s story!

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegademarketing.com/podcast/

Why CMOs Should Push Back on ‘AI Efficiency’ Cuts

Tue, 04 Nov 2025 16:00:32 GMT

“How the heck do I cut 50% of our staff?” a frustrated CMO from a $275 million fintech asked after his CEO made this request. I hate hearing these stories. But they keep coming. So, I thought I’d use this rant to imagine how the conversation could play out.

CEO: I keep reading about the efficiencies others are gaining by using GenAI. I’d like you to explore ways to reduce your staffing costs by 50%.

CMO: I appreciate your desire to improve our company's EBITDA by reducing costs, and I’m firmly committed to finding efficiencies using GenAI. In fact, we’ve already reduced our content production time by 25% which has freed up resources to expand our new vertical audience initiatives. Those, in turn, have helped us continue to drive 50% of revenue.

CEO: 50% of revenue sounds good, but couldn’t you do that even more efficiently?

CMO: We’re always looking for efficiencies. Have you considered that your marketing department is already outperforming all of our competitors? And that our CPA is the lowest in the industry, and our contribution to revenue is the highest?

CEO: Yes, you and your team have done great work. But we’re entering a new era, and we will all need to do better.

CMO: Challenge accepted. Do you have any thoughts on how we might maintain our revenue contribution at 50% while reducing our staff by 50%?

CEO: Frankly, I don’t. That’s your job.

CMO: I appreciate your honesty. I’m prepared to sit down with our CFO and review our current team structure, staffing costs, and marketing plans, and consider new approaches. For example, we currently allocate 45% of our programming budget to events, which are highly staff-intensive (and so far, robot-proof). We could reduce the number of events by 50%, which would make some staff reductions possible. However, our CRO won’t like it since events are where they accelerate deals most effectively.

CEO: Understand. Cutting events may not be the right route. But surely you can find other areas to automate.

CMO: I’m so glad you brought that up. Yes, we are currently piloting SDR, campaign, workflow, and translation automations. Some of these pilots are looking quite promising, but there’s a catch. It turns out that we need new types of staff members who can help build these automations and fine-tune them. Currently, maintaining our staffing count feels like a victory. And then there’s AEO.

CEO: What’s AEO?

CMO: Answer engine optimization. It’s about how brands show up in LLMs like ChatGPT, Claude, and Perplexity. It’s why our site traffic is down 20%. People just aren’t clicking on Google anymore. They’re discovering and choosing brands based on what the LLMs suggest. It’s a brand new ballgame, requiring a new playbook and new expertise. We’re on top of this, and the good news is that traffic from LLMs to our website is converting at 4x the rate of Google-driven traffic.

CEO: Could you write something up about this for me to share with the Board?

CMO: I’d be happy to.

Written by Drew Neisser

CMO Huddlers Discuss Quick Wins

Fri, 31 Oct 2025 14:36:25 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 487: Quick Wins: How CMOs Build Momentum Fast

In the first 90 days, perception outruns reality. So where will you find the quick, visible wins that turn “new CMO” into “trusted change agent”? 

In this episode, Drew sits down with Laura MacGregor (Savvy Marketing Works), Julie Kaplan (Higher Logic), and Julia Goebel to unpack how CMOs convert early pressure into progress, spot quick, visible wins to bank now, and use that goodwill to earn the mandate for bigger changes.

How Three CMOs Win the First 90 Days:

Laura listens first, learns the business, and picks intentional early moves that build trust.
Julie starts before Day 1, using interviews to find a wish list and deliver one visible win fast.
Julia anchors early success in data and customer calls to sharpen focus and reveal opportunities.

Plus:

How to align expectations with a marketing maturity matrix and shared success metrics.
Why small conversion gains build credibility while foundational work ramps up.
How to partner with sales, learn from top performers, and scale what works.
Why customer conversations beat inherited assumptions every time.

Stepping into a new CMO role? This episode shows how to turn early pressure into wins that build lasting momentum.

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegademarketing.com/podcast/

How CMOs Can Turn C-Suite Skeptics Into Believers

Tue, 28 Oct 2025 15:23:11 GMT

“I’m in a small town and the only one for miles who knows anything about marketing, including our C-suite. It gets very lonely,” shared a CMO from a $45 million services company. If that line doesn’t give you shivers, you’re probably not a CMO.

Small Town, Big Expectations

Being the lone marketer in the C-suite is like a penguin trying to teach marketing to a polar bear. You live on opposite ends of the earth, speak completely different languages, and see the world through entirely different lenses. The polar bear nods politely while you explain customer journeys and brand equity, but you can tell they are just waiting for the fish course.

How Do You Teach the Unteachable?

The first question to ask: how do I help my peers see marketing’s impact? PowerPoint decks and monthly reports often fall short. The C-suite needs proof that marketing is driving revenue, retention, and a competitive advantage, not just clicks and clever campaigns.

Start with Their Pain

The fastest way to get their attention is to speak to what keeps them up at night. CFO worried about margins? Show how marketing lowers CAC and prevents churn. CRO hungry for pipeline? Hand them qualified opportunities. CEOs live for growth, so draw a direct line between marketing investment and business outcomes, short-term and long-term.

Bring Them into the Arena

Customer Advisory Boards, win/loss reviews, event keynotes—these are not just marketing’s domain. Invite your peers to participate. When they hear the customer voice unfiltered or feel the energy of the market up close, they will not need convincing that marketing matters.

Be the Innovation Engine

CMOs are leading the charge on generative AI. Do not hide in pilot purgatory. Demonstrate how AI compresses campaign cycles, cuts costs, and unleashes creativity. A single well-executed experiment can turn skeptics into advocates overnight.

Speak in Business, Not Marketing

Jargon is the enemy. Ditch the CTRs and impressions. Talk pipeline velocity, customer lifetime value, pricing power, and win rates. When you speak their language, you stop being “the brand person” and start being the growth driver.

Build Your Own Peer Group

Even if you do all this, the job can still feel lonely. That is why you need a community of fellow CMOs who have been there, done that, and solved the exact problems you are facing.

The Bottom Line

You can survive being the only marketer in the room or town, but you do not have to go it alone. Join CMO Huddles and connect with peers who will help you stay ahead, share what works, and celebrate the wins with you. Plus, we will send you a penguin "stress ball" to crush when the CFO requests another ROI report. You can try it free and see how much lighter the job feels.

For those new to CMO Huddles, it's helpful to know that a group of penguins is called a huddle, and that CMO Huddles donates 1% of its revenue to the Global Penguin Society.

Written by Drew Neisser

Career Huddle: Let's Discuss Courageous Marketing

Tue, 28 Oct 2025 14:53:22 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 486: Courageous B2B Marketing

By the time you implement “best practices,” they’ve become boring practices, and B2B sure doesn’t mean boring to business.

In this episode, Drew talks with Udi Ledergor (Gong), author of Courageous Marketing, the book that challenges B2B marketers to stop playing it safe. Together, they explore what it means to lead with creativity, confidence, and courage. Udi also shares how Gong earned attention by building an audience that wanted to engage, not just be targeted. With every executive, from the CEO to the CFO, invested in the story, marketing became a company-wide advantage instead of a department.

Three B2B Marketing Traps Udi Warns Against:

Following industry best practices instead of breaking them
Letting marketing own brand alone
Hiring for experience over potential

Plus:

The punch-above-your-weight framework that makes a startup look enterprise-ready
Why brand must be led by the CEO and modeled across the exec team
How to hire for curiosity, learning speed, and potential
How to sell the 95–5 content mindset to your CEO and CFO

If you’re done blending in, this conversation will remind you why courage still wins in B2B.

Udi will be speaking at the CMO Super Huddle in Palo Alto on November 7th, 2025. All attendees will receive a complimentary copy of his book, Courageous Marketing, and can get it signed in the morning!

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegademarketing.com/podcast/

Career Huddle: Let's Discuss Scalable Acts of Marketing

Fri, 24 Oct 2025 17:46:37 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 485: Scalable Acts of Marketing: Building a Repeatable Growth Engine

Most marketing books promise tips. Scalable Acts of Marketing shows you how to build a system that scales.

Written after thirteen years of helping grow Service Express from $30 million to $350 million in ARR, Joshua Leatherman’s field-tested guide blends a business fable with a hands-on playbook.

In this episode, Joshua Leatherman (Cyderes) joins Drew to walk through how durable growth happens when marketing speaks in outcomes, earns executive trust, and runs one motion across brand, demand, sales, and success. He connects the fable’s lessons to real-world moves inside growth-stage companies, laying out a playbook any marketing leader can use to build momentum that lasts.

In this episode:

How to shift from activities to outcomes that a CFO and CRO will back
How to own pipeline with clear SQO definitions, shared attribution, and consistent follow-up
How to stand up RevOps as “Switzerland,” with shared KPIs, fast handoffs, and five-minute speed-to-lead targets

Plus:

Why marketing must stay on the field after the first meeting
How to use R&D (“rip off and duplicate”) to accelerate playbooks
What to hire for right now: Curiosity, learning velocity, and accountability
How authoritative content fuels discovery in an AI-led world

If you’re ready to build a marketing system that earns trust, investment, and results, this episode shows where to start!

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegademarketing.com/podcast/

How B2B CMOs Build a Vision-First AI Strategy

Tue, 21 Oct 2025 19:27:04 GMT

“Our CEO is demanding we become an AI-first company but is that really a thing?” asked a seasoned CMO from a $375mm SaaS company. This CEO’s demand is neither isolated nor surprising. It is, however, ill-advised. “AI-first” is certainly not a vision, or at least not one that will inspire growth or differentiate the company.

Leadership 101: Three Core Responsibilities

Set the vision
Hire the team that can achieve the vision
Allocate resources to achieve the vision

AI-First Is Not a Vision

In her bestselling book, “The Right Kind of Wrong,” Harvard Business School professor Amy Edmondson writes about former Alcoa CEO Paul O'Neill, who shocked Wall Street in 1987 when he announced safety, not profits, as his top priority. Setting a goal for zero injuries, O’Neill empowered every employee to stop the production line if they saw a safety concern and fostered a culture of learning by insisting they study every accident, however minor.

When O’Neill retired 13 years later, Alcoa was both the most profitable and safest aluminum company in the world. It turns out that addressing safety issues leads to continually improving production processes, increased efficiency, and higher employee satisfaction. Using Edmondson’s language, employees thrived thanks to the “psychological safety” needed to inspire innovation.

Unlike zero injuries, AI-first is a solution in search of a problem.

Telling your team to use AI-first is like asking a four-year-old boy to play with a hammer. Most likely, they’ll have fun, but the outcome may prove expensive if not painful. This is not to say that using AI won’t help you accomplish lots of good things faster. However, returning to the vision thing, leaders need to focus on the big problems they want their departments or orgs to solve.

CMOs Need to Focus on the Big Problems to Get Big Stuff Done

Differentiation is undoubtedly a big problem for most brands. AI can certainly help you with competitive assessments, synthetic research, options generation, and even implementation suggestions. But it is a thought partner, not the decider. It will not help you build consensus with the executive team. It will not drive the commitment to execute relentlessly against your newly differentiated positioning.

What Are Your Biggest Challenges?

Seriously, I'd like to know. However, before sharing these, I would encourage you to prioritize them, then categorize them by scope (marketing-only, Sales & Marketing, GTM, company-wide, etc.) and timeframe (short, medium, long-term). With these in hand, applying AI will feel both purposeful and rewarding.

If you're a B2B CMO and DM me with a specific challenge, our team will connect you with another who either shares this challenge or has solved it.

Let's go human-first, shall we?

Written by Drew Neisser

CMO Huddlers Discuss Integrated B2B Campaign Strategies

Fri, 17 Oct 2025 14:31:08 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 484: Integrated B2B Campaigns: Where Every Message Connects

There are a lot of worries in B2B right now. AI, tight budgets, shifting search. The one that should sit near the top? Disconnected campaigns.

Scattered themes, mixed messages, disconnected plays. Buyers can’t follow the story and impact fades fast. Integrated campaigns fix that.

In this episode, Drew brings together Kelly Hopping (Demandbase), Scott Morris (Sprout Social), and Marni Carmichael (ImageSource) to share how they make integration work at their companies. You’ll hear how one story aligns teams, builds momentum over quarters, and stays on track with shared goals and tight handoffs. By the end, you’ll come away with different ways to align message, motion, and measurement behind one story.

In this episode:

Kelly shares how company and pipeline goals set the theme, channels, partner plays, and internal enablement.
Scott explains how a hub-and-spoke campaign model unites brand and demand, and how quarterly launches turn features into a full-funnel motion.
Marni shares how tight SDR handoffs, quick follow ups, and clear SLAs keep campaigns from stalling in the field.

Plus:

How to set one message that adapts by persona without splintering the story
How to plan one quarter ahead so execution and enablement stay in sync
What to measure from awareness through to deal conversion
When to bring partners and customers into the narrative to lift conversion

It’s time to align every effort into connected campaigns that build momentum. Tune in!

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegademarketing.com/podcast/

The In-Office Advantage for CMOs

Tue, 14 Oct 2025 16:06:25 GMT

“What’s bringing me joy is being in an office after 5 years of WFH,” shared a delighted B2B leader who just changed companies. “I missed being around people, and having the separation between work life and home life,” she added. Another Huddler chimed in, “I’m so jealous - I started dressing up for myself just to create a feeling of separation.” My mind rattled with questions.

Q: Will CMOs (and the companies they work for) be more successful going back to the office?

A: Yes.

Q: Do you have any statistical evidence to back up your supposition?

A: No.

Q: Then what makes you so sure that in-office companies will outperform 100% virtual companies?

A: Human nature.

Q: Can you be a little less pithy?

A: Certainly. Most humans do better when they are surrounded by others who share common goals, values, and experiences. Casual in-person “water cooler” conversations spread information faster and lead to the sharing of nascent ideas. It is easier to build accountability in person. It is easier to read the room when you’re in the room.

Q: Do you at least have “anecdata” to support your argument?

A: Sure. I was speaking to a partner at a big law firm and asked him about the development of their associates during the first two years of Covid. He said without blinking, “They are a full 2 years behind past associates. They missed hours of training they would have received just by being in the partner's office.”

Q: That’s a very specific situation. Can you broaden the aperture?

A: Sure. It is just easier to build a team that works in sync when they are physically together. Critical non-verbal feedback doesn’t come through Slack, email, or even Zoom.

Q: Wait, isn’t your company, CMO Huddles, 100% virtual?

A: Guilty as charged. We make it work, but I have no doubt we’d be even more effective if we were in an office together.

Q: Going back to the office is not the CMO's decision. Why are you even bringing this up?

A: You may have heard that CMOs change jobs often (perhaps more frequently than they’d like). I’m just saying that when considering your next opportunity, add “has an office” to your criteria. And not just because it suits you, but also because that company is likely to be more successful.

Q: This feels like retro advice, especially in the GenAI era. Does the proliferation of GenAI and agentic workflows change your opinion?

A: No. It enhances my argument. Famous futurist Alan Toffler projected that as our world becomes increasingly hi-tech, the need for hi-touch interactions also grows. Bots can’t build culture. And culture famously eats strategy (AI-enhanced or otherwise) for lunch.

Q: Isn’t hybrid a better solution?

A: Perhaps. The ? becomes how much face-to-face time the CMO gets with their boss, board, peers, and direct reports. If everyone is in the office on different days, it becomes quite challenging to meet regularly and build strong, productive relationships.

Q: It feels like you’re barking at the moon.

A: I’m a penguin. I don’t bark.

Written by Drew Neisser

Career Huddle: Let's Discuss The Six Disciplines of Strategic Thinking

Tue, 14 Oct 2025 14:58:29 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 483: From Tactics to Strategy with Michael Watkins

If you're reacting more than leading, it's time to rethink your strategy mindset.

Michael Watkins joins Drew Neisser to explore how CMOs can evolve from tactical executors to strategic leaders. Hear how to develop enterprise thinking, lead across silos, and apply Watkins' RPM model to every level of your marketing org.

Want more? Check out the rest of the conversation on YouTube.

What You’ll Learn:

How to apply the RPM (Recognize, Prioritize, Mobilize) model to level up strategic thinking
The difference between enterprise leadership and functional execution
Why most marketers struggle with long-term thinking—and how to fix it

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegademarketing.com/podcast/

Bonus Huddle: Let's Discuss CMO+ Leadership

Fri, 10 Oct 2025 15:43:04 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 482: Juggling CMO+: How to Lead Across the Business

Wearing the CMO+ hat rewires the role. You pick up a second lane, your calendar tightens, and perceptions shift from “just the marketer,” a label no one should wear, to business leader.

The path is demanding, but when the plus lines up with company priorities and earns trust across the business, the impact is unmistakable.

In this episode, Drew sits down with Sandy Ono, EVP and CMO at OpenText, who leads global marketing across ten business units while also owning partnerships and alliances. She treats both as one go-to-market, aligning partners and the field around a single story, running the forecast together, and keeping a steady rhythm so co-selling and co-marketing stay aimed at the same targets.

Three Actions Behind Sandy’s CMO+ Success:

Mindset: Claim growth as the job and step closer to revenue through partnerships
Skillset: Learn forecasting, deal construction, and the weekly rigor of partner sales
Toolset: Build the operating rhythm that connects co-selling, co-marketing, and accountability at scale

Plus:

How to choose a plus that aligns with company growth priorities
How to juggle both roles with capacity planning and clear priorities
How to protect brand integrity while telling a shared story with partners
How to measure progress with sourced pipeline, influenced revenue, retention, and feedback loops into product

Weighing a plus or already living one? You’ll find proven moves here.

If you're a B2B CMO, you can meet Sandy and another 100 incredible marketing leaders at the CMO Super Huddle in Palo Alto, California on November 6th and 7th. She’ll be speaking on a panel about how CMOs are leading the charge with GenAI.

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegademarketing.com/podcast/

3 Hasty Moves That Doom New CMOs

Tue, 07 Oct 2025 21:29:23 GMT

“The hardest part for me as a CMO is managing expectations,” shared the CMO of a $6 billion tech company. “Leadership around a CMO wants more demand, more brand, and they want it immediately,” she added. This is not an unusual scenario. However, it is a critical one to break down, as it also leads to many hasty moves that can doom CMOs.

Managing Expectations is Everything

There’s a good reason the first chapter of my first book, The CMO’s Periodic Table, was Setting Expectations. If there’s a mismatch in expectations, the CMO loses, even if the CEO’s, board’s, or investor’s expectations are lunacy. It's on the CMO to get alignment.

Managing Expectations Starts Before You Take the Job

Landing a CMO job is tricky. There is a lot of pressure to promise the moon, or at least more than your predecessor. This is a trap. Odds are, a substantial improvement to a company’s growth rate will not result from marketing wizardry alone. And it certainly won’t happen in one quarter. Experienced CMOs know this and set expectations with clear timelines and milestones before they start, and won’t take the job if these things aren’t acceptable to the hiring execs.

Hasty Move #1: Assuming Your Predecessor Is a Moron

“I think CMOs do each other a disservice when they don’t build on the work of their predecessors,” noted the 3x CMO referenced above. You’ve got a lot to do in your first year, so understanding what’s working and what isn’t is essential. The only way you can do this is not to make assumptions and avoid disregarding everything that’s already in the works. Past initiatives may be just about ready to bloom.

Hasty Move #2: Redoing the Website

You may think the message is wrong. And that the visuals are off the mark. But rushing to rebuild the website is a fool’s errand. Many brands are already struggling to get organic traffic – rebuilding your website is a sure way to see that trend accelerate. Instead, start with a few hypotheses and run as many A/B tests as you can [and fix your LLM exposure issues]. If site architecture is the ultimate problem, fine. But more likely, you have a differentiation problem, one that will take a corporate-wide initiative to fix.

Hasty Move #3: Revamping the Brand without Repositioning

There’s a reason that some CEOs see Marketing as the “arts and crafts” department. Too many of their conversations with marketers involve color schemes and logo designs. Your logo may indeed suck. Your visual design may also suck. And those things should be fixed, BUT not before you have a new go-to-market story that is truly differentiated from your competition. Getting there often requires meaningful changes to the product, pricing, and customer support. It requires repositioning the brand.

Don’t try to put a new coat of paint on an old barn. Rebuild the barn from the ground up.

When CMOs set expectations around differentiation, they get the time they need to make lots of good things happen.

Written by Drew Neisser

Bonus Huddle: Let's Discuss Website AI Readiness

Fri, 03 Oct 2025 14:30:54 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 481: AEO in B2B: Earning Your Spot in AI Answers

“How are we going to show up in LLMs?”

That’s the new CEO question keeping B2B CMOs on alert.

As AI-powered search reshapes how buyers find answers, B2B brands need a new organic strategy—Answer Engine Optimization (AEO). In this episode, Drew Neisser brings together two AEO trailblazers: Guy Yalif (Webflow) and Omer Gotlieb (Salespeak). Together, they tackle what it really takes to earn your place in AI answers. Forget keyword stuffing—this is about understanding how LLMs ingest, rank, and cite information, and how B2B marketers can respond now.

You’ll learn how to earn placement in AI-generated answers by mastering the four pillars of AEO:

Content: Answer real buyer questions clearly and concisely.
Technical: Make your site machine-readable.
Authority: Earn credibility where buyers AND models are looking.
Measurement: Track share of voice across critical questions, then iterate.

Also in this episode:

What LLMs want—but often can’t find—on B2B websites
How to build a question-driven content strategy using sales calls, support tickets, and win-loss data.
Why share of voice (across buyer questions) is the new metric for AI visibility.
How to serve two audiences at once: humans and machines

Whether you're losing traffic to AI summaries or just trying to future-proof your content strategy, this episode is your practical playbook for showing up when it matters most.

Join us at 2025’s CMO Super Huddle on November 7th in Palo Alto, where Webflow is a founding sponsor. In a panel on AEO, Guy will share how to get your brand found in AI-powered answers—plus, attendees will receive personalized AEO assessments.

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegademarketing.com/podcast/

The Mandate Mistake That Sinks New CMOs

Tue, 30 Sep 2025 15:16:07 GMT

“My last CMO failed me. How do I avoid hiring the wrong CMO?” asked a frustrated CEO from a health tech startup. The audience of nearly 100 marketers leaned in to see how the panelists would handle this lit grenade. Spicy answers to follow, perhaps exaggerated since I wasn’t recording.

Inside a CMO–CEO Disconnect

Let me set the stage. This was my 2nd panel of the evening at the GTM Leader Society Marketing Exec Salon in San Mateo, CA. Still on NY time, I was getting a little punchy. Not sure my fellow panelists could claim this excuse, but we all came out swinging.

First up, Jacob Warwick, master negotiator and founder of Think Warwick, jabbed in his stentorian voice, “How much of that problem is of your own making?” The CEO acknowledged that perhaps 50% of the blame was hers. [Okay, self-criticism is good.]

Then exec recruiting legend Kate Bullis of ZRG Partners asked in an impossibly friendly yet firm manner, “What is it that you wanted your CMO to do?” The CEO shared, “I wanted her to help grow the business.” [Not unreasonable.]

Hugh Marshall of Heidrick & Struggles, a powerhouse in his own right, weighed in with another tough question: “Do you think the CMO understood your vision?” The CEO paused and considered the question, and responded, “Look, I have a background in marketing, and I know most marketers can sell snow to Eskimos, so I should have known better. But this CMO didn’t get anything done.” [Hated hearing this part.]

Lessons from the Panel: What CMOs Must Do

Then it was my turn. Grabbing the mic from Hugh, I blurted, “Maybe you’re not ready for a CMO.” Recognizing that this sounded harsh, I continued, “At the startup stage, it’s fine for the CEO to run marketing – read Allyson Letteri’s book, The Standout Startup – I’m fairly certain she advises this approach.” “Just hire a demand gen person and get on with it,” I advised. [For the record, I couldn’t remember the name of the book on stage.]

The conversation then shifted to other questions closer to the announced topic, Strengthening Your Credibility with the Broader Exec Team. I don’t have space for all the wisdom shared by my esteemed colleagues, so here’s my TL;DR:

CMOs must set and manage expectations
CMOs must educate their colleagues on how and when marketing will impact the business
Savvy CMOs share ownership of pipeline numbers with Sales and do everything they can to “make sales love them.”
Savvy CMOs share brand tracking data AND revenue-related data in every board presentation (leading + lagging indicators)

Staying Warm in the Coldest Job

Asked to wrap things up, I encouraged the audience to consider the differential temperature inside and outside an Emperor penguin huddle in Antarctica – a mind-boggling 70°. CMOs need to protect themselves from the coldest job in the C-suite. So yes, I suggested they huddle with their fellow CMOs, to share, to care, and to dare each to greatness.

Written by Drew Neisser

CMO Huddlers Discuss The CMO+

Fri, 26 Sep 2025 14:41:36 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 479: Leading Beyond Marketing: The CMO+

CMO tenure is a hot topic. Everyone wants to know the secret to staying power.

One proven path is stepping out of the narrow marketing lane and showing up as more than the title suggests. Call it CMO+.

The challenge is figuring out what your “plus” will be and how to put it into practice.

To help you understand what CMO+ looks like in action, Nikhil Chawla (Resilience), Isabelle Papoulias (EliteOps), and Ali McCarthy (Amplify Your Voice Studio) share their own pluses, how they discovered them, and what changed when they leaned in. Each story is different, but the theme is the same: Credibility grows when CMOs contribute in ways that extend beyond marketing.

In this episode:

Nikhil on adding customer voice as his plus, linking post-sale and product, and feeding live feedback into roadmap and revenue calls.
Isabelle on bringing operations into marketing, using V2MOM to align goals, resources, and execution across sales, enablement, finance, and ops.
Ali on leading with emotional intelligence, coaching leaders to read the room, ease friction, and keep teams focused on the customer journey.

Plus:

How to spot the plus that fits both your strengths and your company’s needs
Why credibility comes from saying yes to the right opportunities
The link between curiosity, influence, and long-term career resilience
How CMOs expand their impact without burning out

If you’re ready to grow your role beyond marketing, this one’s for you!

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegademarketing.com/podcast/

Exec Reach Beats Company Followers on LinkedIn

Tue, 23 Sep 2025 14:48:32 GMT

“I’m struggling to understand CMOs,” shared a co-founder of a martech company, adding, “I mean, how is LinkedIn followership a top priority?” He then shared a screen grab with a CMO’s boast about follower growth. Fortunately, this was a text thread, so I could pause and think about this from multiple angles...

The Problem With Follower Obsession

At first glance, follower growth appears to be a classic CMO vanity metric.

Like site traffic and leads, followers of the company’s LinkedIn page are a far cry from SQOs and revenue. Given the limited organic reach that LinkedIn provides for brand posts, it’s unclear whether a larger follower count equals greater reach. Depending on the mix of new followers, it’s quite possible that engagement rates (and reach) will actually drop over time.

So, where is the business value in LinkedIn follower growth of company accounts?

Honestly, I'm not sure. It’s definitely not the same as an increase in newsletter subscribers, since typically open rates remain consistent, assuming you’re attracting the right target. More subscribers, more reach.

And reach does have business value. The 2025 Edelman-LinkedIn B2B Thought Leadership Impact Report highlights the hidden buyer phenomenon and the need to reach a much broader audience to persuade the whole buying committee.

When LinkedIn Growth Actually Means Something

Can’t you find one positive in growing LinkedIn followers?

Yes! Assuming this growth is not driven by ads, it is a clear indication that the company’s LinkedIn posts are resonating with its target. In other words, that company’s content is above average and getting noticed. And that doesn’t suck.

Would you recommend that other CMOs put energy here?

Absolutely not. There’s one important statistic that every business should acknowledge. LinkedIn posts from individuals garner 5 times the organic engagement of corporate posts. 5X. To increase your company's exposure on LinkedIn, help your executives to post thoughtfully multiple times a week. This will drive a dramatic increase in reach.

But seriously, does anyone care about individual content anymore? Isn’t everyone just watching TikTok videos?

First, short videos rock, and viewership is skyrocketing across platforms like TikTok, YouTube, and LinkedIn. So, help your execs create short vertical videos. However, and more importantly, high-quality thought leadership remains crucial. According to the LinkedIn/Edelman study, 95% of hidden buyers say that high-quality thought leadership makes them more receptive to sales and marketing outreach.”

So, Do Followers Matter After All?

Given this last statement, our boasting CMO may be gaining more corporate followers due to the consistent “high-quality thought leadership” they are producing. In which case, there may indeed be significant business value hidden in this otherwise seemingly insignificant metric. Yes, I just waffled.

Having come full circle, I told the CEO, “Yup, you may not always understand CMOs, but God bless you for trying!”

Written by Drew Neisser

CMOs Should Delegate Operations to Protect Strategic Time

Tue, 16 Sep 2025 14:47:37 GMT

“I’m done being an operator,” shared a 3x CMO with an extraordinary track record of driving double-digit growth year after year. Fresh out of a tech company that grew from $100 to $300 million in 4 years, he lamented, “The job just stopped being fun.” I nodded empathetically and pondered, Why does this keep happening to highly competent CMOs, and what, if anything, can be done about it?

The Great CMO Burnout is real.

And it's not just about long hours or demanding CEOs. It's about brilliant marketers getting buried under operational quicksand—drowning in budget reconciliations, vendor negotiations, and endless attribution debates while the strategic thinking that got them hired gets pushed to nights and weekends.

Too Much Ops, Too Little Strategy

Most CMOs spend 70% of their time on tasks that don't require a CMO.

Let me say that again. Most CMOs spend 70% of their time on tasks that don't require a CMO. They're debugging marketing automation, reviewing keyword buys with junior reps from the PE-firm, and sitting through vendor demos for tools that promise to solve problems they didn't know they had. Meanwhile, the board wonders why marketing isn't driving more strategic value.

The promotion trap is killing marketing leadership.

Here's the cruel irony: the better you get at marketing, the more operational responsibilities get dumped on your plate. You start as a strategic thinker who can craft compelling narratives and identify untapped growth opportunities. But success means bigger budgets, which means more vendors, which means more meetings about meetings. Before you know it, you're a glorified project manager with a marketing title.

Delegation as a Lifeline

The solution isn't more hours—it's radical delegation.

Smart CMOs are building mini-COOs within their marketing organizations. Call them Marketing Operations Directors, Revenue Operations Managers, or Chief of Staff—whatever works. The point is creating a buffer between strategic thinking and operational execution.

One recovering CMO told me, "I hired someone whose job was literally to go to meetings I didn't need to be in. Best investment I ever made."

Protecting Strategic Time

Reclaim your Mondays (and your sanity).

Block every Monday morning for strategic thinking. No meetings, no Slack, no email. Just you, a whiteboard, and the big questions: Where are we winning? Where are we losing? What bets should we make next quarter?

The operational stuff will still be there on Monday afternoon. But your ability to think strategically? That disappears the moment you let urgency crowd out importance.

Bottom Line

If you're not having fun, take a break. Then rejigger your schedule so you're just focused on the big stuff.

The most successful CMOs I know protect their strategic thinking time as if it were their most valuable asset. Because it is. Your team can execute campaigns, optimize funnels, and manage vendors. But they can't replace your ability to see around corners and connect dots that others miss.

Written by Drew Neisser

CMO Huddlers Discuss Customer-Led Growth

Fri, 12 Sep 2025 15:00:53 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 477: Retention as Your Revenue Engine

Putting the customer at the center has been preached for years, yet too often, B2B marketers are told to chase net new logos and leave expansion for someone else. That approach leaves growth on the table. Delighted customers are your advocates, your storytellers, your engine for long-term success.

Every company says it listens to customers. In this conversation, Drew and guests Allyson Havener (HG Insights), JD Dillon (Tigo Energy), and Alan Gonsenhauser (Demand Revenue) show how listening turns into concrete action, how feedback becomes a system, and how customer voices drive lasting growth.

In this episode:

Allyson on how reviews, surveys, and customer spotlights at TrustRadius feed marketing and influence buying decisions early
JD on how Tigo’s Green Glove Program creates loyalty through installer support and a seal of quality
Alan on why retention is a financial driver CMOs must track as closely as revenue

Plus:

Why framing churn as retention keeps teams motivated
How to bring the customer voice into leadership discussions
The metrics that capture customer impact, from adoption to earned growth
How to operationalize cross-functional alignment around the customer

Catch this episode to hear how customer voices shape strategy, culture, and growth.

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegademarketing.com/podcast/

Bonus Huddle: Let's Discuss AI-Powered Marketing Teams

Tue, 09 Sep 2025 15:27:11 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 476: GenAI Isn’t a Toy—It’s a Culture Shift

Adopting AI isn’t about tools. It’s about trust, training, and transformation. And yes, about CMO’s getting their hands on the keyboard.

In this Huddles Quick Take, GenAI consultants Tahnee Perry and Liza Adams break down the most common mistakes CMOs make when rolling out GenAI—from skipping change management to misunderstanding what “hands-on” really means for leaders.

They also share practical use cases (like reducing a six-week video workflow to two) and explain why a great AI strategy is rooted in empathy, context, and curiosity—not just efficiency.

In this episode:

Why productivity gains mean nothing without training and team buy-in
The difference between thought partnership and bad prompting
What to measure when making the case for GenAI investment

Join us

Get more insights like these by joining our free Starter program at cmohuddles.com.

Why CRO Reporting Structures Fail CMOs and Undermine Marketing

Tue, 09 Sep 2025 14:57:07 GMT

“A top consulting firm recommended a reorg and now our CMO reports to the CRO,” shared a stunned senior executive from a S&P 500 company. A funeral dirge drummed in my head not just for the CMO but for their whole department. Rant to follow.

A Demotion in Disguise

When a CMO reports to a CRO after having reported to the CEO, that’s a demotion.

And a demoralizing demotion at that. The CMO has to explain to their team why their department no longer has a seat at the executive table. And how do you do that when you can’t explain it to yourself? Most self-respecting CMOs will pretend to accept the decision publicly while privately alerting their favorite recruiters that they’re ready to move on.

CMO Exit Countdown

Most likely, that CMO will leave in the next 6 months.

That will hurt the company a lot more than they realize. First, finding a qualified CMO to replace the old one will be time-consuming and expensive. Second, experienced CMOs, who are accustomed to having a seat at the “grown up's” table, won’t take a job that reports to a CRO. Third, it will take the new CMO time to get up to speed, and inevitably, they will make mistakes that the former CMO wouldn’t have. And finally, key staffers will also seek new opportunities, perhaps following their former CMO to their next gig. They’ll want to work at a place that respects marketing as a critical growth lever.

The CRO Problem

Most CROs have no experience in marketing.

Let me say that again. Most CROs have no experience in marketing. They are salespeople. Maybe even great salespeople. They could sell ice to penguins. No doubt, they are effective hunters and closers. They may even understand the inherent benefits of selling a product or service that is better known than competitors. But they sure as heck don’t know what it takes to build a marketing engine or run a highly diverse team with varied expertise (brand, martech, comms, content, product marketing, websites, etc).

Even a Former CMO Doesn’t Fix This

If the CRO is a former CMO, does that change the discussion?

Not really. Even if that particular CRO has a great understanding and appreciation for marketing, it doesn’t change the fact that the CMO is no longer part of the leadership team driving strategy. It might even be a fantastic job for many marketers. It’s just not a CMO role. Call it a VP of Marketing. And there’s nothing wrong with that title.

Is There More to Debate Here?

Perhaps. Last month my friend Erica Seidel tackled this topic with Daniel Incancela and Sandra Lopez (here’s an article on that). The discussion centered on the five critical considerations for CMOs before accepting this unacceptable reporting structure.

Written by Drew Neisser

Press Release: CMO Huddles Names HG Insights as Official GTM Partner

Mon, 08 Sep 2025 13:49:12 GMT

CMO Huddles Names HG Insights as Official GTM Partner

Partnership empowers B2B CMOs with unparalleled market intelligence to accelerate growth

New York, NY — [September 8, 2026] — CMO Huddles, the #1 B2B CMO Community where savvy CMOs learn, network, and build their brands, today announced HG Insights as its official Go-to-Market (GTM) partner. HG Insights, the global leader in Revenue Growth Intelligence, equips organizations with actionable insights to drive revenue growth, reduce risk, and win more deals.

Through this partnership, CMO Huddles’ 500+ members, representing some of the world’s most innovative B2B brands, will gain access to HG Insights’ expertise, data, and thought leadership on GTM excellence. The collaboration underscores CMO Huddles’ commitment to arming CMOs with not only peer-driven learning and support but also cutting-edge resources to help them make smarter decisions in an increasingly complex market.

“At CMO Huddles, our mission is to make B2B CMOs the most effective executives in the C-Suite,” said Drew Neisser, Founder & CEO of CMO Huddles. “HG Insights is the perfect GTM partner for our community—helping Huddlers sharpen their strategies with the kind of precision data and intelligence that today’s fast-changing environment demands.”

“We are thrilled to partner with CMO Huddles and support the world’s top B2B CMOs,” said Shekar Heriharan, SVP Marketing at HG Insights. “By combining HG Insights’ market, account, and buyer intelligence with the collaborative power of the CMO Huddles community, we can help marketing leaders uncover the smartest paths to revenue growth.”

As the official GTM partner, HG Insights will be featured at CMO Huddles programming throughout the year, including Peer Huddles, Bonus Huddles, Dinner Huddles in multiple markets, panels during Dreamforce (October 14-16, 2025) and the flagship CMO Super Huddle on November 6-7, 2025, in Palo Alto, CA. The collaboration will also deliver exclusive content, research, and practical frameworks for CMO Huddles members.

About CMO Huddles

CMO Huddles is the only marketing community dedicated exclusively to B2B CMOs. Built on a foundation of Share, Care, Dare, the community unites marketing leaders through expertly moderated Huddles, curated peer-matching, and exclusive PR opportunities. With over 500 members across industries, CMO Huddles empowers CMOs to solve challenges faster, expand their networks, and be flocking awesome. CMO Huddles proudly donates 1% of revenue to the Global Penguin Society. Learn more at www.cmohuddles.com.

Media contact:
Drew Neisser
CEO & Founder, CMO Huddles
drew@cmohuddles.com

About HG Insights

HG Insights delivers AI-powered Revenue Growth Intelligence (RGI) that transforms how B2B technology companies go to market. HG Insights solutions provide comprehensive market, account, and buyer insights; signal-triggered workflows; and in-market leads to help leaders modernize GTM decision-making and efficiently identify, engage, and win the most promising opportunities.

AI-driven analytics, copilots, and agents empower marketing, RevOps, sales, and strategy teams to:

Streamline market analyses
Leverage deep account and buyer intent details
Optimize campaigns and sales execution

All of this is powered by billions of market data points covering 22,000+ technologies across 20 million companies worldwide.

That’s why 95% of Fortune 1000 B2B tech companies and all major hyperscalers rely on HG Insights to help increase pipeline, accelerate revenue, and drive GTM success.

For more information, visit www.hginsights.com.

Media contact:
Shekar Hariharan
SVP Marketing, HG Insights
shekar.hariharan@hginsights.com
(650) 868-1071

Career Huddle: Let's Discuss Customer Centricity

Fri, 05 Sep 2025 15:22:06 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 475: Customer Centricity: The Art of Picking Favorites

Most marketers still treat all customers like they’re created equal. Spoiler: they’re not. Some will buy once and vanish, others will stick with you for years and fuel your growth. The challenge and opportunity is learning to tell the difference, predicting their future value, and acting accordingly.

That’s where Wharton professor and The Customer Centricity Playbook co-author Peter Fader comes in. He shows why real growth starts with admitting that not every customer is equally valuable, then using lifetime value as the north star for smarter acquisition, retention, and development moves. Forget chasing volume or squeezing acquisition costs. Peter makes the case for putting your chips on the customers who matter most and letting their behaviors guide your strategy.

In this episode:

Why chasing “average” customer value hides real growth
How lifetime value sharpens acquisition, retention, and upsell
The blind spots of treating CPA as a north star

Plus:

What B2B and B2C leaders can borrow from each other’s strengths
How sticky offerings reveal your best customers
Why performance metrics must connect to customer value
How customer-based valuation is “reshaping how finance values companies

If you want to see how lifetime value separates your best customers from the rest and why that changes everything, this one’s for you.

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegademarketing.com/podcast/

Step by Step With GenAI Video: Rough Cut Made Flocking Awesome

Tue, 02 Sep 2025 15:32:10 GMT

“I’m excited about using GenAI for video, but my team is resisting,” shared a frustrated CMO from a $100M tech firm. Heads nodded. Turns out, this wasn’t an isolated case. Just about every CMO in the Huddle had heard some version of “we don’t have time,” or “it won’t look good enough,” or “what about the copyright issues?”

That resistance is understandable. Video has heretofore been expensive, time-consuming, and daunting for teams without full-time producers. But GenAI is changing that, just like every other aspect of content creation and marketing.

To understand how far a rank amateur could go with the current tools, I decided to produce a video about the upcoming CMO Super Huddle.

Step-by-Step with GenAI

Wisely, I had an experienced coach from Day 1 in the form of Samantha Stark, founder of Phyusion, an AI adoption & consulting firm. Sam helped me through each of these key steps:

BrandGPT - A container for all your brand guidelines, assets, and previous content
Strategy - Use BrandGPT to develop and refine objectives and strategy
Script & Storyboard - Use BrandGPT to draft script, storyboard and prompts for animations
Voiceover track - I used my own voice recorded via GarageBand (for virtual voices, try ElevenLabs)
Audio track - Reverse engineered the sound I was looking for on ChatGPT and created the track on Suno
Animation - I used ImagineArt (Veo 2 & Kling) to create 7 penguin animations because I was familiar with the tool, had credits, and Sora couldn’t get the tone right (Sam recommends Sora, RunwayML, Midjourney, Veo 3)
Editing - I used Descript since I already had a license, which was fine for a proof of concept. When the pros took over, they moved to Kapwing.

Halfway through, I was ready to quit. Sam talked me off the ledge.

When to Call in the Pros

While I can create short (under 10 seconds) animated scenes, crafting a professional-looking 60-second video was well beyond my skill level and current toolset. Clearly, I needed even more professional help, and that’s when Steve Mudd of Talentless.ai came into the picture.

Steve and his team used Veo3 to create more, better animations. They added sound effects. They tightened up the edits and added speaker card animations in Adobe Premiere and After Effects. They retextured the Super Huddle logo into ice and then exploded it with Midjourney.

The result? Flocking awesome or for the birds? You tell me

The Best Is Yet to Come

As Sam noted during our Bonus Huddle last week, “These tools are getting better almost daily, so what you see now is the worst it will be," while adding, “Your brand isn’t just what you say. It’s the experience of how you say it.” Sharing her enthusiasm, Steve exclaimed, “We’re at the beginning of a creative renaissance.”

With GenAI, video is no longer an expensive, time-consuming luxury. The only question is whether you're ready to press play.

Watch the CMO Super Huddle video here, created with GenAI, polished by pros.

Written by Drew Neisser

CMO Huddlers Discuss Product Launches

Fri, 29 Aug 2025 16:49:29 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 474: Go for Launch: How CMOs Drive Market-Ready Products

Every product launch is a countdown to liftoff. High stakes. High visibility. High chance of failure if systems aren’t in sync. Misaligned messaging, unready sellers, vaporware promises. There are endless ways to completely blow it.

In this episode, Melanie Marcus (Surescripts), Kevin Brooks (Surescripts), and John Hale (Consilio) join Drew to dig into what it takes to pull off a successful launch. They explain why alignment cannot be assumed, how preparation has to be disciplined and ongoing, and why CMOs need to surface tough truths before the market does. Marketing may set the pace, but lasting success only happens when the entire company rallies behind the story and delivers it together.

In this episode:

Melanie shares how to stretch a brand into new markets without losing credibility
Kevin explains the launch-tiering framework that keeps efforts focused and sales-ready
John reveals why the secret weapon is “ours, not mine” and how humble listening drives alignment

Plus:

How to avoid the vaporware trap that kills trust fast
Why one sharp value prop beats a laundry list of features
What leading indicators to track before revenue shows up
Where the real magic happens once a launch hits the market floor

If you want to hear how CMOs line up a launch and deliver when it matters most, this one’s for you.

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegademarketing.com/podcast/

Sales Enablement Is Broken: Rogue Reps Are a Symptom

Tue, 26 Aug 2025 15:26:33 GMT

“One of our salespeople keeps going rogue, and I’m doing all I can to reel him in,” shared a seasoned CMO at a tech startup. While the other CMOs in the Huddle offered guidance on gaining alignment, it made me wonder: Is it time to completely rethink Sales Enablement?

The problem isn’t just rogue reps. It’s a system that encourages chaos. One CMO shared, “We’ve got great messages that resonate, but Sales Enablement says it’s the wrong time to share them.” Another noted, “Product is producing substandard collateral because Sales went directly to them—cutting Marketing out of the loop entirely.”

It’s no wonder CMOs are frustrated. We build slick decks and elegant one-pagers—yet Sales clings to a 2019 slide with the wrong logo. We set up portals, and no one logs in. We host training sessions, and still get last-minute Slack messages: “Hey, do we have a case study for a mid-sized healthcare firm in Ohio?”

So what’s a savvy CMO to do?

1. Understand Your Rogues

Before condemning, listen. The rogue rep in question was closing deals—but not the kind you’d want. It turns out he was winning on price, undercutting the value proposition and increasing churn. As one CMO put it, “They don’t talk about our real differentiators—just a three-month discount.” If you don’t know what’s being said on sales calls, you can’t fix the funnel.

2. Collaborate, Don’t Dictate

Rather than fighting every deviation, smart CMOs co-create. One suggestion: “Treat the rogue like a partner, not a problem.” Pull them in. Learn what’s working. Then use that to shape flexible messaging frameworks—ones that adapt to buyers without fracturing the brand.

3. Think Co-Creation, Not Vending

Often, the problem isn’t the quality of the materials—it’s the disconnect between what Marketing thinks reps need and what Sales uses. As one CMO admitted, “We created great sell sheets—but one rep told me he never looked at them.” Why? Because they didn’t fit how he sold. Instead of assuming what Sales needs, ask. Sit in on calls. Shadow top performers. Then tailor your materials around real objections, use cases, and buyer personas.

4. Build Smart Systems, Not Static Assets

Sales enablement isn’t about creating more slides—it’s about architecting systems that drive revenue. From AI-powered content recommendations to dynamic digital deal rooms, today’s toolkit can turn random acts of enablement into precision plays. (Need ideas? See link in comments.)

5. Let Sales Be Sales—but Keep Score

Sometimes, the best way to prove the value of your materials is to put on your own sales hat. One CMO noted, “I started running a few calls myself to pressure-test the content.” Another shared, “We gave the events budget to Sales, along with the accountability. That ended the debate quickly.”

Bottom Line

Sales Enablement in 2025 isn’t about policing rogue reps. It’s about empowering the entire team—Sales included—with tools, insights, and guardrails that elevate performance without squashing initiative.

Written by Drew Neisser

Bonus Huddle: Let's Discuss Tech Stacks

Tue, 26 Aug 2025 14:46:23 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 473: Data Sync or Sink: How Does Your Tech Stack, Stack Up?

Think your tech stack is working for you? Think again.

After analyzing 100 stacks from the CMO Huddles community, Ryan Koonce of Growth Bench exposes what’s broken, what’s bloated, and what to do instead. From misfiring attribution models to misused tools like Google Analytics and Salesforce, this episode offers a fast, practical reset for any CMO serious about smarter growth.

In this episode:

Why Salesforce isn’t always the answer
The fatal flaw in Google Analytics you can’t ignore
The real reason attribution is still a mess
What “great” data access looks like for marketing teams

For the rest of the conversation, visit our YouTube channel (CMO Huddles Hub) or click here: [https://youtu.be/wRWHIrzsD68]. Get more insights like these by joining our free Starter program at cmohuddles.com.

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegademarketing.com/podcast/

CMO Huddlers Discuss AI's Impact on B2B Marketing

Fri, 22 Aug 2025 15:52:38 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 472: AI’s Impact on B2B Marketing Strategy

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/podcast/

Too Early to Bet on GenAI? Staying Skeptical Could Cost You

Tue, 19 Aug 2025 16:43:04 GMT

“It’s too early to make a big bet on GenAI,” stated a CMO from a $250mil PE-backed SaaS company. “There’s so much hype, but I’ve yet to see the data to show, especially with content creation, that the investment pays out,” he added. Since I’ve added to the hype, his contrarian point of view shocked me into silence. Then I wondered…

Is this CMO putting his job at risk?

Before I answer that, let’s follow his logic. Our AI skeptic didn’t doubt that GenAI helps marketing teams create more content faster. His questions are around effectiveness. Perhaps having more content was helpful in the pre-LLM era, but with SEO-driven site traffic evaporating, does having more content even matter? Probably not. Unless, somehow, that content is optimized for LLM results.

Will LLM-Generated Content Help or Hurt Brand Discovery in LLMs?

Our AI skeptic suspects that LLMs are likely to ignore content created by LLMs. Is he right? I’m not sure. For starters, I would love to know if LLMs can distinguish between human-only, human-mainly, LLM-mainly, and LLM-only content.

GEO (generative engine optimization) is a nascent art form, and though many profess to know what works, few have concrete evidence. Here’s what I’ve heard helps:

Having extensive Q&As
Using markdown language that LLMs can crawl
Having detailed competitive information
Having pricing data
Including compliance and security info
Showing up on Reddit (especially for ChatGPT)
Positive reviews on review sites like G2 and TrustRadius
Coverage by trusted news sources

Let’s assume you want to do all of the above. Does it matter from a GEO standpoint if you use LLMs to create and update this content? Probably not, but again, if you know otherwise, please chime in.

The Job Risk Question

New tech skepticism is always warranted (Is it too late for me to get a refund on my Apple Newton and Blackberry Storm?) Software vendors, particularly those in the martech space, have overpromised for years. In fact, we encourage the leaders in CMO Huddles to audit their tech stack every three months and sunset underperformers. That said, LLM-avoidance is akin to the early telephone-denier who said, “If people want to talk to me, then they can just drop by!”

If you're only considering the abilities of LLMs to create speedier copy for your website, then you’re missing the bigger story—and putting your job at risk.

For example, consider internal meeting management, a seemingly infinite time suck for many CMOs. Teams with LLMs can prepare more effectively, create agendas more quickly, brainstorm more broadly, and assign next steps with ease.

GenAI Will Transform All Aspects of Business

Early adopting CMOs are earning a bigger seat at the table, helping their organizations and departments adopt and adjust to an AI-augmented world.

Written by Drew Neisser

CMO Huddlers Discuss What CEOs Need to Know About Marketing

Fri, 15 Aug 2025 14:37:41 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 471: Dear CEO: This Is What Marketing Actually Does

Most B2B CEOs never spent time in marketing. Fewer than one in five ever held the title. Which explains a lot. From undervalued budgets to misaligned expectations, marketing often gets boxed in as a support function instead of the growth driver it is. If marketing is going to lead, CEOs need to understand what it can really do and what to look for in a CMO who’s built to deliver.

To set the record straight, Drew taps three marketing leaders, Rebecca Stone (formerly Cisco), Grant Johnson (Chief Outsiders), and Jan Deahl (Drake Star), to reframe how CEOs see marketing. It is a strategic engine built to shape markets, guide buyers, and drive growth. Together, they make the case for what’s possible when CMOs are empowered to lead.

In this episode:

Rebecca on why CMOs need to think and act like a CEO
Grant on how mismatched expectations set CMOs up to fail
Jan on aligning marketing’s role to company stage and goals

Plus:

The key questions every CEO should ask their CMO
What to fix when marketing is stuck in order-taking mode
How smart onboarding sets CMOs up to lead
Why growth depends on more than just demand gen

Tune in for signals that shift how your CEO sees marketing.

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegademarketing.com/podcast/

B2B Marketing Doesn’t Have to Be Boring

Tue, 12 Aug 2025 14:29:24 GMT

“Why is our marketing so damn boring?”

This question is not being asked by roughly 75% of B2B CMOs or 99% of their CEOs, CFOs, CROs, and investors. And in the absence of this question, B2B marketing and B2B marketers are suffering from a self-inflicted malaise.

Let’s review the symptoms of this malaise.

When the Big Ideas Vanish

First, marketing departments are fast becoming the place where fun goes to die. The pursuit of the big idea has been replaced by micro everything. Short-lived disposable campaigns seek nominal bumps in click-through rates. Short-term efficiency has replaced long-term effectiveness, especially as every process gets AI-ified.

CMOs dare not use the word “brand” for fear of appearing fluffy and insubstantial. And don’t even think about having a budget line item with the word “brand” in it. Euphemisms for “brand” like “reputation” have helped a bit in that most executives understand that having a reputation, especially a good one, is critical in this era of self-directed, LLM-informed buying committees. But even using the word “reputation” doesn’t result in less boring content or campaigns.

The negativity about brand-building or reputation-building rolls into an absence of brand health tracking. As the old saying goes, you are what you measure. When all of your measurement energy goes into funnel optimization, there’s little hope of focusing on something extraordinary, like a big, differentiating, highly engaging IDEA that cuts through.

Why Funny Wins in B2B

Boring marketing so dominates B2B that just a dash of humor or creativity rings our collective bells from here to Cannes. I was reminded of this while watching a new video from Iterable (see comments for the line). It expresses an idea. It’s funny. It’s memorable. I like Iterable more than I did before, and I was already a fan.

Full disclosure: The CMO of Iterable, Adri Gil-Miner, is a long-time member of CMO Huddles, and Iterable was a sponsor of last year’s CMO Super Huddle. But if you know me, you’d know I wouldn’t share it if I didn’t think it was worth sharing. Also, I haven’t spoken to Adri yet about the campaign, but I will once she has results to share.

I was also reminded of this when the PR team of ServiceNow reached out for me to interview their CMO, Colin Fleming. Now there’s a company with a long-standing sense of humor. Dare I say it? They’ve built a BRAND that people like. And guess what? That more than pays the bills. ServiceNow’s revenue, earnings, and customer base have all grown faster than the software industry averages. Their operating and gross margins are industry-leading and surpass Salesforce, Adobe, and Workday.

Is it a coincidence that ServiceNow has outperformed the software industry year after year and is one of the few B2B brands with a genuine and consistent sense of humor, with content that simultaneously informs and entertains?

Me thinks not. What do you think?

Written by Drew Neisser

Bonus Huddle: Let's Discuss GenAI Video & Audio

Fri, 08 Aug 2025 14:39:20 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 469: GenAI Video & Audio: Tools, Tradeoffs & Lessons

It started with a 90-day challenge: make a GenAI-powered video promoting the 2025 CMO Super Huddle using only off-the-shelf tools. What followed was equal parts ambition, frustration, learning, and editing. Along the way, Drew got a crash course in prompt writing, script timing, voice cloning, and the realities of working inside tools that promise automation but still require a certain level of finesse.

With GenAI coach Samantha Stark of Phyusion guiding the early stages and Steve Mudd of Talentless AI stepping in for post, the project quickly became a real test of creative endurance. Each step surfaced a new set of tradeoffs. The tools were powerful, but stitching them together was anything but seamless. What came out the other side is something Drew’s proud to share, along with lessons from two expert AI collaborators and a few fun reveals they brought to the table that show just how weird, clever, and unexpected GenAI production can get.

In this episode:

Samantha shares how GenAI tools spark ideas but still need human direction to shape tone and story
Steve explains how editing brings structure and emotion to GenAI content for a more watchable result
Both guests highlight the importance of adding context to make GenAI output resonate with viewers

Plus:

What GenAI tools need from you upfront to deliver useful output
How multi-tool workflows impact timing, syncing, and storytelling
Where to focus your time during GenAI production for the biggest payoff
When expert editors can step in to shape flow, tone, and polish

Tune in for a behind-the-scenes look at GenAI video and audio creation, guided by the experts who know how to make it all come together.

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegademarketing.com/podcast/

Why CMOs Should Automate Tasks Not Teams

Tue, 05 Aug 2025 19:04:11 GMT

“I had to resign to a bot,” exclaimed a B2B CMO who happily moved to a new company after this strange encounter. “The funniest part was that the bot asked me to reconsider,” the amused CMO shared. This AI-first approach hasn’t helped that company’s Glassdoor ratings and begs the question, where are the lines when it comes to automating specific roles, if not entire departments?

Let’s stay on this example before opening the aperture

I can see an investor saying, “Who cares if our Glassdoor ratings decline when our operating costs are much lower?” Well, let’s start with every future potential hire. Unless you never want to hire again, you’re looking at higher recruiting costs and a weaker recruitment base. Even if you can live with that, you’ll likely see the impact on your pipeline since many buyers check Glassdoor for insights, as do LLMs.

I'm Not Saying Don't Automate. Just Think It Through

Earlier this month, Gartner issued a report, “Rehiring Human Agents to Replace AI is 2025’s Latest Trend.” This followed the headline-grabbing stories about Klarna’s now-aborted efforts to replace their customer service agents with bots. Klarna’s customer service ratings tanked during their brief bot-only period. Duolingo faced a similar backlash when it announced it would replace all of its “human contractors” with machines, forcing it to abandon its plan and its once-booming presence on TikTok.

Don't Conflate Efficiency with Effectiveness

This is particularly important for marketers as they evaluate when, where, and how to deploy AI. Most of the marketing leaders in CMO Huddles are using LLMs to crank out a wide range of content. No doubt, the creation time has accelerated dramatically (75-90% faster). Most also swear that their content is as good or even better than before, especially when there is a highly skilled editor or designer in the loop. So far, so good?

Good Isn't Good Enough

Because it is so easy to create good content, your competitors no doubt have flooded the market with equally good stuff. Your content must now be great. To get there will take savvy humans with judgment AND a bot management process that forces the LLMs to help your content cut through. One member of our community has two GPTs, one to draft the content and another to edit it ruthlessly. And a human review process.

Resist the Pressure to Replace Your Staff with Bots

Instead, reimagine your team filled with utility players who can think broadly about your business and help execute in all areas (thanks to their LLM-assistants). The more seasoned the staffer, the more autonomy you can give them (assuming you trust their judgement). Keep hiring junior staffers with high levels of curiosity, expect to train them on your tools, and don’t be surprised when they add value faster than they ever could before.

Human-first marketing will be a competitive advantage. So says this human.

Written by Drew Neisser

Career Huddle: Let's Discuss Demand-Side Sales

Fri, 01 Aug 2025 14:49:56 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 468: Demand-Side Sales: The Forces Behind Every Yes

Every customer reaches a turning point. Something's not working the way it used to. And now they're ready for change. That's when your product appears as a possibility. But if you lead with features or force-fit personas, you'll miss the real energy behind their decision. That's why Bob Moesta starts with struggle.

In this episode, he joins Drew to discuss how demand forms through struggling moments, not random needs, and why nobody buys any product randomly, ever. As the author of Demand-Side Sales 101 and a longtime builder and educator, Bob shares how to identify that momentum, map the forces behind a decision, and reframe sales and marketing as tools for understanding what buyers are really trying to solve.

What You’ll Learn:

Why buying decisions start with struggling moments
How to ask questions that surface energy, not just answers
The four forces shaping decisions: push, pull, anxiety, habit
How to spot what customers switch from and why
Why the buyer vs. user distinction matters in B2B

Tune in to hear how demand really forms and how to spot it when it does.

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegademarketing.com/podcast/

6 Ways CMOs Are Using AI in 2025

Tue, 29 Jul 2025 14:47:44 GMT

“I’m proud to report that Marketing is leading the AI initiatives at our company,” said a CMO at a $400M SaaS firm. No one rolled their eyes. Heads nodded. This wasn’t bravado; it's just business as usual, at least in our community.

But that’s not the story we typically hear, is it? In the broader narrative, AI is the wild west. CMOs are either “dabbling,” “overwhelmed,” or drowning in vendor pitches. Most exec teams are still in the "what do we do with this thing?" stage.

And yet, in three separate Huddles this month, we saw something different: a quiet revolution in motion.

CMOs weren’t just experimenting with GenAI. CMOs were orchestrating it. Driving it. Owning it.

Here’s how...

Start with a Strategy (and a Few Custom GPTs)

Savvy CMOs aren’t chasing shiny objects. They’re setting clear priorities—starting with branded GPTs to unify team voice and content quality. These tools act as internal brand guardians, enabling everyone to write like the company should sound, drawing from the same trusted sources.

Support Sales Like a Strategist

Forget static battle cards. The frontrunners are building GPTs for the sales org—loaded with objection handling, persona insights, competitive intel, and CRO-style tone. When a rep says, “I’ve got a frustrated IT buyer at 2pm,” the AI spits out prep faster than you can say “closed-won.”

Creative First Drafts? AI’s Got It

100% of the 40+ CMOs who joined June’s Peer Huddles are using GenAI for content creation. From Jasper to custom GPTs to MidJourney for visual exploration, AI handles messy first drafts while humans apply the polish. One team runs content through two GPTs; one for writing, one for scrubbing out buzzwords, emojis, and em dashes.

Time-Saving Workflows (Built by CMOs)

One CMO used Replit and HubSpot to build a one-click campaign generator that assembles emails, landing pages, and social posts in under five minutes. Another swapped three time-sucking workflows for AI-powered alternatives and asked the team to do the same.

Digital Doubles & Strategic Smarts

Here’s where it gets spicy. Some Huddlers are building digital twins of their CEO, CRO, and CFO; GPTs are trained in executive tone, past presentations, and Slack history. The goal? Sanity checks before board meetings and messaging alignment without the calendar chase.

Listening at Scale = Synthetic Empathy

Perhaps the most exciting: Using AI to mine thousands of customer conversations from Gong, support, and win/loss calls to build “customer truth engines.” These CMOs aren’t guessing what customers want; they hear it in stereo.

The Result Across All These Use Cases?

Not just faster work. Smarter teams. Better alignment. Sharper strategy. Most importantly, CMOs are earning a seat at the AI strategy table (often at the head).

So yes, Marketing is leading AI. The only question is: Are you?

Written by Drew Neisser

CMO Huddlers Discuss MarTech

Fri, 25 Jul 2025 14:07:15 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 467: The Strategy-First MarTech Stack

AI tools. CDPs. DAMs. Shiny objects everywhere. It’s easy to fall for the promise of more tech. But without a plan, that stack starts stacking you. Martech only performs when every platform has a purpose, every user is accountable, and every dollar spent ties back to a strategic outcome.

Drew is joined by Kathie Johnson (formerly Sitecore) and Kris Salazar (Appcast) to talk MarTech headaches, from stack bloat to AI overload to the brutal cost of tools no one’s using. Because building a smarter stack means cutting dead weight, keeping what helps, and making sure every platform has a champion who’s accountable for its impact.

In this episode:

Kathie on using MarTech maps and AI to get a 30% efficiency boost
Kris on quarterly audits, tool ownership, and measurable outcomes
Why both agree that stack success starts with strategy and ownership

Plus:

What to look for in a tech audit
Why data clarity is the key to real personalization
How to avoid tech for tech’s sake
The spending rule that keeps budgets balanced

Tune in for a reality check on what it takes to make your MarTech stack deliver without adding more to the pile.

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegademarketing.com/podcast/

How CMOs Can Handle Toxic CEOs

Tue, 22 Jul 2025 21:02:59 GMT

“My CEO has always been abusive, but until recently, it wasn’t directed at me,” exclaimed an exasperated 2x CMO from a $350mil fintech company. “It’s particularly frustrating because marketing has over-delivered on every possible metric, including revenue,” the CMO added. Inside, I'm seething. Outside, I’m all empathy while trying to tease out what’s happening here.

A Rant to All the Abusive CEOs Out There

Get it together, dude or dudette. Hire an anger management coach and or a therapist. We don’t care what kind of pressure you’re under. If you can’t deal with it, then you’re in the wrong role. Being abusive to employees, like shaming a direct report in front of their peers, is unproductive, demoralizing, and self-defeating.

There Is No Excuse for Abuse

Now, back to this specific situation. It turns out the CEO had a new favorite on the leadership team and was now crushing on the CRO. And for whatever messed-up reason, the CEO just fell out of love with the CMO. It clearly wasn’t performance-related. Since both the CEO and CRO were men, perhaps it was a "bro" thing. Ultimately, “why” didn't matter as much as “What now?”

Moving On to the Action Plan: Offense (Not Offensive)

My first thought was that the CEO’s behavior must be obvious to the others on the Leadership Team and maybe the board. If so, the board could encourage the CEO to hire a leadership coach. Unfortunately, the board was stacked with bros appointed by the CEO. The other leaders, also male, just accepted the occasional abuse as part of their jobs.

Dealing with Diminishers

Liz Wiseman’s book Multipliers outlines a number of brilliant moves for managing sub-optimal bosses (aka “diminishers). In the case of the “Tyrant,” noted for creating a tense environment where people are afraid to speak up, Liz suggests:

Avoiding direct confrontation. Instead, model calm, clear communications
Asking questions rather than challenging authority
Creating “safe zones” where ideas can be developed before presenting them

GenAI to the Rescue?

Many of you have considered creating a digital twin to help you with decision-making. Let’s push this idea a bit further.

Create a Digital Twin of Your Boss

Describe the personality of your boss in detail (use your personal GPT, not the company’s!). Be as specific as possible, including quotes from conversations with you and others. Ask your GPT to provide a personality assessment. Then, start describing the upcoming situations and role-play with your GPT. Continue to feed conversations into your GPT over the next few months.

In addition to helping you anticipate bad behavior (which can take the sting out of it), it will give you the psychological strength to say to yourself, “It’s not me. I’m a leader and a damn good one at that. I’m resilient, resourceful, and wiley. And I’m prepared to use every tool at my disposal.”

Perhaps they’ll grow by watching you.

Written by Drew Neisser

Bonus Huddle: Let's Discuss Synthetic Research

Tue, 22 Jul 2025 14:23:45 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 466: The Synthetic Research Advantage

Synthetic research is rewriting the rules—and Jon Lombardo is here to explain how. In this Huddles Quick Take, the Evidenza co-founder breaks down the three biggest misconceptions marketers have about AI-generated research, from assumptions about accuracy to the myth of average insights.

You’ll hear how synthetic research can help you test messaging, uncover clear audience insights, and even rewrite jargon so sales and buyers actually understand it—all without waiting months or spending a fortune.

What You’ll Learn:

3 misconceptions marketers have about synthetic research
Why AI can surface insights that are better than traditional methods
How synthetic research unlocks deeper audience understanding at scale
When to use synthetic over human research (and how they work together)

For the rest of the conversation with Jon—including B2B use cases, segmentation examples, and a deeper dive into category entry points—visit our YouTube channel (CMO Huddles Hub) or click here: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k4S_Ib-SmZY].

Get more insights like these by joining our free Starter program at cmohuddles.com.

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegademarketing.com/podcast/

CMO Huddlers Discuss Positioning as a Growth Engine

Fri, 18 Jul 2025 15:53:20 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 465: Positioning as a Growth Engine

Penguins spend 75% of their lives in the water, actively positioning themselves exactly where they need to be to hunt and survive. It’s intentional placement. Strong brands do the same. They know where they belong and commit. Too many don’t. They drift, hoping the market finds them. You’ve got to stake your spot and give your marketing something to stand on.

In this episode, Drew brings in Marni Puente (SAIC) and Sara Larsen (Wolters Kluwer Health), two marketers who’ve learned that positioning only works when it’s clear, repeated often, and owned beyond marketing. They get into how to break the cycle of repositioning, earn internal trust, and lay the groundwork for durable growth.

In this episode:

Marni shares how a tight positioning strategy anchored SAIC’s rebrand and became a decision filter across the org
Sara explains how to drive clarity in a matrixed enterprise, aligning stakeholders without watering down the message
Both guests reflect on the power of internal alignment as the real test of a strong position

Plus:

How to test positioning with internal and external audiences
Why simplicity is your signal when it comes to clarity
What positioning unlocks across marketing, sales, and culture
How to build buy-in that lasts beyond launch

Tune in to learn how focused positioning gives every team a north star and puts your brand strategy to work across the business.

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegademarketing.com/podcast/

6 B2B Funnel Fixes Every CMO Should Know

Tue, 15 Jul 2025 15:09:00 GMT

"Our funnel is completely clogged, and our CEO and investors are starting to panic," shared a CMO from a $375MM SaaS firm. The other Huddlers sympathized, noting they were facing similar challenges.

Sound familiar?

The old playbook of flooding the funnel, scoring MQLs, and handing off to sales isn't just broken; it's toxic.

Here's why your funnel is clogged and what actually works now:

1. Your Data Is a Disaster

The average customer contact database health score? A pathetic 47%, according to research from BoomerangAI. More than half of B2B companies haven't updated their database in six months—or ever. Bad data isn't just an operational issue. It erodes every layer of your funnel.

Fix this first. Assign database ownership cross-functionally. Tie enrichment to your GTM motions. And please activate alumni contact programs. Only 12% of companies have formal programs for contacts who left employers, yet they're gold mines.

2. You're Still Pitching Tours When Buyers Want Tools

Recent TrustRadius research shows that 52% of buyers say prior experience is their #1 decision input. Only 13% say a demo "blew them away."

3. Stop the Demo Obsession

Launch website-based product exploration tools. Add pricing guidance. Create modular content for AI summarization since 90% of buyers who see AI-generated summaries click through to cited sources.

4. The MQL Addiction Is Killing You

As one CMO put it: "MQLs are problematic... we’re trying to figure out how to get fewer, better leads." Track conversion quality at each funnel stage. Hold weekly demand gen and sales alignment meetings. Ditch vanity metrics for outcome-based KPIs.

5. You're Pitching Spend Instead of Displacement

Few CFOs are greenlighting net-new spending, but they will approve reallocation when the ROI is crystal clear. Reframe your pitch: "Invest in this → reduce spend on that." Connect to CFO logic, not just user pain.

6. You're Making Promises Instead of Proving Value

Buyers want proof in 120 days or less. The "trust us, it'll pay off eventually" era is dead.

If you have the data, create 120-day value realization case studies. Use prospect data to build "speed-to-value" narratives. Lead with time-to-value, not feature lists.

The companies unclogging their funnels aren't working harder—they're working smarter. They've ditched the old playbook for data-driven precision.

Your move.

Written by Drew Neisser

CMO Huddlers Discuss Analyst Relations

Fri, 11 Jul 2025 14:38:16 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 464: Turning Analyst Relations into Market Traction

You can’t game the Gartner system. You can’t fast-track a Forrester mention. But you can show up prepared, relevant, and consistent. Analyst Relations is the slowest move on the board and the one that defines how your company is positioned on calls, in rooms, and across the category.

To trace the full arc of this relationship, Drew is joined by Dan Lowden (Blackbird.AI), Lorie Coulombe (Equity Shift), and Lynn Tornabene (Anteriad). These are marketing leaders who’ve built analyst trust from scratch, played the long game, and seen the ripple effects hit pipeline, brand, and board-level confidence. They’ve turned AR into an amplifier, and they’re here to show you how to do the same.

In this episode:

Dan on building analyst trust without budget through clear positioning and repeat engagement
Lorie on prepping spokespeople and leading briefings with relevance over polish
Lynn on aligning teams and delivering consistent, high-value analyst touchpoints

Plus:

What analysts want from a briefing
Why your first 20 minutes set the tone
The biggest mistake CMOs still make in prep
How to turn analyst feedback into team clarity

Tune in to learn how consistent, credible AR earns analyst trust and long-term traction in the market.

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegademarketing.com/podcast/

Bonus Huddle: Let's Discuss CMO and CRO Alignment

Tue, 08 Jul 2025 22:21:21 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 463: CRO: Friend or Foe?

Joelle Kaufman has been both a CRO and a CMO—and she’s here to tell you: if sales and marketing aren’t on the same page, you’re leaving revenue on the table.

In this Huddles Quick Take, Joelle outlines the three most common mistakes CMOs make when trying to align with sales—and how to avoid them. From pipeline goals to budget tension to attribution battles, Joelle shares how CMOs can build better partnerships that actually drive revenue.

What You’ll Learn:

3 alignment mistakes that keep marketing and sales at odds
Why obsessing over MQLs sends the wrong signal
How shared pipeline goals help unify teams
The real problem with attribution finger-pointing

For the rest of the conversation with Joelle, visit our YouTube channel (CMO Huddles Hub) or click here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=64XHb_E7UT4.

Get more insights like these by joining our free Starter program at cmohuddles.com.

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegademarketing.com/podcast/

8 Growth Plays for Niche B2B Podcasts

Tue, 08 Jul 2025 18:47:34 GMT

“Help, our CEO wants to increase the reach of our podcast dramatically, but nothing seems to work,” shared a frustrated CMO from a $250mil tech company. We’ve all been there. A senior exec stumbles across a podcast success story—usually one with a massive consumer audience—and suddenly expects your niche B2B show to take off like SmartLess. That’s not how this works. But don’t worry, this post isn’t a rant. It’s a roadmap.

Here are 8 ways to increase the reach (and value) of your podcast—without selling your soul or sacrificing quality: [For a more complete list, visit RenegadeMarketing.com/blog]

1. Nail the Content First

This should go without saying, but far too many shows overlook the fundamentals. Prioritize clear audio, sharp editing, and relevant topics. If you don’t have something unique or genuinely helpful to say, no amplification trick will save you.

2. Define the Right Audience

Success isn’t about volume—it’s about value. My show is for B2B CMOs. Every topic, guest, and soundbite is tailored to their pain points. You don’t need 10,000 listeners if the right 500 are tuning in.

3. Find Your White Space

If your show sounds like everyone in your category, you’re toast. Take inspiration from Jeff Morgan at Elements, who built a category-leading podcast for dentists when no one else had. Specificity breeds loyalty.

4. Choose Guests Strategically

Whether it’s customers (great for relationship building) or well-known thought leaders (great for awareness), your guests should be relevant and share-worthy. Bonus: Guests with large followings often promote the episode—just make it easy for them with ready-to-go assets.

5. Consistency Is Non-Negotiable

Release episodes weekly—same time, same length. Sporadic publishing kills momentum. A reliable cadence builds habits and trust with your listeners.

6. Multiply Your Assets

Record both audio and video. Then slice your content into 90-second clips and quote cards. Share them on LinkedIn, YouTube Shorts, newsletters—wherever your audience hangs out. These “micro-moments” extend your reach exponentially.

7. Be a Guest on Other Podcasts

One of the best ways to grow your show is to appear on others that reach similar audiences. Just like being a great interviewer, being a great guest takes prep. Be spontaneous, sure—but also pithy. Give your host room to respond. You’re in a conversation, not a keynote.

8 . Don’t Forget Internal Value

If your podcast builds customer love, sharpens your POV, and trains your sales team—that’s value, even if the external reach is modest. Would you be happy speaking to 800 members of your target audience every month? Most executives would be thrilled. That’s the power of a niche podcast.

Final Thought

Before your CEO asks about “reach,” help them understand the purpose. In niche B2B, a podcast isn’t just a megaphone. It’s a magnet, a relationship builder, and a strategic asset.

What have you done to grow your podcast’s audience?

Written by Drew Neisser

CMO Huddlers Discuss ABM

Fri, 04 Jul 2025 19:54:45 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 462: Building a Better ABM Motion

ABM falls apart fast when teams jump in before locking down who they’re chasing, why it matters, and how it’s all supposed to run. Sales pushes one list, marketing builds another, and no one agrees on who actually matters. No shared ICP? No clean data? Well, no chance. You need a strategy.

Guest host Jon Russo (B2B Fusion) corrals Heidi Bullock (Tealium), Patti Newcomer (Centerbase), and Bindu Chellappan (Corpay) for a breakdown of how they’re keeping their ABM engines running clean. Think pods with purpose, seller-first workflows, and data that matters.

In this episode:

Heidi on running pods that bring marketing, sales, and CS into one motion
Patti on aligning across the funnel and why ABM needs ownership
Bindu on activating firmographic and intent data with shared definitions

Plus:

Where alignment really starts
Why trust beats tech every time
How AI is speeding up the grunt work without losing the signal
The metrics that actually tell you it’s working

Tune in to learn about what breaks ABM, what fixes it, and how to keep teams pulling in the same direction.

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegademarketing.com/podcast/

From Dabbling to Doing: A GenAI Guide for B2B CMOs

Tue, 01 Jul 2025 21:00:28 GMT

“Hey Drew, I can’t keep up with all the AI stuff; it’s just overwhelming,” shared a CMO at a $450mil tech company. The other Huddlers were relieved to hear they weren’t alone. A fascinating discussion ensued as these CMOs shared what they know, what they don’t, and how they’re sorting through the myriad of options. Here are some of their questions and an aggregation of the best answers.

How Are B2B CMOs Using GenAI Right Now?

Most CMOs admit they are still in the early days of GenAI adoption. Most don’t have a GenAI strategy. Most are creating content more efficiently. For example, those creating podcasts are doing so 5-10x faster by recording, editing, and publishing with just one person using Descript.

How Do We Get Beyond the “Go Play” and “Dabbling” Stage?

Strategy before tools. This means identifying the problems you want to solve, which, when solved, would have the most significant impact on the business. For example, you may need to translate and route hundreds of digital ads into fifty different languages multiple times per year for multiple ad platforms. That’s a lot of variations and the perfect labor-intensive task at which GenAI excels.

Benchmark your time sucks. Ideally, your team will be able to benchmark the current workflows for the most time-consuming projects. Some of these projects can be streamlined easily with one or more existing tools (like the podcast example). Focus on a few of these initially to record some quick wins.

Isolate the big wins: Others may require more complex solutions with API integrations – stuff that you used to have to get IT help with but can now solve with the guidance of AI. You’ll want to create a matrix (potential value, time to solution, complexity of solution) to help shape your priorities.

Training before licenses. Getting licenses for everyone on your team sounds like a great idea until you realize adoption is not universal. Giving them the tool alone does not improve productivity. Training your team together with some specific usage expectations will move things forward. Then, gather monthly to share problems solved and unsolved. Given the speed at which these tools evolve, expect to do training 2-3x per year.

How Important Is It That CMOs Use These Tools Themselves?

It’s imperative. First, every leader should have a folder on their phone's home page with at least 3 LLMs (I have the paid versions of ChatGPT and Claude and the free version of Perplexity). There’s no reason you shouldn’t use these tools multiple times a day to prepare for meetings, think through your ideas, and investigate something personal. Learn the basics of prompting. Better yet, become a master prompter.

Jeff Morgan, CMO of Elements, uses this prompt engineering framework:

S = Specifications

P = Process

A = Authenticity

R = Rules & Regulation

K = KPIs

How are you keeping up?

Written by Drew Neisser

Career Huddle: Let's Discuss Pricing Power

Fri, 27 Jun 2025 14:06:36 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 461: Pricing Power: Marketing's CFO Currency

Let's face it, most marketing metrics don't travel well to the CFO's office.

Pricing power is different. It's measurable, margin-backed, and proof that your brand is strong enough to charge more without losing volume.

To help make sense of it all, Drew brings in Chris Burggraeve, Founder of Vicomte and author of books on marketing and business strategy. Together, they discuss what pricing power means, how to measure it, and why it's the most powerful way to communicate marketing value to your CFO and C-suite.

In this episode:

What pricing power means and how to measure it
Why brand strength drives profit, not just visibility
How CMOs can align with CFOs through finance fluency
The tools and mindset needed to link marketing to valuation
How pricing power bridges marketing metrics with financial outcomes

Tune in for a clearer way to connect brand, margin, and market strength.

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegademarketing.com/podcast/

Recession-Proof Your Marketing Strategy with GenAI

Tue, 24 Jun 2025 14:57:31 GMT

“It feels like a perfect economic storm,” shared an anguished CMO from a $300mil tech company, adding, “Our buyers are hesitant because of the overall economic uncertainty, new entrants are disrupting our category, we just expanded our product line, and no one knows what will happen to the government funding that benefited our industry,” they detailed. Nodding empathetically, I realized it was time to update my recession playbook with a GenAI-first mindset.

Polish Your Positioning

Ensure your brand is perceived as a "must-have" rather than a "nice-to-have." This involves clearly communicating the unique value and necessity of your product or service. [Use Deep Research to help explore options. And test synthetic research from companies like Evidenza or Subconscious.ai for speedy insights at 50% of traditional research $s]. understand the difference between a good reputation and a poor one.

Sell Your “Speed to Value”

When CFOs become CFNOs, the only “yes” you’ll hear is for those products or services that can deliver a fast return on investment. [Run recorded customer calls through a customized GPT to isolate speed-to-value quotes and context. Identify customers who get value faster and can quickly double down on that segment.]

Call Your Customers

They may be in the same or worse economic turmoil. If they are, make a customer for life by offering better terms on your current contract in exchange for a longer deal and a high-quality testimonial. [Run a Deep Research assessment of their industry seeking insights into how they could outperform competitors in a recession].

Elevate Your Executives

Individuals get 10x the organic reach on LinkedIn than companies yet few brands scale executive thought leadership. [Create a Project on ChatGpt or Claude that includes brand guidelines, past writing by each exec and other parameters. Then, ask the exec to dictate 20-25 minutes of their latest thinking and let your top editor run with it. The goal should be 2-3 thoughtful weekly posts from these execs. Bonus points, if they record vertical videos, a medium LinkedIn is heavily favoring. Breaking news: LinkedIn now allows you to promote individual posts.]

Balance Your Budget

You know your CFO is coming for funds. Get ahead of this. Draft two plans, one at the current budget and one with a 20% cut. Go back through company data from the early days of the pandemic and show the lagging impact of those budget cuts. [Run projections on the impact of budget cuts on pipeline via LLMs. And show how your GenAI tests should yield massive savings in the coming years].

Value Your Visitors

With the dual whammy of declining organic site traffic and fewer buyers in the marketplace, every qualified site visitor must be treated like royalty. This means rethinking your landing page experiences and enabling answers, not navigation. [We are currently testing two LLM-driven tools, Webless.ai on RenegadeMarketing.com and Salespeak.ai on CMOHuddles.com. We'll share results at CMO Super Huddle]

What's in your recession playbook?

Written by Drew Neisser

CMO Huddlers Discuss being a Chief Collaboration Officer

Fri, 20 Jun 2025 14:26:59 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 459: The CMO as Chief Collaboration Officer

Be honest, when you think “CMO,” do you picture campaigns, brand work, or the de facto unifier of a siloed C-suite?

In this episode, guest host Narine Galstian (SADA) leads a conversation with Katie McAdams (Basis Technologies) and Julia Goebel (Komodo Health) on how the CMOs role has grown into a key driver of org-wide alignment. It’s part diplomat, part coach, translating strategy across departments and turning zigzags at the top into coordinated momentum.

In this episode:

Katie shares how early signals from marketing and sales can shape product strategy before it hits the roadmap
Julia explains why cohesive brand messaging only happens when product, marketing, and sales move as on
Narine explores how marketing becomes the connective tissue that keeps cross-functional teams in sync

Plus:

Why fragile alignment breaks when you skip the relationship-building
How “agree and commit” clears the clutter when teams clash
The case for marketers to stop owning just campaigns and start owning outcomes

Tune in for a blueprint on becoming the Chief Collaboration Officer your org needs!

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegademarketing.com/podcast/

How CMOs Should Lead Through GenAI Panic

Tue, 17 Jun 2025 15:25:27 GMT

“Help, our CEO has decided Marketing needs 80% fewer people because of GenAI,” lamented a CMO at a $275M SaaS company. Tempering my outrage for a moment, we tried to laugh off the insanity and then searched for solutions. An untempered rant to follow. Then jujitsu.

First, a few snarky responses to this CEO to clear the air:

You’re joking, right?
Why not cut 100% of Marketing and let the bots do the whole thing?
While you’re at it, why not cut Sales, HR, accounting, and engineering by 80%?
Which genius guru told you this was a good idea?
Or did your digital twin recommend this approach? Mine suggested I update my LinkedIn profile.

Rant over. Time for some leadership jujitsu.

Finding the Pony in the AI Panic

My father loved to remind me that if you saw a lot of shit in the paddock, there had to be a pony nearby. My job was always to find the pony. Stay with me.

Like it or not, AI will transform every aspect of business. It won’t happen overnight. It won’t be easy. Many will screw it up, moving too quickly, emphasizing tactics over strategy, efficiency over effectiveness. It will be messy.

The bigger question now is who within the organization will lead that transformation. You can guess who I think could and should find that pony. Hint: It’s not the CEO mentioned earlier.

The CMOs Role in Leading the AI Shift

CMOs are uniquely positioned to grab the reins of this bronco:

You’re already spending more on tech than any other department
You were the first to experiment with GenAI
You know how to run cross-departmental initiatives
You know how to orchestrate pilot tests
You know that strategy comes before execution
You can use both sides of your brand
You know what matters to your customers
You have the empathy to help fearful employees gallop through this gauntlet

I could go on.

Change the AI Narrative Before Your CEO Does

So, let’s reimagine the conversation with the CEO, steering it from staff cuts to change management:

CEO: Marketing needs to cut its staff by 80% (because of GenAI)

CMO: I agree with you that GenAI will dramatically improve the productivity of our department. In fact, we could be a model for the whole organization.

CEO: I’m not sure I follow.

CMO: We are currently benchmarking every workflow, from content creation to campaign management, pipeline tracking to sales enablement, and so on. We also have a list of strategic priorities that GenAI can probably help us with.

CEO: That’s nice, but so what?

CMO: With these benchmarks and our strategic priorities in place, we can determine where GenAI could yield the most significant productivity gains. It could also help us be more effective, driving a lot more pipeline and revenue with the same headcount. But first, we need to run some pilots.

CEO: Pilots?

CMO: Yes, by running pilots, we can test our way to success without disrupting everyone at once. Our successes can be replicated across the organization, and others can avoid our failures.

CEO: And you can lead this?

CMO: Damn straight! Let's ride.

Written by Drew Neisser

CMO Huddlers Discuss Sales and Marketing Alignment

Fri, 13 Jun 2025 16:26:09 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 458: Sales + Marketing: The Alignment Equation

Nothing scrambles a CMOs brain faster than parsing pipeline math with sales.

Alignment starts with one number, owned together, and a shared path from first touch to closed won. Miss that, and both sides will be pulling their hair out debating what happened to the pipeline.

In this episode, Drew Neisser is joined by Lisa Cole (2X), Dave Bornmann (Higher Logic), and Marshall Poindexter (yorCMO) to tackle the GTM strategy that frays the most nerves: sales and marketing alignment.

In this episode:

Lisa shares how GTM teams build trust through shared goals, clean data, and dashboards that leave no room for spin
Dave explains how strong sales relationships gave marketing influence across the full funnel
Marshall shows how marketers earn trust by speaking sales’ language and showing they’re in it for the same win

Plus:

Why sales questions your pipeline numbers and how to rebuild trust
How shared dashboards and definitions keep teams honest
How to speak sales without losing your marketing lens

Tune in to hear how sales and marketing alignment starts with shared goals and grows from there.

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegademarketing.com/podcast/

How CMOs Can Reframe Brand When It Becomes a Dirty Word

Tue, 10 Jun 2025 14:06:04 GMT

“My CEO ordered me to never use the word ‘brand’ again,” lamented a CMO from a $75mil SaaS brand. “Then he told me to only spend money on things that drive revenue,” the CMO shared. Ah, yes, the double whammy. Everyone in the huddle sympathized with a “been there” nod. I silently stewed. A productive rant to follow.

Should CMOs Stop Using the Word “Brand?”

Yes. It’s toxic. Time to move on, and this is from the guy whose latest book subhead reads, “12 Steps to Building Unbeatable B2B Brands.” If you must venture into brand-like language, use the word “reputation.” It’s much easier to grasp. Even CFOs can understand the difference between a good reputation and a poor one.

Does That Mean I Can Have Budget Items for Reputation Building?

No, unless you want that part to be cut faster than you can say “brand.” If possible, avoid sharing spending buckets beyond people, programs, and tech.

If you, like many CMOs, divide your budget into demandgen or growth marketing and everything else, your CFO will assume that everything else is unmeasurable and possibly wasteful. Choose your budget-bucket labels carefully. Events, for example, can drive new logos, accelerate late-stage deals, help with expansion, and reduce churn. If events are funded from your “growth marketing” budget, then that’s how they will be measured, and that may limit this invaluable channel.

What About the “Only Spending on Revenue Drivers” Directive?

Live with it. All marketing drives revenue (there, I said it!). It’s just a matter of timeframe and targets. Unless you’re selling an impulse item (Of course, I would buy another penguin hat if it showed up in my Instagram feed), you operate in the world of considered purchases and buyer journeys. Different marketing activities impact different parts of your target at different times in different ways.

Let’s take Analyst Relations. It can take 12-18 months to build a quadrant-shifting relationship with an analyst. When that higher rating or new category of your own making suddenly arrives, you’ll be rewarded with higher consideration and close rates. That’s revenue too. Just a bit slower.

Could We Shift This Conversation Altogether

Yes. Please. Let’s start at the end and work backward. Right now, every B2B brand has a win rate. If you, for example, compete against three better-known brands, your win rate is likely lower than that of the top three. What would it take to improve your win rate? Most likely, it is a combination of product changes, pricing, positioning, CX, and promotion, including analyst relations. Lead that conversation.

The second conversational shift is to pricing power. Conduct a thorough analysis of the discounting required to close deals. Understand how much discounting impacts profit margins. Find out the last time you took a price increase. Reputational strength equals pricing power and higher close rates. Work with your CFO to build the model.

Marketing does drive revenue. But it's not about SQLs.

Written by Drew Neisser

CMO Huddlers Discuss Product Launches

Fri, 06 Jun 2025 15:59:17 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 456: The B2B Product Launch Blueprint

Drew worked on the team that launched the Panasonic Toughbook by driving a Hummer over it on live TV! 

That stunt turned heads, sure, but it also drilled the product’s promise into buyers’ brains: tough enough to survive anything. The best launches find that one thing that matters, makes it unforgettable, and builds everything else around it.

In this episode, Drew Neisser is joined by Guy Yalif (Webflow), Chris Pieper (ADP), and Ali McCarthy (Amplify Your Voice Studio) to talk about why great launches start with one magical thing: the product’s essence.

In this episode:

Guy shares how Webflow’s multi-product expansion demanded a rethink of what buyers really needed and why one-size-fits-all launches rarely succeed
Chris explains why the launch of ADP’s Lyric platform meant wrangling hundreds of voices into one clear story without losing focus on what matters
Ali breaks down why putting the customer’s pain first is key and why clarity always beats complexity

Plus:

Why understanding the customer’s pain points beats any feature checklist
Why selling everything at once kills momentum
How to keep the story tight so the team’s always on the same page
Why one person needs to own the launch story from start to finish

Tune in to hear how great launches find the product’s essence and turn it into a story buyers can’t ignore.

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegademarketing.com/podcast/

4 Reasons B2B CMOs Are Miserable at PE Firms and What to Do About It

Tue, 03 Jun 2025 14:54:41 GMT

“Why are so many B2B CMOs miserable at PE-backed companies?” I asked plaintively. The room went silent, awaiting the response from Darren Herman, Managing Director, Bain Capital, at the Imaginarium Summit. His answer was important, and I’ll get to it. But first, the sources of my question.

Misery Source #1: Time Sucks

“I spend 70% of my time prepping for or following up on meetings with our PE firm,” shared a CMO from a $600mil PE-backed tech firm. Pressing for details, the CMO explained that they had to prepare a 200-page document for every board meeting that goes through every available data point. “I don’t have time to think, plan, or lead – instead, I’m buried in the minutia.”

Misery Source #2: Micromanagement

“I have junior analysts going through our Google ad word buys by keyword by bid and asking me questions about them,” explained a CMO from a $300mil SaaS company. Admittedly, this is a subset of Misery Source #1, but it speaks to the hope of the PE firm that they could optimize (via micromanagement) their way to an EBITDA target.

Misery Source #3: Budget Allocations

“When the PE firm merged us with another company, I was told Marketing would be 7% of ARR and Sales would be 18% without any historical data or justification,” noted the former CMO of a $1B cybersecurity firm that had been growing 15-20% per year. The understanding that Marketing is an investment versus a cost seems to be rare among PE-backed companies.

Misery Source #4: Magical Thinking

“Our budget was cut 40% while our growth target was increased by 25%” added the CMO from the $1B cybersecurity firm. “The targets seemed arbitrary without any explanation for how they could be achieved – the pressure was literally killing me,” the CMO shared after leaving the job.

Rant over (for now). On to Darren’s important counsel.

Understand the Investment Thesis

Knowing why the PE firm bought the company and why they believe they can help it grow should help CMOs align their marketing efforts. Fair enough. I want to believe it would make a difference, but I need to check back with a few CMOs who’ve been there and done that.

Prepare to Work Fast

Ubiquitous sneaker wearing is emblematic of Bain Capital’s expectation of performance speed. Got it. Get it. As should any CMO taking a job for a PE-backed company. That’s why we give our "Huddlers" access to a First 90-Days Quick Wins Cheat Sheet.

Unfortunately, not every potent marketing lever responds instantly. For example, improving your ratings with key industry analysts takes time (6-18 months) but can have a huge impact on consideration and close rates. Similarly, building out a new partner channel takes time but can bring significant growth, especially during economic downturns. The same is true for becoming a community-led growth company.

In fairness to Darren, not all PE firms are the same. Some add value. Or at least try. [Link to Darren's thoughtful advice.]

Written by Drew Neisser

Career Huddle: Let's Discuss Sales Pitches

Fri, 30 May 2025 14:08:27 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 455: From Positioning to Pitch: Making Your Messaging Stick

B2B CMOs know positioning matters—but too often, it vanishes when sales starts talking.

In this episode, positioning guru April Dunford pulls back the curtain on the disconnect between marketing and sales and shares exactly how to build a sales pitch that wins.

Drawing from her book Sales Pitch and decades of experience, April shares a battle-tested framework for building pitches that set the context, overcome indecision, and spotlight your unique value—without overwhelming buyers or falling into feature hell.

Key Mistakes:

Mistake #1: Treating positioning as marketing-only
Mistake #2: Assuming sales will “get it” if you hand them positioning docs
Mistake #3: Building sales pitches without a clear, compelling structure

In this episode:

Why positioning is the starting point for every winning pitch
How marketing can frame the problem so sales doesn’t chase the wrong story
Why leading with your company history stalls momentum
What smart pitch sequencing sounds like in action

This Episode Is For: CMOs tired of great positioning dying in a sales deck—and want to arm their teams with pitch narratives that close.

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegademarketing.com/podcast/

5 Hidden Currencies Every B2B Influencer Program Needs

Tue, 27 May 2025 17:54:13 GMT

“Forrester included social media influencers as part of their buying network concept, but honestly, Drew, I don’t know where to start,” shared a B2B CMO at a $400mil tech company. I sipped my margarita, offered a Cheshire cat smile, and thought this must be what it’s like for Cooper Flagg when he spies an unguarded basket. Do you dazzle with a highlight-reel jam or simply take the layup?

I took the layup, offering a few insights with the promise of more when we spoke later. Had I taken the other approach, the highlight reel would have started with one concept:

Assess Your Currency

By currency, I don’t just mean cash money. Yes, you can cut B2B influencers a check, and if it’s big enough, many will do your bidding. Others won’t. Regardless, this transactional approach will limit your upside. Contracts will be executed to the letter. Brand love will not be engendered. Instead, tap into other currencies. Think of your influencer program as a multi-dimensional value exchange.

Access is Currency

Every company has other forms of influencer currency. Access is an incredibly valuable asset you can exchange. When I worked with Pega as an influencer, they provided access to their founder, Alan Treffler, typically reserved for analysts and journalists. Back in 2017, I was thrilled to have this brilliant exec on my podcast.

Recognition is Currency

About 10 years ago, IBM invited 15 of us to participate in their brilliantly labeled “Futurists” program. We all said “yes.” Who doesn’t want to be called a Futurist? We got front-row seats at their big conferences with signs saying, “Reserved for Futurists.” We also gained access to IBM executives and pre-launch product briefings. These briefings were similar to the ones they gave to "real" reporters, further boosting our egos.

Social Support is Currency

Before the Futurist program, IBM had a less formal influencer program in which I participated. Once again, they provided access to high-ranking execs. I turned one of these interviews into a story that ran on FastCompany.com with the audacious (+ now ridiculous) headline “Why IBM Could Be Bigger Than Facebook in Social Media.” IBM loved the story so much that they encouraged their entire employee base to share it on social media. They did. That story was among the top 10 stories on FastCompany.com for two months. My editor + IBM loved it.

Connecting Influencers is Currency

The best part of the IBM Futurist program was not the name. It was the fact that IBM brought us together to learn from each other. For a couple of years, Gartner did the same thing. Led by ever-insightful Brent Adamson, I met several marketing + sales luminaries with whom I still compare notes + amplify stories.

Eight months ago, LinkedIn started a B2B global marketing influencer group. I’m happy to be part of it and appreciate the inside info they share with the 30 of us. The real highlight? We set up a group chat on LinkedIn that is an insight-packed slam dunk.

Written by Drew Neisser

CMO Huddlers Discuss Category Creation

Fri, 23 May 2025 17:12:29 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 453: The Discipline of Category Creation

Everyone wants to be in a category of one.

But until analysts acknowledge it, customers search for it, and competitors show up, it’s not quite a category—more a call you made before the market did. Creating one means walking a line between leading the story and waiting for the market to catch up.

In this episode, Drew Neisser is joined by Bernd Leger of Cornerstone OnDemand, Charles Groome of Biz2Credit, and Jakki Geiger to share their insights into building a category from scratch.

In this episode:

Bernd shares how Cornerstone moved beyond LMS into “workforce agility,” backed by acquisitions, analyst engagement, and full-team alignment.
Charles explains how Biz2Credit is carving out a new lane in FinTech by naming the problem and using familiar language to build demand.
Jakki outlines what separates true category creation from disruption, and why team-wide clarity is the hidden work that drives both.

Plus:

Why a real customer problem should shape your category narrative
How to bring analysts in without losing control of the story
What it takes to bring your team along when the category doesn’t exist yet

Tune in to learn how category creation starts, builds, and earns its place in the market!

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegademarketing.com/podcast/

The Trust Risk When Brands Step Away from DEI and ESG

Tue, 20 May 2025 14:48:35 GMT

“We had to change some language on our website,” explained a CMO at a $750 million tech company, “to address the lightning rod issues.” Righteous Drew wanted to push back and say, “If every company does this, aren’t we all being complicit?” Coach Drew held his tongue. There’s a lot at stake right now, and not just for businesses with government contracts.

The Weight of a Brand Promise

Enough with the code, what’s the real issue here?

One word: Trust.

Every established brand is a promise. That promise combines both its words and actions over time. A brand that promises to be a good corporate citizen and demonstrates its commitment via actions earns goodwill with multiple stakeholders, including employees, customers, prospects, partners, and influencers. A sudden shift in actions (like dropping DEI or ESG programs) can break that goodwill and or diminish trust.

Get real, Righteous Drew. Aren’t the risks of non-compliance with the new political correctness too great to stand on one’s high horse?

Indeed, much of the S&P 500 thinks so. The New York Times reported last week that the language “diversity, equity and inclusion” has been scrubbed from 200 of the 350 S&P 500 companies that had mentioned it. According to the NYTimes, many felt obligated to do so based on “an executive order that instructed federal agencies to investigate ‘illegal D.E.I.’ in the private sector.”

It’s even more serious for companies or institutions dependent upon government or red-state contracts. If they want to keep these contracts or get new ones, they must scrub their websites of the 30 or so trigger words, such as diversity, equity, inclusion, and climate change. We’re talking about millions of dollars and thousands of jobs.

A Word Swap or a Walk-Back?

Aren’t most of these big companies just using different words?

Yes, some are. These companies are softening or replacing words like “equity” with “belonging” or “inclusiveness” with “fairness.” In these cases, the policies, programs, and staffing behind the words aren’t changing. Coach Drew approves.

Other companies, big and small, have not just abandoned the words; they’ve eliminated the programs. Now we’re in reputational damage territory. Certain stakeholders will wonder if they can ever trust the company again. Righteous Drew is fretting.

Costco decided not to change its DEI policies, while Walmart did. Both brands have a lot at stake. Thus far in 2025, CostCo’s stock is down 2%, while Walmart’s is down 6%. It's too early to measure the impact (if any) these changes will have on revenue, employee retention, etc., but it will be fascinating to watch them play out. Righteous Drew thanks Costco for its bravery.

This Isn’t Just Marketing’s Problem

Bottom line: This decision to change your corporate policies is way bigger than marketing. C-Suites and investors need to be part of the conversation. For a guide on how marketers can help guide these conversations, check out the link to my post on RenegadeMarketing.com.

Written by Drew Neisser

CMO Huddlers Discuss The New Rules of Marketing Team Design

Fri, 16 May 2025 16:53:02 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 452: The New Rules of Marketing Team Design

Marketing org charts may look innocent, but they’re loaded with meaning. Split your team into “revenue” and “corporate” and you’re sending a message, whether you mean to or not. Structure reveals philosophy. And in B2B, that philosophy had better be built for trust, speed, and results.

In this episode, Drew Neisser is joined by Kelly Hopping (Demandbase), Lesley Davis (Waggoner Engineering), and Gary Sevounts (Simpplr) to discuss how they’re shaping marketing teams that reflect clearer priorities, move in sync with the business, and operate at the pace growth demands.

In this episode:

Kelly built her team around one goal: earning sales love. It reshaped her team’s structure, mindset, and KPIs.
Lesley explains how cultural clarity and cross-functional trust helped her team scale fast inside a complex org.
Gary shares how “Treasure Ops” became a full-funnel GTM engine, reviving stalled deals and tying ops directly to pipeline.

Plus:

Why your org structure should follow how your buyers engage
How AI is already shifting roles
How shared metrics and a single definition of success align marketing and sales

Tune in for a look at how marketing teams are being built to meet the moment!

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegademarketing.com/podcast/

Why Rushed Creative Undermines B2B Marketing Results

Tue, 13 May 2025 16:12:02 GMT

“I told my Creative Director he had to work faster,” said a CEO from a tech startup after hearing a presentation on “creating a brand in 5 minutes!” at HumanX. Hiding my horror, I asked the CEO what she meant. I hated her answer. So will creatives everywhere.

Downsides of Speed-Obsessed Branding

What the CEO said…

“Creative design just takes too long. I needed some support materials for this conference. Our CD gave me way too many options for things like stickers. There were multiple rounds of revisions, and each one took time. I wasn’t even happy with the final creative. But maybe I’m not the target. They are the creatives, and it’s their call. But after seeing the presentation on brand creation via GenAI, I just know they could create everything 5-10x faster.”

What I was thinking…

The notion that you can create a differentiated and enduring brand in 5 minutes is sheer lunacy and an unfortunate takeaway from an otherwise brilliant conference.

The focus on speed, above all else, has horrendous implications. First, it has the potential to burn out employees, especially creative people. While some stress (like deadlines) is helpful to the creative process, every single project can’t be a fire drill. That leads to burnout. Second, emphasizing speed will impact quality. “Good enough” will become the rule. Which is fine or disastrous, depending on the deliverable. [“Don’t worry, I’m sure our AI-generated design plans for the spaceship are good enough” won’t go over well with the astronaut about to board!]

What Can CMOs Do About Rising CEO Expectations Around Speed of Delivery?

Pick your battles.

There are multiple opportunities to increase the speed of creative development without sacrificing quality (too much). A marketing leader at a $400 million SaaS brand shared, “We’re using GenAI to crank out 120 localized iterations of 20 different digital ads.” “The time savings is enormous, and our creatives cheered since that stuff is tedious,” she added. [LMK your speedy wins w/GenAI]

Swami Sivasubramanian, VP, Agentic AI at Amazon Web Services, emphasized three big categories for applying AI during his presentation at HumanX:

Workplace productivity (they used AI to reduce new hire training time by 67%)
Business workflows (they saved 4000 in development hours automating multi-step tasks like compliance workflows)
Innovation and research (they radically accelerated R&D cycles saving “nearly 5 years of work”)

Efficiency ≠ Effectiveness

CMOs need to keep their eyes on the prize. That means focusing on impact, not output. For example, helping Sales improve and accelerate their close rates by a few %points will dramatically impact the entire org. Do that, and you’ll buy some time to think through how your brand and GTM may need to evolve over the next 18-36 months in order to increase your pricing power.

Even with the help of AI, that will take more than 5 minutes!

[Note: This editorial "rant" with all its flaws was 100% human-generated.]

Written by Drew Neisser

CMO Huddlers Discuss Event Strategy and ROI

Fri, 09 May 2025 20:27:57 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 451: Events with Intent: How CMOs Turn Brand Moments into Growth

You can spend six figures on an event and still walk away with nothing but badge scans and a fuzzy sense of brand presence. But when you treat it as a full-funnel campaign, that’s when the impact starts early and lasts well beyond the event itself.

In this episode, Drew Neisser is joined by Ellina Shinnick (HUB International), Kevin Ruane (Precisely), and Isabelle Papoulias (EliteOps) to explore how teams show up with intention and turn B2B events into focused, cross-functional efforts that build brand, strengthen buyer confidence, and avoid the all-too-common post-event fade.

In this episode:

Ellina breaks down HUB’s three-part event framework: Sales alignment, rigorous ROI auditing, and one bold theme that ties it all together.
Kevin shares how a shift from demand gen to brand-first events, paired with sideline plays and airport branding, led to unexpected revenue wins.
Isabelle gives the play-by-play on how startups can show up strong with limited budgets and purposeful sequencing.

Plus:

Why pre-event planning is where ROI starts
How to audit your event calendar for strategic fit (not just attendance numbers)
What actually works for post-event follow-up, and what to skip
Why one big creative idea can carry you through a whole year of events

Tune in to steal what works and rethink how events drive brand and pipeline!

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegademarketing.com/podcast/

25 Ways B2B CMOs Can Cut Through in 2025 | Part 5

Tue, 06 May 2025 14:10:06 GMT

"Drew, everyone's talking about emerging trends, but I'm still trying to figure out how we get organic attention on LinkedIn. Meanwhile, my CFO wants us to be 'more predictable,' my first-party data is a mess, and don't get me started on our AI strategy. How do we separate the signal from the noise?" chorused several CMOs during a recent Peer Huddle.

If this sounds familiar, take comfort. You're not alone in this swirl of shiny objects. Here's a fascinating fact: Penguins can actually see underwater better than they can on land, and they're able to spot both nearby threats and distant opportunities. That's exactly the kind of vision CMOs need right now.

So, my fellow marketing penguins here's one last post on how CMOs can cut through in 2025. Today, we're diving into emerging trends.

21. Vertical Marketing: The New Horizontal Growth

One CMO recently shared how they stopped trying to be everything to everyone and instead went deep into two verticals. The result? Their pipeline doubled while their CAC dropped faster than Nvidia's stock after DeepSeek launched. The key? They didn't just change their messaging – they rebuilt their entire GTM around vertical-specific pain points, channels, and buying cycles.

22. First-Party Data: Your New Best Friend

With privacy regulations tighter than a penguin huddle in winter, your first-party data strategy is essential for survival. But here's the twist: One CMO actually reduced their data collection by 30% and saw engagement spike. Why? Because they started collecting what mattered, not what they could.

23. Influence the Influencers

B2B influencer marketing isn't about finding someone with a zillion followers to hawk your goods. It's about building relationships with the voices your customers actually trust. One CMO scrapped their influencer budget and instead created a "wisdom network" of industry veterans. The result? More credibility than a Warren Buffett investment tip.

24. Change Management: Your Secret Weapon

How many transformation initiatives died a quiet death in your organization last year? One CMO I know now treats every new marketing initiative like a change management project. Their secret? They stopped selling the what and started with the why.

25. AI Bots: The Superhuman Touch

Before you roll your eyes at another AI mention, check out what Amanda at 1Mind.ai is doing. This isn't your standard chatbot – it's what happens when AI actually makes customer success more human, not less. It’s still early days, but the initial customer results from 1Mind’s bot are mind-blowing.

That's it. 25 ways to cut through in 2025. The common thread? They're all part of a bigger strategy to make B2B marketing more human, more effective, and maybe even a little more fun.

To all the CMOs out there swimming against the current: Keep diving deep, stay focused on what matters, and remember – even penguins look awkward on land sometimes, but they're absolutely magnificent when they're in their element.

Written by Drew Neisser

CMO Huddlers Discuss Customer Advisory Boards

Fri, 02 May 2025 18:25:34 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 449: The CAB Playbook: Structure and Follow-Through

Most companies launch a customer advisory board with good intentions. A few emails go out, a meeting gets booked, and then… not much happens. But when CABs are built with the right structure and support, they can drive some serious value for the business and the customer.

In this episode, Drew Neisser talks with Melanie Marcus (Surescripts), Marca Armstrong (Sensera Systems), and Marina Ilishaev (Boardstream AI) about what separates a one-off event from a CAB that earns ongoing attention, input, and trust. From executive alignment to post-meeting follow-through, this conversation is packed with real examples of CABs done right and lessons from the ones that nearly fell flat.

In this episode:

How Surescripts turned a CAB into a strategic driver over six years
How Sensera uses CAB insights to steer product and sales direction
Why structure, ownership, and trust matter more than slick agendas

Plus:

How to get buy-in from execs, internal teams, and customers
Ways to keep CABs active between meetings
Metrics that help track engagement and impact

Tune in to learn what it takes to build a CAB your customers want to be part of, and your team can actually learn from!

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegademarketing.com/podcast/

CMO Huddlers Discuss The CMO’s Path to the Boardroom

Fri, 25 Apr 2025 18:20:05 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 448: The CMO’s Path to the Boardroom

Think CMOs don’t belong in the boardroom? Think again. Today’s top marketers are stepping beyond the C-suite, bringing strategic insight, customer obsession, and data-driven decision-making to board-level conversations. But how do you actually make that leap?

In this episode of Renegade Marketers Unite, Drew Neisser sits down with three marketing leaders who’ve done just that: Denise Vu Broady (Collibra), Peter Finter (KX), and Katrina Klier (Sage Strategy Group). They share how they earned board seats—and how you can too.

In this episode:

How Denise mapped her board journey five years in advance
Why Peter leads with risk and strategy to earn trust at the top
What Katrina looks for in a board-ready résumé (hint: it’s not brand metrics)

Plus:

Why nonprofit and advisory roles are the best launchpads
When to invest in certifications like NACD and PDA
How to talk board ambitions with your CEO (without raising red flags)
Why CMOs are more board-ready than they realize

Whether you’re just curious or actively pursuing a seat, this episode is your inside track to the boardroom.

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegademarketing.com/podcast/

25 Ways B2B CMOs Can Cut Through in 2025 | Part 4

Tue, 22 Apr 2025 15:07:34 GMT

"Drew, my calendar looks like a game of Tetris gone wrong, I haven't had time to think strategically since 2023, and my team keeps scheduling 'quick syncs' that are longer than The Brutalist. I'm drowning in the tactical while the strategic gasps for air!" declared a CMO whose calendar I glimpsed during a recent coaching session.

Here, we have a classic case of calendar chaos. Did you know that Emperor penguins are masters of energy conservation? They can slow their heart rate to just a few beats per minute when diving, saving their strength for what truly matters. Now, that's what I call operational excellence!

Welcome, marketing penguins, to part 4 of my series on how CMOs can cut through in 2025. Today's focus? Mastering your time before it masters you.

16. Delegate or Drown

Here's a radical thought: What if you weren't the bottleneck for every decision? I recently watched a CMO transform her effectiveness by delegating 20% more – starting with all those "optional" meetings she was automatically invited to. Her secret? She asked herself one question before every commitment: "Do I really have to be in this meeting?"

17. No Agenda, No Attendah

Let's make this our new mantra, folks. Would you board a flight without knowing the destination? Then why join a meeting without knowing its purpose? One CMO I know reduced her meeting time by 40% with one simple rule: No agenda in the calendar invite = automatic decline. It sounds harsher than it is. Your team will thank you.

18. Time Tracking Isn't Just for Billable Hours

"But Drew, I know how I spend my time!" That's what they all say until they actually track it. One CMO discovered she was spending 60% of her time on "urgent" tasks that could have been handled by her team. The wake-up call? Realizing she'd spent more time in status updates than on strategy.

19. Think Time: Your New Non-Negotiable

Blocking 5 hours weekly for strategic thinking isn't just nice to have – it's survival. One CMO schedules his think time at 7 AM, calling it his "strategic sunrise." Corny? Maybe. Effective? Absolutely. He's now driving organizational change well beyond marketing.

20. The Great Meeting Purge

Warning: This might hurt a bit. One CMO audited every recurring meeting on her calendar and found that 35% were zombie meetings – they died of irrelevance months ago but kept shuffling along, eating brains and productivity. Her solution? A quarterly calendar reset where every recurring meeting must reapply for its spot.

Here's the truth about operational excellence: It's not about doing more things – it's about doing more of the right things. Your calendar isn't just a collection of meetings; it reflects your strategy. Or lack thereof.

And to all those meeting-happy executives out there: Just because you can schedule a meeting doesn't mean you should. Try an email. Or better yet, trust your team to figure it out.

What's your favorite time management tip?

Read Part 5

Written by Drew Neisser

25 Ways B2B CMOs Can Cut Through in 2025 | Part 3

Tue, 15 Apr 2025 15:38:21 GMT

"Drew, everyone's talking about customer centricity, but my executive team thinks it means sending out another NPS survey. Meanwhile, our customers are as quiet as the Cameron Crazies are loud, and our community efforts have all the energy of a sloth meditation retreat. What am I missing?" confessed a huddle of B2B CMOs.

What they’re describing is the gap between customer-centric theater and actual customer-centric growth. Speaking of fascinating behaviors, did you know that penguin pairs return to the exact same spot every year to reunite with their mates? Sounds a lot like customer loyalty to me! And they don't achieve it through surveys – they do it by creating meaningful connections.

So, my fine feathered marketing friends (yes, penguins have feathers, too), here's part 3 of 5 posts on the 25 ways CMOs can cut through in 2025.

11. Self-Serve or Self-Sabotage?

How about letting customers discover, evaluate, and even buy our solutions without forcing them through our "optimized" sales process? I recently heard of a $75M company doubling its pipeline by simply creating an intuitive self-serve experience. Their secret? They actually asked customers how they wanted to buy.

12. Your CAB Needs More Than a Facelift

One CMO I know transformed their CAB from a quarterly snooze fest into a year-round insights engine. The key was that they stopped treating it like a presentation platform and started treating it like a partnership incubator.

13. Podcasting: The New Power Lunch

The most successful B2B podcasts aren't corporate infomercials – they're authentic conversations that make your customers the heroes. One CMO's podcast started with 50 listeners (mostly their team) and, one year later, is driving 30% of their pipeline. The difference? They focused on sharing stories from an underserved niche audience and avoided sales pitches.

14. Partnership or Just Another Press Release?

Quick quiz: How many of your 2024 partnerships actually delivered value? If you're drawing a blank, you're not alone. But the CMOs who are winning aren't just signing logo-swapping deals – they're creating genuine value exchanges. Once you establish a reputation as a great partner, other partners will seek you out, and that's when flocking awesome happens.

15. Community: Your New Growth Engine

Most B2B communities have all the vitality of a corporate cafeteria on WFH Friday. But when done right? Pure magic. Just ask Latané Conant, who grew 6Sense's community into a movement. The secret? Stop thinking about community as a marketing channel and treat it like your crown jewels.

Customer-centric growth is about fundamentally changing how you engage with, learn from, and create value for your customers.

And to all those executives who think customer centricity means sending another survey: Maybe it's time to actually talk to a customer? Just a thought.

Next week: The five more ways for B2B CMOs to cut through in 2025. Spoiler alert: It won't involve asking for NPS scores.

Read Part 4

Written by Drew Neisser

CMO Huddlers Discuss Marketing & Comms Alignment

Fri, 11 Apr 2025 20:00:08 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 445: Marketing + Comms: Getting in Sync

When marketing and comms teams aren’t aligned, it shows.

In this episode, Drew Neisser is joined by CMOs Cary Bainbridge (ABM Industries), Laura MacGregor (Center for Internet Security), and Grant Johnson (Chief Outsiders) for a candid look at what it really takes to get marketing and comms moving in sync. From co-owning messaging to embedding AI tools and crisis plans into the mix, these leaders share how to stay coordinated without stepping on each other’s toes.

Here’s what you’ll hear:

How Cary and her comms partner rolled out a brand relaunch to 100,000 employees
Why Laura brought marketing and comms under one roof, and what that made possible
How Grant built cross-functional accountability with the right metrics

Plus:

What to do when misinformation hits, and the playbooks you’ll want ready
How AI is speeding up localization, automation, and cross-team coordination
How to activate internal brand champions and cross-functional councils
What stakeholder engagement looks like when it’s done right
Why comms needs a direct line to the C-Suite, and what happens when it doesn’t

If you’re done playing telephone across departments, this episode offers a practical path to alignment so marketing and comms stay in sync. Tune in!

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegademarketing.com/podcast/

25 Ways B2B CMOs Can Cut Through in 2025 | Part 2

Tue, 08 Apr 2025 14:35:21 GMT

"Drew, my tech stack is taller than Taylor Swift's earnings, my team is buried under AI tools they barely understand, and my CEO just asked why we haven't created our 'Travis Kelce moment' with our enterprise software solution. Help!" lamented a metaphorical CMO from almost every B2B enterprise brand.

If this sounds familiar, let's grab a virtual coffee. You're caught in the classic trap of too much tech and too little strategy. Did you know Emperor penguins can dive up to 1800 feet deep for food? But here's the thing - they don't dive that deep just because they can. They dive with purpose, hunting only what they need.

So, my dear marketing penguins, it's time for my second installment of 25 ways B2B CMOs can cut through in 2025.

6. Tech Stack or Tech Snack?

Here's a radical thought: More tech doesn't equal better marketing. I recently watched a CMO slash their martech budget by 40%, and – plot twist – their results improved. Why? Because they stopped paying for tools that were about as useful as a chocolate teapot. Start by asking one simple question: "Is anyone actually getting value from this tool?"

7. AI Won't Replace Your Team (But AI-savvy Marketers Will)

If your team isn't comfortable with AI by now, you're already behind. But before you panic-buy every AI course on Udemy, remember this isn't about replacing humans – it's about supercharging them. One CMO I know started with a simple rule: Every team member had to automate one routine task per month.

8. Research at the Speed of Barbie's Box Office Success

AI-driven research tools can now deliver insights faster than you can say "statistical significance." Just remember: AI is your research assistant, not your replacement. One CMO learned this the hard way when their AI tool concluded that their target market was "everyone with a pulse." [If you’re unfamiliar with Evidenza, fix that. They’re delivering research 4x faster at ½ the cost.]

9. ChatBots That Don't Make You Want to Rage-Quit

Most chatbots have the personality of a DMV employee having a bad day. But the new generation of GenAI-powered bots? They're different. They learn, adapt, and actually help your customers (while gathering priceless data). For a look at this future, log into 1mind.ai and have a chat with Amanda.

10. Sales Enablement Gets Personal (Finally!)

Enough with the one-size-fits-all sales decks that put prospects into a coma. GenAI is transforming sales enablement from a content dump into a precision instrument. Your sales team gets personalized tools, prospects get relevant information, and everyone stays awake.

Technology should serve your strategy, not drown it. In 2025, success isn't about having the biggest tech stack or the most AI tools – it's about having the right ones and using them brilliantly.

Stay tuned for next week's installment of 25 Ways for CMOs to Cut Through in 2025. Spoiler alert: It won't involve dating a Kansas City Chief.

Read Part 3

Written by Drew Neisser

CMO Huddlers Discuss GenAI Deployment

Fri, 04 Apr 2025 14:11:34 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 444: B2B CMOs Deploying GenAI to Win

GenAI has moved past the “what if” stage. Now it’s more like, “what else can we use this for?” And that change in mindset is reshaping the day-to-day—from big-picture strategy to the smallest tasks.

In this episode, Drew Neisser talks with Karen Feldman (Iron Mountain), Adriana Gil Miner (Iterable), and Jeff Morgan (Elements), three marketing leaders who’ve made GenAI part of their daily toolkit. They’re applying GenAI to content engines, campaign strategy, customer journeys—and they’re seeing results that are hard to ignore.

Here’s what you’ll hear:

How IBM used Adobe Firefly to produce 10x more content and beat campaign benchmarks by 26x.
The Iterable ad challenge that doubled demo requests and surfaced unexpected creative talent.
Why GenAI is showing up in customer journeys, sales enablement, and day-to-day ops.
How small teams are using tools like Descript, RAG, and custom GPTs to scale smartly.
What it looks like when AI becomes a creative partner, not just a shortcut.

Plus:

How to steer clear of the GenAI “sea of sameness”
Why personalization at scale is finally within reach
The shift from doing more to doing better

If you’re trying to move from GenAI curiosity to confident action, this one’s worth a listen.

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegademarketing.com/podcast/

25 Ways B2B CMOs Can Cut Through in 2025 | Part 1

Tue, 01 Apr 2025 14:39:46 GMT

"I'm drowning here, Drew. The board wants immediate results, my CEO keeps moving the goalposts, and my team is stretched thinner than an Ozempic user. How does anyone survive as a CMO these days?" exclaimed a first-time CMO at a Series C SaaS company.

Oh, first-timer, let’s huddle. You're not alone in this maelstrom of impossible expectations and magical thinking. Welcome to B2B marketing circa 2025, where every executive thinks they're a marketing expert because they watch the Super Bowl.

But fear not, fellow marketing penguins! Did you know that penguins are incredible swimmers and spend 75% of their lives in water? Like these adorable birds, you’re adaptable, curious, and comfortable in almost any environment. Why else would you have chosen this path?

Over the next few weeks, I'll share 25 ways for B2B CMOs to overcome their malaise. Today's focus is on leadership and strategy. Without these fundamentals, you might as well be trying to swim in cement.

1. Start with Your North Star (And Make Sure Everyone's Looking at the Same One)

Here's a renegade thought: Before you launch that shiny new campaign or redesign your homepage, get your C-suite aligned on what success actually looks like.

I recently watched a brilliant CMO get torpedoed because the CEO thought marketing's job was "to make things go viral," while the CRO expected immediate pipeline impact. Spoiler alert: It didn't end well.

2. Your Survival Depends on Strategic Alliances

Quick quiz: When was the last time you had coffee with your CFO? If you're drawing a blank, we've identified your first mission. Pick one C-suite peer per quarter and become their new best friend. Trust me, these alliances will save your bacon when budgeting season rolls around.

3. Simplify Until It Hurts

If your brand story requires a PhD to understand, you've already lost. With shrinking attention spans and buyer indecision rampant, simplicity isn't just nice to have – it's survival. Can your entire team tell your story in one compelling sentence? No? That’s one thing you can fix quickly.

4. Channel Your Inner Explorer

Yes, pay-per-click is comfortable. Yes, your tried-and-true channels work... sort of. But if you're not experimenting with new ways to reach your audience, you're already falling behind. The key? Start small, measure religiously, and scale what works.

5. For Heaven's Sake, Lighten Up!

This just in: B2B doesn't have to be boring! Some of the most successful CMOs I know have mastered the art of bringing levity to their leadership style AND their brand voice. When everything feels heavy, a little wit goes a long way.

The truth is, being a CMO in 2025 isn't for the faint of heart. And there are few shortcuts. But these 5 leadership tips should be helpful (and expect 5 more next week).

And to all those armchair CMOs in the C-suite: Marketing isn't magic. It's strategy, science, and a whole lot of smart execution. Maybe it's time to trust the experts you hired.

Read Part 2

Written by Drew Neisser

Bonus Huddle: Let’s Discuss How to Own Your Job Search

Fri, 28 Mar 2025 15:59:15 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 443: CMO Pep Talk: How to Own Your Job Search

CMO job searches come with baggage—pressure to be perfect, high expectations from CEOs and investors, and a market where one misstep can cost you. Add in emotional residue from your last gig, and it’s no wonder the process feels heavy.

In this episode, executive recruiter Erica Seidel joins Drew Neisser for a grounded pep talk on how marketing leaders can take control of the job search. It’s about being intentional—knowing what you want, how to show up, and how to manage the emotional rollercoaster along the way.

What You’ll Learn

How an Ideal Company Profile (ICP) can focus your search—and your energy.
The paradox-filled CMO role: changemaker, peacemaker, and how to keep it together.
Smart ways to stand out—think prep docs, dashboards, and well-placed hypotheses.
Why “ready to start tomorrow” might be your strongest asset.
What CEOs and investors really want from you in the first 100 days.

Whether you’re actively interviewing or just thinking ahead, this episode offers the mindset and tools to help you lead your search—with intention and impact. Tune in!

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegademarketing.com/podcast/

Pipeline Battles Are Pointless: How CMOs & CROs Can Actually Drive Growth

Tue, 25 Mar 2025 15:54:48 GMT

“Help, our new CRO is demanding that Marketing double its contribution to pipeline from 30% to 60%,” exclaimed a 3x CMO at a ½ billion-dollar cybersecurity firm. While I grimaced, several CMOs in our community offered counsel AND benchmarks from various sources. Armed with this advice and data, our harried CMO negotiated, landing at a challenging but not impossible goal. Crises averted. A win for CMO Huddles. Rant to follow.

In What World Is It Okay for the Head of Sales to Set Arbitrary Goals for the CMO?

And I thought irrational requests were the exclusive domain of PE firms. These are the fine folks of legend (and my prior rants) who cut the budget by 25% and then raised the revenue target by an equal amount. (This is much more common than we would like to believe and is still happening almost daily in Silicon Valley). But I digress. In the case of PE firms, it’s their capital. Not so with the CRO. It is not just bad form for CROs to make crazy-ass demands. It’s bad news for the organization since it instills a Marketing versus Sales divide.

Should CMOs Willingly Commit to Any Pipeline Contribution Target?

Allow me to waffle on this one for a bit. Many CMOs do so happily. Why? Because they have lots of historical data to show that Marketing is already driving a healthy percentage of pipeline. This is particularly true for PLG brands with a freemium offer, often targeting SMBs. I’ve spoken with CMOs in these orgs who can show that 90% of revenue is driven by various marketing activities. These CMOs feel pretty good about their job security, assuming their customer acquisition costs stay significantly below customer lifetime value.

What’s with the waffle?

Let’s take your basic $500 million tech company with a 12-month sales cycle and a lifetime value per customer of over $1 million. According to recent Forrester data, there will be 22 people on average involved in that buying decision, 9 of whom don’t even work at the company. For the sale to occur, Marketing must touch more than 90% of the buying committee multiple times. Does it matter who initiated the first, fifth, fiftieth, or last touch? It shouldn’t. And that’s just one reason why obsessing about sourcing is so problematic.

What’s the Solution Then, Oh Wise Sage?

Joint metrics focused on improvements over time, such as win rate, deal size, retention rate, growth of LTV, advocacy rates, and more.

I've said it before, but it's worth repeating: GROWTH IS NOT A STRATEGY. It’s an outcome of a fully aligned C-suite.

Written by Drew Neisser

Career Huddle: Let's Discuss Career Transitions

Tue, 25 Mar 2025 14:30:54 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 442: What CMOs Get Wrong About Career Transitions

The career mistake that haunts CMOs most? Waiting until they’re laid off to build their personal brand. Career transition expert Catherine Altman Morgan reveals the three career management mistakes even seasoned CMOs make—and they might be sabotaging your future opportunities. In this quick-hitting conversation, Catherine delivers straight talk on building your personal brand, maintaining critical relationships, and positioning yourself for success whether you’re job hunting or not.

From market disruptions to political shifts, CMOs are feeling the pressure. CFOs are tightening budgets, customers are hesitating, and entire industries are being forced to adapt. So, what’s a savvy marketing leader to do?

For the full conversation covering ‘nose to the grindstone syndrome,’ navigating toxic work environments, and how to product-ize yourself, visit our YouTube channel (CMO Huddles Hub) or click here: [https://youtu.be/f9_qZKSYDbM].

Get more insights like these by joining our free Starter program.

Until then, keep those renegade thinking caps on and strong.

For transcripts and more details, visit https://renegademarketing.com/podcast/

CMO Huddlers Discuss B2B Marketing Metrics

Fri, 21 Mar 2025 15:10:36 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 441: B2B Marketing Metrics That Speak C-Suite

In a perfect world, every marketing dollar would be easy to track and justify. In reality, proving impact is a constant battle.

In this episode, Drew Neisser brings together Julie Kaplan, Michael Callahan of Salt Security, and Bindu Chellappan of Corpay to explore the metrics that matter—and how to make sure they resonate in the boardroom.

In This Episode:

Julie Kaplan shares why marketing-driven pipeline is the metric that truly resonates with the C-suite—and how simplifying the conversation makes it easier to prove marketing’s value to the CFO.
Michael Callahan reveals why broad pipeline metrics don’t resonate with sales—and how shifting to territory-level goals helped drive alignment and better results.
Bindu Chellappan expands the conversation beyond pipeline, sharing how Corpay is tackling the challenge of measuring brand awareness, retention, and upsell impact—and why long-term marketing influence is just as important as net-new pipeline.

Key Takeaways:

The #1 metric that makes marketing’s impact undeniable.
Why marketing-influenced revenue deserves more credit—and how to make the case for it.
How to align marketing with sales—without the usual friction.
Why brand awareness is more measurable than you think—and how to track it.

Marketing’s value isn’t simple to prove—but the right numbers get the C-suite’s attention. Tune in to learn which ones matter most.

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegademarketing.com/podcast/

GenAI Needs a BHAG: Why CMOs Must Think Bigger

Tue, 18 Mar 2025 19:45:35 GMT

“Just go play with GenAI,” said multiple B2B CMOs to their teams in 2024. What felt like a reasonable instruction back then now feels like pure lunacy. GenAI is way too important to the future of marketing (and organizations) to leave it to random acts of discovery. Rather than a typical rant, this piece offers a more deliberate approach to GenAI adoption and its cutting-edge applications.

Start with BHAGs, Not Tool Bags

Saying “Go play with GenAI” to your employees is a quintessentially flawed “ready, fire, aim” approach. You’re giving them a solution in search of a problem. But if you start with challenges or, better yet, BHAGs (big, hairy, audacious goals), magical outcomes await. Here are a few BHAGs for you to consider:

Create continuously differentiated content that your customers will want to consume
Transform the notes from hundreds of sales calls into actionable insights
Make every employee better prepared for every meeting
Turn every employee into a brand ambassador
Make every customer experience personalized and continuously enhanced
Turn every level 3 technical support agent into a level 1 problem solver
Rethink your sales enablement strategy and execution
Create a frictionless customer experience that anticipates needs, provides personalized information, and reflects the expectations of younger buyers
Reimagine every one of your workflows (see next paragraph).

Evolve from Content Creation to Content Workflows

GenAI's low-hanging fruit is content creation, and independent playtime has undoubtedly yielded that. But just writing copy and creating images with LLMs is so 2024. The higher-yield application involves redesigning entire workflows, from strategy to iteration to distribution to tracking to revisions, with lots of human checkpoints along the way, including legal review. Tools like copy.ai help with some of this.

Others write a bit of code to connect their apps. Noah Brier, Percolate founder, has done this for his latest company, Alephic, and I was drooling with envy when he showed it to me.

Build and Sustain AI-Literacy

To achieve some of the BHAGs above, you need a highly AI-literate workforce. This requires a deliberate approach to training. “Many organizations assume people are going to figure this out...but that underestimates how much of a cultural and skill gap there is,” explains Forrester Principal Analyst Lisa Gately, who joined us for a Bonus Huddle last week.

Instead, you must treat AI adoption with the same rigor as other major launches. That means offering formalized and ongoing training.

What BHAG-driven applications are you pursuing with GenAI?

Written by Drew Neisser

Customer Retention Needs an Owner: Why CMOs Must Take Charge

Tue, 11 Mar 2025 14:23:19 GMT

“Retention is everyone’s job,” declared a (now former) CEO from a $150mm SaaS brand when the CMO made a play to “own” customer marketing. This story doesn’t end well. Churn rates rose. Revenue per customer stayed flat. Even net new sales faltered. Mild rant to follow.

If Everyone Owns the Customer, Does Anyone Really Own It?

The spirit of this idea is wonderful. Organizations that focus on their customers, that constantly address their pain points, that remove friction from the buying process and the ongoing relationship outperform those that don’t. Customer-centricity is a beautiful thing. That’s not the problem. The problem is structural.

Who Should “Own” Retention?

Someone in the c-suite. Someone with a budget and a mandate to stay close to the customer. Someone whose bonus depends (at least partially) on decreasing churn rates, increasing revenue per customer, and increasing advocacy. Someone with great listening skills and communication skills. Someone whose neck can be metaphorically choked by the CEO if things go poorly. If it’s a multi-billion dollar company, then a Chief Customer Officer or Chief Experience Officer role probably makes sense.

What If the Company Is Under a Billion?

With undeniable bias, I nominate the CMO. They are the best equipped and have the most to gain (or lose) by “owning” (or not owning) retention. The closer CMOs are to customers, the better the marketing output. The better the marketing, the more likely it will attract and retain customers and flywheel-driving advocates. It’s a virtuous circle. And most CMOs have the leadership and communication skills to do the job.

Why Is This So Complicated?

Currently, most B2B companies split customer engagement into multiple departments or at least functional areas. These include onboarding, training (if needed), technical support, customer success (typically a quota-carrying sales role to get the customer to renew and buy more), customer comms, communities, recognition programs, and customer advisory boards. Importantly, all of these areas require unique expertise, which is why they are often split across departments.

What’s Essential Here for the CMO?

Whether they own all of retention or not, CMOs need a direct line to the customer to do their best work. Customer input should inform strategy, messaging, content, media selection, and recognition programs. Stronger customer relationships beget advocacy, including online reviews, testimonials, and case histories. At a minimum, CMOs should be responsible for customer marketing, customer advisory boards, customer advocacy, and communities.

Written by Drew Neisser

Bonus Huddle: Let’s Discuss Video Testimonials

Fri, 07 Mar 2025 15:04:30 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 439: Video Testimonials: Social Proof in Motion

Buyers trust other buyers more than they trust you—that’s just reality.

A great video testimonial is proof, reassurance, and persuasion all rolled into one, but that only happens if people actually see it and act on it. So how do you keep testimonials from collecting digital dust and turn them into a true sales and marketing asset?

That’s exactly what Drew Neisser and Alexander Ferguson, Founder & CMO of TeraLeap, tackle in this episode. From getting customers to say “yes” to crafting stories that resonate, Alex shares the strategies that make testimonials impossible to ignore.

What You’ll Learn

The biggest mistakes that keep video testimonials from delivering real results.
Ways to integrate testimonials across sales, marketing, and branding.
How to measure impact, track conversions, and prove value to leadership.
The right timing and approach to get more customers on camera.

Don’t let your best customer stories go to waste. Catch the full conversation now!

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegademarketing.com/podcast/

Pricing Power, Brand Strength & the Growth-Killing Trap of Short-Termism

Tue, 04 Mar 2025 19:45:22 GMT

“Stop creating marketing plans, just focus on the next 6 months,” ordered a first-time CEO from a PE-backed $90 million services firm. The CMO who shared this story offered a “What can you do?” and, with a crushed soul, returned to work. I cringed. Rant to follow.

Short-Termism Is an Epidemic

This was not an isolated incident. Every week, I speak with CMOs whose organizations focus solely on the current quarter. Most are PE-backed. A few are public. Even fewer could call themselves “Built to Last.” Where’s Jim Collins when we need him? Instead, these companies are being “Built to Sell,” but buyers beware - these short-termers are also short-timers. They don’t have staying or pricing power (more on that shortly).

Short-Termism Inhibits Growth

Forrester reports that enterprise sales cycles extended in 2024 to an average of 18 months. That means that today’s top-of-the-funnel opportunities won’t close until 2027. Not this quarter, not next quarter. 2027! Victory will be determined by the clarity of the brand story over 100 different interactions with the prospect. Each of these touchpoints takes time to think through and optimize.

Take analyst relations, for example. You won’t find yourself in the top quadrant after 3 months of effort. It could take a year or two, but when you get there, it's an invaluable source of credibility. Trade shows are another case where long-term planning is required. You can only optimize event investments with a pre-, during, and post-event plan. This plan also needs to reflect the multiple sources of value (i.e., Closing late-stage deals, strengthening current customer relations and partnerships, introducing your brand to new prospects, etc.).

Short-Termism Limits Pricing Power

I haven’t talked about pricing power in this editorial series, but thanks to my conversations with Chris Burggraeve, I’ve had an epiphany. Pricing power is the ultimate litmus test of brand strength. The stronger the brand, the more it can charge, and the better its margins. Importantly, CFOs understand pricing power. To them, unlike the amorphous notion of brand, pricing power is real. It’s money in the bank. And guess what, pricing power isn’t built in 3 or 6-month sprints.

Pricing power is gained over a long time period by consistently delivering on the brand promise. Warren Buffett famously said: "It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it. If you think about that, you'll do things differently." You could easily substitute pricing power for reputation in Buffet’s quote.

Short-termism should only apply to the tenure of the CEOs who preach it.

Written by Drew Neisser

Career Huddle: Let's Discuss Michael Watkins’ First 90 Days

Fri, 28 Feb 2025 18:55:56 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 438: Michael Watkins’ First 90 Days

If you haven’t read The First 90 Days by Michael Watkins, what are you waiting for?

This bestselling guide to leadership transitions is a must-read for any executive stepping into a new role, and it’s a staple in the CMO Huddles community.

A CMO’s first 90 days will set the course—either laying the groundwork for success or paving the way for an uphill battle. Drawing on more than two decades of research, Michael Watkins joins host Drew Neisser to share essential transition strategies and reveal the critical mistakes executives make in their early days—and exactly how to avoid them.

What You’ll Learn

The biggest mistakes executives make in their first 90 days—and how to sidestep them.
How address the real problems within an organization—not just the ones you’re familiar with.
The importance of early wins and strategies to resist the “action imperative”
The critical role of shifting perspectives for achieving long-term success.
The power of process leadership and how to use it to accelerate your impact.

Michael also shares insights from his new book, The Six Disciplines of Strategic Thinking, and why strategy has never been more critical (stay tuned for that episode).

Tune in ASAP!

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegademarketing.com/podcast/

CMO Year One: Strategic Wins, Quick Fixes & Big Moves

Tue, 25 Feb 2025 20:50:17 GMT

“If you’re going to hire me, this is what you can expect,” explained a 2x CMO to the startled CEO of a $275mm tech company. This CMO got the job. So far, so good. What happens next is an instructive place to start our 2025 state-of-the-B2B-CMO discussions.

Q1: Detective Work

A student of Michael Watkin’s The First 90 Days seminal playbook, our heroic CMO built the cornerstone relationships she’d need to orchestrate big changes. She listened more than she spoke. She addressed a modest problem, demonstrating “decisiveness” without making any premature or consequential mistakes. She assessed her team and revised the org chart. She kept the CEO in the loop with weekly updates and started building a GTM plan aligned with his vision.

Q2: Quick Wins to Buy Time

Though she’d told the board and CEO exactly what to expect her first year, pressure mounted on the CMO to show progress. Having identified a handful of easy fixes like landing page optimization, over-gating content, and surveying employees about the company, the CMO did have a few quick wins to share. However, the research she’d initiated on the big stuff (i.e. overall positioning and strategic differentiation that could drive the product roadmap) was still underway.

Q3: The Pressure Mounts

The product team wants to push out a new GenAI-driven update while Sales struggles to close deals. The CMO knows these are distractions from the bigger issue – high churn rates reflecting low C-sat. The entire go-to-market strategy must be revised, including pricing, product, positioning, targeting, messaging, and customer service. Fortunately, the CMO convened a strategy task force in Q2, and the research results showed a clear path forward. Meanwhile, one of the PE firm's staffers scrutinizes spending by keyword! It’s your run-of-the-mill Silicon Valley crazy farm.

Q4: The Relaunch

Having completely rebuilt her team, the tech stack, the KPI dashboard, and the Sales-Marketing relationship and earned the trust of the CFO by delivering on her initial promises, it was “go time.” New positioning. New website. New everything. Importantly, the CMO insisted on pre-launching with employees, creating a short certification program that all needed to complete. With a new promise to the market, the CMO was confident the company could deliver. Anecdotal positivity poured in. So far, so good.

Year 2: Reaching for More

Riding high from a successful relaunch, the CMO took a well-deserved vacation. Her fully staffed team filled in ably. Having delivered on initial expectations, she pondered how her role could evolve to help the company even more. Since customer experience was still below par and without a leader, she threw her hat into the ring. The CEO and board loved the idea, especially since it meant one less senior executive on the payroll.

Have you set (great) expectations for 2025?

Written by Drew Neisser

CMO Huddlers Discuss Positioning

Fri, 21 Feb 2025 17:36:58 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 437: Positioning That Sticks: Winning Mindshare

“These are not the droids you’re looking for.” Just like Obi-Wan Kenobi used a simple phrase to shift the stormtroopers’ perception, marketers need to pull off their own Jedi mind trick to capture mindshare for their brands. We call it “positioning.”

In this episode, Drew Neisser is joined by Joe Cohen (AXIS), Sara Larsen (Wolters Kluwer), and Carlos Carvajal (Q2) to discuss the art and science of positioning—how to define, refine, and defend it in a crowded marketplace.

Key Discussion Points:

Joe Cohen explains how AXIS built credibility in energy transition by backing its positioning with real data.
Sara Larsen shares how Wolters Kluwer got internal teams on board with a major brand shift.
Carlos Carvajal reveals how Q2 overcame skepticism to expand beyond its core market.

What You'll Learn:

✔ How to use research to reinforce your brand’s authority.

✔ Why positioning is an internal challenge before it’s an external one.

✔ The role of analysts, customer feedback, and storytelling in shaping brand perception.

From using market research to create authority to ensuring internal teams embrace new positioning, this conversation is all about the strategies that make brands stand out—and stick!

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegademarketing.com/podcast/

Why Multi-Touch Attribution Fails—And What CMOs Should Measure Instead

Tue, 18 Feb 2025 15:03:36 GMT

“It’s really hard to understand what sourced, what brought people to our product, what we should do more of and less of,” admitted a highly-accomplished 3X CMO from a billion-dollar SaaS company. If this CMO, with a ginormous tech stack and dedicated data analysts, can’t nail attribution, who can? As we enter 2025, perhaps it’s time to reimagine measurement and KPIs.

Multi-Touch Attribution Is the False Prophet (or Profit) of Marketing

Multi-touch attribution starts with a solid premise - that B2B purchase journeys are rarely linear or single-stepped. Instead, they meander. They take time. Like 6 to 18 months. Time for lots of folks to weigh in. According to Forrester’s latest research, these journeys involve, on average, 13 internal roles and 9 outside influencers (analysts, friends, rating sites, etc.).

Let’s just focus on the 13 internal roles. Most of these folks will do their own homework. For simplicity’s sake, let’s assume each visits five web pages. That’s 65 touches. Which of those mattered in the final decision? Was it the PR-driven story in a trade magazine or the carefully cultivated analyst’s rave? Or the buyer’s guide the content team crafted and the SEO team optimized? Arguably, all of them, since any one of them had the potential to derail the decision.

Attribution Efforts Tend to Over-Simplify Purchase Journeys

Because every CMO needs to show that marketing is having an impact, many deploy multi-touch attribution. Noted a SaaS CMO, “We use the data that we have to convince leadership to get on board, but I don’t always trust the data because we tend to overemphasize first-touch.” In other words, the CMO offers the appearance of cause and effect, knowing that it will only tell part of the story.

Attribution Efforts Don’t Often Help with Spending Decisions

Marketers, like other departments especially at SaaS companies, aspire to be agile. They want to demonstrate that they can adjust spending to changing market conditions with agility. But this isn't easy. As one SaaS CMO shared, “It’s hard for us to be agile when it comes to marketing decision-making since there’s a lag time between action and result.”

So, What’s a Data-Driven Marketer to Do?

Stop promising direct and short-term cause and effect from specific marketing activities. Sure, that’s what investors and the C-suite want to hear, but it’s a trap without an escape hatch. Stop separating budgets, people, and programs into “performance marketing” or “demand generation” and “everything else.” The implication is that everything else is not performing!

Instead, reimagine your metrics dashboard and commitments. Make sure you are monitoring brand health (awareness, reputation), customer satisfaction (rating, recommendations, referrals, retention), and brand velocity (opportunities, win rate, deal size). Measure trends rather than absolutes. Look at campaign performance, not channel performance.

How will your metrics change in 2025?

Written by Drew Neisser

Bonus Huddle: Let’s Discuss Turning GenAI Possibilities Into Reality

Fri, 14 Feb 2025 17:05:18 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 436: Turning GenAI Possibilities into Reality

Gen AI isn’t just a playground for creativity—it’s a tool for real business impact. But while some marketers are embracing the possibilities, others are stuck in experimentation mode without a clear strategy. So how do you go from dabbling to driving real business impact with AI?

In this episode, Lisa Gately, Principal Analyst at Forrester, joins Drew Neisser to break down how CMOs can lead the charge in AI adoption, avoid common missteps, and harness Gen AI to create real business value. Lisa also shares a sneak peek into her session at Forrester’s 2025 B2B Summit, exploring how AI is reshaping marketing, sales, and customer experiences.

What You’ll Learn

The top mistakes marketers make when adopting Gen AI—and how to avoid them.
Why Gen AI success requires change management, not just technology.
How CMOs can go beyond efficiency to drive real competitive advantage with AI.

Want to take your AI strategy to the next level? Tune in!

CMO Huddles members also get a 10% discount to Forrester’s 2025 B2B Summit—use code CMOHUDDLES25 to save!

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegademarketing.com/podcast/

Marketing Wins, But Do You? How CMOs Can Break Out of the Box

Tue, 11 Feb 2025 20:39:08 GMT

“Marketing is the one area that’s working,” said the CEO to a perplexed CMO at a $500 million tech company. Normally, this would be a cause for celebration. But it came with a “keep doing what you’re doing” after the CMO had asked for more responsibility. I offered a sympathetic, “ugh,” and we got to work on a plan. As usual, this conversation sparked questions.

What Did the CEO Mean by the Unusual Perception That Marketing Is Working?

In this particular case, the CMO had been on the job for several years, giving the leader time to build both the brand reputation and a demand generation engine. The company had acquired several companies and the CMO had woven together disparate brands into one brand that is now the recognized category leader. The CMO had also built a strong “performance marketing” team and a metrics dashboard such that the CEO could see the impact marketing had on their revenue pipeline.

What’s the Problem Here?

It’s a fair question since many CMOs would dance on their desks for months after hearing those words from their CEOs. In this particular case, the CMO wanted to make a broader contribution to the organization and didn’t want to be pigeonholed as “just the marketing guy.” Yet, by performing the marketing function really well, that’s exactly what happened.

Is This the End of the Story?

Nope. This CMO is not to be denied. Through a series of carefully crafted conversations, this CMO will identify some “problem areas” the CEO wants fixed. Studying these, the CMO will suggest a plan of attack for 2-3 of them, offering to be the catalyst of change but not seeking an extra title. [Read Impact Players or check out my interview with Liz Wiseman to better understand this approach.]

Could This Scenario Have Been Avoided?

Maybe. When a CMO gets hired, it’s often to fix specific marketing-related problems. If those challenges aren’t addressed, full stop. That said, this is an AND scenario, not an OR situation. As leadership sage Michael Watkins explained recently to a huddle of attentive marketing leaders, “You need to shift from being a specialist to being a leader across the enterprise.”

Watkins offered more specifics:

Broaden your purview: “Represent your function AND take the enterprise-wide perspective.”
Build alliances: “The more senior levels are about building alliances internally and externally. If you’re really going to have an impact, you need to be very clear about whose support is make or break for you.”
Set the agenda: “You need to move from problem solver to agenda setter (for the entire organization).”

If you’re interested in hearing the full interview with Michael Watkins, author of The First 90 Days, mark your calendar for its release on February 28th at https://renegademarketing.com/podcast/

Written by Drew Neisser

Bonus Huddle: Let's Discuss Optimizing Conversions

Fri, 07 Feb 2025 17:27:45 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 435: From Clicks to Conversions

Clicking is easy, converting is hard—let’s fix that. In this episode, Drew Neisser teams up with Sahil Patel, CEO of Spiralyze, to take a deep dive into what makes landing pages and home pages truly effective. But this isn’t just theory-Sahil gets hands-on by breaking down the CMO Huddles home page and landing page, highlighting common pitfalls and sharing actionable fixes.

What you’ll learn:

The biggest conversion killers on landing pages-and how to fix them fast.
Why home pages need both storytelling and structure to keep visitors engaged.
How small design tweaks-like better CTAs, cleaner forms, and smarter layouts-can drive big results.

Want to see the pages Sahil critiqued? Check the show notes on https://renegademarketing.com/podcast/ for links to the visual resources.

CMO Overload Is Real—Here’s How to Reclaim Your Time (and Sanity!)

Tue, 04 Feb 2025 19:22:40 GMT

“I feel like I’m in a war zone; there’s so much transformation,” shared a tired but upbeat CMO from a billion-dollar software company. Empathetic heads nodded around the virtual huddle. Then we went to work isolating the time management issues. It was a revelation.

You Can’t Outwork the CMO Role

Feel free to try. Most do. Being Type A’s, many CMOs average 70-hour work weeks, especially during their first year. Their calendars are a solid block of meetings from 9-6 pm preceded and followed by more hours for their “real work.” Unless, of course, they have an international team, in which case the meeting hours extend to midnight. Doesn’t sound healthy, right?

This Isn’t a Call for Sympathy

On the contrary, exhausted CMOs know their fatigue is often self-inflicted. First, they wanted the job and worked hard to get it. Second, they know there’s a better way, but they can’t find the time to fix it, or worse yet, they don’t adopt the habits that will help them escape their personal hamster wheel. One thing is for certain - no one does their best work when they’re exhausted.

Oft-Ignored Truth: You’re Trying to Do Too Much

You’re good at what you do. You wouldn’t be CMO if you weren’t. But this is a curse. It makes it too easy for you to do things yourself, things that you could delegate. It also means you’re not just directing your team about “what to do” you’re also spending way too much time telling them “how to do it.”

Our “war zone” CMO was in the process of transforming the team, the brand, the messaging, the tech stack, and the go-to-market strategy. I’m exhausted just writing that sentence. Perhaps this list was a mandate from the CEO. Regardless, even if you aim for transformation, don’t try to do everything simultaneously. It’s not just you who suffers. Your org most likely can’t keep up with your desired pace of change.

8 Time Management Tips Shared by CMOs

Prioritize ruthlessly: Focus on a few big rocks (desired achievements)
Delegate liberally: Only do the things only you can do
Defend your calendar rabidly: Leave 20% of your week for thinking time.
Meet purposefully: "No agenda, don’t attenda!" End meetings 5 minutes early with clear action items
Batch productively: Create specific work windows for email, Slack, and messaging. These always-on channels will eat up your day and your brain power if not contained.
Track your time consistently: Few do this. One CMO noted that it was a hard habit to adopt, but after a month, it was easy. Knowing where his time was going meant he could manage it.
Share religiously: Sending weekly high-level updates to your team will save you countless hours of individual updates and keep the team aligned.
Recharge regularly: Don’t leave recharging to your vacations. Build "you-time" into your daily, if not weekly, schedule.

What are your timely time management tips?

Written by Drew Neisser

Why Marketing ROI Without Context is a Dangerous Game

Tue, 28 Jan 2025 20:56:31 GMT

“Let’s move everything to the channels with the best ROI,” suggested a CFO to a CMO at a $75mm SaaS brand. “Not so fast,” replied the seasoned CMO, “marketing doesn’t work that way.” A painful conversation ensued. As usual, I had questions.

Should CMOs Look at Performance by Channel?

Of course. Most importantly, it can identify trends over time. A channel that worked well for you last year might be underperforming this year due to macro issues. For example, many B2B brands are seeing drops in organic search traffic and increased costs for paid search. Some of this is caused by the rise of LLMs, including in Google searches.

But even with this example, it’s not that simple. Search performance is also directly linked to top-of-mind brand awareness. In my recent podcast interview with Jason Ing, CMO of Gusto, he shared that their search (both paid and organic) performance improved dramatically this year as they increased spending on brand advertising (specifically, promoted videos on linear TV, YouTube, and social channels).

Should CMOs Share Channel Performance Data With Other Execs?

Not if they can help it. Sharing this data with executives who don’t understand the interconnectedness of marketing activities will jump to faulty conclusions, like, “Let’s put all our money into search since that’s the most effective lead source.”

Like Search, Email is another channel that, in isolation, can easily be misinterpreted. Sarah Jordan, the CMO of Constant Contact, a leading email service provider, recently shared, “Open rates of emails can increase dramatically when coupled with multichannel marketing activities.” Case in point – On Monday, I saw an ad for a new type of Allbirds (my secret obsession) on Instagram, and then an email arrived inviting me to an event at their SOHO store. Sold. When I show up at the store, they’ll attribute it to the email. It's not wrong, but it's also not the whole story.

Sure, that’s a B2C story. One impulse buyer. Short sales cycle. B2B sellers face buying committees and longer sales cycles. But that only means that you need more touches via more channels to advance and close the sale.

Since Data Must Be Shared With Other Executives, How Do You Avoid Getting Granular?

Start by aligning with Sales. Better yet, create a plan that will make Sales love you. On an episode of CMO Huddles Studio, Kelly Hopping, CMO of Demandbase, noted that everyone on her team knows their role in generating Sales love. Explains Hopping, “It doesn’t mean that everything is optimized for Sales or bottom of the funnel pipeline – it means we give them a brand that they love, content that’s easy to consume and share, events that they’re proud to invite their customer to, etc.”

Once Sales understands how the pieces fit together, you can then jointly share metrics on a campaign level or a multi-quarter basis. Ideally, these include blended measures of brand strength AND pipeline health.

What metrics are you sharing?

Written by Drew Neisser

CMO Huddlers Discuss Relating Marketing to CEOs + CFOs

Fri, 24 Jan 2025 15:20:50 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 433: Marketing to Your CEO + CFO

How do marketers bridge the gap between bold creative ambition and the hard-nosed expectations of the C-suite? In this episode, Drew Neisser chats with Kay Moffett of Amplify, Katrina Klier of Sage Strategy Group, and Lakshmi Randall to uncover how CMOs can align marketing initiatives with business priorities while proving their value to their CEOs and CFOs.

In this episode:

Kay Moffett reveals how Amplify’s podcast, Science of Reading, became a catalyst for a movement in education, driving product adoption and underscoring the power of long-term brand investments.
Katrina Klier shares her ART framework—Awareness, Recognition, Traction—a practical model for demonstrating marketing’s impact through both leading and lagging indicators.
Lakshmi Randall dives into strategies for aligning with CFO and CEO priorities, including focusing on shared goals, running strategic experiments, and balancing short-term wins with long-term initiatives.

You’ll also learn:

Why anecdotal insights—or “anecdata”—can be as persuasive as hard metrics when proving marketing’s value.
How consistent reporting can help CMOs build trust with the C-suite.
The balancing act between short-term demand gen and long-term brand-building strategies.

Tune in and discover how to turn the C-suite into marketing’s biggest advocates!

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegademarketing.com/podcast/

Strategic Alignment Starts with the CEO—But Ends with the CMO

Tue, 21 Jan 2025 20:54:07 GMT

“Everybody knows the strategy,” said the CEO to the CMO of a public tech company. The CMO said, “I’m not sure you’re right,” and investigated. A survey of 9 execs returned with 9 different answers. The CMO added strategic alignment to her list. I had questions.

Is It the CMO's Job to Drive Strategic Alignment?

No. It's the CEO's job. In my over-simplified leadership framework, the CEO has three primary responsibilities: 1) Set the vision; 2) Hire the team (to realize the vision); and 3) Allocate resources (to execute the vision). Implicit in “setting the vision” is strategy.

But What If the CEO Doesn’t Set the Vision?

The organization has a major problem. Conflict will arise at every turn. Silos will thrive. If the CEO doesn’t set a clear strategy, the Heads of Sales, Marketing, Product, and Service will go in separate directions, ensuring chaos. No flywheel. Just chaos.

If There’s a Strategic Void, Should the CMO Step In?

Someone has to. Many CMOs are capable strategists. More importantly, they know how to drive consensus. To bring leadership teams together. To help CEOs align the organization around a crystal-clear business strategy.

What the Hell Is a Business Strategy?

Ah, there’s the rub. Defining strategy is like defining water (at least it is for me). I have to refer to experts. Alex H W Smith defines strategy as “The unique value a business provides to the market.” That works for me, at least as a starting point. You’ll need to read Alex’s book “No Bullsh*t Strategy,” to go deeper. Now prepare for blasphemy.

Strategies Are Useless

While we’re covering the basics, think ABT as in “always be testing.” No, duh, right? The only nuance I can add here is that many tests are focused on the wrong outcomes. For example, some A/B landing page tests are measured on the quantity of form fills. The result can be a lot of time-wasting follow-up on “leads” that aren’t worth the pixels they’re imprinted upon. Ideally, you’re able to track the visitor beyond the landing page to an action that indicates genuine interest (like watching a demo or checking out your pricing page). Better yet, the buyer contacts you when they’re ready.

Can You Stop Talking About Theory and Provide an Example?

You betcha. My case in point? Case Paper. It’s an 80-year-old family-run business with over 400 employees. Their strategy? Never lose a customer (by providing superior service). Using Alex Smith’s framework, I might rephrase this: “Case Paper is the only paper distributor whose service makes customers smile.” We’re getting closer.

The magic happened in the execution. Six years ago, Case Paper adopted “on the case” as the company’s mantra. Employees are encouraged to demonstrate their “on-the-case-ness” by being reliable, resourceful, and responsive. Every month, an employee is recognized for being “on the case.” Every year, Case’s biggest customers are recognized with wonderfully silly “on the case” awards.

Most importantly, all of Case’s communications are infused with dad humor and abundant color. They take customer service seriously but not themselves. Their recruitment ads are actually funny. Even their logo lockup is a pun. The words “on the” sit atop the word Case in their logo.

Get it? The CMO of Case Paper did. And now he’s the CEO.

Written by Drew Neisser

Bonus Huddle: Let's Discuss Master B2B Buyer Mayhem

Fri, 17 Jan 2025 16:36:10 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 432: Master B2B Buyer Mayhem

B2B buying has never been more complicated—or more critical for marketers to master.

In this episode, Drew Neisser is joined by Dave Frankland, Forrester’s VP Research Director, for a sneak peek at Forrester’s 2025 B2B Summit and the theme of “Master Buyer Mayhem.” Together, they explore the ever-evolving dynamics of buyer groups, self-service trends, and the growing influence of generative AI in the B2B landscape.

In this episode:

Navigating Buyer Complexity: Learn how to effectively engage the 20+ people who influence B2B buying decisions, including internal and external stakeholders.
Elevating customer success: Discover how aligning promise-makers (sales) with promise-keepers (customer success) can drive loyalty and advocacy, even for unhappy customers.
Transforming revenue processes: Discover how companies like Siemens and Reltio streamlined buying journeys and aligned teams for a customer-first approach.
Self-serve buying journeys: Explore how the rise of self-service is reshaping traditional sales and marketing strategies—and what you can do to stay ahead.

Tune in for actionable insights and frameworks that can help B2B marketers thrive amidst the chaos—and walk away ready to tame the buyer mayhem in your own organization.

And if you like what you hear, make sure you register for Forrester’s 2025 B2B Summit in Phoenix (March 31-April 3, 2025)! If you’re a Huddler, reach out to us for a special discount code.

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegademarketing.com/podcast/

When Demand Gen Hits a Wall: What CMOs Can Do to Restore Pipeline Flow

Tue, 14 Jan 2025 15:37:41 GMT

“Our demand gen efforts stopped driving pipeline,” shared a challenged CMO from a $45mil SaaS company. The other marketing leaders in the huddle jumped into action, diagnosing the issues and offering testable solutions. It was time to get into the weeds.

What to Do When Stuff Stops Working

Pause. Breathe. Look at the data. Talk to your peers. Form hypotheses. Test some quick fixes that will buy you time to identify the bigger issues (most likely your overall go-to-market strategy relative to competitive actions).

Look at the Data

“I’d be looking at historical trends of the leads that came from inbound channels,” advised a fellow Huddler. “If you can segment these leads by industry, persona, or title perhaps you’ll see some trend lines and a vein of gold which you can lean into,” they added. “If you can see things that converted down the funnel into pipeline before, double down on those activities,” the Huddler concluded.

Find Your Blunt Instruments

Every CMO needs to have some “blunt instruments” that attract prospective buyers. For many B2B CMOs, webinars play that role. They are inexpensive to produce, and if the topics are timely and the content informative, your audience will respond. “Perfect is the enemy of good when it comes to webinars," noted one CMO. “Even when we can’t find a client to join the webinar, we can still generate a goodly amount of MQLs,” they added. [Do you have some blunt instruments? If yes, what are they?]

Are You Scaring Off Your Prospects?

Eager to fill the pipeline, many marketers accidentally scare off their buyers. It starts when a prospect provides their contact info on a form in order to download content or join a webinar. Shortly thereafter, an overeager, under-trained 22-year-old SDR starts hounding the prospect. The bridge gets burned faster than you can say, “DQ.”

To address this problem, some marketers are testing LLM-driven virtual agents. These agents are trained on your content and can offer visitors a curated experience. The goal is to keep the visitor engaged on your website longer than the usual “land and leave” type. Even a modest uptick in time spent on your website can have a dramatic impact on downstream conversions. [Are you testing virtual agents? If yes, please share your learnings.]

Dancing with ABT

Can you network for answers? If not, check out our free Starter program. No SDRs will call.

Written by Drew Neisser

Career Huddle: Let's Discuss Leaders Leap

Fri, 10 Jan 2025 17:25:14 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 431: Don’t Risk Playing It Safe: B2B Lessons from Leaders Leap

Playing it safe might feel smart, but it’s the riskiest move of all. In this episode, Drew Neisser sits down with Steve Dennis, author of Leaders Leap, to explore the critical moments when leaders must embrace risk, drive innovation, and challenge the status quo.

In this episode:

What Got You Here Won’t Get You There: Why past successes might not guarantee future results, and how to adapt to a rapidly changing environment.
A Slightly Better Version of Mediocre Won’t Cut It: Why incremental improvements are no longer enough and how to aim for true remarkability.
Customer-Centric or Just Lip Service? The gap between saying that you’re customer-focused and actually delivering on it.

You’ll also learn::

How CMOs can position themselves as strategic leaders within their organizations.
Why being “special, not big” can be a winning strategy in a competitive market.
Practical steps for balancing long-term transformation with short-term results.

Whether you’re navigating strategic pivots, championing customer-centric initiatives, or striving to build a remarkable brand, this conversation is packed with insights to help you leap with confidence into 2025 and beyond.

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegademarketing.com/podcast/

The CMO Truth Bombs of 2024: What the Super Huddle Taught Us

Tue, 07 Jan 2025 19:53:26 GMT

“Did B2B break in 2024?” asked the penguin-hatted emcee of the CMO Super Huddle. The 100+ marketing leaders crammed into a Palo Alto hotel ballroom listened and nodded. Few had a great year. Most had major challenges which they shared on a small card. An analysis of these challenges reveals some interesting truths about the CMO role.

The CMO Role Remains the Most Bespoke in the C-Suite

This isn’t news. It’s just a reminder to avoid assumptions when speaking with CMOs. Some have vast portfolios and could call themselves “Chief Market Officers” and should according to executive recruiting legend, Kate Bullis. Most don’t. About half report to the CEO. A few “own” ecommerce and a P&L. Most don’t. Some own marketing and comms. Some are lucky to have enlightened CEOs who understand that marketing is a growth lever. Most don’t!

Few CMOs Believe They Have Sufficient Resources to Hit Their Goals

After years of budget cuts and goal hikes, many B2B CMOs are at the breaking point. Several highly skilled CMOs quit in 2024 in the face of relentless magical thinking by PE firms. Others describe their 2025 challenge as “dedicating sufficient resources (people + budget) to meet increasingly high goals,” “so many priorities, so few resources” or simply, “doing more with less.” To make this visceral, one CMO asked, “How can I scale demand and awareness with a budget of only $20,000/month?”

Educating the C-Suite Remains a Top Challenge

This is not just about educating other execs that marketing is not a simple input/output function (like Jon Miller’s gumball machine metaphor). It turns out that a lot of execs, particularly at start-ups, can’t agree on a go-to-market strategy or even what “strategy” means. Thus CMO challenges like “GTM alignment,” “lack of clarity of business objectives” and “executive alignment & engagement around a cohesive customer-centric narrative” are surprisingly frequent.

The Era of Just Handing Off Leads to Sales Is Over

While marketing leaders still wish their sales counterparts were better closers, few if any relinquish responsibility for conversion rates. Most CMOs now realize that MQLs and SQLs are meaningless if deals don’t get closed. As such, challenges like “pipeline progression,” “sales enablement” and “improving close rates” are their top priorities. While these aren’t easily solved issues, marketers are finding meaningful ways to support their sales counterparts from discovery through acquisition and retention. And in doing so, become recognized as business leaders not just the marketing person!

CMOs Are Remarkably Resilient and Infinitely Curious

Despite the challenges stated above (and many others I don’t have room to cover in this post), the atmosphere in the room was electric. For several hours, these execs ignored their email and listened intently. They shared leadership tips and sought answers on how GenAI would reshape their companies, products, and marketing. They opened their minds, prepared to pivot, and networked for answers (as I had requested they do in my opening remarks).

And at least for one day, they didn’t feel alone. It was flocking awesome.

Written by Drew Neisser

Bonus Huddle: Let's Discuss The B2B Marketing Performance Index

Fri, 27 Dec 2024 15:22:08 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 429: The B2B Marketing Performance Index

When it comes to marketing metrics, what you measure—and how you measure it—can make all the difference. In this episode, Drew Neisser is joined by six-time CMO Grant Johnson to explore how to create marketing dashboards that go beyond vanity metrics to tell a full story of marketing’s impact.

In this episode:

Grant walks through his “Marketing Performance Index,” a dashboard designed to measure marketing’s broader influence on pipeline health, brand strength, and market presence.
Learn why too many marketers fall into the trap of tracking vanity metrics that don’t resonate with the C-suite—and how to avoid it.
Discover the importance of aligning metrics with CEO and board priorities while maintaining a broader lens to capture momentum.
Explore how setting baselines and tracking trends over time are critical for showing marketing’s true value.

This is a sneak peek into a dashboard that doesn’t just measure what’s easy, it captures what actually matters—and elevates marketing’s voice in the C-suite. Tune in!

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegademarketing.com/podcast/

CMO Huddlers Discuss Bold B2B Brand Journeys

Fri, 20 Dec 2024 17:54:53 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 428: Bold B2B Brand Journeys

How do B2B leaders successfully navigate brand transformations? In this episode, Drew Neisser explores the art and science of rebranding with three exceptional marketers—Joy Neely, Heather Salerno, and Will Meier. From reclaiming past equity to aligning brands with new business goals, this conversation reveals the key strategies behind effective brand evolution.

In this episode:

Joy Neely shares the bold move to bring Medvantx back to its roots, the challenges of reintroducing an old name, and how she balanced sales and marketing priorities to support a successful rebrand.
Heather Salerno explains how Appcast’s rebrand evolved from a refresh to a strategic overhaul, aligning the company’s identity with its rapid growth and new offerings.
Will Meier discusses building a family of brands at FM, the decision-making process behind a house-of-brands approach, and the challenges of maintaining premium positioning across diverse markets.

You’ll also learn:

How to involve employees in the rebranding process and ensure alignment across teams.
Metrics and KPIs to track brand health and measure rebrand success.
Tips for overcoming resistance and fostering organizational buy-in.

Whether you’re embarking on a rebrand, refreshing your identity, or simply curious about what makes brand transformations succeed, this episode is packed with actionable insights for B2B marketers. 

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegademarketing.com/podcast/

Trim the Trade Show Fat: How CMOs Are Investing in Pipeline Impact

Tue, 17 Dec 2024 20:15:23 GMT

“We lowered our cost by 70% and doubled the impact on pipeline ” shared a gleeful SaaS CMO who stopped exhibiting at their industry’s largest trade show. Instead, they hosted their own events near the show. It was a brave and inspiring move for those in 2025 planning mode.

The Trade Show Trade-Off

Many B2B marketers are again spending 40-50% of their entire budgets on events. That’s almost the same percentage as it was before the pandemic. The problem is that full-loaded exhibiting costs have gone up significantly since 1999 – at least 25% when you include travel, entertainment, booth rental, creation, premiums, and staffing costs. So unless marketers are >25% more efficient at securing meetings during these shows, their event budget is already underperforming.

In the case of the quoted marketer, they were spending roughly $500,000 in 3 days on one show. Even with the exhibiting cancellation fee, their new approach reduced their costs to under $150k. And because their customers and prospects were coming into town for the show, they were still able to secure all the meetings they would have had as exhibitors. They were also able to take advantage of nearby customer offices, which created a comfortable “unsalesy” environment.

Are There Risks in Leaving the Show Floor?

You betcha. First, your brand’s mind-share in the industry will decline while exhibitors will see theirs stay steady (if they’re boring) and rise (if they do something distinctive). This probably won’t cost you late-stage deals but could hurt your top-of-funnel lead flow down the road. You might miss out on PR/influencer opportunities and the random conversation with a prospect or former customer that yields renewed interest.

In this case, the marketer planned to reinvest the savings in other marketing initiatives that would build mind-share and didn’t anticipate much downside.

The other downside is the important bonding that happens among employees, partners, and customers at trade shows. That too can be mitigated in other, perhaps less expensive ways, assuming you care.

Is This Really About Not Exhibiting at Big Trade Shows?

Nope. The big idea here is to look at your biggest budget items, especially the sacred cows, and question their efficacy. Maybe you’ve been running ABM programs for 2-3 years with only modest success. Perhaps your content investment (including tech) has grown faster than its usefulness. It may not be about dumping ABM or your content program BUT it could be about doing these things in a radically different manner.

This thinking will help you get ahead of the dreaded “do more with less” request. Instead, you’ll be able to present how you’ll “do more with the same,” and could “do even more with more.”

And wouldn’t that be flocking awesome

Written by Drew Neisser

Career Huddle: Let's Discuss No Bullsh*t Strategy

Fri, 13 Dec 2024 14:30:18 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 427: No Bullsh*t Strategy: The Art of Being the Only One

What does it mean to have a strategy? In this episode, Drew Neisser hosts Alex M. H. Smith, author of No Bullsht Strategy*, for a candid discussion on stripping away the jargon and getting to the heart of what makes a business thrive. Together, they dive into what it means to build a strategy that defines not just what your business does—but what makes it the only one of its kind.

In this episode, Alex M. H. Smith explains:

Why “only” is better than “best” when crafting a competitive strategy.
The pitfalls of focusing solely on communication while neglecting the operational and strategic foundations of the business.
The difference between strategy and positioning
How to align your strategy with true customer value, ensuring it resonates in the market while setting you apart from the competition.
How to identify the mistakes in your previous thinking to craft a strategy that truly moves the needle.

Whether you’re building a strategy from scratch or rethinking your current approach, this episode offers invaluable insights into creating a clear, actionable plan that delivers unique value to the market. 

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegademarketing.com/podcast/

Demand Generation’s Death Spiral: Why B2B CMOs Need a Course Correction

Thu, 12 Dec 2024 21:10:42 GMT

New research from CMO Huddles, the flocking awesome community of B2B marketing leaders, reveals a stark reality facing today’s marketing leaders: the relentless focus on demand generation (demand gen) has led to a “death spiral” that threatens long-term growth and stability. Despite diminishing returns, most B2B marketers remain stuck in a cycle of over-investment in demand gen at the expense of critical brand-building efforts.

Troubling Trends in Demand Gen Overload

In a recent survey of over 130 B2B marketing leaders shared insights into their budget priorities for 2025. The findings paint a concerning picture:

51% plan to increase their demand gen budgets, despite tepid results from similar investments in 2024.
Only 22% aim to prioritize brand and reputation-building efforts—essential for fostering trust and differentiation in crowded markets.
Demand gen hiring outpaces strategic investments, with 30% of marketers focusing on filling these roles while underinvesting in innovative skills like generative AI (10%) and data analytics (22%).

This unbalanced focus perpetuates short-term thinking, leaving critical opportunities for brand differentiation and customer trust on the table.

As Drew Neisser, Penguin-in-Chief of CMO Huddles, bluntly observed:

“Marketers are doubling down on demand gen — even when it clearly isn’t working. Meanwhile, they neglect the foundational work of building awareness, trust, and a differentiated brand. They are going down a rabbit hole that is only getting deeper.”

The Case Against Demand Gen as a Lone Strategy

While demand gen can help capture the 5% of prospects actively in-market, it neglects the 95% who are not ready to buy. The over-reliance on this tactic is compounded by inefficient spending on MarTech, which consumes up to 20% of marketing budgets but often remains underutilized.

The data shows the cracks in the foundation:

Sales conversion rates are dismal, with success reported in just 20% of leads.
Buyers frequently cite a lack of urgency and trust as reasons for disengagement.

Educating the C-Suite: A Critical Challenge

One of the biggest barriers to change is the mindset of CEOs, CFOs, and private equity (PE) firms. Too often, these stakeholders view marketing as a "gumball machine" that should generate immediate ROI, undermining efforts to build sustainable, long-term growth.

As Neisser warns,

“Increasing demand gen budgets guarantees even shorter tenure for already under-the-gun CMOs.”

Marketers must help their executive teams understand the long-term value of brand-building—an investment that pays dividends in trust, loyalty, and differentiation.

A Call to Action for B2B Marketers

B2B marketing is at a crossroads. The current demand gen-heavy approach is unsustainable and counterproductive. By refocusing on brand clarity, customer trust, and long-term strategies, marketers can reclaim their path to sustainable success.

Ready to rethink your approach? Sign up for our free Starter program and prepare for flocking awesomeness.

ROI Per Marketing Hire? Why CFOs Are Asking for the Impossible

Wed, 11 Dec 2024 22:49:42 GMT

“Our CFO is asking for the ROI for each new marketing hire,” shared an inquisitive 3X CMO from a SaaS startup. “This is a new one for me, and I’d welcome your formulas,” the CMO added. After my knee-jerk outrage, I had questions.

Can the ROI of Every Employee Be Calculated?

In theory, yes. You can create a formula that guestimates the impact that employee’s role will have on pipeline generation, close rates, retention rates, employee recruitment yield, and efficiencies gained by having a lower-cost employee do the work (versus the CMO). The formula looks like this: (Revenue impact + efficiency savings - employee cost) / by (employee cost) x 100.

Is It Really That Simple?

Of course not. Let’s say that the new employee is a content creator. And that content plays a number of roles in the acquisition process. For example, the content could result in an increase in organic website traffic, some of which become sales-qualified opportunities. If you have sophisticated attribution tracking, perhaps you can credit some portion of the projected value of that SQL to that content. Perhaps.

But this is only part of the value of this employee. What if they come up with the insight that drives an entire campaign that yields 5x ROI? How much do you apportion to that employee versus the entire team? How do you put value on a great collaborator who inspires others to do their best work? What if they understand the customer and market so well they contribute to a product innovation?

Where does “opportunity cost” fit into this calculation? In other words, what if you don’t make this hire and the competition kicks your butt with their content? And what about lifetime value? Won't a good employee create more value over time? Yeah, it’s feeling more absurd by the second.

So, Is This an Absurd Request by the CFO?

My first reaction was, “This is insanity.” How can CMOs possibly calculate the ROI for every employee in their department when they can barely calculate the ROI of their entire marketing budget? The CMOs in this Huddle were less chagrined than I and offered helpful suggestions on how to reply to this CFO. Their advice came down to speaking the language of the CFO. I’ll explain.

Learn to Speak “Spreadsheet”

CFOs live in spreadsheets. As Peter Finter, CMO of KX, shared on a recent episode of CMO Huddles Studio, “You need to know CFOs love language–spreadsheets.” “Show them how marketing will impact revenue on a predictable basis, and you're speaking their language,” he added. Admittedly, this doesn’t address the ROI per employee question, but it does provide an important place to start.

Every CMO needs to have a spreadsheet that projects marketing’s contribution to the business.

Final Thought

Whether or not you can precisely calculate the ROI for each employee, it is not a useless exercise. It will force you to consider where and how your department is making the greatest impact and allocate your investments accordingly.

Written by Drew Neisser

CMO Huddlers Discuss B2B Marketing Strategies for 2025

Fri, 06 Dec 2024 18:19:01 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 426: B2B Marketing Strategy: 2025 Edition

What’s on the horizon for B2B marketing in 2025? In this episode, guest host Jamie Gier steps in for Drew Neisser to explore where top CMOs are placing their bets for the future. Joined by Charles Groome of Biz2Credit, Tom Bianchi of Acquia, and Josh Leatherman of Service Express, this conversation dives deep into the strategies, tools, and tactics poised to drive success in the coming year.

In this episode:

Charles Groome shares his top three bets for 2025, including brand-led events, cross-channel marketing, and influencer strategies tailored to niche audiences.
Tom Bianchi reveals how Acquia is aligning new product launches with focused segmentation and ABM tactics to optimize marketing ROI.
Josh Leatherman explores how marketers can leverage AI to enhance analytics, drive predictability, and sharpen account-based sales and marketing strategies.

The group also explores the results from a 5-part poll series:

40% of marketers expect budget increases in 2025.
Events are regaining their place as a top investment area, beating out online marketing.
Demand generation continues to dominate, with 51% prioritizing it over brand building.
Clarity and collaboration emerged as the most critical skills for marketing teams in 2025.
Owned content and SEO are expected to deliver the highest ROI next year.

Tune in to hear how these marketing leaders are preparing for the challenges and opportunities of the year ahead—and take away actionable insights for your own 2025 planning.

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegademarketing.com/podcast/

Marketing Shouldn’t Answer to Sales: Why a CMO Needs a Seat at the Table

Tue, 03 Dec 2024 20:35:10 GMT

“Marketing is way too important to report to the CRO” espoused an experienced startup CEO. While B2B CMOs universally agree with this sentiment, I had lots of questions, especially since more senior marketers are being asked to report to someone other than the CEO. It’s an issue worth diving into.

Is Marketing Too Important to Report to the CRO?

It should be. The CEO, who made this statement, is Sion Lewis of UK-based Ciphr. Here is his rationale, “I think it is common in the UK for the CMO to work for the CRO which is what I inherited. The problem with that is CROs don't understand marketing, therefore it absolutely becomes a demand gen story. Where are my MQLs and SQL? What's the conversion rate? By the way, all of that is super important, and we talk about it every freaking day, but it's just table stakes, not the interesting stuff. Quite frankly, I treat it as tech. So that is why I took it out of the revenue leader and created a CMO function.”

Is It Really a CMO Role if It Reports to the CRO?

No, it’s not. At best it’s a VP of Marketing role. Most likely, it becomes a VP of DemandGen role that operates as a sales support function. More importantly, the CMO is unlikely to get regular face time with the CEO or have a peer-to-peer relationship with product, human resources, and customer success. Marketing doesn’t have a seat at the executive table. And all of this means that marketing isn’t influencing the overall go-to-market strategy.

Does It Matter if the CRO Came Up Through Marketing?

It could. With caveats. If the CRO was an effective marketing leader in an earlier life, then perhaps they can appreciate marketing’s broader impact on sales (a reputation that opens doors and closes deals faster, motivates employees, builds advocacy, etc.). The rubber meets the road when that CRO is allocating resources. Do they hire another salesperson when incremental funds become available or at least consider what would happen if those funds went into marketing?

Should CMOs Accept a CMO Role That Reports to the CRO?

It depends. Have you been out of work for 6 months or more? If yes, give it strong consideration, especially if you like the culture, the CEO, and the category. It’s quite possible you could wait it out until either the CRO gets fired, moved or realizes you should report to someone else. This does happen. Especially if your CRO allows you direct access to the CEO and other C-Suite members along the way. And while you’re biding your time, think and act like an Impact Player (FYI, author Liz Wiseman will be speaking at the Super Huddle).

Should a CMO Who Is Between Opportunities Interview for a CMO Role That Reports to the CRO?

Absolutely. With all the energy you can muster. Why? First, it’s always good to hone your interviewing skills, and doing it well will boost your confidence. You may learn that you really like the opportunity and they may really like you. If it is a good cultural match, you might be able to negotiate a change in the reporting structure OR set a time limit of say, six months. Even if you don’t take the job or get an offer, you’ll make some friends who will want to work with you at their next stop. Assuming you keep up with your network.

Have another take on this?

Written by Drew Neisser

Bonus Huddle: Let's Discuss Marketing Attribution

Mon, 02 Dec 2024 18:40:53 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 425: Unlocking Marketing Attribution

Attribution is one of the toughest challenges for modern marketers—how do you measure what truly drives revenue in a complex, multi-touch journey? In this episode, Drew Neisser sits down with Taran Nandha, Founder and CEO of Growth Natives and DiGGrowth, to unpack the intricacies of marketing attribution and analytics.

In this episode:

Taran identifies the top mistakes marketers make with attribution, from relying on vanity metrics to overlooking offline touchpoints.
He explains the importance of aligning people, processes, and tools to build an effective attribution system that delivers insights aligned with business objectives.
Learn how to move beyond first-touch and last-touch models by embracing multi-touch attribution and account-based analytics for a more complete picture of customer journeys.

You’ll also discover:

How to connect and normalize data across platforms like CRMs, marketing automation tools, and ad channels.
Practical tips on using cohorts and journey mapping to track ROI for events and campaigns over time.
The role of AI in making sense of data and optimizing your marketing strategy.

Whether you’re new to attribution or looking to refine your approach, this episode is packed with actionable advice to help you prove the value of your marketing efforts and drive better business outcomes.  

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegademarketing.com/podcast/

The Peanut Butter Problem: Why CMOs Must Spread Less and Strategize More

Tue, 26 Nov 2024 18:10:42 GMT

"Here comes the marketing person, they always want to do too much, too fast,” echoed a CMO from a multi-billion dollar software company. Offered as a warning for other CMOs when seeking to collaborate with their peers, my mind was spinning on the real issues here.

Of Course, CMOs Want to Get a Lot Done Quickly

The clock is ticking even before they start. That’s why many B2B CMOs have to present a 30/60/90-day plan just to secure a job. Inherent in this frequent (and annoying) request is an expectation of having an immediate impact. If CMOs were being asked for a 3-year plan, then their push for quick impact could and would happily shift. But I don’t see that happening, do you?

CEOs Expect CMOs to Be Instant Miracle Workers

I’ve written about this before but it’s worth revisiting in this context. The biggest mismatch in expectations between the CMO and the CEO is the time frame for meaningful impact. CEOs, particularly at PE/VC-backed companies, think in terms of quarterly not annual impact. This is so misguided as to almost be laughable. Reputations are built impression by impression, experience by experience, quarter after quarter. Sure, one brand, Chat GPT, reached 100 million users in 2 months. It was revolutionary. And free. Name another.

But What About the Fail-Fast Mentality Prescribed by Zuckerberg and Bezos?

Let’s separate tactics from strategy. Getting your overall business strategy right takes time. It’s not a marketing problem. It’s a company problem. Sure the CMO can help drive strategy, bringing together product, sales, customer service, finance, research, and HR to unite around a single vision. Great business strategies are enduring and require solid foundations. Weak strategies are disposable. If you want to fail fast and forever, go with the latter.

Speaking of Bezos, I’m currently listening to “Collision of Power: Trump, Bezos, and the Washington Post” by former Post editor Martin Baron. I’ve particularly enjoyed the parts on Bezos and how he approached transforming an old media stalwart into a digital-first publication. Before he started brainstorming on “fast fail” tactics, he worked with the executive team to define the vision. Notably, Bezos insisted on putting the customer (i.e. the reader, not the advertiser) at the center of the transformation. For several years after, the publication enjoyed extraordinary growth against a singular purpose - engage readers.

Great Strategies Drive Better Experiments

Ultimately, the goal is not to fail fast. The goal is to succeed fast. Doing that is much easier if you're working from a strong strategic foundation. There are always things to test. And no shortage of ideas. What CMOs need are filters to help sort the possible from the probable, the deluting from the additive. For example, if you’re putting the customer at the center of your brand, then simply asking, “Is this initiative good for our customer?” will filter out a lot of testable ideas.

Are You Trying to Do Too Much?

They surest way to fail in any job is to try to do too much at any even given time. For CMOs, the “peanut butter” effect is always a risk. Too many targets, too many campaigns, too many tech initiatives, too many product launches, and or too many events can assure minimal impact and maximum burnout. Too many priorities mean no priorities.

Written by Drew Neisser

CMO Huddlers Discuss Marketing as a Business Driver

Fri, 22 Nov 2024 17:27:23 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 424: Marketing as a Business Driver

What does it take to turn marketing into a true driver of business success? In this episode, Drew dives deep into this question with three expert CMOs—Shirley Macbeth of Forrester, Dan Lowden of Blackbird.ai, and Ali McCarthy of Amplify Your Voice Studio—who reveal how they keep marketing aligned with business objectives while pushing the boundaries of creativity and strategy.

In this episode:

Shirley Macbeth explains how Forrester’s “Plan on a Page” framework keeps marketing focused on top business objectives and the importance of prioritization in achieving meaningful results.
Dan Lowden shares his proven “Marketing Playbook” that drives brand and revenue impact, detailing the role of compelling content in engaging target audiences and supporting sales.
Ali McCarthy discusses the importance of a clear growth plan to align marketing with financial goals and maintain focus across the entire team.

You’ll also learn:

How to prioritize effectively in a resource-constrained environment
Ways to foster creativity within the structure of a strategic plan
The role of AI in scaling personalized content and enhancing team productivity

Tune in to discover actionable insights on aligning marketing with business goals and making a measurable impact on revenue.

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegademarketing.com/podcast/

How CMOs Can Lead Like Deputy CEOs

Tue, 19 Nov 2024 19:18:41 GMT

“Your role, if you do it well, should be the deputy CEO,” suggested Sion Lewis, CEO of Ciphr, a UK-based software start-up. The CMOs at our London Lunch Huddle jotted this down with trepidation. Their self-examination was instantaneous. I had questions. Many questions.

Does this only apply to CMOs at start-ups?

Sion's directive is particularly relevant to start-up CMOs. If you aren’t helping to drive strategy, you’re relegated to marketing tactician. As a former CMO (currently CEO of Boardwave) Phill Robinson put it, "One of the biggest mistakes I’ve seen CMOs make is not getting involved early in the strategic planning process. If you don’t have a seat at the table from the beginning, you’ll end up executing someone else’s vision."

Should all B2B CMOs aspire to be the unofficial deputy CEO?

Yes. I’m not suggesting this will be easy for CMOs, particularly at big companies with a C-Suite stocked with a CEO, COO, Chief-of-Staff, CHRO, CTO, and Chief Product Officer. But it’s definitely worth a shot. Explained Amanda Jobbins, currently the CMO of Vodafone Business, "To make an impact, the CMO must be in sync with the CEO's vision. It’s not just about reporting to them; it’s about co-creating the company's direction."

Can a CMO be successful but not be the unofficial deputy CEO?

Maybe. Let’s take a scenario in which the CEO has a chief strategist who is solely focused on the long-term direction of the company. In that case, the CMO must befriend the strategist and create a strong working relationship. This can be done by knowing more about the customer than anyone else in the organization. That requires regular conversations with customers, ongoing market research, setting up and owning Customer Advisory Boards, building customer communities, and hopefully, being an executive sponsor of a few high-profile customers.

What CEO behavior suggests you’re on the path to being the unofficial deputy CEO?

It’s often a progression. First, the CEO asks you to write their speeches. Then, you're the CEO's first call before Board Meetings. Then you're presenting GTM plans to the board. Then the CEO asks you to run a non-marketing initiative. As Amanda Jobbins shared, "If you're only responsible for marketing, it’s easy to be sidelined. You need to take on cross-functional roles—like partnerships or business development—so you’re seen as a business leader, not just a marketer."

Is this the future of the CMO role?

If yes, it’s a bright one. You, the CMO, have a secure seat at the table. You “own” strategy. Your purview is broader than marketing. Your CEO depends on you for ongoing guidance and to help drive the business forward. Fellow C-suite members see you as a peer.

Getting there won’t be easy.

Written by Drew Neisser

Bonus Huddle: Let's Discuss PR-able B2B Research

Fri, 15 Nov 2024 15:16:54 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 423: Unlocking PR-able B2B Research

What does it take to create B2B research that journalists can’t resist?

In this episode, Drew Neisser sits down with research experts Becky Lawlor of Redpoint Content and Curtis Sparrer of Bospar PR to reveal the secrets of crafting and pitching impactful studies that capture media attention.

In this episode:

Becky Lawlor shares the top three mistakes to avoid in research design, emphasizing the importance of aligning with media trends, targeting the right audience, and writing effective survey questions.
Curtis Sparrer highlights how to create “killer stats” that drive media coverage, and explains why a successful study must tell a story that resonates beyond niche audiences.

You’ll also learn:

Why it’s essential to conduct quality checks on survey audiences and design
How to adapt your findings for multiple uses, from PR to lead generation
Practical tips on “news-jacking” and tapping into timely topics for maximum impact

Tune in to discover how to make your research stand out, earn top-tier coverage, and turn valuable insights into brand-boosting press.

What You’ll Learn

What B2B marketers get wrong about crafting research
What B2B marketers get wrong about pitching research studies
How to get your study picked up by journalists

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegademarketing.com/podcast/

Penguin Principles for CMOs: 5 Leadership Lessons in Curiosity, Resilience, and Teamwork

Tue, 12 Nov 2024 22:02:59 GMT

“What’s with the penguins?” asked an F1000 marketing leader new to CMO Huddles. Explaining that a group of penguins is called a huddle, I received a nod of appreciation and a “That’s it?” Door open. I spouted that CMOs and penguins have much in common and that we donate 1% of revenue to the Global Penguin Society.

“That’s cool but what you’re really doing is leading by example,” the CMO noted.

“What do you mean?” I asked.

“Most B2B marketing is bland as sand–yours isn’t,” they exclaimed.

Compliment accepted. We moved on to their differentiation challenges.

I was reminded of this conversation in a recent visit to Boulder Beach, home to a healthy huddle of South African penguins. Formerly known as “jackass penguins” because they make a braying sound, these delightful birds reinforced various points of comparison to CMOs.

Both are Bellwethers

Living on land and sea, penguins feel the harsh impact of environmental changes earlier than most species. As we saw in 2023, CMO role elimination was a harbinger of the slowing B2B economy. Thanks to recent protection efforts, the Boulder Beach colony is growing for the first time in decades. Perhaps the Feds recent rate cuts will do the same for B2B CMOs!

Both are Curious

Once the tourists leave, the penguins of Boulder Beach like to explore the nearby village, waddling into open doors of homes and shops. To survive and thrive, CMOs must never lose their curiosity. A rapidly changing business environment requires constant questioning and assumption dumping.

Both are Nurturers

Mama penguins are never far from their chicks on the beach. Similarly, great CMOs are only as good as the teams they nurture. While CMOs needn’t fish for their younger underlings like penguins, they do need to provide a safe environment for experimentation and the occasional misstep.

Both are Ingenious Problem-Solvers

South African penguins, like the other 17 other types, are famous for finding unusual places to nest. They constantly face and work around new challenges. Great CMOs are much the same. When the going gets tough, these CMOs innovate. They transform, finding unique places for their brands to flourish.

Both Like to Gather

I witnessed several instances of penguins having fun together. Four were diving around each other and emerged on the beach in unison. Couples waddled together and embraced.

Written by Drew Neisser

CMO Huddlers Discuss The Power of Focus

Fri, 08 Nov 2024 16:26:28 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 422: The Focus Factor: Driving B2B Success

For CMOs, strategy is as much about what not to do as it is about what to focus on.

In this episode, we explore the transformative power of focus with three marketing leaders who have mastered the art of saying “no” to the nonessential.

Highlights include:

JD Dillon shares how Tigo Energy’s “Green Glove Service” transformed customer service into a brand differentiator and rallied the entire organization around a simple, powerful concept.
Laura Beaulieu discusses her approach at Holistiplan to amplify customer voices through webinars and referrals, focusing on building an influencer pipeline that converts loyal customers into brand advocates.
Kevin Briody explains how Edmentum consolidated multiple websites to simplify the customer experience, reduce internal complexity, and drive more impactful marketing through a streamlined digital presence. (He’s now CMO of Meteor Education).

We also cover the challenges of prioritizing in a fast-paced environment, strategies for creating impactful marketing initiatives, and the delicate balance between agility and focus. Tune in to learn how to drive greater impact by doing fewer things exceptionally well—and find out how to keep both your team and your brand centered on what matters most.

What You’ll Learn

How 3 CMOs are driving business-bending strategic initiatives
How to maintain long-term focus and stay agile
The importance of customer feedback

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegademarketing.com/podcast/

The Real ROI of In-Person Events in 2025 (Hint: It’s Not Just About Leads)

Tue, 05 Nov 2024 22:00:00 GMT

“We are spending more on events in 2025,” shared an excited CMO from a $160m cybersecurity company. Then other CMOs in the huddle offered variations on this theme.

Events are back. Big time.

I want to remind you that before the pandemic, 50% of B2B marketing budgets were allocated to events. Why so much, when a digital-only approach is seemingly more efficient and trackable? Sure you can track it. But digital-only is rarely as efficient or effective as advertised.

Events done right are multi-purpose magic.

Events help you close late-stage deals that otherwise would linger. Events reunite you with customers who might otherwise have churned. Events bring your employees together, to learn, to grow, to bond in a way that could never happen on Zoom. Events provide a showcase to celebrate existing partners and grab new ones. Events are launching pads for new products. Events can capture a year’s worth of content and first-party research.

Events bring humans together. And that’s magic these days.

Events are damn expensive. So, you better have experts working with you to get the most out of every event. Salespeople should earn the right to attend based on how many meetings they set up. Product experts need to be on hand to answer customer questions. And all staff in the booth should put their phones down and their smiles on. That person starring at your booth is probably a prospect.

Events are a physical manifestation of your brand.

If your booth experience is boring, so is your brand. Fix that. Events are parties disguised as business. Create a memorable experience from your premiums to your presentations. Teach your team to be gracious hosts, not rabid attack dogs.

Written by Drew Neisser

CMO Huddlers Discuss Customer Advocacy

Fri, 01 Nov 2024 17:22:49 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 421: Customer Advocacy Fuels Customer-Driven Growth

Most businesses profess to love their customers. However, only a few have figured out how to transform brand love into advocacy on a consistent and scalable basis. Enter this episode’s guests:

In this insightful conversation, these three powerhouse CMOs share their unique approaches to turning satisfied customers into vocal advocates. They dive into the essential elements of building a successful customer advocacy program, from structuring advocacy within the organization to funding and measuring its success.

Listen in as they explore the balance between short-term goals and long-term impact, and reveal real-world strategies to elevate customer voices. Whether you’re starting from scratch or looking to scale your advocacy efforts, this episode offers invaluable insights for B2B marketers committed to fostering genuine customer loyalty and influence.

What You’ll Learn

Where customer advocacy should sit in the org
Marketing’s role in customer advocacy
How to show the business value of customer advocacy

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegademarketing.com/podcast/

Are You One of the 'Luckiest' CMOs with a CEO Who Gets Marketing?

Tue, 29 Oct 2024 20:30:39 GMT

There should be a list of the luckiest CMOs in the world. It might be a short list. But it would celebrate the ones who work for CEOs who declare, “We’ve got to be different,” and then give the CMO the room to make it so. My remarkable conversation with one such CEO follows.

Drew: Have you spent time in marketing?

CEO: No. I came up through sales starting as a tech consultant, and eventually found myself in senior management. But having worked alongside some highly effective CMOs I came to appreciate their unique value.

Drew: What is that unique value?

CEO: I see the CMO as the Chief Strategy Officer too. They can figure out how to set us apart. To help us stand out. We’ve got to be different. Or we can't gain share in a crowded market.

Drew: Where does your CMO sit in the org?

CEO: When I arrived as CEO, the CMO reported to the CRO and I thought that was a mistake. When I brought in a new CMO, I insisted they report to me. It’s too important a role not to give them a seat at the table. And I don’t want them constrained by a CRO who doesn’t understand the power and role of marketing.

Drew: What are your expectations of your CMO?

CEO: When our new CMO started, I said MQLs, SQLs, and website traffic were table stakes. What we need from you is a strategy that will set us apart from our giant competitors. We need a distinct tone of voice, color, and story. And our product needs to be different.

Drew: It’s not a strategy if it doesn’t impact the product.

CEO: Exactly.

Drew: How much time did you give your CMO to develop the new strategy?

CEO: It took about 3 months. They needed to do their homework. Speak with customers and our tech team. Get to know the product as it was and where it needed to be to reinforce a new story. They also needed to understand the category and how our competitors were positioned.

Drew: How involved were you in the process?

CEO: I don’t like surprises so I asked the CMO to keep me informed. We had weekly 1:1s. But I didn’t want to constrain their thinking and creativity. So while I appreciated understanding the process I didn’t ask for details.

Drew: How did the strategy development process wrap up?

CEO: Really well. The CMO kept me informed, asked for input at critical junctures, and earned my trust. When they presented the new strategy, I was quite taken with it. I could see how it required us to adjust our story, content, and product.

Drew: How was the new story different from your old one?

CEO: It’s not about us. It’s about empowering our target. We don’t even talk about our software anymore.

Drew: Is it working?

CEO: Yes. We’re getting into companies we didn’t before and we’re growing faster than the category. It's also easier to recruit and retain employees. They can see how we're different and it makes them proud.

Drew: Your CMO is lucky to work for you.

CEO: You mean it's not this way everywhere?

Should you be on the "luckiest CMO" list? If yes, tell me about your CEO.

Written by Drew Neisser

6 Essential Ingredients for Baking a Successful B2B Marketing Strategy

Tue, 22 Oct 2024 18:50:38 GMT

“Pretend you’re a baker and have to explain everything, like how bread rises to a high schooler” shared a CMO from a $325mil software company. When I stopped laughing, I realized the serious genius in this spicy recommendation.

Rather than stew over the lack of understanding in the C-suite of how marketing works and what marketers do, I’ve jumped directly to the acceptance stage. There’s simply no time for denial, anger, bargaining, or depression. We knead an educational recipe for the C-suite, so why not bake this analogy to its fullest?

First, here’s a basic recap on how bread rises. Yeast, a tiny living organism, eats the sugar, producing gas, causing the dough to puff up like a balloon! An adolescent might relabel the fermentation process unforgettably as “yeast farts.” Stay with me.

Why B2B marketing is like making bread and yeast farts:

Ingredients Selection (Strategy Development): Just as you choose specific ingredients for the type of bread you want to make, in B2B marketing, you start by understanding your market, defining your target, and developing a strategy. "Flour" is your product, "water" your market research, and "yeast" your creative ideas. Get this combo wrong, and your strategy falls flat.
Mixing the Dough (Creating Campaigns): Once you have your ingredients, you mix them to form dough. In marketing, this is like creating campaigns—bringing together messaging, content, and channels. Your specific mix determines the overall consistency and effectiveness of your marketing efforts.
Fermentation (Building Brand Awareness + Engagement): In bread-making, yeast farts. In B2B marketing, this step is akin to brand awareness and engagement. As your campaign gains traction, customers become aware and engage with your brand. Warning: this stage smells suspicious in the boardroom!
Proofing (Nurturing Leads): After fermentation, bread dough is left to proof, allowing it to rise further. In marketing, this is like lead nurturing. You can’t rush bread breaking or efforts to close the sale. Instead, you let it develop, ensuring that prospects are fully engaged and ready. This stage is critical for converting interested prospects into loyal customers.
Baking (Closing the Sale): Finally, the dough goes into the oven and transforms into bread. In marketing, this is the sales process where leads convert into paying customers. The heat (or pressure) applied at this stage needs to be just right—too much, and the bread burns (you lose the sale); too little, and it stays undercooked (the sale doesn’t close).
Cooling and Serving (Customer Retention and Advocacy): After the bread is baked, it needs to cool. In marketing, this is where you focus on customer retention and turning satisfied customers into advocates. Ideally, this is when you make your customers hunger for more (renew, upsell, cross-sell) and generate referrals.

All analogies are imperfect. But this one is tasty. What’s your favorite marketing analogy?

Written by Drew Neisser

Bonus Huddle: Let's Discuss Creative Applications of GenAI

Fri, 18 Oct 2024 16:33:05 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 419: Reimagine GenAI: Creative Applications Beyond Efficiency

What if AI could do more than save time—what if it could engage employees, excite customers, and inspire creativity? In this episode of Renegade Marketers Unite, Drew Neisser chats with the inventive Jenny Nicholson to uncover how B2B marketers can transform their approach using generative AI.

From reimagining decision-making to turning everyday tasks into playful, monster-slaying missions, Jenny shares innovative ways AI can spark creativity and boost engagement. Tune in to for real-world examples and insights on AI’s true promise—to build more human experiences and transform the way we work.

Key Takeaways:

Unlock AI’s potential for creativity, not just efficiency
Explore fresh ideas for team engagement and customer interaction
Why every marketer should experiment with AI to push boundaries

Perfect for B2B marketers looking to take their AI strategies to the next level!

What You’ll Learn

Why GenAI use should focus on creativity (not efficiency)
How to use AI to make mundane tasks more fun
How GenAI can improve customer and employee experiences

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegademarketing.com/podcast/

Balancing CEO Vision and Reality as a CMO

Tue, 15 Oct 2024 20:40:25 GMT

“Founders can be blinded by ambition” shared a CMO from a Series C start-up, “so occasionally you need to ground them with a ‘meanwhile on Reality Ranch’ response.” Marveling at this CMO’s chutzpah, my mind exploded with questions.

Reality Ranch: Grounding Ambitious Founders

The first question is, “Do ambitious founders need to visit Reality Ranch, and if so under what circumstances? Steve Jobs famously used a “reality distortion field” to bend the company, shareholders, and Apple products to his vision. That worked out well for shareholders though it didn’t make Jobs a model boss.

Legendary founder Ted Turner (CNN, Cartoon Network, TBS, TNT, etc.) knew he was on the right track the more “experts” told him he was delusional and a victim of “magical thinking.”

Successful founders are visionary. They have to be. Unfortunately, they are also rare.

The Ambition-Vision Confusion

Your more typical founder easily confuses ambition with vision. They also confuse ambition with leadership. Such was the case for our Reality Ranch-resident CMO. Their CEO had led the company to $50 million in ARR by personally driving product development and being the lead salesperson. They identified a niche, filled an unmet need, raised tons of VC funding, and then hit a wall. No amount of wishful thinking could help them cross the proverbial chasm.

This founder hadn’t built an enduring company. They launched a product.

The Challenge of Unrealistic Requests

Now back to our daring CMO. Was trying to ground this ambitious CEO in reality an effective play? It depends. In this case, it felt right because the CEO had just requested that the CMO increase the inbound pipeline by 30% while cutting the budget by an equal percentage. As I covered in an earlier post, CMOs are not miracle workers. No amount of distorted reality could fill the delta between the upward goal and the downward budget.

I asked former FBI hostage negotiator and bestselling author Chris Voss (Never Split the Difference), how he would respond to such a request from a CEO. His first suggestion was to say, “Do you want me to fail?” This reframes the CEO’s request as a fruitless exercise and connects the CEO with the undesired outcome. Visionary or not, most CEOs do not want their employees to fail.

Reframing for Success

Reframing challenging requests is a skill, that all leaders, especially CMOs need to hone. Voss talks about this at length in his book. He successfully stalled various kidnapper demands for large sums of money in 24 hours by asking, “How am I supposed to do that?” While the CMOs listening to Voss and my conversation admired this response, they didn’t think it would be effective with their CEO.

They imagined that conversation going down like this:

CMO responds to a crazy request from the CEO, with, “How am I supposed to do that?”

The CEO says, “That’s your problem, figure it out, or I’ll find someone who can.”

When times are tough, it can get ugly. Fast.

Finding the right words to move your CEO from an untenable position, isn’t easy. What words have you used to bring a boss back from the brink?

Written by Drew Neisser

CMO Huddlers Discuss Moving Up Market

Fri, 11 Oct 2024 16:03:20 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 418: A CMO Guide to Moving Up Market

What does it take to move up market and start targeting the enterprise market? In this episode, host Drew Neisser is joined by Allyson Havener (SVP of Marketing at TrustRadius), Sheri Chin (CMO of Galileo Financial Technologies), and Jakki Geiger (most recently CMO of Hazelcast) to discuss how to navigate the strategic shift.

From aligning sales and marketing teams to crafting tailored messaging, these marketing leaders share real-world experiences on what works—and what doesn’t—when moving up market.

Key Discussion Points:

How to identify when it’s time to move up market
The internal shifts needed to target enterprise customers successfully
Leveraging account-based marketing and targeted content for larger deals
The importance of partnerships in breaking into the enterprise market
How to balance retaining SMB customers while scaling to serve enterprise clients

Tune in to hear real-world strategies for taking your business to the next level by moving up market.

What You’ll Learn

The signs it’s time to move up market
How to move into enterprise
How to maintain current customers while building new champions

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegademarketing.com/podcast/

Why CMOs Keep Getting Blamed for Sales Problems (and How to Fix It)

Tue, 08 Oct 2024 17:59:49 GMT

“We’re not trying to teach salespeople French, we’re trying to get them to use a French accent,” shared a CMO from a $350mil software company. Explaining the metaphor, this CMO said, “Helping Sales understand the customer better is a nuanced exercise!”

Grab your passport, Marketing’s complicated relationship with Sales is an ever-challenging adventure.

When Sales Stumbles, CMOs Are in the Crosshairs

Let’s start with a pragmatic CMO. They know with absolute certainty that when Sales miss their revenue target, Marketing will be blamed. Anticipating this, they build a “demand-generation machine” that delivers the requisite number of qualified opportunities (SQO) per sales rep. In the CMO Huddles community, that average is roughly 5 SQOs per rep with the expectation that these reps would close deals at least 20% of the time.

Unfortunately, Sales reps on average are closing about 17% of the time these days. Yeah, I found that number hard to believe, too.

Our pragmatic CMO will spot these lower close rates and attempt to increase their coverage to 6 SQOs per rep. That’s a lot of "opportunities" to get into and squeeze through the pipeline. Especially with the same skimpy budget. And there’s this truth - if the CMO knew how to deliver more opportunities they would have done so earlier.

Fixing the Crisis of Low Close Rates

Enter our linguistic CMO. They start with the obvious, “Our close rates suck” and set about to help their partners in Sales fix a common problem–youngish sales reps often struggle to relate to their customers and their challenges. Thus the teaching of the “French accent.” You may not be able to teach your sales reps to speak fluent “customer” but you can help them with the nuances. And who better to share customer insights than the marketer who makes knowing the customer a top priority?

If you can’t relate to your buyer, your close rates will suck. Period.

There’s a lot more to this story, some of which I can cover in this post. Close rates are abysmal for a combination of reasons. The main question here is what can a CMO do about it? Regular readers of my Saturday editorials won’t be surprised that I suggest starting at the strategic level.

Building a Differentiated Brand to Close More Deals

A differentiated brand makes the buying decision easier.

And a better-known brand is almost always easier to sell. Omar Akhtar, founder of Benchmarker, and former Altimeter analyst, has done extensive research on this point. He notes in their Benchmarker 2024 B2B SaaS Benchmarks Study, “Companies who spend less than 10% of their revenue on marketing have worse conversion rates across every stage of the marketing funnel.”

Final Thoughts

CMOs know they need to help salespeople in all the ways they can. Their jobs depend on it. Teaching salespeople the nuances of the customer is an unquestionably worthy pursuit. But that’s just the crust of the baguette, n’est pas?

Written by Drew Neisser

Bonus Huddle: Let's Discuss Rethinking Marketing

Fri, 04 Oct 2024 19:36:26 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 417: Marketing is Not a Gumball Machine

Does your marketing strategy rely on short-term fixes and MQL targets? This episode will show you why it’s time to return to a deeper, more sustainable approach. Drew Neisser sits down with Jon Miller to tackle the tough questions, like whether the traditional marketing playbook is broken—and how CMOs can fix it.

Jon shares actionable insights on:

Revisiting the Fundamentals: Why product-market fit, positioning, and reputation are more important than ever for marketing success
Doing Right by the Customer: How focusing on short-term results can undermine the customer experience and damage long-term growth
Embracing AI for the Long Haul: Why CMOs need to prepare for AI’s lasting impact (beyond content creation) to stay competitive

If you’re ready to move beyond outdated tactics and rethink your approach to marketing, this episode offers practical strategies for success. Tune in!

What You’ll Learn

How B2B marketing has become “broken”
The future of AI and email marketing
How to rethink your marketing playbook

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegademarketing.com/podcast/

CMOs Need More Than Numbers to Win CFO Support

Tue, 01 Oct 2024 20:59:34 GMT

“Our CFO just wants to see spreadsheets,” shared an advice-seeking CMO from a $135mil SaaS company. Other Huddlers expressed similar sentiments about their CFOs, noting “You’ve got to translate marketing into language finance can understand.” Yes. But. And.

Yes:

CMOs need to articulate how the totality of marketing connects to revenue.
CMOs need to show that data helps inform their decisions.
CMOs need to share simple dashboards that track agreed-upon KPIs.

But:

If CMOs only show spreadsheets to their CFO they will end up over-investing in short-term activities (as has happened in the last few years).
If CMOs just focus on the data they will mislead their CFOs to believe that every dollar invested can be directly connected to revenue (as Jon Miller says, “Marketing is not a gumball machine”).
If CMOs only talk numbers they risk being seen as tacticians, not strategic thinkers.

And:

Every conversation with your CFO is an opportunity to demonstrate business acumen (not just marketing acumen).
Every conversation with your CFO is an opportunity to partner, share hypotheses, and plan experiments.
Every conversation with your CFO is an opportunity to help lead your company, reinforcing the importance of building sustainable differentiation.

Leaders lead.

For CMOs, that means not going into your CFO’s office begging for handouts. In theory, you are peers in the C-suite. You are co-contributors to the company’s success. You both bring expertise and blind spots. While it might be unreasonable to expect a CFO to understand the nuances of marketing, you can educate them about how great brands are built. You can explain how a better reputation impacts everything from click-through rates on Google ads to close rates on enterprise deals to pricing power. This will take time. Maybe years!

Reputations aren’t built in a day.

Kay Moffitt, CMO of Amplify, an EdTech company, explained on a recent CMO Huddles Studio episode that their podcast is having a material impact on their business. But all the evidence is anecdotal. Like the CEO hearing “nice things” about it from customers. Like the salespeople saying, “XYZ prospect talked about our podcast!” Some CMOs call this “anecdata” since they are hard to quantify but highly believable examples of reputation growth. Importantly, the podcast has been running for more than 6 years and was a slow build.

Marketing is an investment not an expense.

Imagine your joy when your CFO believes this too. And like the great investor Peter Lynch (long-time manager of Magellan Fund), you don’t expect a 10X return on every pick, and certainly not in Year 1. In fact, for Lynch, the goal was one “10-bagger” out of 7 investments every 5-7 years. Lynch ran the fund for 13 years and averaged a 29.2% annual return, more than 2x the S&P 500.

Written by Drew Neisser

CMO Huddlers Discuss Building a Demand Gen Machine

Fri, 27 Sep 2024 15:25:42 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 416: Demand Gen Machine: Driving Growth with Precision

What does it take to build a demand gen machine that not only delivers leads but drives real, measurable business impact? In this episode, host Drew Neisser is joined by Michael Callahan (Salt Security), James B. Stanton (CuraLinc Healthcare), and Jeff Morgan (Elements) to discuss how they’ve built scalable, high-performing demand gen engines.

From refining incentive strategies to focusing on ideal customer profiles (ICP), these seasoned marketers share practical tips on boosting conversion rates and maximizing ROI in B2B marketing. Learn how to align sales and marketing teams, leverage AI and automation tools, and avoid common pitfalls that can derail even the best demand gen strategies.

Key Discussion Points:

How to fine-tune incentives to attract the right prospects
Why narrowing your ICP can boost conversions and drive more qualified leads
The power of partnerships in driving down customer acquisition costs
How AI tools are enhancing marketing efficiency and delivering better insights
Real-world examples of successful (and not-so-successful) demand gen campaigns

Tune in to learn the strategies that top B2B marketers use to build demand gen machines that deliver lasting results. 

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegademarketing.com/podcast/

Why Some CEOs Still Don’t ‘Get’ Marketing—And How to Change That

Tue, 24 Sep 2024 15:53:15 GMT

“Our new CEO doesn’t believe in marketing,” shared a shaken CMO from a $250mm professional services firm. This was not a whine. It was a request for help. Then other CMOs in the huddle jumped in, sharing how they’ve dealt with similar cases of ignorance.

How is it possible that in 2024 a CEO could be this doltish?

Three months ago when I suggested that this problem could only happen in B2B-land, a few B2C CMOs challenged me. They said, “You’d be surprised, it seems to be an epidemic.” Perhaps, but it is impossible to imagine the new CEO of P&G, PepsiCo, or Geico saying, “I don’t believe in marketing!” They’d be shown the exit faster than you can say, “Aflac.”

In B2B, the cause of CEO marketing myopia is easy to diagnose. That doesn’t make it acceptable.

More than 80% of B2B CEOs have NO EXPERIENCE as marketing practitioners. None. Zilch. Nada. If you’ve never uncovered the insight that led to the differentiating brand idea, never built an effective marketing plan, or never set up a demand-generating machine, you can neither appreciate the challenge nor the rewards of getting these things right.

Great leaders are infinitely curious. Even if they haven’t performed a role, their curiosity fills their blind spots.

Back to the situation at hand. What could our beleaguered CMO do to address their doltish CEO? Try these.

Enlist Support

Surround the CEO with marketing believers. Hopefully, your CRO recognizes how your partnership drives high-quality opportunities into and through the pipeline. If not, fix that. Jointly presenting past performance and near-term plans with your CRO shows solidarity. HR can share how the lack of awareness hurts recruiting. Seek a marketing advocate on the board or with your CFO.

Find Common Ground

Every CEO wants to acquire and retain customers. Start by reviewing the CEO's vision and understanding their priorities. If they say, “I want the business to grow xx%,” agree with the challenge but ask, “How do you see us getting there?” Find a non-confrontational way to say “Growth is not a strategy!” and talk about real GTM strategies.

Show Them the Money

Ideally, your new CEO will appreciate your data especially if you put it in terms they can understand. They want growth. You can break down path sources of growth including new customers, renewals, upsells, cross-sells, and partnerships. You can show them a typical new customer journey, the myriad of touchpoints, and how trust is built throughout the process.

Share Your Vision

Great businesses are almost always great brands. They build enormous trust over time. They remove the friction from both the buying process and the customer experience. They take care of their customers. They inspire employees. They are differentiated from top to bottom. The CEOs who build and run those companies are admired and even revered. Share that.

Final Thoughts

Finally, prepare for the worst by growing your network and building your personal brand.

Written by Drew Neisser

Career Huddle: Let's Discuss The New Rules of Marketing & PR

Fri, 20 Sep 2024 15:28:13 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 415: New Rules (for CMOs) of B2B Marketing + PR

What do surfboards, The Grateful Dead, and the Savannah Bananas baseball team have in common? If you ask marketing expert David Meerman Scott, they all hold valuable lessons for creating a standout marketing strategy that connects deeply with your audience.

In this episode, David joins host Drew Neisser to discuss the latest (9th!) edition of his iconic book, The New Rules of Marketing & PR, and how CMOs can navigate a rapidly changing landscape with AI, content creation, and fan-building strategies. From redefining traditional marketing to real-world examples with unconventional success, David offers practical advice for B2B CMOs aiming to stay ahead in 2025 and beyond.

A few key takeaways:

Why understanding your audience is still the bedrock of effective marketing
How AI is impacting content creation—and where companies are getting it wrong
The power of newsjacking: how to inject your brand into breaking news to capture attention and boost visibility
The enduring value of building real-world experiences to connect with customers
Marketing lessons from the Grateful Dead and how to apply them to your business

Tune in for insights on the future of marketing, how to stand out, and how unconventional thinking can drive success in the B2B world

What You’ll Learn

How to newsjack (aka leverage breaking news for brand visibility)
How B2B companies should be using AI
Real-world examples of winning brands

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegademarketing.com/podcast/

How to Turn Unsolicited Marketing Advice into a Strategic Advantage

Tue, 17 Sep 2024 20:40:10 GMT

“The biggest surprise is that our CFO has some good ideas,” noted a startled CMO from a $275mil services company. I held back while others (in our huddle) shared how they managed solicited and unsolicited marketing counsel. What a minefield!

Flipping Unwanted Input Into Opportunity

Biases are blinding.

Of course, some CFOs have good ideas. Just because they have financial expertise doesn’t mean their business acumen is limited to debits and credits. Give them some credit and perhaps they’ll extend you some too in the form of a bigger budget!

But this isn’t a story about idea-rich CFOs.

This is about an often overlooked opportunity disguised as a problem. Your peers probably don’t understand how marketing works having never spent a day in your department. So it would be easy to dismiss their ideas, especially since 93 out of 100 are probably terrible. It would also be overwhelming to respond to all of the unsolicited ideas. And even worse if you implemented the ones that were off strategy.

Let’s navigate this minefield together. It’s not that everyone thinks they’re a marketer. They just think marketing is the fun part of the business. And they want to play, too. So, unsolicited input abounds. Annoying. Irritating. Manageable? You bet.

Marketing is not a democracy. It just needs to feel like one.

Setting Guardrails Without Stifling Creativity

Knowing that everyone in your org thinks they’re marketers is a huge opportunity, not a problem. This is about getting ahead of unsolicited input and driving the process. This starts on your arrival at a new org. Field an employee survey. Not the typical HR survey. A marketing one that taps into their desire to share ideas and benchmarks how employees feel about the brand.

Next, meet 1:1 with your peers in the C-suite. Establish a shared understanding of what great looks like. Let them know you welcome their input BUT only during your planning windows. Once the marketing plan is locked down, tell them when you’ll be soliciting their input again. This is a two-way process and they will appreciate your restraint when advising them in their area of expertise.

Inviting Ideas Without Derailing Strategy

Go broader. Implement an “innovation day/week.” There are various ways to run these. All have common components. The entire org gets to share ideas that address specific business challenges (the employee can identify the challenge or you can provide a couple). Cross-functional teams work together to come up with solutions. Broad participation is encouraged. Winning ideas are celebrated and in some cases, funded.

By giving employees a forum to contribute ideas, you’re empowering them. You’re letting them play in the sandbox. You’re also building a culture of learning, experimentation, and collaboration. Your “generosity” will be rewarded with more control over your overall strategy and primary tactics.

Final Thoughts

There are an infinite number of ideas. Your job is to define the strategy and focus relentlessly on only the ideas that support it. If those ideas come from your CFO, lucky you!

Written by Drew Neisser

CMO Huddlers Discuss Building and Nurturing High-Performing Teams

Fri, 13 Sep 2024 15:25:36 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 414: Building a Dream B2B Marketing Team

What does it take to build a powerhouse B2B marketing team that can scale and succeed in today’s fast-paced world? In this episode, CMOs Marca Armstrong (Sensera Systems), Lesley Davis (Waggoner Engineering), and Isabelle Papoulias (BackBox) share their proven strategies for assembling and nurturing high-performing teams.

Key topics discussed include:

Hiring for complementary skills to strengthen your team’s capabilities
Nurturing internal talent to unlock potential and promote from within
Aligning marketing efforts with business goals to drive strategic growth
Balancing creativity with AI to stay relevant in the evolving marketing landscape

Tune in to learn how these marketing leaders are building teams that make a lasting impact

What You’ll Learn

How 3 CMOs built and evolved their marketing teams
How to establish team culture
How to align metrics and performance

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegademarketing.com/podcast/

Growth Myths: What CMOs Really Face

Tue, 10 Sep 2024 21:35:45 GMT

“Why can’t you just get more pipeline?” asked the founder-CEO of a $125mil SaaS brand. The CMO took a deep breath and tried to explain how marketing works without condescending. It was a fruitless conversation initiated by the wrong question.

The Problem with the "Just Get More Pipeline" Approach

This scenario is being replayed at countless companies with equally ungratifying conclusions. Founders who enjoyed rapid growth due to a combination of plentiful cash, strong economic tailwinds and a temporarily unique product offering are suddenly confronted with the challenge of leading a sustainable business. It isn’t pretty.

Great leaders ask great questions. Inexperienced ones seek blame. Notice that the CEO spotlighted here starts his question with “Why can’t you…” versus “Why aren’t we…” Questions that include “We” recognize collective responsibility to address the organization’s biggest challenges.

Leaders own challenges.

The Danger of “Just” Thinking

This isn’t the only problem with the question. There’s the use of “just” as in “just spend marketing dollars on demand-generating activities” which is also folly. As Jon Miller, co-founder of Marketo and Engagio likes to put it, “Marketing is not a gumball machine.” In other words, you can’t just put in a quarter and expect a deal to fall through the chute.

The biggest issue with the question is its demand, “get more pipeline.” I’m not suggesting that marketers shouldn’t contribute to business growth. That’s a given but not the problem here. When fast-growing businesses suddenly stop growing the problem isn’t “just” a marketing one. It’s usually a combination of product performance, customer experience, employee engagement, reputational strength, and economic conditions.

A great leaders asks, “Why aren’t we growing?” and convenes a braintrust to assess the problem and revise the overall business strategy. It might be just a tweak to the product or pricing or positioning or experience. More likely, it is a distinctive combination of all four summarized in a crystal clear promise to the market. A promise that permeates and aligns the organization. A promise that inspires employees, customers, and partners. A promise that when executed with relentless consistency delivers growth.

Growth is not a strategy. It’s an outcome of a successful strategy.

Stop Thinking Pipeline. Start Thinking Promise.

Growth is not a strategy. Yet every day, a founder-CEO is parroting the question they’re being asked by investors, “What are you doing to grow the business?” Imagine for a moment if we just changed two words in this question, so it read, “What are we doing to differentiate the business?” Oh the power. Oh the profundity.

We differentiate.

So here, finally, marketing leaders, are your marching orders. When asked for growth, you accept the challenge of differentiation. Talk to your customers. Survey your employees. Find the strategic insight. Set the agenda. Convene your peers. Lead the development of a singular promise. A promise that engenders competitive advantage. A promise that, when cleverly and consistently executed, captures mind space.

Go forth and differentiate.

Written by Drew Neisser

Bonus Huddle: Let's Discuss How to Train Your CEO

Fri, 06 Sep 2024 13:56:32 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 413: How to Train Your CEO

How can CMOs effectively coach their CEOs and cultivate a strong, productive relationship? In this episode, executive coach Susan Gurnik shares her expert strategies for CMOs looking to navigate the complex dynamics of working with CEOs, whether they’re first-timers or seasoned leaders.

Learn how to actively listen and align with your CEO’s vision, even when it’s not fully formed
Discover techniques for handling high-stress situations and managing all different flavors of executive leaders
Explore real-world examples of successful CEO-CMO relationships and how subtle coaching can lead to transformational growth
Understand the importance of setting boundaries, using common language, and being adaptable in the face of ever-changing business demands

If you’re a marketing leader looking to strengthen your relationship with your CEO and drive greater success for your organization, this episode is packed with practical advice and insights you won’t want to miss! 

What You’ll Learn

How to build a better relationship with your CEO
Tips for active listening
How to navigate fundamental disagreements

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegademarketing.com/podcast/

Chief Market Officer: A Clever Rebrand or a Strategic Misstep?

Tue, 03 Sep 2024 21:14:17 GMT

“I changed my title to Chief Market Officer,” shared a CMO from a $800mil SaaS brand. “Why do we have the only role in the C-suite with an activity-based title?” the CMO added. Knowing that other high-profile CMOs like Latané Conant used “Market” instead of “Marketing,” I held my tongue. Until now.

But before I disparage this semantic sleight of hand, let’s review the rationale commonly offered for making this switch:

Perception: Using “Market” implies the role is about strategy and leading versus executing tasks
Recognition: Using “Market” elevates the role on par with the other executives
Scope: Using “Market” signifies a wider scope encompassing all market-related strategies and operations
Evolution: Using “Market” reflects the increasingly data-driven and customer-centric nature of the role

Why Changing the Title Won't Change the Role

These are all desirable outcomes. And no doubt CMOs (as a whole) could use a reputational upgrade right now. Trust in their expertise is declining. CEO expectations of rapid-pipeline acceleration are out of whack with how marketing works. Or should I say, “how markets work!”

Unfortunately, the argument for rebranding Chief Marketing Officer to Chief Market Officer is as shallow as the one’s often made for redesigning a logo or changing a brand’s color palette. Putting a new coat of paint on old barn does not change the shabby nature of the structure.

If old barns don’t ring your bell, how about one of these analogies:

Does changing the book cover impact the words inside?
Does renaming a dish change the recipe?
Could a different name have saved the Edsel, Ford’s legendary flop?

Changing a title does not alter the fundamental nature, responsibilities, or impact of the role. The true measure of a CMO's effectiveness lies in their actions, strategies, and contributions to the organization's success, not in the specific wording of their title.

Actions Speak Louder than Titles

Rather than confusing the “market” with a new title, let’s focus on the meaningful change that Chief Marketing Officers are uniquely capable of delivering. Here’s that agenda:

Time management: Spend more time leading marketing than doing marketing
Strategic leadership: Create and gain consensus for a 3-year strategic go-to-market plan that recognizes the interdependencies of product, sales, marketing and CX
Board management: Avoid conversations about tactical specifics. Demonstrate you think big and act in the interest of the entire organization
Employee leadership: As the best communicator in the organization, treat employees as audience #1 and make sure they appreciate and can articulate your unique selling proposition
Customer-Centricity: Marketing without customer insights is like an atmosphere without oxygen. Own the research process and Customer Advisory Boards. Make sure your customer experience is so good that testimonials are as plentiful as summer sunshine
Foster Collaboration: Lead by example. While other execs try to build fiefdoms, be the ultimate partner. Set the agenda but share the credit

And if all else fails, turn your CEO into an industry star. It’s not as “suck-uppy” as it sounds. A well-crafted thought leadership initiative can not only help gain exposure for your company and free speaking slots, it also can generate pipeline. Making your boss look good always works.

A Title Won't Change Your Impact

With apologies to the Bard, “a rose by any other name would smell as sweet in the C-suite.”

Written by Drew Neisser

CMO Huddlers Discuss Driving Big Change

Fri, 30 Aug 2024 16:58:15 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 412: The CMO Change Agent

How can marketing truly lead transformational change in an organization? In this episode, top B2B CMOs Paige O’Neill of Seismic, Kevin Ruane of Precisely, and Amy Messano of Altair share their experiences and strategies for driving big change within their organizations.

Uncover the strategies behind successful brand consolidation and the impact it has on growth and employee engagement
Explore how to position marketing at the center of your business strategy and why it’s crucial for driving long-term success
Hear real-life stories of how these marketing leaders have navigated the challenges of shifting to ABM, embracing generative AI, and fostering a culture of innovation
Gain insights into securing and maintaining executive and board-level buy-in for ambitious marketing initiatives

If you’re ready to take on the role of a change agent in your organization, this episode offers the insights and inspiration you need to lead with confidence. Tune in!

What You’ll Learn

How 3 CMOs drive change at their organizations
How to navigate an acquisitive brand
Tips for driving organizational change

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegademarketing.com/podcast/

How One CMO Dropped BDRs and Revved Up Revenue

Tue, 27 Aug 2024 20:01:18 GMT

“I dumped our BDRs” shared a disruptive CMO from a $650mil SaaS brand, “And, guess what? We’re exceeding our revenue goals.” “It was painful for those reps,” the CMO explained, “but in retrospect, it was an easy decision--their cost exceeded their value and we had better ways to spend that money.”

Easy, perhaps. But it raised several questions in my mind:

Why aren’t BDRs paying out?
Why aren’t more CMOs ditching their BDRs?
What did this CMO do with the BDR budget?

The Broken BDR Model

Brand development representatives (BDRs) are typically expected to turn “suspects” into “prospects.” They follow up on inbound form fills or names captured at trade shows. They reach out via email, social media, texts, and phone calls. It’s usually an unfun job with high failure rates. And for good reason.

The BDR role is built on a faulty premise.

When you and I visit a website and provide an email address to unlock a piece of content, 99% of the time we do so begrudgingly and with trepidation. We know a rep will try to contact us, a rep we don’t want to speak with that day or maybe ever! We just wanted that content. If we were interested in speaking with someone, we would do so on our schedule. And the effort to contact us is annoying. Off-putting. Maybe even interest-killing.

BDRs don’t fit into how most of us buy products and services for our businesses. When we recognize a need, we do our homework. Search the web. Read reviews. Confer with colleagues. Talk to analysts. We create a short list of brands we already trust and ones we discover through research.

When ready, we’ll ask for a demo or to speak with an expert. If it’s a complex purchase, we’ll involve multiple people at our company and want multiple conversations with specialists and other customers. At no point do we want to speak with individuals who can’t bring value to the conversation.

The BDR Safety Net that’s Dragging CMOs Down

If BDRs are ill-conceived, then why aren’t more CMOs just saying “no?” The first answer is that at some companies BDRs are adding value. [If that’s the case for you, I’d love to hear from you.] Another is that no one bothered to do an ROI assessment. The most likely answer is that having BDRs is standard operating procedure, particularly for SaaS brands. It’s the way Marketing tries to push leads down the funnel. Tries. And fails. Way too often.

How One CMO’s Bold Reallocation Supercharged Customer Marketing

So, how did our disruptive CMO reallocate the BDR budget? Most of the money went into customer marketing. These dollars were used to help customers get the most value out of their current software via in-person events, webinars, and customized content. By focusing on current customers, they increased their c-sat scores, reduced churn rates, and bumped up advocacy. 75% of their revenue growth came from existing customers who bought more.

And, how did they secure the 25% of revenue growth from new customers? Experienced salespeople did their job. They knew their category. They knew the pain points. The value proposition they shared (when asked) was consistent with what the prospects discovered on their own. They anticipated all of the prospect’s questions. They were helpful. Not pushy. And they sure as heck didn’t send unsolicited emails or texts.

If your BDRs can do that, congrats. That’s awesome. If not, make sure what they are doing is budget-worthy.

Written by Drew Neisser

Bonus Huddle: Let's Discuss How to Be a Standout Startup

Fri, 23 Aug 2024 15:37:33 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 411: How to Be a Standout Startup

Standing out in the B2B world isn’t getting any easier. In this episode, we dive deep into the art of positioning with Allyson Letteri, author of Standout Startup.

Key findings include:

Learn the top three mistakes brands make and how to avoid them
Discover how to create compelling messaging that sets you apart
Hear real-world success stories from companies like Handshake and Thumbtack
Understand the importance of alignment between marketing and sales
Get actionable tips on content strategy and customer journey optimization

If you’re ready to transform your startup into a standout success, this episode is packed with practical advice you won’t want to miss!

And to hear more from Allyson, she’ll be speaking at the upcoming CMO Super Huddle in Palo Alto (Nov 7th-8th, 2024).

What You’ll Learn

3 key positioning mistakes most brands are making
How to create compelling messaging that sets you apart
Why you need to map to the customer journey
Real world use cases of B2B brands who mastered positioning

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegademarketing.com/podcast/

Maximize Impact with Less: A CMOs Blueprint for Navigating the 2024 Recession

Thu, 22 Aug 2024 21:39:22 GMT

“Our budget was slashed again,” exclaimed a frustrated CMO from a $75mil SaaS company. “The staff I have left is depressed, and those who can are jumping ship. Anyone have any ideas for me?” the CMO asked. And so began another CMO Huddle in the “hidden recession” of 2024.

Reflecting on the Economic Realities

Before breaking down the potential solutions to this common challenge for many B2B CMOs, let’s reflect on the economic realities our recent research revealed:

69% of B2B marketing leaders believe their industry is in a recession
50% noted their company experienced layoffs
69% of marketing leaders were asked to do more with less budget
76% of marketing leaders are experiencing more pressure to deliver pipeline results

Rebuilding After Layoffs

Now let’s tackle this CMO’s leadership challenge after layoffs and budget cuts. Most of the time, layoffs do not end up with the optimal mix of talent based on the reduced budget. Sure, you may have eliminated some weak performers. That’s always helpful. But the critical question is, given your new budget, do you have the right mix of talent? If you had started from scratch, is this the team you would have put in place?

Optimizing Your Team

Rather than fretting about staffers jumping ship, think of that as an opportunity to right-size and rebuild with a team unburdened by what happened before. Look for “utility players” who are eager to tackle more than one role and “Impact Players” as outlined in Liz Wiseman’s great book. These more flexible individuals will be invaluable as you look to stretch every penny.

Questions to Guide Your Go-To-Market Strategy

Now, on to allocating your smaller budget. The biggest mistake you can make is to cut each area equally. Instead, restart your strategic process. Notice I didn’t say “restart your budgeting process.”

A smaller budget requires more focus. First, your smaller staff won’t be able to cover the same ground they did before. Second, your overall reach is likely to drop or your dollars will be spread too thin to make an impact. But again, you need to tackle your go-to-market strategy before deciding on budget allocation.

So, where to focus? Here are some questions to consider:

Can you eliminate one or more products/services in your portfolio?
Can you drop a vertical market or two?
Can you refine your Ideal Customer Profile?
Can you fixate on one vulnerable competitor and win more of those deals?
Can you reposition your product/service to make it more appealing to a specific target?
Can we adopt a more distinctive personality to help us cut through?

Finding Your Unique Market Position

This exercise is ultimately about differentiation. Narrowing the market and finding your unique position, your most leverageable point of difference. Once you have this, allocating your reduced marketing budget will almost be fun.

Ultimately, this is a leadership opportunity for CMOs. Force the big-picture discussion. Remind your leadership team, “We can’t keep doing what we did before with fewer resources and expect better results.” You can also promise them that a tighter strategy is the ultimate driver of innovation.

Written by Drew Neisser

How to Market Your Marketing: 6 Proven Strategies for Internal Success

Tue, 13 Aug 2024 18:15:35 GMT

“Marketing used to be seen as order takers,” explained the CMO from a $190m services firm, “but after several years, we’re now seen as business drivers.” Several years! And that’s your internal audience. Imagine how long it takes to change external perceptions.

Like it or not, marketing leaders must devote time to marketing their marketing.

Not once at an “all hands” town hall. Not twice via follow-up emails. Relentlessly. Fearlessly. Consistently. Across all possible channels. Personally. And via surrogates.

Why is this so important? Marketing often gets a bad rap in the C-suite which trickles down to disrespect across the org. Disrespect that manifests as unsolicited advice on all aspects of marketing. Advice that can derail your well-conceived plan especially if it is centered on tactics.

Marketing is not a snowball fight. You can’t just gather your ammunition, and hurl it at your target one toss at a time. Well, you can try. But that approach inevitably fails to leave a lasting impression. Instead, think of marketing as the ball of snow rolling down a mountain, gathering girth and speed (i.e. force = mass x acceleration).

Marketing is the cumulative impact of all your activities over time – starting with your internal audience.

Strategies for Marketing Your Marketing Internally

Here are several sure-fire ways of marketing your marketing internally:

Involve employees in your repositioning work
Field and share quarterly employee surveys
Own and indoctrinate BDRs
Help employees build their personal brands
Orchestrate innovation days
Create an entertaining “this week in marketing” update

Involve Employees

If you expect employees to believe in the brand, make them part of the process from Day 1. Keep them updated throughout the process. Before launching publicly, create a brand certification program (easily done now with GenAI) that all employees must pass.

Quarterly Surveys

Don’t leave this to HR. Surveying is too important. Measure eNPS. Ask if they are proud to work for your company. Include at least 2 open-ended questions. [I’m happy to share a sample survey]

Indoctrinate BDRs

Half the CMOs in CMO Huddles “own” BDRs. Ensuring that Marketing delivers qualified opportunities to Sales, BDRs also become marketing evangelists once they move up and around the org.

Enable Personal Branding

Employees are “free” brand ambassadors and can be awesome advocates if properly trained. By teaching employees how to build their personal brands, you’re helping their careers and your company.

Orchestrate Innovation Days

Ask your employees to work together in small teams to develop innovative solutions to your biggest challenges in one day. Have a panel of judges. Offer prizes. Implement winning ideas. Count the smiles.

Update Weekly

A pithy yet entertaining weekly update will educate employees on how Marketing is helping to drive the business. After a few weeks, employees will look forward to your reports.

What’s your approach to marketing the marketing?

Written by Drew Neisser

Career Huddle: Let's Discuss Smart Brevity

Fri, 09 Aug 2024 14:55:00 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 409: The Principles of Smart Brevity

“Even if great writing eludes you, brevity needn’t.”

This powerful principle drives Smart Brevity, the transformative communication method pioneered by the founders of Axios. Join co-author Roy Schwartz, a true brevity mastermind, reveals how to ditch corporate waffle and get to the point.

Discover strategies to distill complex ideas into impactful bites across the organization, like:

Visualizing your audience (literally)
The magic formula of “What’s New” and “Why It Matters”
Mastering information hierarchy
Crafting compelling internal updates
Transforming your team into concise communicators

Learn why 200,000+ pros swear by Smart Brevity. Your audience (and inbox) will thank you.

What You’ll Learn

The core principles behind impactful writing
How to get good at smart brevity
How smart brevity connects to pipeline and revenue

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegademarketing.com/podcast/

Unite and Conquer: CMO Strategies to Bridge the Marketing-Sales Gap

Tue, 06 Aug 2024 20:04:16 GMT

“Be careful,” warned a CMO from a $475mil SaaS brand, “Sales just doesn’t pay attention until they absolutely have to.” “Even if you involve Sales early in messaging development there will still be last-minute surprises,” they added.

Ah yes, the Marketing versus Sales conflict is alive and well again in 2024. And not just about messaging. It’s uglier than that.

Marketing vs Sales

For a few years (2021-2023), it looked like the grown-ups in both departments had worked things out. Civility ruled, or so it seemed. We spent very little time in Huddles talking about Sales dropping the ball or Sales not closing. Not anymore. The partnership, if it ever existed, is breaking down. The blame game is back.

So What’s Changed?

In the immortal words of James Carville, “It’s the economy stupid.” More specifically, the B2B economy. Our research among 121 B2B marketing leaders identifies significant economic softness. Budgets are down, sales cycles are up and 69% of those surveyed believe their industry is in a recession.

When the going gets tough, the weak blame Marketing. Or Sales.

In their hearts, CMOs know it is fruitless to blame Sales. Even if they are covering every salesperson with more than enough qualified opportunities. Even if these same salespeople revert to a pricing pitch the minute a prospect pushes back. Even if their close rate is well below the category average. Like it or not, if Sales is faltering, Marketing loses too.

When a descending tide lowers all the boats, the crafty prevail.

5 Strategies

Here are 5 crafty strategies for B2B CMOs to eliminate the blame game and beat the tide:

Joint metrics reporting: Eliminate any “marketing-sourced” metrics from your reports. Issue one metrics report from Sales & Marketing to demonstrate your united effort to drive pipeline and close deals. Present reports together
Align staff: Everyone in Marketing should have at least 1 “buddy” in Sales with whom they meet regularly. Someone from Marketing should attend every Sales meeting and vice versa. The days of a “hand-off” are over
Deal rooms: To concentrate attention on the big deals, create a physical or virtual “war room.” The room should house competitive intel, in-depth profiles of the buying committee, timetables, contact assignments, sales enablement tools like a how-we-beat-each-competitor matrix, etc.
Go on sales calls: Sure you can listen to calls via tools like Gong but that’s not the same as experiencing the actual challenge of selling. Walk a mile or two in sales’ shoes and good things happen. More respect from Sales. More empathy for salespeople. And more insight into the messaging challenges you’re uniquely equipped to solve
Test a big bet: A tweak here or there to your messaging won’t fight the tide. Pick a vertical market and disrupt it with an outrageous added-value offer. Something irresistible. Something that accelerates the “speed to hero” for the buyer

Written by Drew Neisser

CMO Huddlers Discuss B2B Marketing Success Metrics

Fri, 02 Aug 2024 14:55:06 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 408: The ROI Roadmap: Decoding B2B Marketing Success Metrics

How are top marketers leveraging data to drive business growth and make smarter decisions? From demand creation to lead conversion, this episode explores the metrics that truly matter in today’s B2B landscape.

Host Drew Neisser welcomes a stellar panel of veteran CMOs to dive deep into the data-driven world of modern marketing: Jamie Gier of Dexcare, Grant Johnson (previously Billtrust), and Julia Goebel of Komodo Health.

Tune in for their expertise on:

Pipeline contribution and revenue forecasting
Brand health measurement
Aligning marketing with sales through analytics
Proving marketing ROI to the C-suite

This episode is packed with actionable insights for metrics maestros and analytics novices alike. Don’t miss it!

What You’ll Learn

What’s on 3 B2B CMO dashboards
How to balance leading and lagging indicators
SDR ownership, brand health metrics, & MarTech tools

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegademarketing.com/podcast/

How CMOs Can Turn CEO Ideas into Marketing Wins

Tue, 30 Jul 2024 15:23:40 GMT

“Everybody is a marketer,” chimed a CMO from a $95mil SaaS company, “no matter their background or expertise.” This generated a chorus of “amens” and a thoughtful discussion on leading through this challenge.

This huddle of CMOs was way past lamentation. Even though it would be inconceivable for the CRO to offer financial advice to the CFO or the HR leader to drop security tips on the CISO, no such boundaries exist around Marketing.

Marketing is Fair Game and Everyone Wants to Play

Rather than fight this truth, many B2B CMOs are finding strength in acceptance and turning what could be a negative into an opportunity. Think of this as leadership jujitsu. It’s using an opponent's momentum to your advantage. Not that your fellow C-Suite members are opponents, it just seems that way sometimes.

As one CMO shared, “Since they were going to weigh in anyway, I now involve my peers in all key marketing decisions.” “The remarkable part is that we now share responsibility in the outcomes, we all have skin in the game and it's not just on me,” this CMO added.

Sorting Through CEO Suggestions

The most problematic source of marketing ideas is your CEO. First-time CEOs often suffer from rapid-idea syndrome. Everything they read, every event they attend, every conversation they have results in “fresh” input for their CMO (and the rest of the leadership team). And, first-time CMOs rarely have the confidence or experience to handle these barrages. Chaos ensues.

Veteran CMOs deploy a variety of approaches. One 3x CMO noted, “My rule is 50% of what they suggest I can ignore (bad idea and they forget it anyway), 40% are good ideas but not relevant at present so I park for later, 10% are smart ideas or passion projects that need to be acted on immediately.” “Amazingly, I have seen this ratio apply to my last 3 CEOs,” the CMO added.

Training a Meddlesome CEO

In an ideal world, every CEO would be great at their job. They would know how to be a leader. They would understand their three fundamental roles:

Set a clear vision
Hire a team that can fulfill the vision
Allocate resources to turn the vision into a reality

Because it’s not an ideal world, many CEOs are micromanagers. Their insecurities drive them into the weeds and drive their direct reports crazy. These CEOs can’t help themselves. But CMOs can – by learning how to coach and lead their CEOs by example. So, yes, I’m adding coaching expertise to the long list of must-have skills for CMOs.

While I can’t possibly cover coaching in this post, here are three suggestions from executive coach Susan Gurnik:

Build trust by listening deeply to the CEO. You need to understand how they communicate. If they see the big picture or are more likely to focus on tasks and duties
Help the CEO to listen deeply to you. Learn to ask questions in a non-threatening manner. Be vulnerable. By asking them how you can listen better to them, you are coaching the CEO on how to work with you
Create a common language that fosters trust and understanding. You need to reach an agreement on vision, priorities, marketing’s role, metrics, and how you’ll collaborate

Written by Drew Neisser

Bonus Huddle: Let's Discuss SEO Blogging, Tools, and Segmentation

Fri, 26 Jul 2024 14:10:15 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 407: The New B2B SEO Trifecta: Blogging, Tools, and Segmentation

What’s working today in SEO for B2B SaaS brands?

In this data-packed episode, digital marketing expert Tom Shapiro, CEO of Stratabeat, unveils the answers, drawing from an extensive study of 250 B2B SaaS websites. Prepare to challenge your assumptions and discover actionable strategies that can dramatically improve your search rankings and organic traffic.

Key findings include:

Blogging 5-8x per month increases Google top 10 keywords by 47.9%, compared to just 10% for 1-4 posts
Websites offering online tools saw a 40.8% boost in top 10 keyword rankings
Original research boosted top 10 keyword rankings by 36% on average
Audience segmentation led to a 31.7% increase in Google top 10 rankings, vs. 12.4% for non-segmented sites

Discover why blogging frequency is the low-hanging fruit you can’t afford to ignore, learn how online tools can unexpectedly boost your SEO, and find out why audience segmentation might be your secret weapon. This data-driven deep dive challenges conventional wisdom and provides a roadmap for dominating search results in today’s hyper-competitive landscape. Tune in!

[The B2B SaaS SEO Performance Study is brought to you by Stratabeat and CMO Huddles]

What You’ll Learn

Why blogging frequency matters
The power of online tools and long-form content
Why audience segmentation works

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegademarketing.com/podcast/

From Retention to Revenue: The Event Strategy CMOs Swear By

Tue, 23 Jul 2024 17:30:00 GMT

“Thank goodness events are working again,” shared a relieved CMO from a $60 million software company. Then other CMOs in the huddle offered variations on this theme. The collective relief was palpable. Several important insights emerged.

B2B CMOs' Collective Anxiety

I’ll get to the event-related insights shortly. But there’s a bigger fish to fry first. And that’s the general unease that exists among B2B CMOs right now. The demand generation playbooks that many relied upon for the last 5 years have hit a wall. CMOs are grumbling about the costs of once-vaunted ABM tools relative to the value delivered. In reality, macroeconomic factors like higher interest rates have lowered the purchasing tide for most marketing boats.

Whether or not you blame the economy or the playbooks (the same ones that were killing it two years ago), B2B CMOs are in a bit of a funk. And that’s a problem too. CMOs, like preachers, need to project confidence. Given the typical lag time between action and impact, great marketing requires a leap of faith. And before the attribution junkies get out your darts, allow me to explain.

Great Marketers Driving Change

Great marketers transform businesses.

They uncover the insights that drive the ideas that differentiate the brand inside and out. They fix broken go-to-market strategies. They tell the stories that motivate employees and rally customers. They fix dysfunctional cultures. They build the tools that make it easier for prospects to justify the purchase. They bring focus. And yes, they drive pipeline and revenue. But not without a significant lag time between these actions and their related impact.

Events Fueling Revenue Growth

Okay, pep talk over.

Back to events. For the relieved software CMO, the (“surprisingly effective”) events were not trade shows or fancy executive dinners. They weren’t even intended to drive net new revenue. Instead, this company was hosting seminars at the offices of their largest customers to help them get the most out of their software. Like many software providers, they knew their customers weren’t always using their product to its fullest potential. Fixing this would increase customer satisfaction and lower churn.

Surprising Wins and Shared Insights

But a funny thing happened along the way.

Other employees showed up at these seminars. And, when they felt their peers' excitement about the software, they requested licenses too. Suddenly a retention effort became an acquisition campaign. “These events have become our most effective revenue drivers,” exclaimed the CMO, “which is huge since doing these events is not cheap!”

Other CMOs noted that events were similarly working for them. “We’ve been doing roadshows in our largest markets,” shared a CMO from a $750 million cybersecurity company. “Most of the attendees are our customers and they do all of the selling to the prospects who join us,” the CMO declared. Part of the story is that work-from-home execs crave in-person contact with peers. But the bigger message is that investments in retention can double as acquisition vehicles.

Final Thoughts

Marketing is rarely a straight line from action to intended impact. But then again, neither are most B2B purchase journeys. You can do no wrong by doing right by your customers. They will sustain you during challenging economic times.

In the meantime, keep the faith.

Written by Drew Neisser

CMO Huddlers Discuss Coaching and Developing Talent

Fri, 19 Jul 2024 15:25:08 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 406: Building High-Performance Marketing Teams

When CMOs invest in growing their people, they grow their impact. And with the right coaching strategies in place, they ensure their teams not only keep pace with industry changes, but also drive innovation and set new standards.

In this illuminating episode, join host Drew Neisser as he welcomes three exceptional CMOs to share their insights on nurturing high-performing teams:

Michelle Boockoff-Bajdek of IDG (previously CMO of Skillsoft)
Katie McAdams of Basis Technologies
Marni Carmichael of Image Source, Inc.

Discover how these leaders foster a culture of continuous learning, provide meaningful feedback, and adapt to the challenges of remote work. From creating individualized career paths to measuring employee satisfaction, our guests reveal their strategies for unlocking team potential and driving innovation.

Key topics include:

Building a feedback-rich environment
Balancing hard skills with essential ‘power skills’
Adapting coaching methods for the hybrid workplace
Incorporating learning and development into recruiting strategies
Measuring the impact of talent development initiatives

By championing continuous improvement, CMOs lay the groundwork for dynamic and forward-thinking teams. Tune in for a masterclass in talent development from some of B2B marketing’s brightest minds! 

What You’ll Learn

How 3 CMOs coach and develop talent
How to create a feedback-rich environment
How to foster a culture of learning

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegademarketing.com/podcast/

Why CMOs Must Embrace GenAI to Lead the Future of Marketing

Tue, 16 Jul 2024 18:33:50 GMT

“AI won’t replace me” declared a CMO from a global consulting firm, “but it will replace those who don’t embrace these tools.” The Brxnd.ai conference audience nodded in wishful agreement. Of course, these were the early adopters. The ones who are not just creating words and pictures faster. These folks are making stuff, crazy-imaginative, differentiating stuff. They will be fine. But what about everyone else?

The Harsh Reality

Allow me to get bleak for a sentence or two. Marketing jobs will be lost, from bottom to top. If you are a mediocre writer, designer, BDR, strategist, data analyst or you name it, there’s a person-aided-bot gunning for your job. Either you figure out how to leverage these tools to improve your skills and accelerate your output, or you’ll be like the proverbial frog in the gradually warming water.

Even CMOs are at risk. We’ve already seen a couple hundred B2B CMO roles eliminated in tech land as PE firms slash budgets in search of short-term EBIDTA bumps. In many of these cases, a VP of DemandGen assumed the top marketing job. Was GenAI connected? Not directly but there’s little doubt that investors are banking on increases in efficiency from marketing departments – and there’s an unstated hope that GenAI will be part of the solution.

The Opportunity for CMOs

Here’s the irony. CMOs are perfectly positioned to realize the true potential of GenAI and lead the GenAI transformation [that I see as inevitable]. CMOs already have the largest tech budgets and are used to assessing, acquiring, and deploying tech. They also have the broadest perspective on all the stakeholders including employees, customers, prospects, and partners. And they have one more characteristic that is dearly lacking in other departments–imagination. Great CMOs understand the power of well-executed big ideas. They have the curiosity to seek the answer behind the answer behind the answer. They live in a world fueled by ANDs, not ORs. Brand AND Demand. Creativity AND LLMs. Humans AND Machines. They connect dots that others simply can’t for lack of imagination.

The Impact of Gen AI

Here’s how I imagine GenAI making its biggest impact: Helping imaginative CMOs differentiate their companies by building target-delighting stuff around one big idea. Stuff they didn’t have the time, budget, or know how to create in the PG (pre-GenAI) epoch.

Sure, they’ll also use these tools to personalize at scale, to localize at scale, and to find THE insight from thousands of hours of interviews in minutes. And they’ll accelerate the testing of every little thing. Lots of optimization will happen. But the gold?

That will be found in imaginative tools that capture mind space. Like the stuff Jenny Nicholson (see QueenOfWords.co) creates week after week at her kitchen table. She’s not a developer. Or coder. But she’s cracked the code of GenAI.

Her advice to CMOs? You’re the artist. GenAI is just the paintbrush. Paint the future.

Written by Drew Neisser

Career Huddle: Let's Discuss Negotiation Tactics for CMOs

Fri, 12 Jul 2024 15:45:06 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 405: Never Split the Difference: CMO Edition

What if the secret to becoming an influential CMO lies in the tactics used by FBI hostage negotiators?

In this essential episode, Drew Neisser welcomes Chris Voss, former FBI hostage negotiator and author of “Never Split the Difference,” to share game-changing conflict resolution and negotiation strategies for B2B marketing leaders.

By listening, you’ll learn how to:

Turn potential conflicts into collaborative problem-solving sessions
Use tactical empathy to align with stakeholders
Adapt your negotiation style to different personality types
Increase your emotional intelligence for more effective leadership
Techniques for managing stress and conflict in high-stake situations

Voss reveals counterintuitive approaches to help CMOs transform the most challenging C-Suite conversations into collaborative wins. Whether you’re advocating for your marketing budget, aligning with sales on lead goals, or negotiating with external agencies, this episode offers invaluable lessons from one of the world’s top negotiation experts.

Tune in!

What You’ll Learn

How to turn conflict into a collaborative problem-solving session
Why tactical empathy is so important for conflict resolution
How to adapt your negotiation style to different personality types

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegademarketing.com/podcast/

Job Hunting Tips for CMOs: 6 Must-Know Strategies to Stand Out

Tue, 09 Jul 2024 20:02:55 GMT

“It’s so disheartening,” shared a 3x CMO, “I’ve never been a better candidate but keep coming up short.” In case you’ve been under a rock, it’s a brutal market for CMOs in transition. And unless interest rates drop, it’s likely to stay that way through 2024.

There simply aren’t enough openings, especially in B2B, to meet the supply of highly effective CMOs. This situation is taking an emotional toll that decreases the chances of these otherwise talented professionals securing their next opportunity. It’s a vicious cycle. And while a healthier emotional state won’t create more roles, it along with the steps outlined below can make the process less painful.

Reconnect With Your Strengths

Step 1 requires calling a wide range of former colleagues and seeking candid feedback. Ask for brutal honesty on your strengths and shortcomings. Your listening tour will serve multiple purposes. You’ll be reminded of you at your best and where you found the most joy. You’ll know who you can count on for references. And you’ll draft some allies for your search. Don’t hesitate to call any of them. They know they are only one missed sales target away from being in your shoes.

Join a Peer Group

Do not go it alone. Knowing others are in the same situation is somewhat comforting but helping others (when you’re down) is uplifting. Your peer group needs to meet regularly with a defined process, set agendas, and homework assignments. When you prep someone for an interview or review their latest content, you’ll be reminded of your overall competency. And you’ll be grateful for the thoughtful feedback from a peer.

Define Your Personal Brand

Apply your strategic marketing skills to yourself. Write down your superpower(s) and other points of difference. Draft a personal manifesto that covers why you are in marketing in the first place and the impact you have at organizations. Write your draft and then discuss it with members of your peer group. If you use terms like data-driven and high-achieving, go deeper. You’ll know you have it right when it drives your content. [Ask me for the CMO Huddles personal branding worksheet.]

Identify Your Top 25

Employers are close–mindedly looking for 5x5 matches. The 5 areas are category, growth stage, target (enterprise, SMB), ownership structure (PE, VC, public, private), and physical location. Use that knowledge to your advantage by creating a list of 25 companies that align with your most recent experience(s) and current location. This list will drive your outbound marketing campaign (see next step).

Execute Your Outbound

This is a lot of work so pace yourself. It involves creating content, searching your network for possible introductions, and a touch of stalking. Think of each piece of content (like a written post on LinkedIn) as a “love letter” to one CEO on your Top 25. This post offers meaty advice to that CEO based on your unique category insights. If you have a LinkedIn connection with that CEO, ask them to share your post. If you don’t, start engaging (aka stalking) the CEO on LinkedIn or elsewhere. You can also try email, calling, and direct mail.

Hone Your Skills

Many CMOs in transition are there for the first time. Any athlete or artist knows that their skills only stay sharp with constant and well-structured practice. Establish a rigorous interview prep process (ideally one that gets you to eye opening insights). Start tracking the questions you are asked and the answers you provide in interviews. Review those with a member of your peer group.

Written by Drew Neisser

CMO Huddlers Discuss CMO Job Search Success Stories

Mon, 08 Jul 2024 14:56:54 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 404: CMO Search Success Stories

What does it really take to secure a CMO position in today’s competitive landscape? Whether you’re actively job searching or want to be prepared for future opportunities, this episode is packed with actionable insights from two CMOs who recently landed coveted roles and the recruiter who helped place them:

Kathie Johnson (CMO, Sitecore)
Scott Morris (CMO, Sprout Social)
Kate Bullis (Managing Director, ZRG Partners)

You’ll learn:

How to strategically approach your job search and stand out from the crowd
The importance of personal branding and articulating your unique value
The value of networking with other CMOs
How to quantify your impact during interviews and presentations
Why culture fit matters and how to evaluate it during the interview process

Don’t miss this candid conversation on navigating the CMO job market, leveraging your network, and positioning yourself for success in your next CMO role. Tune in!

What You’ll Learn

Important steps in the CMO job search
How to build recruiter relationships
How to find a great culture fit
How to stand out as a CMO today

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegademarketing.com/podcast/

Crushing the Year Two Blues: Tactics for CMOs to Thrive Beyond Year One

Tue, 02 Jul 2024 18:50:18 GMT

“Our CEO called me out for getting less done in year 2” recalled a CMO at a $2 billion software company, “and guess what, the CEO was right!” Thanks to an honest “kick in the butt,” this particular CMO enjoyed two more highly effective years at the company. While the “Year Two Blues” is a common affliction, getting a reprieve is not. As such, CMOs need to recognize the symptoms and take this prescribed course of action.

But before we get there, let’s revel in a great Year One. With your “30/60/90” plan in hand on Day 1, you identified numerous quick wins (ask me for our list of these). These wins buy you the credibility and time you need to tackle the bigger strategic issues like messaging, brand, and the website. You upgraded your direct reports and provided the air cover they need to fend off inane time-sucking requests. You also built or rebuilt a demand-generation engine that is helping to meet or exceed revenue targets. Even your CFO recognizes Marketing’s impact, asking “What would happen if we gave you $X million more?”

The Onset of Year Two Blues

Year One was a ton of work and stressful. The good news is that you finally have the organizational connections, category understanding, and customer insights to make an even bigger difference. The bad news is that you are exhausted. Naturally, you and your team drift toward optimizing the good stuff you’ve built. Welcome to the Year Two Blues.

Taking a Break to Recharge

After confirming your accomplishments at the end of Year One, you tell your boss you’ll be back in 14 days. [NOTE: For those negotiating a new CMO role, bake a break into your contract.] Get some sleep. Exercise. Breathe. Pamper yourself. Seek inspiration. Read a book or four like “Impact Players.” Go to a conference. Visit a natural wonder. And wonder. Breathe.

Setting Audacious Goals

Write down 3 audacious goals to review with your team, peers, and boss. Each of these audacious goals translates to one or more initiatives. Here’s a starter list of matched goals and initiatives that the CMOs of CMO Huddles have implemented with great success in Year Two:

Customer Retention

Start or revamp your Customer Advisory Board
Establish executive sponsors for key customers
Elevate customer training & certification programs
Establish/build community via events

Market Expansion

Initiate partnerships that provide a more robust solution for new verticals
Conduct research study that reframes your solution and generates massive PR
Write the book that positions your company in a new category
Develop a robust customer advocacy program that celebrates their success (i.e. testimonial videos, awards, special events, social sharing, etc)

Employee Retention

Take over employee comms and make ‘em fun
Lead corporate-wide GenAI adoption
Create a certification program on new messaging and branding
Run employee innovation competitions
Involve employees in brand discovery research

Written by Drew Neisser

Bonus Huddle: Let's Discuss Partner Marketing

Fri, 28 Jun 2024 15:55:45 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 403: Partnerships: The Secret Weapon for B2B Growth

As budgets tighten, partnerships emerge as a beacon for innovation and growth.

In this electrifying episode, Drew Neisser sits down with Asher Matthew, co-founder and CEO of Partnership Leaders, to uncover the power of strategic partnerships in B2B marketing. Tune in to discover:

Why partnerships are a key growth lever for B2B organizations
The hidden “planning tax” that derails partnerships – and how to dodge it
The three layers of effective partnerships: production, distribution, and consumption
The rise of the “Chief Partnership Officer” and what it means for your organization
Cutting-edge metrics to prove your partnerships are pulling their weight

Asher shares invaluable insights on building high-quality, repeatable partnerships that drive real business results, using their strong partnership with HubSpot as an example. Learn how to leverage co-marketing, navigate relationships with larger partners, and create win-win scenarios that expand your reach and credibility.

Whether you’re a CMO looking to stretch every marketing dollar or a partnership professional seeking to up your game, this episode is packed with actionable strategies to supercharge your B2B partnerships.

What You’ll Learn

How to manage a successful B2B partnership
What a modern partnership professional looks like
How to measure partnerships

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegademarketing.com/podcast/

When Success Isn’t Enough: CMOs Facing the PE Firm Gauntlet

Tue, 25 Jun 2024 21:00:35 GMT

“I got PE’d” shouted an agitated veteran CMO of a $420 million tech company.

“Go on,” I said.

“You know this isn’t my first rodeo, I’ve got a proven process for connecting marketing to revenue and Marketing made its pipeline targets every quarter this year despite a 23% budget cut,” shared the CMO. “But that wasn’t enough for our PE firm, Sales missed their target by a few thousand, and then suddenly the axes came out, and now I’m on the street,” the CMO declared, “So, yeah, I got PE’d!,” they sighed.

A Common Issue Among CMOs

If this was an isolated incident I would have let it pass. But it’s not. I’ve heard a version of this story at least 5 times in the last 3 months from highly effective CMOs. From CMOs who’ve built measurable, scalable, and predictive revenue growth engines. From CMOs who have helped reposition their company after mergers in a way that resonated with employees, kept current customers, and attracted new ones despite the behind-the-scenes chaos of platform integration. From CMOs who have helped their companies grow 2x, 3x, and even 4x in one case.

The PE Firm Dilemma

I won’t try to get in the heads of the PE firms though I can’t help but wonder, “In what universe does relentless cutting of budgets and talent lead to growth?” I realize that not every PE firm takes a “slash and burn” approach but it sure seems to be the rule rather than the exception right now. [I hope to hear from some PE firms that have a more enlightened operating model.]

Strategies for CMOs in PE-Owned Companies

As an advisor to CMOs, this is a moment of reckoning especially for CMOs who work for PE-owned companies. Not that you ever got comfortable but it’s time to set your paranoia meter to 10:

If you haven’t already, track what is going on at the other portfolio companies.
Have an open line of communication with your fellow CMOs – take the lead and set up a WhatsApp group with them.
When cuts happen at another company, get the details, look for patterns, and play out how a similar cut would impact your business. And if something is working at one of your sister companies, test it for your business.

Since you know efficiency is king, queen, and rook, make these moves before being asked:

Optimize your lead capture funnel. If you aren’t doing A/B testing on every aspect of your nurture stream, get on this. There are partners out there like Spiralyze who can run proof-of-concept tests on their nickel and only charge you if they deliver.
Re-audit your tech stack and trim all but the measurable value creators. Put the onus on the vendor to prove their worth.

Rebuilding Your Network

No matter how hard you work and how successful you might think you are, the axe may still drop.

Rekindle old friendships with former colleagues and bosses.
Make new friends. Join a community [CMO Huddles comes to mind ].
When a recruiter calls, take it and introduce them to at least 5 high-quality candidates. If you don’t know 5, then reread this paragraph!

Enhancing Your Personal Brand

Stop ignoring your personal brand.

Get out there. Guest on podcasts.
Write provocative posts that reinforce your unique point of view.
Create a video series. This exposure will be good for you and deliver added PR value for your company [even if it is self-serving, it doesn’t have to look that way].

Final Advice

Finally, make sure the next company that hires you is owned by an enlightened PE firm.

Written by Drew Neisser

CMO Huddlers Discuss Content Experience

Fri, 21 Jun 2024 15:20:36 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 402: Captivating Content Experiences… That Convert!

What does it take to craft a fully-fledged content experience that not only engages but also drives conversions? Tune in to this episode as 3 seasoned B2B CMOs reveal the secrets to transforming content into a powerful tool for connection and conversion:

Warren Daniels (Bynder) reveals how leveraging content templating enables localized, relevant experiences that drive results, like increasing campaign recall by 32%
Ellina Shinnick (HUB International) discusses orchestrating thematic, integrated campaigns that bring the brand's personality to life through creative, energetic content, and their “HUB Outlook” campaign.
Katrina Klier (Sage Strategy Group) introduces the "Source and Savor" model to maximize content efficiency and impact while boosting resonance.

Uncover strategies to:

Balance brand storytelling with performance marketing tactics
Leverage research to redefine problems in a compelling, ownable way
Measure content engagement to prioritize what resonates (and what to retire)
Capitalize on AI's potential as an indispensable content team member
And more!

Whether you're a content marketer or senior leader, this insightful episode is packed with actionable tips to elevate your content experience game. Don't miss out!

What You’ll Learn

How 3 CMOs are building full content experiences
How to balance performance marketing and brand
How to assess and adapt your content plan

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegademarketing.com/podcast/

From Leads to Revenue: Proven Strategies for CMOs to Sync with CFO Objectives

Tue, 18 Jun 2024 20:35:44 GMT

The CMO-CFO Tension: A Real-Life Scenario

“Our CFO wants us to report on every lead, even the bots” exclaimed a frustrated CMO at a $75 million tech company that targets enterprises. “At least your CFO is looking at the impact of marketing,” shared another CMO, “ours just looks at our total budget with an eye on cutting it.” And so the conversation continued exposing yet another challenge-fraught executive relationship for CMOs.

Shifting Focus: Leads to Sales Qualified Opportunities

Let’s start with our micro-managing CFO. Why is she asking about leads in the first place? Most of the B2B CMOs that I speak with stopped reporting on leads several years ago. Instead, their focus is further down the funnel, past Marketing Qualified Leads to Sales Qualified Opportunities (SQOs) also known as “pipeline.” Leads are just noise. Leads are typically a single contact that might someday represent an opportunity. Someday. Maybe.

Pitfalls of the Cost-Per-Lead Metric

Another problem with reporting on leads is that our micro-managing CFO will likely ask for the cost-per-lead (CPL) by marketing channel. CPL is perhaps the worst metric ever for CMOs targeting enterprise customers. Low-cost leads are rarely low-cost opportunities. Shifting spending into low-CPLs channels almost always results in lots of chaff and little wheat. Chaff that wastes time and energy as brand development reps try to transform limited buying intent into a full-blown opportunity.

Educating CFOs: Marketing as an Investment

As for the CFO who sees marketing as an expense versus an investment, here you have a classic challenge for the CMO. How do you educate peers on the fundamentals of marketing without being condescending? The answer? Start by appealing to their egos. Ask them to educate you on how the organization makes money. Become a student of finance. Ask how they see the business growing and where they see the most return on capital expenditures. Learn the language of finance. And then capitalize on it.

Educating CFOs: Marketing as an Investment

Heidi Bullock, a veteran CMO, currently at Tealium, describes her marketing budget as a “stock portfolio that delivers an overall ROI.” “Some stocks perform better at different times,” she explains, focusing executive eyes on the big prize rather than individual marketing efforts. By using the language of investors, Bullock makes it easier for the executive team to “get it.”

Kathie Johnson, another veteran CMO, now at Sitecore, crafts a yearly “pipeline playbook” that ensures every metric is clearly defined and associated with the ultimate goal – revenue. Rest assured, CFOs understand revenue even if they don’t (initially) understand how marketing drives it. Johnson’s effort to define metrics upfront is worth repeating. Even if you’re forced to track leads, it’s essential to write down what is and isn’t a lead, and what is and isn’t an opportunity, and get a definitional agreement first with your CRO and then your CFO.

How are you explaining marketing to your CFO?

Written by Drew Neisser

Career Huddle: Let's Discuss Impact Players

Fri, 14 Jun 2024 15:40:00 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 401: Cultivating Champions: The Impact Player’s Playbook

CMOs face immense pressure to drive growth and deliver results, often with limited resources. To succeed, they need laser focus, courage, and a formidable team. Enter, the impact player.

In this riveting episode, Liz Wiseman offers deep insights from her popular book, Impact Players: How to Take the Lead, Play Bigger, and Multiply Your Impact. Tune in as Liz details the five key practices that differentiate impact players from ordinary contributors, discussing how CMOs can amplify their own impact, while nurturing high-caliber talent.

Get ready to propel your team’s effectiveness, outpace the competition, and enhance your leadership. This is a masterclass for anyone aiming to uncover the latent potential within their existing team or to assemble a new powerhouse of top performers. Don’t miss it!

What You’ll Learn

The difference between an ordinary contributor and impact player
The common qualities of impact players
How to build a team of impact players

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegademarketing.com/podcast/

Beyond Branding: How Tech CMOs Drive Marketing’s Revenue Goals

Tue, 11 Jun 2024 17:40:38 GMT

“I can never use the words ‘brand’ or ‘brand awareness’ with other execs” lamented a CMO at a $125 million SaaS company. Then another SaaS CMO shared, “It’s the same thing at our company, ‘brand-spend’ is considered the fluffy stuff that doesn’t drive revenue.” These are not isolated incidents.

You could visit hundreds of marketing departments from San Franciso to San Jose and never actually hear the word “brand.” It’s not that tech marketing leaders don’t believe in brand, it’s just that most have to disguise their efforts. Allow me to offer a theory on how we got here.

Many CMOs now divide their marketing budgets and departments into Revenue Marketing or Performance Marketing and everything else. An innocent word choice, right? Who doesn’t want marketing that is focused on revenue or performance? Certainly, CEOs, CFOs, CROs, and investors all seek more revenue. So far, so good.

But what does that mean for the rest of your marketing department? That they aren’t working to drive revenue or improve performance. That they are doing the “fluffy stuff.”

When I press CMOs on this they explain their Revenue/Performance teams are focused on deploying direct response vehicles (i.e. paid search, content syndication, webinars, etc.), capturing leads, and nurturing these leads into opportunities and ultimately, pipeline. They do this with a lot of technology, constantly testing and optimizing. When it’s working, it’s measurable and even scalable. The outcome is fine. It’s the word choice that’s problematic.

Why not just call this part of your marketing “demand capture?” Because that’s really what’s happening. Buyers already in the market for your product or service are metaphorically raising their hands and saying, “It’s okay for you to engage with me about your service.”

As for the 95% who aren’t even thinking about your product or category? What about them? What are you doing to generate interest? To help them recognize a problem they didn’t know they had? To get them to see that the gain of change is worth the pain of change? Or just to generate awareness of your service before the salesperson calls? Or to differentiate your offering from your competitors? What are you going to call that kind of marketing?

One simple solution for those fearful of sounding fluffy is to call the rest of your budget “demand creation.” That’s what you’re doing. Hopefully. Now, both parts of your budget focus on demand (generating it and capturing it). This opens the door for you to put the MARKET back in MARKETING. And creating markets is the domain of great CMOs.

Word choice matters - especially for budget components. If “brand” is a dirty word at your org, leave that fight to the pundits. Just don’t create a trap for yourself by designating one part of your budget as revenue-related. The reality is that the components of your budget work together, like instruments in an orchestra, often intertwined and inseparable.

Written by Drew Neisser

4 Strategies to Get Your C-Suite On Board with Marketing

Tue, 04 Jun 2024 19:00:42 GMT

“Our new CEO doesn’t believe in marketing,” gasped a CMO from a $250mm professional services firm. This plea for help cast a momentary pall over the Huddle. Then other CMOs jumped in sympathetically, sharing how they’ve dealt with similar cases of ignorance. All the while, I wondered how in 2024 was this even possible.

When did marketing join the ranks of the Tooth Fairy and Santa Claus and become a matter of belief or disbelief?

It’s worth noting that this could only happen in B2B-land. Can you imagine the new CEO of P&G, PepsiCo, or Geico saying, “I don’t believe in marketing!” They’d be shown the exit faster than you can say, “Aflac.” But I regress. Since less than 20% of CEOs of B2B companies have any experience as marketing practitioners, it shouldn’t be a surprise that many have little to no understanding of and appreciation for marketing as an investment lever.

Back to the situation at hand. What could our beleaguered CMO do to address his doltish CEO? Here’s a combination of suggestions gleaned from the CMOs of CMO Huddles:

1. Have a Plan B

The unanimous advice from other CMOs was “update your resume.” Explains veteran CMO Ellie Ahmadi, “If a leader is set in their ways and inflexible in their POV about marketing’s value, decide if you want to fight this inevitably long battle.” I’m not suggesting any CMO run from this challenge. On the contrary, take it on gusto while keeping up your network, befriending recruiters, and enhancing your personal brand JUST IN CASE.

2. Enlist Support

Most likely, you’ll need to surround the CEO with marketing believers if you hope to change their beliefs. Hopefully, you’re CRO understands marketing’s ability to create demand and capture it and knows what it would mean to his team if marketing ceased doing both. Jointly presenting past performance and near-term plans with your CRO should establish a foundational understanding. HR can also weigh in on the importance of company awareness for recruiting and retention. And perhaps you can find a marketing advocate on the board or with your CFO.

3. Find Common Ground

Every CEO wants to acquire and retain customers. Start by reviewing the CEO's vision and understanding their priorities. Then try to get an understanding of what marketing means to them. Kevin Briody, CMO of Edmentum, notes that “a CEO’s experience with marketing could be ‘brand stuff’ like awareness-building with little tie to pipelines and sales.” If this is the case, Briody advises, “sharing examples of direct contribution to the sales effort, and start building a case from there–even small wins can paint a picture.”

4. Show Them the Money

Ideally, your new CEO will appreciate your data especially if you put it in terms they can understand. Katrina Klier of Sage Strategy advises, “Create a meaningful metrics structure that shows marketing’s direct contribution to the business (revenue, new logos, renewals, partner leads, etc. NOT website visits, form fills, event reg, etc.)” Klier adds, “Your CEO might not understand the difference between marketing and sales let alone the vast grey space of overlap so you need to show them the data.”

Written by Drew Neisser

3 Tips for Landing a Better CMO Role

Wed, 29 May 2024 19:50:23 GMT

“Don’t quit” I pleaded to a CMO at a billion-dollar B2B company. “It’s ugly out there,” I explained, “A year ago we had 30 members on the CMO Huddles Transition Team, now it’s 152 and many are struggling to find new roles.” There were several seconds of silence as this icy factoid sunk in.

That silence made me wonder if the B2B recession I hear about from other CMOs is universal or limited to certain industries.

I do know that you can link many CMOs desire to quit right now to this oft-repeated sequence of events:

Deals that should have closed are pushed back
Quarterly revenue targets aren’t met
Marketing budgets are cut
Pressure on CMOs to generate demand with less funding increases
CMO says, “I’m not a frickin magician” and updates their resume

There are a couple of problems with quitting right now. First, it will be that much harder to land your next opportunity. Having a job gives you leverage. Recruiters will want to recruit you. No job. No leverage. Second, there’s a good chance the former CMO left for the same reason you want to leave. Perhaps they too were asked to do way too much with way too little. “Magical thinking” seems to be the new epidemic, particularly at PE-backed companies.

However painful, my advice right now is to make the most of where you are [unless you have 12 months guaranteed severance or have enough funds saved for early retirement!]. And by making the most of it, I mean taking these specific actions to increase the odds you can land an even better CMO role soon:

Enhance your story
Grow your network
Tell your story

1. Enhance Your Story

You’re a CMO. You’re a builder. You’re a leader. You’re a change agent. You’re a strategist. With a bit of self-reflection, now’s the time to tighten up your personal brand and take actions that reinforce it. If you’re a change agent, drive some more change at your current org. For example, some CMOs are taking the lead on Gen AI, not just to increase productivity but also to drive innovation across their orgs. If you call yourself a revenue driver, then initiate at least one program that bucks the overall recession-related pullback – maybe it’s an upsell/cross-sell program built on top of a community.

2. Grow Your Network

Just like finding a job is easier when you have one, so too is growing your network. You just have to make a bit of time for it (like an hour a week!) Start returning recruiters’ calls and help them source candidates for their searches. Join a community like CMO Huddles and get to know some of your peers. If they offer to set up 1:1s for you, have at least 1 per month. I can tell you that the second biggest regret among CMOs in transition is that they didn’t take the time to build a peer network.

3. Tell Your Story

The first biggest regret among CMOs in transition is that they neglected their personal brands. They were too busy, with noses to the proverbial grindstone to join a podcast, sit for an interview, speak at events, or write up their insights. Don’t be that guy. Even if you're introverted, you need to put yourself out there. It’s a skill you can master with just a little effort. And it's not purely self-serving, your company will benefit. Future employees, customers, and partners will see your content and become aware of you and your company.

Written by Drew Neisser

Bonus Huddle: Let's Discuss GenAI as a Strategic Ally

Thu, 23 May 2024 20:30:11 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 398: GenAI as a CMO’s Strategic Ally

With mounting pressure to deliver ever-increasing pipeline results, it’s time for CMOs to prove that they’re not just tacticians—they’re key strategists essential to business longevity.

In this episode, Liza Adams of GrowthPath Partners dives into how AI can make it all possible. She’s shepherding in a shift from “growth-at-all-costs” thinking to sustainable profitability. Armed with use cases and custom GPTs, Liza brings her extensive experience as an AI consultant and fractional CMO to outline how you can leverage generative AI as a strategic thought partner.

Here are a few things she covers:

How to deploy AI for competitive analysis and positioning
How AI can identify and prioritize high-value customer segments
How to use AI insights to blow away your C-Suite
How promising to tip your AI can yield better results

Don't miss this insightful conversation that could redefine how you view the role of AI in your marketing strategy!

What You’ll Learn

How to use AI as a strategic thought partner
Strategic AI use cases
How to get more accurate AI answers

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegademarketing.com/podcast/

Top Insights from 3 Peer Huddles: Mastering Modern B2B Partnerships

Tue, 21 May 2024 18:45:55 GMT

Partnerships are an increasingly important growth strategy in the B2B world, which is why March’s Peer Huddles at CMO Huddles focused on the evolving landscape of effective collaborations. These sessions brought together CMOs who unpacked the complexities and opportunities inherent in modern partnerships.

Here’s a concise yet compelling look at some of the collective wisdom distilled from these Huddles.

Huddle 1: Transforming Partnership Dynamics via Co-Selling

This Huddle was led by Chip Rodgers of Workspan, who illustrated the shift from traditional re-selling models to a co-selling paradigm where partners collaborate closely, sharing strategies and resources (also known as “Ecosystem Partnering”).

This model enhances deal influence through unified sales teams and maximizes potential opportunities by leveraging shared technologies like interconnected CRMs.

Key strategies discussed include:

Customizing GTM support to align with each partner's unique goals
Navigating challenges such as diminishing tracking capabilities and increasing ad costs
Shared funding for marketing initiatives to extend budgets and deepen trust among potential clients
Addressing the complexities of selling highly technical products through less technical partners via educational programs and involving technical experts in sales discussions.

Huddle 2: Channel-First and Robust Connections

The shortest distance to a new customer is an existing relationship. How do you know you’re a channel-first company? Over 90% of your sales go through partners, you have dedicated senior staffers, and partners who are initiating more than 60% of new business.

This method emphasizes integrating partners into all aspects of business, from sales strategy to product development. The important aspects of a channel-first strategy include:

Creation of joint product solutions, leading to tailored offerings that directly meet customer needs and showcase the strength of the partnership
Structured agreements such as memorandums of understanding that clarify roles and responsibilities
Regular reviews of these agreements to keep the partnership aligned and responsive to market changes
Cross-business exposure (i.e. Your CEO meets their Sales team, and their CFO meets your customers)

Huddle 3: Strategic Collaborations with Industry Giants

Partnering with large industry players involves navigating complexities like bureaucratic delays and requires building strong relationships with key decision-makers to align efforts.

One of the benefits that makes it all worth it? Substantial investments by big players can support broader marketing strategies and significantly stretch limited budgets.

Keys to successful large-scale partnerships:

Identify and build relationships with the decision-makers to gain alignment and speed up approvals
Partner with companies that share your customer values
Mutual understanding and continuous engagement, including regular business reviews and open communication channels
Event partnerships for cost-sharing and expanding audience reach

Conclusion: The Art of Partnership

A month of Peer Huddle insights leads to this: Successful partnerships are built on a foundation of strategic alignment, creative adaptation, and a deep commitment to mutual benefits. With the right approach and commitment, partnerships can significantly amplify business outcomes, turning collaboration into a powerful growth engine. For those looking to explore the full depth of these insights, joining CMO Huddles is the next best step.

Written by Melissa Caffrey

CMO Huddlers Discuss Global Website Management

Fri, 17 May 2024 15:30:00 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 397: A CMO’s Guide to Global Website Management

What does it take to transform a local website into a global powerhouse? Find out from Tom Bianchi of Acquia and Hannah Grap of Sitecore, as they dissect the strategies behind successful international digital presences.

Learn how Acquia’s latest initiatives are making the digital world more accessible and how Sitecore is modernizing data to tailor customer experiences across borders. We cover the changing landscape of SEO, how to localize your site for different countries, and which website metrics matter.

Whether you’re revamping your digital strategy or just tuning in to the latest trends, this episode is your gateway to mastering the art of engaging a worldwide audience through smart, inclusive web design. Don’t miss these essential insights that could redefine your digital footprint!

What You’ll Learn

How to modernize your digital presence
How to localize your global website
Which metrics matter for site optimization

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegademarketing.com/podcast/

5 Ways to Be a More Telegenic CMO

Tue, 14 May 2024 15:40:04 GMT

This is an open plea to CMOs. It’s time to be telegenic. Every day you’re on camera with peers, employees, partners, and customers. And every day you’re representing your company brand and your personal brand. And each time your face is blurry or bleeding into your virtual background or you sound like you’re underwater, you’re doing yourself and your company a disservice. You’re simply not communicating like the pro that you are.

It’s time to be ready for your close up. Here’s how:

Tip #1: Invest in an external camera

While built-in cameras on laptops have gotten better, most only have one setting which is often quite close. An external camera will give you the option of a wider frame, putting some distance between you and the camera, improving the odds that you’ll be in focus. This should also help if you are using a virtual background (more on those soon). My recommended camera is the Logitech Brio ($159 on Amazon) for both lens quality and ease of use. The main thing to look for is the 16:9 frame option and 4k resolution.

Tip #2: Fix your lighting

If you have a light source behind you, rotate your desk 180° if possible. If not, you’ll need extra lighting in front of you. Otherwise, you’ll always look washed out. In terms of lighting, I’m a fan of LED lamps that you can rotate or swivel. I use the Desk Lamp E7 with Clamp ($79 from Uplift) and have an extra long-neck desk lamp just in case it’s getting dark outside. Warning: If you wear glasses, don’t buy a Ring light!

Tip #3: Upgrade your audio

Ever wonder why radio announcers all sound great? For one, they aren’t using earbuds or cheap-tinny sounding headsets. Nope. They are using a high-end condenser microphones which are also the faves of podcasters. I use the Heil Sound PR 40 on a simple mic stand that runs through a Tascam pre-amp. Besides giving your voice a richer texture, these mics don’t pick up other sounds in the room which means you can listen via your computers speakers. If you want a simpler solution, a dynamic mic like the USB like the Shure MV7 will plug right into your computer and still sound better than your earbuds or a wire headset.

Tip #4: Assess your background

Since many CMOs are working at home, you’ll often see them using virtual backgrounds. If there is no way for you to be in a natural setting (always first choice), then pick a virtual background carefully. Some are simply impossible to work with because of the coloring or patterns or your available lighting. Simpler is usual better. Here again lighting is key - have enough lighting options to find the combo that makes your face look natural.

Tip #5: Get more bandwidth

All of the above will go to waste if your internet connection is slow. At a minimum, you should have 100 Mbps download & 25 MPS upload speed (test here). Ideally, get yourself in the 400 Mbps range both and up and down. Not only will your video and audio broadcast clearly but also you’ll be able to work faster on every internet-based task.

You’re articulate and a gifted communicator. It’s time to make sure you’re equipment isn’t diminishing your talents.

Written by Drew Neisser

Career Huddle: Let's Discuss Spontaneous Communication

Fri, 10 May 2024 16:20:39 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 396: Think Fast, Talk Smart: CMO Edition

Every day, CMOs must navigate a whirlwind of high-stakes, spontaneous conversations, from high-stakes boardroom challenges to delicate internal communications. Yet many have no formal training in this area or formulas for improvement.

In this episode, Stanford professor and communication expert Matt Abrahams shares actionable, science-backed strategies from his latest book, “Think Faster, Talk Smarter.” Whether it’s acing unexpected questions in job interviews, managing crises, or giving feedback, discover the structures and exercises that will prepare you to handle every spontaneous scenario like a seasoned pro.

What You’ll Learn

How to master spontaneous conversations
Structures to help you be clearer and more concise, plus exercises to practice
How to deal with unexpected interview questions

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegademarketing.com/podcast/

8 Tips to Land Your Next CMO Role

Tue, 07 May 2024 16:50:00 GMT

Many CMOs in transition are wondering what it takes to land another CMO role right now. To help develop an answer to this question, we’ve spoken with several CMOs who recently secured new posts.

Here’s what we learned with specific references from our March 2024 Transition Team Huddle conversation with a recent success story (anonymized as Happy Huddler/HH for maximum honesty!)

1. Mine Your Network

About 25% of CMO roles are found via recruiters. More than half are the result of a connection in your network. Happy Huddler, who secured a new role in January, noted their new position came through a business contact, not a recruiter. Others have reported that a former boss or a colleague provided the introductory connection.

2. Pursue Your 5x5 Matches

HH shared that his previous experiences perfectly aligned with his new opportunity. Not only had they worked in the same category, but also they had worked for companies in the same growth stage, with the same target and the same financial backing (in this case a PE firm). Because the company operated remotely, HH’s location in this case didn’t matter (other CMOs have noted they’ve lost to the local candidate). This 5x5 match was true for the other recently hired CMOs.

3. Look for Cultural Alignment

Throughout the interview process, HH asked questions to help them assess the culture to make sure it was a good fit. Once they understood the culture, they then leaned into it, demonstrating empathy and openness. For example, when asked, “What’s it like to work for you?” they responded with a list of former direct reports, saying, “Please speak with any of them and find out for yourself rather than take my word for it.”

4. Go All In When You See the Match

HH and others have shared the extra effort they’ve taken to secure recent roles. At every stage, they tried to anticipate questions and deliver more than expected. In HH’s final round presentation, they offered up “KPIs” even though they hadn’t asked for them. They also provided a SWOT analysis that essentially played back the various ideas shared by execs during the interview process.

5. Find the Critical Unresolved Challenge

During his interviews, HH discovered a challenge that several execs referenced but had different ideas on how to fix. During their final presentation, they acknowledged the challenge and provided a path to resolution. In this way, HH showed leadership chops and the potential to be the “Convener in Chief,” someone who can bring the executive team together, a value that goes well beyond marketing.

6. Speak the Language of Business Not Marketing

HH emphasized marketing’s ability to impact revenue and margins throughout the interview process. This was especially important when they were speaking with board members. By avoiding “marketing-ese” and referencing past experiences in growing revenue and improving margins, HH established their credibility as a business leader and set themselves apart from mere marketers.

7. Keep Everyone in the Loop

Writing thank you notes is expected. Circling back to execs with whom you spoke earlier in the process is unexpected. By keeping everyone in the loop during the 5-6 week interview process, HH reinforced their interest in the job, demonstrated their working style, and stayed top of mind with all the potential influencers and decision-makers.

8. Don’t Seem Desperate

Even though HH really wanted this opportunity knowing that it was a good match and that there weren’t any others like it out there right now, they were careful not to seem desperate. Having 3 fractional clients helped here. In addition to being able to speak about their work for these clients, it showed that their expertise was in demand.

Final Thought: There is a job out there for you. You just may need to do more than you ever expected to land it. We hope that you found this informative and inspiring.

Written by Drew Neisser

CMO Huddlers Discuss The CMO “Plus”

Fri, 03 May 2024 16:07:47 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 395: The CMO “Plus” — Elevating Your Business-Wide Impact

Are you ready to elevate your role from marketing maestro to strategic linchpin within your organization? Tap into your CMO superpower—your “plus”—and discover how it can dramatically expand your impact far beyond the conventional scope of marketing.

In this enlightening episode, we sit down with three trailblazing CMOs who have transcended traditional boundaries by embracing their “plus.” Learn from their experiences as they share the challenges and triumphs of mastering a dual role that leverages their skills to foster cross-functional success and drive significant organizational change.

Meet our guests and the pluses they covered:

Chris Willis: Former Chief Marketing + Pipeline Officer at Acrolinx. He is now CMO of Axios HQ
Melanie Marcus: Chief Marketing + CX Officer at Surescripts
Patti Newcomer: Former CMO + GM at FieldRoutes

What You’ll Learn

How 3 CMOs got their “plus”
How to manage two roles in one
How to stay connected to your teams

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegademarketing.com/podcast/

Transition Team Huddle: Let's Discuss The CMO Job Market

Fri, 26 Apr 2024 14:57:52 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 394: The 6 Dimensions of a Fortune 500 CMO

If you’re a B2B CMO stuck in limbo at the moment—you’re not alone. We’re in a seller’s market for executive talent, and the round peg, round hole expectations of companies looking for their next marketing chief are exceptionally limiting.

Richard Sanderson of Spencer Stuart brings a glimmer of hope, suggesting a brighter outlook for 2024. In this episode, he shares his expert perspective on the trials and triumphs facing today’s marketing leaders. Tune in as we explore what’s going on with the CMO role right now, the 6 dimensions that capture recruiter’s attention, and effective strategies to showcasing these qualities on LinkedIn. Plus tips on interview prep, 100-day plans, and what mediums to search through.

Recorded during a CMO Huddles Transition Team Huddle, this episode is more than just a conversation—it's a part of a supportive community aimed at empowering CMOs through networking, resume and cover letter reviews, and shared experiences. If you’re a B2B CMO in transition, check it out.

What You’ll Learn

What the CMO job market looks like in 2024
How to stand out to recruiters
How to prepare for the interview process

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegademarketing.com/podcast/

Career Huddle: Let's Discuss Authentic Leadership

Fri, 19 Apr 2024 16:48:57 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 393: Beyond Happiness: The Heart of Authentic Leadership

We’re in a defining moment where the role of the CMO is under the microscope, every decision measured against the relentless drumbeat of numbers and revenue. Yet, the pillars of authentic leadership extend far beyond the balance sheets—they’re the bedrock for sustainable growth.

Tune in for a compelling dialogue with Jenn Lim, author of Beyond Happiness, as we delve into the art of harmonizing purpose with performance. Learn how a purpose-driven mindset can yield profound job satisfaction, catalyze growth, fortify teams, and solidify your place in the C-Suite.

This episode unpacks practical strategies for safeguarding your career trajectory and elevating your role, even amidst the fervor of lead-chasing. Because in the end, the true measure of a CMO's success is about more than revenue generated—it’s in the resilience, innovation, and authenticity they bring to their team and the entire organization.

What You’ll Learn

How purpose drives growth & impact
Exercises to build more effective teams
How to future proof your role

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegade.com/podcast/

CMO Huddlers Discuss Aligning Marketing During Transformation

Fri, 12 Apr 2024 19:54:45 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 392: Leading Transformation: CMO Strategies for Dynamic Change

From shifting market trends to M&As to unexpected external events, if great B2B marketing is one thing—it’s agile. And in this episode, we pull back the curtain on CMOs who aren't merely surfing the waves of change—they're harnessing them.

Welcome to a masterclass in change management from Cary Bainbridge of ABM Industries, Narine Galstian of SADA, and Khalid El Khatib who was of Stack Overflow at the time of this recording but is now CMO of Consumer Reports.

Join us as we dissect pivotal decisions, pivot points, and the nimble moves that define successful B2B marketing today. We’ll explore the agility of B2B marketing through the lens of these seasoned leaders, providing actionable insights into how to lead transformation via resilience, strategic foresight, and a culture of continuous learning.

What You’ll Learn

How marketing can lead B2B transformation
The CMO’s role in change management
How to maintain executive alignment

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegade.com/podcast/

Bonus Huddle: Let's Discuss Paid B2B Media Optimization

Fri, 05 Apr 2024 16:20:30 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 391: Privacy Laws, First-Party Data, Google On-Page Results… Oh My!

From new privacy laws to AI-influenced Google search algorithms, there’s been a massive shift in the world of B2B paid media.

In response, CMO Huddles has tapped Josh Muskin of WebMechanix and Mike Ulanski of thunder::tech, experts in cutting-edge targeting and data utilization, to shed light on how B2B marketers can refine their strategies for today's challenges.

From leveraging first-party data in ad campaigns to executing precise ABM on LinkedIn, our guests reveal how a data-centric approach can significantly boost engagement with niche B2B audiences. Plus, they share insider tips on optimizing SEO and content to stand out on Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs), which are increasingly influenced by AI algorithms.

This episode is packed with use cases, best practices, and innovative strategies, offering businesses the insights needed to navigate the intricate realm of B2B marketing and capitalize on the latest technologies. Tune in if you’re looking to enhance lead quality and market presence in a digital-first economy.

What You’ll Learn

How to pivot your targeting and media buy strategy
How to optimize media spend (and where to spend it)
How AI is changing what shows up in Google search

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegade.com/podcast/

Bonus Huddle: Let's Discuss Forrester’s Transformative B2B Marketing Playbook

Fri, 22 Mar 2024 16:46:41 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 389: Forrester’s Transformative B2B Marketing Playbook

In the ever-evolving rodeo we call “B2B marketing,” CMOs have a lot to juggle. From navigating demographic shifts to lassoing elusive budget approvals, this episode dissects the critical skills needed to not just stay on the bull, but to lead the stampede in marketing-led transformation.

In this episode, Forrester’s Matt Selheimer shares his hard-earned insights into a wide-reaching range of important strategic recommendations, including:

Navigating the preferences of Millennial and Gen Z buyers
Securing and optimizing marketing budgets with a VC’s savvy
Selling in the long-term value of consistent brand investment
Building agile, customer-centric “two-pizza teams”
Broadening the scope of marketing metrics beyond pipeline

Tune in with your notepad (or your favorite AI assistant) ready, as we uncover the future of B2B marketing, one insightful tip at a time!

What You’ll Learn

What Millennial and Gen Z buyers care about most
How to secure a solid marketing budget
Transformational metrics, org models, AI usage

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegade.com/podcast/

CMO Huddlers Discuss Introversion

Fri, 15 Mar 2024 15:40:39 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 388: The Reflective CMO: Harnessing Introversion

Is the pen mightier than the roar in the realm of B2B marketing? Witness the unexpected edge introverted leaders like Bill Strawderman of GS1 US, Julie Kaplan of CareMetx, and Lorie Coulombe of Q4, Inc. wield in an arena where they turn introspection into influential strategy.

Join us as we delve into how introversion shapes effective leadership. From the power of the thoughtful pause to mastering calm under pressure, we explore the misconceptions of shyness, how to be heard in executive meetings, how to consciously build balanced teams, and a whole lot more.

Whether you're an introvert or extrovert—or somewhere in between—this episode promises insights that will reshape or refresh your approach to communication and leadership. Don’t miss it!

What You’ll Learn

The strengths of introverted leadership
How to be heard in executive meetings
How to build balanced, diverse teams

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegade.com/podcast/

Bonus Huddle: Let's Discuss Training Your AI

Fri, 08 Mar 2024 16:48:55 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 387: Training Your LLM & Other AI Marketing Hacks

Aside from “Artificial Intelligence,” what does “AI” stand for?

According to digital marketing expert Andy Crestodina of Orbit Media, it’s: “Another Input.” And this second opinion, when trained right, is able to identify gaps that the human brain can’t see, build personas, mimic your brand voice, and a whole lot more.

In this episode, Andy shares practical use cases for AI beyond content creation and design that will amp up your marketing impact. Tune in to this cutting edge conversation, previously aired as part of CMO Huddles Bonus Huddles, a monthly series featuring experts in AI, attribution, and more.

What You’ll Learn

How to train your LLM
How to use AI for gap analysis
Practical AI use cases

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegade.com/podcast/

CMO Huddlers Discuss EdTech Marketing

Fri, 01 Mar 2024 16:40:00 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 386: Syllabus for Success: B2B Marketing Lessons in EdTech

EdTech marketers, this show is for you. Everyone else, this show is ALSO for you.

Let’s examine the unique challenges EdTech marketers are facing right now:

They effectively have to market to 50 local markets
Due to the academic year, buying cycles are highly seasonal
With budget constraints, customers are demanding efficacy data

Scale, personalization, educating customers, proving ROI—there’s a lot to learn from how EdTech CMOs are approaching said challenges. In this episode, learn from EdTech marketing masters: Kevin Briody of Edmentum, Kay Moffett of Amplify, and Megan Rainbow of Allovue.

Plus, get an inside look at how purpose-driven marketing can attract and retain top talent and the importance of empathy in understanding the educator's perspective.

Don't miss this rich conversation filled with insights that transcend the EdTech space, providing valuable takeaways for marketing leaders in any sector.

What You’ll Learn

The top challenges for EdTech CMOs (and how they’re solving them)
How to navigate localization challenges
What’s working in EdTech marketing

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegade.com/podcast/

In this episode, three such seasoned CMOs share the strategies and best practices that drive success in global markets. Tune in as we explore the power of community building, how to coordinate across borders, and how local experiments can be transformed into global wins.

Career Huddle: Let's Discuss How CMOs can Drive CX

Fri, 23 Feb 2024 19:48:37 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 385: Speed Sells: The Crucial Role of Time in Customer Satisfaction

Two out of three customers say that speed is as important as price—making it an essential ingredient of brand success.

That’s why it’s time for CMOs to harness responsiveness as a distinct competitive advantage. In this episode, Jay Baer provides a blueprint for how to get there, detailing 6 time-busting strategies shared in his book, “The Time to Win.”

From auditing your current responsiveness to baking in a “fast pass,” prepare to transform customer interactions into swift, memorable experiences that promote loyalty and positive word-of-mouth.

Don't miss out on these game-changing insights that could set the pace for your company's future!

What You’ll Learn

Why time is a key differentiator
6 ways to be a more responsive organization
How to apply Jay’s “need for speed” framework

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegade.com/podcast/

CMO Huddlers Discuss Global Marketing Strategies

Fri, 16 Feb 2024 17:25:19 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 384: Flex Your Global Marketing Muscles

Expanding into new markets can bring incredible growth opportunities for B2B brands. But how can marketers navigate the complexities of cultural nuances to build successful global marketing strategies?

Spoiler alert: It’s not easy tying together a global marketing model under different time zones, budgets, languages, cultures, and different sets of resources. A CMO undergoing such an endeavor can’t be afraid to get their hands dirty and iterate as you grow.

Our Panel

What You’ll Learn

How to expand your marketing globally
How to merge local campaigns with the overall brand
How to coordinate an international team

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegade.com/podcast/

Bonus Huddle: Let's Discuss The Compelling Case for Brand

Fri, 09 Feb 2024 16:41:04 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 383: Rethinking B2B Marketing: The Compelling Case for Brand

Let us briefly introduce you to the 95/5 Rule: 95% of your market isn’t ready to buy today. 5% is.

With such a significant chunk of future buyers not in-market at any given point in time, why are CMOs under so much pressure to generate leads? In this fascinating episode with Peter Weinberg of LinkedIn’s’ B2B Institute, he breaks down the key arguments you can use to remind your CEO and CFO why brand building is essential to long-term growth.

Based on B2B Institute’s groundbreaking insights, we don’t just explore the WHY of B2B success, but the HOW. It’s time for B2B brands to get weird, to update their media spend strategy, and to home in on the rational sales pitch.

This episode was recorded in front of a live audience as part of CMO Huddles’ Bonus Huddle series. If you’re interested in learning more, check out cmohuddles.com.

What You’ll Learn

Why brand building is so important
Why it’s time to get weird with B2B creative
Media distribution strategy tips

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegade.com/podcast/

CMO Huddlers Discuss Leadership Strategies

Fri, 02 Feb 2024 16:59:07 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 382: Leadership Strategies in Turbulent Times

When economic pressures hit, the pressure on CMOs intensifies. The decisions you make as CMO can significantly impact your marketing team’s ability to weather the storm and come out stronger on the other side. But fear not!

In this episode, we'll be speaking with three bright minds and marketing leaders who have successfully navigated through storms: CMOs Marca Armstrong of Sensera Systems, Katrina Klier of Sage Strategy Group, and Gabi Zijderveld of Smart Eye.

Tune in explore how to captain your team when external factors are pushing in, how to be nimble when the unexpected happens, and how to get ahead of employee burnout while inspiring productivity. We're about to gain some serious altitude in our conversation today, so fasten your seat belts and get ready for a ride filled with insights!

What You’ll Learn

The key steps in helping employees adapt in turbulent times
How to get ahead of employee burnout
How to maintain a good work/life balance

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegade.com/podcast/

Bonus Huddle: Let's Discuss Radical Candor

Fri, 26 Jan 2024 19:13:33 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 381: Radical Candor: The CMO’s Guide to Fearless Feedback

At the heart of transformative leadership lies a powerful concept: Radical Candor. It's the art of caring personally and challenging directly, a philosophy Kim Scott crafted to help others achieve results collaboratively that you could never achieve alone.

For B2B CMOs, adopting Radical Candor can be a game-changer. In this episode, Kim Scott herself applies the principles of Radical Candor to the unique challenges of the CMO role. Tune in to learn how to communicate collaboratively with your CEO, your C-Suite peers, and your teams, all in the name of B2B greatness.

Captured live in front of a CMO audience, this session is part of CMO Huddles’ ongoing Career Huddle Book Club series spotlighting thought leaders and authors who are reshaping the world of business.

Interested in being part of the conversation? To join a future Career Huddle or to suggest an author whose ideas could ignite the next discussion, reach out to us at support@cmohuddles.com. Your seat at the table awaits.

What You’ll Learn

How to solicit and give great feedback
How radical candor can increase productivity
How to talk to your boss, your peers, and your teams

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegade.com/podcast/

CMO Huddlers Discuss Pipeline Playbooks

Fri, 12 Jan 2024 17:05:01 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 379: Pipeline Playbook Peak Performance

Ready, set, drive pipeline!

That’s the battle cry for B2B CMOs, where driving growth from day one is a given—and consistently delivering on that promise is non-negotiable. This episode zooms in on the tactical prowess of three CMOs who have turned pipeline playbooks into a science.

Tune in to hear wisdom from proven pros: Kathie Johnson of Sitecore, Joshua Leatherman of Service Express, and Gary Sevounts of Malwarebytes. They’ll delve into the critical assessment of a company’s current state and how to craft dynamic pipeline playbooks that not only meet targets but exceed them.

Expect to walk away with a playbook of your own, filled with actionable tactics and hard-earned wisdom. Are you ready to escalate your pipeline strategy? Get this conversation in your ear buds!

What You’ll Learn

How 3 CMOs design their pipeline playbooks
Real world plays that work
How to define targets, opportunity stages, ++

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegade.com/podcast/

CMO Huddlers Discuss B2B Brand Values

Fri, 05 Jan 2024 12:05:30 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 378: Staying True to Your B2B Brand Values

Beyond the numbers and strategies, beyond the boardrooms and presentations, lies a question that’s more vital than ever before: How do CMOs ensure that brand values aren’t just words on a wall?

Cue CMOs Marshall Poindexter of OpenEye, Cadence Molecular Sciences, Joe Cohen of AXIS, and Matt Preschern of NTT Ltd, who are ensuring that brand values shine as the guiding stars in every strategic and day-to-day decision at your business.

In this episode, they share how to bring your brand values to life for employees, customers, and prospects. Tune in to learn what it means to define your values, how to weave them into overall business strategy, and how to measure them to make sure they’re still going strong. Don’t miss it!

What You’ll Learn

Why having brand values matters to the bottom line
Who should own brand values
How to measure brand values

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegade.com/podcast/

Bonus Huddle: Let's Discuss Video Marketing

Fri, 05 Jan 2024 12:03:52 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 377: Reel Results: Video Strategies for B2B CMOs

Want to win with video?

Tune into this episode with Tyler Lessard, VP of Marketing at Vidyard, as he answers questions from CMOs, for CMOs, sharing a wealth of pragmatic advice for B2B CMOs looking to utilize this powerful business asset. We cover the 4 Es of great videos, why you need a “watch demo” button on your website, how video enables personalization to a whole new level, and a whole lot more.

What You’ll Learn

What makes a great B2B video
B2B video production lessons from… TikTok?
How to use and personalize video to convert prospects

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegade.com/podcast/

Bonus Huddle: Let's Discuss Customer-Obsessed Growth

Thu, 21 Dec 2023 16:01:42 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 376: The B2B Customer-Obsessed Growth Engine

Being customer obsessed has always sounded like a good idea. And here’s a stat that should catch your (and your C-Suite’s) attention: “Customer obsessed companies have 10% higher performance numbers in revenue, growth and profits, customer satisfaction, and employee satisfaction. That’s 3x the rate of companies that are not customer obsessed.”

In this episode, Forrester’s Lori Wizdo shares how CMOs can take the reins and help their companies develop customer obsessed growth engines. Tune in to learn why you need one, how to pilot one, and how to flip the script from “data-driven” to “insight-driven” strategy. You won’t want to miss it!

What You’ll Learn

Why customer-obsession is good for business
How marketers can rethink the buyer’s journey
How to pilot a customer-obsessed growth engine

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegade.com/podcast/

Career Huddle: Let's Discuss Podcast Guesting

Fri, 15 Dec 2023 12:01:52 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 375: Mastering the Mic: A CMO's Playbook for Podcast Guesting

Want to be the best podcast guest?

Rachel Downey, the mastermind behind Share Your Genius, unveils her secrets to help you amplify your voice—and your brand—via the power of podcasting. Whether you’re aiming to bolster your personal brand, widen your company’s reach, or attract fresh talent, hopping onto a podcast could be your game-changer.

This episode is your all-access pass to mastering the art of podcast guesting, including how to:

Select podcasts that align with your vision.
Find the right tech for a flawless audio (and video) presence.
Craft compelling narratives that captivate audiences.
Measure the exposure and reach of your show appearance.

And for the visionary CMOs out there, we’ve got something special—as a B2B podcast production expert, Rachel shares exclusive insights into starting and hosting your own podcast, tailored for the B2B space.

Ready for the mic? Tune in now!

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegade.com/podcast/

CMO Huddlers Discuss ABM on a Budget

Fri, 08 Dec 2023 15:01:03 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 374: ABM on the Cheap

Low budget and high ROI expectations? No problem. This episode of Renegade Marketers Unite is all about how B2B CMOs are building, optimizing, and tracking ABM programs with low-to-no budget.

Tune in as Julie Kaplan of CareMetx, Olga Noha of SplitMetrics, and Julie Feller of U.S. Legal Support share their top tips for setting up an ABM program that maximizes results without maxing out your team. We’ll cover how to find your target audience, how to align with Sales, the must-haves of a successful ABM program, and a whole lot more. Tune in!

(P.S. We had a surprise guest—ABX expert, Jon Russo!)

What You’ll Learn

How 3 CMOs run ABM programs with low to no budget
How to track against ABM goals
ABM program must-haves

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegade.com/podcast/

Bonus Huddle: Generative AI Use Cases

Fri, 24 Nov 2023 12:40:52 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 372: Unbottling Versatile AI Use Cases

What are you using AI for? According to CMO AI advisor Nicole Leffer, that’s the wrong question to ask. Instead, CMOs should be asking, “What are we not using AI for, and how can we?”

Nicole is CMO Huddles’ favorite GenAI genie. She returned to a recent CMO Huddles Bonus Huddle to share a wide range of use cases for GenAI, from copywriting to image generation, from landing page analysis to strategic insights.

This is an episode dedicated to optimizing your team’s time and your strategic initiatives. Don’t miss it!

What You’ll Learn

New developments: Using AI for copywriting
How to use AI for graphic creation, website analysis, interview prep
How to train your team on AI

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegade.com/podcast/

CMO Huddlers Discuss The First 90 Days

Fri, 17 Nov 2023 14:20:53 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 371: The First 90 Days: Quick Wins, Curveballs, and Strategic Shifts

The success of a CMO’s first 90 days starts before day one, and its impact extends well past that 3-month mark.

In this episode, we explore how to get that first 90 right with CMOs Jamie Gier of DexCare, Bernd Leger of Cornerstone OnDemand, and Isabelle Papoulias of BackBox, who at the time of this interview were freshly into or just out of their own first 90.

Tune in as we explore the step-by-step methodology behind a fruitful first 90 days in the CMO role. We’ll cover topics like how to run your listening tour, how often you should communicate with key stakeholders, and how to get some quick wins while ramping up for long-term success.

What You’ll Learn

What to do in your first 90 days as a CMO
How to manage curveballs and get quick wins
How to build trust when you’re new on the job

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegade.com/podcast/

Drew Neisser's Takeaways: 10 Dares for 2024

Fri, 10 Nov 2023 12:47:47 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 370: B2B Marketing Greatness: 10 Dares for 2024

We triple dog dare you to be more daring marketers in 2024. To be growth drivers. To stop playing it safe. In this fantastic Drew on Drew episode, the two Drews discuss how the B2B realm is overdue for a shakeup in 2024, with 10 daring marketing moves that will get you there.

This is especially pertinent in today’s current climate, with a significant number of companies eliminating the CMO role altogether as the recession continues to put pressure on budgets. Tune in to learn where to focus your time and attention to be a better strategic partner, a better marketer, and a better leader. This episode is not to be missed!

What You’ll Learn

How to make your organization distinct in 2024
Where to focus your time and budget
How to be an even better marketer

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegade.com/podcast/

CMO Huddlers Discuss Connecting Brand to Revenue

Fri, 03 Nov 2023 13:24:57 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 369: The Long-Game: Connecting B2B Brand to B2B Revenue

Over 90% of your buyers are not in-market today. So how do you make sure that you’re at the top of their list whenever they decide it’s time to buy?

Enter brand, the powerful component of every company looking to impact long-term growth and drive revenue. In this episode, we explore how CMOs are using brand as a strategic lever in their long-term revenue generation strategies, how they get brand buy-in across the org, and how they measure brand’s impact on growth.

Learn why every brand moment is an acquisition moment in this conversation, guided by the exceptional Margaret Molloy of Siegel+Gale, our guest host, and our stellar lineup of CMOs:

Kristin Russel of symplr
Chandar Pattabhiram, Former of Coupa and Marketo
Rashmi Vittal, CMO of Productiv at the time of this interview

What You’ll Learn

How 3 CMOs have evolved their brands
How to connect brand to revenue
How to get buy-in on brand

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegade.com/podcast/

Career Huddle: Let's Discuss LinkedIn for CMOs

Fri, 27 Oct 2023 10:15:11 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 368: Leveraging LinkedIn for Leading CMOs

If there’s a social media platform where a CMO can gain substantial influence, LinkedIn is the one. So how can marketers get their voices out there? Enter Beth Granger, your LinkedIn Guru, who joined a CMO Huddles Career Huddle to share her top tips for networking and connecting on the popular business platform.

Beth works with organizations and individuals who want to grow their businesses through referrals and unleash the power of LinkedIn. Tune in as she shares her exclusive insights into managing your personal profile—what to write, when to post, who to tag, and more. We cover everything from LinkedIn Live to LinkedIn Groups, what happens when you go Creator Mode, and the ever-elusive LinkedIn algorithm. Check it out!

What You’ll Learn

How to build a better LinkedIn profile
What to post, how often, and when to tag
How to get better engagement on LinkedIn

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegade.com/podcast/

CMO Huddlers Discuss Cybersecurity

Fri, 20 Oct 2023 13:04:09 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 367: Cybersecurity for CMOs: Bad Bots, Breaches, Phishing… Oh My!

Bad bots, security breaches, and deceptive phishing schemes—oh my? That’s right! There are a lot of dangers out there in the often-murky waters of cybersecurity, and marketers need to be ready.

That’s why we brought 3 cybersecurity CMOs on the podcast. Tune in as Dan Lowden of BLACKBIRD.AI (previously HUMAN Security), Laura MacGregor of CIS, and Michael Callahan of Salt Security (formerly Acronis) shed light on these digital threats and share how B2B marketers can stay ahead of them. We cover things like how to develop a crisis playbook for security breaches, how to protect your tech stack, and why CAPTCHA isn’t all that effective anymore.

Don’t miss it!

What You’ll Learn

Which cybersecurity threats CMOs need to be aware of
How to develop a crisis playbook for a breach attack
How to be proactive about cybersecurity

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegade.com/podcast/

CMO Huddlers Discuss Top-of-Funnel Marketing

Fri, 13 Oct 2023 13:39:28 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 366: How B2B CMOs Fill Their Funnels

In this episode, three seasoned CMOs delve into their techniques for nourishing the top of their funnels and the nuances of lead assessment and qualification. Discover the power of impactful content and learn the triggers that send a qualified lead to Sales.

Tune in to hear from our special guests Jeff Morgan of Elements, Andrés Roselló of Cognex, and Kevin Briody of Edmentum.

What You’ll Learn

How 3 CMOs feed top-of-funnel (and what’s working)
How to assess and qualify potential prospects
When Sales should step in

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegade.com/podcast/

Bonus Huddle: Let's Discuss Human vs. AI Content

Fri, 06 Oct 2023 11:01:58 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 365: Human vs. AI: Surprising Content Test Results

10 weeks. 60 blog posts. 3 authorship sources: Humans, AI, and Hybrid.

These were the conditions put to the test in a quest to answer the age-old question: Who writes better, humans or AI?

To hear the results, tune in to this interview with Michael Brenner and his team at Marketing Insider Group, who ran this test in partnership with Renegade.com and CMO Huddles. There was a clear winner in terms of site traffic and rankings (Humans! cough, cough), but also undeniable evidence that hybrid is the way of the future.

On top of exploring the test results, we also cover whether AI will replace SDRs, copyright and plagiarism concerns, and more. Don’t miss it!

What You’ll Learn

Who writes better content: Humans, Bots, or Hybrid
The methodology behind the report
The future of AI and content creation

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegade.com/podcast/

Career Huddle: Let's Discuss Interviewing & Negotiation

Fri, 29 Sep 2023 15:34:29 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 364: Ace the Interview: B2B CMO Edition

“Tell me about yourself.” This vague, clichéd interview question can be answered in a lot of different ways. Executive coach Jacob Warwick is here to tell you the best way, especially if you’re looking to land your next CMO role.

In this riveting CMO Huddles Career Huddle replay, Jacob shares his top interviewing tips and tricks, like how to be assertive, why you should lean into your competition, and how to approach compensation conversations. For those eyeing the CMO chair – a position known for its fleeting tenure – this episode is essential listening. Immerse yourself and gear up for success!

What You’ll Learn

How to align your skills with the goals of the org
The top mistakes made in executive interviews
How to approach the compensation question

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegade.com/podcast/

CMO Huddlers Discuss MarTech + AI (LIVE)

Thu, 21 Sep 2023 15:32:24 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 363: MarTech Meets AI: Integration Insights

AI has become the secret weapon for many marketing teams. In the MarTech world, this goes one step further: many MarTech CMOs are not only embracing AI but pioneering its integration.

Three such CMOs are Adriana Gil Miner of Iterable, Christopher Willis of Acrolinx, and Andrew Bennett of Smartsheet. In this episode, we bring them together so they can share how they’re marketing the AI that’s making their respective products that much more powerful. Tune in to deep dive into their strategies for rising above the AI buzz, leveraging PR, community engagement, word-of-mouth campaigns, and the myriad ways their teams are harnessing AI.

All three have led impressive strategic initiatives at their respective orgs, and in this conversation, they share the behind the scenes work that it takes to get there. Tune in to as they share how to navigate corporate dynamics, win over the skeptics, and get consensus for the big ideas that will move the needle.

What You’ll Learn

How 3 CMOs are augmenting their products with AI
How to cut through the noise when marketing AI
How marketing teams are using AI

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegade.com/podcast/

CMO Huddlers Discuss Organizational Buy-In

Fri, 15 Sep 2023 09:53:27 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 362: From Pitch to Practice: Getting Organizational Buy-In for Strategic Initiatives

All aboard! If you want to bring any strategic vision to fruition, you need to bring everyone along with you—from the CEO, to the executive team, to employees throughout the org. That’s what we explore in today’s episode with CMOs Melanie Marcus of Surescripts, Grant Johnson of Billtrust, and Lauren Boyman of KPMG US.

What You’ll Learn

How 3 CMOs led large strategic initiatives
How to get buy-in from the C-Suite and the board
How to get employees excited about your brand’s new direction

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegade.com/podcast/

Drew Neisser's Takeaways: AI for B2B Marketers

Fri, 01 Sep 2023 11:57:45 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 360: Drew's Takeaways: Augmenting CMO Productivity with GenAI

Here’s a little secret: This Drew-on-Drew episode was not entirely human-made. We did have two real Drews, yes, and our production crew surely played a role throughout the entire, multi-step podcast-making process. But we made all of it a little easier with transcription bots, AI content generators, and AI video editors.

And that’s the theme of this episode. Generative AI is here to help make processes a little bit easier for B2B marketers. To help sort through content for a first draft, to create at a higher capacity, to save you time so you can dedicate more of it to high-level strategy.

Tune in to hear from Drew how B2B marketers are using AI now, how it’s evolving, and what great thought leaders like Forrester and McKinsey are saying about future of AI. Plus, Drew shares a list of his top AI thought leaders and conferences. Check it out!

What You’ll Learn

How B2B CMOs are using AI for content and design
Exciting future uses of AI
Who to follow to keep up with AI

CMO Huddlers Discuss ICPs (LIVE)

Fri, 25 Aug 2023 12:28:03 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 359: ICP VIPs: How 3 B2B CMOs Tighten Targets

A full funnel doesn’t always = revenue. B2B marketers know this, and CMOs are really feeling it as marketing budgets are growingly contingent on dwindling lead funnels. But there’s hope—what if the line from prospect to lifetime customer might be as simple as I-C-P?

The Ideal Customer Profile helps B2B businesses determine truly qualified leads, those who are most likely to pay for your product or service, get the most value of it, and remain a loyal customer in the long term.

In this episode, three powerhouse CMOs share how they identified their ICPs and mastered the art of refining and sharpening them. Through the lens of their experiences, we’ll delve into the intricate process of zeroing in on those pivotal targets that can transform a company’s trajectory.

Tune in to snag all the wisdom from Kaycee Kalpin of Premier, Janet Jaiswal of Cloudbeds, and Jan Deahl of Drake Star.

What You’ll Learn

How 3 CMOs have identified & narrowed their ICP
How to manage & market multiple ICPs
How to use data to further refine your targeting efforts

CMO Huddlers Discuss GTM (LIVE)

Fri, 18 Aug 2023 14:19:45 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 358: B2B GTM Shepherds: From Pipeline Dreams to Revenue Reality

If marketing wants to have a strategic seat at the table, CMOs need to be in the business of marketing (opposed to marketing the business). Effective CMOs with sway create markets. They unite the C-Suite as one. They shepherd in the Go-To-Market (GTM) strategies that grow the business.

In this episode, we explore the core elements that make a B2B GTM strategy truly effective with three renowned B2B marketers: Bryan Law of ZoomInfo, Amanda Malko of G2, and Sangram Vajre of GTM Partners. They share what it takes to build strong B2B GTM motions, the telltale signs of a faulty strategy, and why NRR (Net Revenue Retention) should probably be your new favorite metric.

Join us as we unravel these insights and more, ensuring you walk away with actionable takeaways to supercharge your B2B GTM strategies.

What You’ll Learn

How B2B CMOs can build and improve strong GTM motions
Signs your GTM is broken
Why NRR should be your new metric

CMO Huddlers Discuss International Marketing (LIVE)

Fri, 11 Aug 2023 15:30:10 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 357: Going Global: An International Starter Pack

Have product-market fit, will travel.

International expansion is an exciting B2B growth opportunity, but marketers have a mind-boggling set of variables to consider. From relocating headquarters to navigating language barriers to engaging analysts, there’s a lot to manage. Luckily, this episode with Jacques Botbol, Olga Noha, and Dean Nicolls dives into what it takes to take a brand global without getting lost in translation.

Tune in as we hear from three experienced international marketers who know how to go the extra mile.

What You’ll Learn

How 3 B2B marketers navigate international expansions
How to structure and manage global teams
How to translate brand and communications across languages

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegade.com/podcast/

Bonus Huddle: Let's Discuss Compassionate Leadership

Fri, 04 Aug 2023 10:23:22 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 356: Compassionate CMO Leaders... Unite!

Purpose. Perspective. Power up. People. Positivity.

These are Dalia Feldheim’s 5P’s of compassionate leadership, which she laid out in a powerful Bonus Huddle about how CMOs can be better bosses, or, as Dalia put it in her book of the same name: Dare to lead like a girl.

With a collection of inspiring and heartfelt stories across an illustrious career, Dalia is set on inspiring better businesses and work cultures through focusing on individual strengths, positivity, and compassion. This is an episode dedicated to great leadership, founded by a strong purpose: “To put the hearts of your people in the heart of what you do.”

What You’ll Learn

How to be a better, more compassionate leader
Why goal setting is so important
How to overcome biases in the workplace

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegade.com/podcast/

CMO Huddlers Discuss Board Management (LIVE)

Fri, 28 Jul 2023 14:02:56 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 355: The B2B Board Management Episodes

Welcome to THE board management episode for B2B CMOs.

There's a lot of pressure when it comes to managing the board. It’s up to the CMO to ensure that marketing has a strategic seat at the table, to show the board marketing’s impact on revenue and build a business case for the budget.

That’s why we brought in two veteran CMOs, Bernd Leger of Cornerstone OnDemand and Jamie Gier of DexCare, to share their learnings from managing both public and private boards. Tune in to learn everything you need to know about board management, from how to build great board relationships, to which metrics to bring to the table, to what not to do in the boardroom!

What You’ll Learn

How to build great board relationships
How to ensure marketing has a strategic seat at the table
Which marketing metrics matter to the board

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegade.com/podcast/

Bonus Huddle: Let's Discuss Revenue Acceleration

Thu, 20 Jul 2023 14:01:02 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 354: The Revenue Acceleration Playbook

What is a surefire way to snuff out any interest from a potential B2B buyer? A product pitch. Unfortunately, our brains are wired to pitch, so it’s going to take a collective effort and a lot of practice to rewire how you talk to your customers and prospects in market.

Enter Brent Keltner, President of Winalytics LLC and author of The Revenue Acceleration Playbook. He joined a recent Bonus Huddle to share how to develop your own revenue acceleration playbook, hit personalization at scale, and collect the customer stories that people really want to hear.

If you find this conversation insightful and would like to participate in these Q&As in real time, check out cmohuddles.com.

What You’ll Learn

How 3 CMOs evolved ABM programs at their organizations
Why you need clean data for successful ABM
How ABM can redefine the marketing function

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegade.com/podcast/

CMO Huddlers Discuss ABM, Part 2 (LIVE)

Thu, 13 Jul 2023 13:57:39 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 353: Spearfishing with ABM

Once you go ABM, there’s no going back. That’s the sentiment that our CMO guests shared in this episode of Renegade Marketers Unite, and for good reason. Tune in to learn how ABM can transform the revenue engine at B2B organizations, setting marketing up as a key strategic player and enabling personalization at scale.

CMOs Kevin Sellers of Ping Identity, Laura Beaulieu of LeanLaw, and Ali McCarthy share their experiences standing up and evolving ABM at their firms. As Kevin declared, “ABM done right is spearfishing. You’re not casting the net super broad and sorting through it, you’re really going after specific fish.”

Don’t miss it!

And don’t forget to catch the previous episode, also dedicated to ABM: CMO’s Guide to Adopting Account-Based Marketing.

What You’ll Learn

How 3 CMOs evolved ABM programs at their organizations
Why you need clean data for successful ABM
How ABM can redefine the marketing function

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegade.com/podcast/

CMO Huddlers Discuss ABM, Part 1 (LIVE)

Fri, 07 Jul 2023 19:00:13 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 352: A CMO’s Guide to Adopting Account-Based Marketing

Thinking of adopting (or ramping up) ABM? Welcome to part 1 of two episodes dedicated to implementing Account-Based Marketing (ABM) programs. In this episode, Huddlers Charles Groome of Biz2Credit, Chip Rodgers of WorkSpan, and Grant Johnson of Billtrust lead the charge, sharing how they’ve brought ABM into their organizations and the difference it has made.

Learn how to choose an ABM platform, how much time and how many people you may need, and what ABM success looks like.

What You’ll Learn

How to ramp up an ABM program
How to get to marketing-sourced revenue
How to run a successful ABM program

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegade.com/podcast/

Huddler Ellie Ahmadi on Ad Age

Fri, 30 Jun 2023 19:01:00 GMT

Sāgo expanded from a focus group space provider to a full-service global research company.

For a company changing its name, aggravation comes in many forms: competing opinions, scarcity of available names and URLs, trademarking challenges and corporate resistance. It can then take a year before the new name fully takes hold.

Ellie Ahmadi was prepared for these challenges when named chief marketing officer of Schlesinger Group—then primarily a focus group space provider—in November 2021. Her mandate was to help the company continue its transformation into a full-service global research company. Fortunately, the executive team was part of the project so that “when we got to the name, Sāgo, they could all agree to just say go,” Ahmadi said.

Read the full Q&A on Ad Age: Rebranding Strategy—How Expanded Capabilities Led to New Name for Research Firm

Listen to the Episode: Rebranding a 57-Year-Old Company with Sāgo CMO

CMO Huddlers Discuss the B2B Brand Refresh (LIVE)

Fri, 30 Jun 2023 16:23:54 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 351: So You Want to Lead a Brand Refresh

To rebrand or to not rebrand, that is the question… in this episode of Renegade Marketers Unite! Three CMO guests join to share the strategic process behind a brand refresh, from how to know it’s time to rebrand, to how to get buy-in, to what you need to do to execute a successful one. This is the perfect strategic rebrand episode for B2B marketers wondering if it’s time for a refresh, giving them the building blocks they’ll need to enable change that will drive business forward.

Tune in for wisdom from:

What You’ll Learn

How to know when it’s time to rebrand
How to get buy-in from the C-Suite and the board
The process: from research to aha moments and more
Metrics to show a successful rebrand

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegade.com/podcast/

Drew Neisser's Takeaways: Forrester B2B Summit Takeaways

Fri, 23 Jun 2023 13:43:29 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 350: Trust is Human-Led & 11 Other Forrester B2B Summit Takeaways

This special 350th episode was brought to you from Drew’s hotel room at Forrester’s 2023 B2B Summit and holds 12 key takeaways that B2B marketers can use to drive customer-centric growth. Long-time listeners will recognize Drew’s CATS framework and the enduring importance of being courageous, artful, thoughtful, and scientific. These core traits of successful CMOs are reinforced with fresh insights from the Summit. Tune in to soak it all in.

What You'll Learn

Top B2B marketing lessons from Forrester analysts
How to lead with customer centricity
The 4 dimensions of customer value

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegade.com/podcast/

Bonus Huddle: Generative AI Tools

Fri, 16 Jun 2023 15:41:36 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 349: Generative AI Tools for B2B Productivity

This episode was brought to you by AI (with a healthy dose of human oversight, of course).

Descript. Otter. ChatGPT. These are just a few of the generative AI tools that are helping simplify the tedious and clear the way for bigger and better ideas in the marketing world, and that’s the focus of this conversation with Cathy McPhillips, Chief Growth Officer of Marketing AI Institute.

Tune in to hear some really interesting use cases, like how she saved 18-20 hours of podcast production, how AI won in an A/B test for generating promotional copy, and how to keep up with the pace of AI. And if you like what you hear, check out the upcoming MAICON (Marketing AI Conference), July 26-28th, 2023 in Chicago.

We have a discount code for CMO Huddles members. If you want it, let us know!

What You'll Learn

Tips for deploying gen AI tools
Why you still need human oversight
How to converse with AI

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegade.com/podcast/

CMO Huddlers Discuss Aligning Marketing with the Business (LIVE)

Fri, 09 Jun 2023 12:59:31 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 348: Beyond Pipeline: Aligning Marketing with the Business

Navigating a potential spinoff of a mega-brand. Moving to enterprise. Going public. These are massive business initiatives where marketing can play a key role—and it’s up to the CMO to prove it.

In this episode, three such CMOs share how they’ve cemented marketing’s seat at the table when it comes to propelling business forward (with impressive stats like 60% year-over-year growth and marketing bringing in 80% of the pipeline, for example).

Tune in to hear the strategies and tactics behind these powerhouse CMOs:

What You'll Learn

How to align marketing with the business
How to establish marketing as a strategic partner
Which metrics matter to non-marketers

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegade.com/podcast/

CMO Huddlers Discuss B2B Marketing Metrics (LIVE)

Fri, 02 Jun 2023 14:34:55 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 347: Marketing Metrics That Move the Needle

Metrics, metrics, metrics. It’s the science of marketing that delivers budget approvals, board buy-in, and a formidable seat at the table. In this episode, we explore the B2B metrics that matter with three metrics-driven CMOs.   

Tune in to get all kinds of metrics insights, with wisdom from CMOs Kevin Sellers of Ping Identity, Deidre Hudson of Bloomfire (previously Payability), and Khalid El Khatib of Stack Overflow.

What You'll Learn

How 3 marketers approach measurement
The role marketing plays in customer retention
Metrics that move the needle

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegade.com/podcast/

CMO Huddlers Discuss B2B Customer Marketing (LIVE)

Fri, 26 May 2023 14:32:52 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 346: From B2B Customers to B2B Advocates

Weather any storm with a strong customer marketing motion. In today’s episode, Drew and our CMO guests explore what it means to build and facilitate a successful customer marketing program. Tune in to learn why you should set up a CAB ASAP, how retention can lead to growth, how much of the budget should go to marketing, and a whole lot more.

Featuring CMO Huddlers:

Tejal Parekh (Previously CMO Terminal)
Marca Armstrong of Passport
Grant Johnson of Billtrust (Previously CMO Emburse)

What You'll Learn

Customer marketing tactics
How to facilitate customer advocacy/advisory groups
How to know when your customer marketing program isn’t working

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegade.com/podcast/

Huddler James Stanton on Ad Age

Fri, 19 May 2023 18:53:23 GMT

Software company’s ‘microculture’ connects employees to brand strategy.

Despite headlines about major layoffs in the tech world, retaining key staffers remains a top priority for chief marketing officers who recognize that they are only as effective as the team that supports them. With unemployment at its lowest level in 54 years, it’s also hard to recruit replacements quickly or cost-effectively. And with so much of the workforce virtual, it takes longer to acculturate and bond with new hires.

Among marketers prioritizing retention is James B. Stanton, VP of marketing for Empyrean, a human resources software provider. Stanton has built a microculture within marketing whose team members feel connected to Empyrean’s overall brand strategy: Build a better culture through benefits. “It’s not coincidental that Empyrean has enjoyed its two strongest years of growth as employees have aligned behind our purpose,” said Stanton.

Read the full Q&A on Ad Age: Engaging Remote Marketing Teams—How Common Goals and Collaboration Can Help Retain Talent

Listen to the Episode: Build Your Dream B2B Marketing Team

Bonus Huddle: Let's Discuss ChatGPT for B2B Marketers

Fri, 19 May 2023 14:29:27 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 345: Coaching ChatGPT: Pragmatic AI for B2B Marketers

B2B marketers: This is the ChatGPT episode you’ve been waiting for.

Get ready to save 5 hours a week and increase productivity with Nicole Leffer, your go-to AI consultant. Nicole joined a recent Bonus Huddle to share a myriad of pragmatic ways marketing teams can leverage generative AI, like training it to use your brand voice, transforming webinars into blog posts, and prompt crafting.

We also cover what Google thinks about the whole AI thing, why you need to fact check, and what to do about potential security concerns. Get this in your ears ASAP—AI is evolving fast and this is a train you don’t want to miss.

What You'll Learn

How to train ChatGPT to use your voice
How to craft prompts in AI
How to use AI to save time and increase productivity

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegade.com/podcast/

CMO Huddlers Discuss B2B Sales Enablement (LIVE)

Fri, 12 May 2023 14:24:58 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 344: Salient Sales Enablement Solutions

How can CMOs better enable Sales teams? Can marketers create content that Sales will actually use? What is the meaning of life?

These are just some of the questions we ponder in this episode of Renegade Marketers Unite, recorded while Drew was off the grid in the Galapagos. But how could we air an interview without our steadfast host, you ask?

Enter Bill Caskey and Bryan Neale of the Advanced Selling Podcast, who bring their A-game as they enter the world of CMO Huddles, leading the conversation on Sales Enablement with three savvy CMO guests: Peter Finter of CyberGRX, Sara Larsen of Wolters Kluwer Health, and Carlos Carvajal of Q2.

Tune in for a really fun episode, as Sales and Marketing worlds collide and seek common ground. Let’s get to it!

What You'll Learn

What’s working in sales enablement for 3 CMOs
How to create content that sales will actually use
How to measure sales enablement

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegade.com/podcast/

Bonus Huddle: Let's Discuss Career Management

Fri, 05 May 2023 14:40:42 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 343: What B2B CMOs Need to Know About Career Management

Searching for your next CMO gig? Need help educating your CEO and the board? Wondering how you can expand in your current role to set you up for the next one?

This episode with expert executive recruiter Erica Seidel has it all. Erica founded The Connective Good, a boutique recruiting firm that specializes in CMOs, and with over a decade of experience, she has one of the strongest reputations in the industry.

Tune in to hear all the wisdom she shared with CMO Huddles in a recent Bonus Huddle—with practical takeaways and pithy insights and ensure a long, happy career.

What You'll Learn

How to approach CMO interviews
How to improve CEO and board relationships
How to expand in your current role

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegade.com/podcasts/

CMO Huddlers Discuss B2B Sales Enablement Strategy

Fri, 28 Apr 2023 14:37:45 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 342: Strategic B2B Sales Enablement: The 10,000 Foot View

How are elite marketers helping Salespeople (and the prospective customer) make the buying journey fruitful (and not frustrating)?

We take a broad, strategic look at the question in this episode with experts Rebecca Stone, SVP Customer Solutions Marketing & CMO at Cisco Meraki, and Marni Carmichael, VP of Marketing at ImageSource. It’s full of strategic gems that B2B marketers can use to better support and align with their sales teams.

As you’ll learn, synergy between Sales and Marketing is about a synergy between consistency and spontaneity, brand and individual style, art and science. Tune in to get your Sales Enablement plan in tip-top shape for 2023.

What You'll Learn

What’s working in sales enablement (and what’s not)
How to align marketing and sales plays
How to scale customization and personalization

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegade.com/podcasts/

Bonus Huddle: Let's Discuss KPIs in a Downturn

Fri, 21 Apr 2023 16:00:24 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 341: Evolving the CMO Dashboard with Forrester

The economy is turbulent and marketing budgets are down. But growth goals are up… What’s a marketer to do?! Listen to this episode with Forrester’s VP and Principal Analyst Ross Graber.

He returned to CMO Huddles to share Forrester’s recommendations for marketing in a downturn. Tune in to learn why customers are the dominant growth engine in 2023, how to solve the problem with sourcing, what the idea marketing dashboard should look like, and a whole lot more.

What You’ll Learn

What KPIs matter most during a downturn
How to measure efficiency
What’s on an evolved B2B CMO dashboard

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegade.com/podcasts/

CMO Huddlers Discuss B2B Buying Trends

Fri, 07 Apr 2023 14:54:42 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 338: Capitalizing B2B BUYING TRENDS

B2B buying trends are changing and the old marketing playbook isn’t working anymore. What does this mean for your marketing strategy? Tune in to today’s episode with the expert marketing execs Jon Miller of Demandbase and Allyson Havener of TrustRadius as we examine the implications of these notable trends and what marketers can do about it.

The 6 trends we explore:

Buyers want to research anonymously
Buying committees are even larger and more complicated
The buying process is nonlinear and looping
Buyers want to self-serve
Buyers trust 3rd party resources over 1st party resources
Sales has dropped out of the top 5 sources of influence

What You’ll Learn

How to adapt your marketing strategy to new B2B buying trends
Why self-serve and 3rd party validation are so important now
How to accelerate deal cycles with limited budget
How the Marketing-Sales relationship is changing

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegade.com/podcasts/

CMO Huddlers Discuss B2B Digital in a Downturn (LIVE)

Fri, 24 Mar 2023 16:29:16 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 337: Adapting B2B Digital in a Downturn

How are B2B marketers adapting their digital experiences in a down economy? We covered the topic with two superstar marketing execs based across the pond from our NYC studio: Tom Bianchi of Acquia and Warren Daniels of Bynder.

Are you creating knock-your-socks-off content? Do you have a clickable demo for your business? How are you connecting digital and physical experiences for customers, employees, and partners? We answer all of this and more—tune in for an episode full of practical tips and tactics to keep your business thriving despite the economic challenges at hand.

What You’ll Learn

How to adapt your digital content in a downturn
How to increase conversion rates in a down economy
How to engage customers, employees, partners in a downturn

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegade.com/podcasts/

CMO Huddlers Discuss Employer Branding (LIVE)

Fri, 10 Mar 2023 11:55:36 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 335: Engage Employees First – A Deep Dive into Employer Branding

As the war for talent ebbs and flows, the need for a strong employer brand stands steadfast. An employer brand is the #1 way to give current employees a reason to stay, and to attract top talent looking for a fulfilling place to land.

Enter CMOs Deidre Hudson (previously of Payability), Lynne Capozzi (retired from Acquia), and Michelle Boockoff-Bajdek of Skillsoft, here to share their insights into the role marketing plays in building and evolving an employer brand that people talk about. Tune in to this episode as we cover everything from navigating layoffs to building brand ambassadors to measuring employee satisfaction. You don’t want to miss it.

What You’ll Learn

How to build an employer brand
The key to developing brand ambassadors
How to measure employee satisfaction

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegade.com/podcasts/

Bonus Huddle: Let's Discuss Generative AI

Fri, 03 Mar 2023 10:53:49 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 334: B2B Marketers Confront Generative AI

AI is on the up and up.

As Chat GPT’s servers try to keep up with the buzz of users looking to play with the popular copywriting tool, there’s a whole lot more going on across the generative AI space. Enter Noah Brier, Founder of Percolate, Variance, and most recently brxnd.ai, an organization dedicated to helping brands, marketers, and agencies navigate the ever-changing world of AI.

He joined a CMO Huddles Bonus Huddle to share all the ways B2B marketers can and should start using AI to optimize everything from survey analysis to data extraction to writing BDR scripts. Tune in for a fascinating look into how these helpful little assistants are going to change the way we work.

What You’ll Learn

How B2B marketers can use generative AI
How to use AI can assess your brand, scrape data, improve BDR scripts + + +
What the promise of AI tools means for B2B marketing

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegade.com/podcasts/

Huddler Chris Willis on Ad Age

Tue, 28 Feb 2023 18:49:19 GMT

Christopher Willis, CMO of Acrolinx, shared how he manages his expanded role in his article on Ad Age.

When Christopher Willis started as chief marketing officer at Acrolinx in 2017, his mandate was to help the Berlin-based content software company grow beyond its European footprint. Five and a half years later, Acrolinx has a strong customer base in the US—thanks in part to Willis adding the role of chief pipeline officer in 2020.

Willis said he “lives two quarters ahead” of sales, putting special emphasis on sales velocity—a “piece of fancy math” that helps predict revenue. He meets with the sales team regularly to ferret out what deals are stuck in the pipeline and gives his marketing team latitude to experiment while holding them accountable to one overall metric.

Read the full Q&A on Ad Age: Why Sales Velocity is Chief Pipeline Officer's Most Important Metric

Listen to the Episode: All Roads Lead to Measurement: How to Future-Proof B2B Marketing

CMO Huddlers Discuss Customer Event Marketing (LIVE)

Fri, 24 Feb 2023 12:59:37 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 333: The B2B Customer Event Episode

What’s a surefire way for B2B brands to grow customer champions, drive cross-sell and upsell, and spread brand love? A robust event marketing strategy will do the trick. Especially in a world where budgets are being cut and CMOs are being asked to do more with less, a well-run event (virtual, hybrid, or in-person) can get you the most bang for your buck.

Tune in for an insight-packed episode—we explore everything from event planning and promotion to being a stellar host to post-event follow-up with a customer obsessed CMO panel: Shirley Macbeth of Forrester, Olga Noha of SplitMetrics, and Marca Armstrong of Passport.

Speaking of customer events, CMO Huddles is a proud community partner with Forrester’s 2023 B2B Summit, in-person in Austin, Texas from June 4-7th, with expert keynotes, specially curated breakouts, a live band (Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats!), and a whole lot more. Huddlers will get a special discounted rate, with access to exclusive networking opportunities, VIP status, and more.

What You’ll Learn

How to market B2B customer events
The important role CMOs play at events
How partnerships can enhance events

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegade.com/podcasts/

CMO Huddlers Discuss Digital Media Spend (LIVE)

Fri, 17 Feb 2023 12:56:46 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 332: Digging Into Digital Media Spend

How can B2B CMOs optimize their digital marketing efforts?

Tune into this insight-packed episode with CMOs Ellina Shinnick of HUB International, Mika Yamamoto of F5, and Norman Guadagno of Mimecast as they share their approaches to digital spend—what’s worked, what hasn’t, and where they’re focusing when it comes to building brand awareness online. Don’t miss it!

What You’ll Learn

How B2B brands are approaching digital spend
Why attribution is so difficult and what to do about it
Why B2B brands need to invest in awareness

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegade.com/podcasts/

Bonus Huddle: Let's Discuss CMO Career Development

Fri, 10 Feb 2023 12:53:29 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 331: Bulletproofing Your CMO Career

CMO turnover is rampant.

That’s why CMO Huddles is dedicated to helping B2B CMOs with career development, hence this episode with executive coach Pat Romboletti, Founder & Author of Bulletproof Your Career.

Whether you are looking for your next role, eyeing a different industry, hoping to get on a board, or want to be a thought leader, this is the episode for you. Tune in as Pat shares her expertise on how CMOs can build their personal brands and network better, with comprehensive tips on using LinkedIn, putting deposits in the goodwill bank, and developing a career blueprint.

This episode was originally recorded as a CMO Huddles Bonus Huddle, a live Q&A where Huddles members can listen, ask questions, and get access to helpful resources. If you’re a B2B CMO and interested in getting involved, apply here.

What You’ll Learn

How to establish yourself as a thought leader
How to effectively build your network
Tips to find your next CMO role

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegade.com/podcasts/

Drew Neisser's Takeaways: B2B Marketing Strategy in a Downturn

Fri, 03 Feb 2023 15:20:58 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 330: Surprising Routes Around Economic Turbulence

“After employees, customers are the target of 2023.”

With unrelenting pressure on B2B marketers to build pipeline, Drew Neisser’s above advice may sound unhelpful. But the reality is that you can’t have more pipeline without a strong brand embraced by employees and customers alike, especially when the CFO becomes the CFNO.

Tune into the 330th episode of Renegade Marketers Unite, where Drew shares strategic wisdom when it comes to 2023 growth. Our special host this episode is Joe Cohen, Chief Marketing and Communication Officer at AXIS, who led the conversation for the benefit of his marketing team and generously shared it with us to air for all.

What You’ll Learn

How to mine customer relationships in 2023
Why brand purpose is so important
Why employees should be your #1 target in a recession

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegade.com/podcasts/

CMO Huddlers Discuss Product-Led Growth (LIVE)

Fri, 27 Jan 2023 23:20:53 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 329: Pump Up the Product-Led Growth!

To the extent that you can create a self-guided buying experience, the happier your customers and potential customers will be. That’s one of the big ideas that drive Product-Led Growth (PLG for short), the topic we cover in this episode featuring CMOs Michael Callahan of Acronis and Allyson Havener of TrustRadius.

Michael and Allyson’s insights into marketing’s role in driving PLG are a must-listen for marketers no matter who you work for and how you go to market. Tune in to learn how to optimize your PLG efforts to nurture prospects, drive adoption and upsell, and bring your B2B organization to new heights!

What You’ll Learn

How to get product led growth right
How to nurture PLG prospects and drive upsell/adoption
Why self-serve products still need marketing

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegade.com/podcasts/

Huddler Josh Leatherman on Ad Age

Tue, 24 Jan 2023 15:51:41 GMT

Service Express goes deep on strategies that build value for the business.

Whether or not we’re in a recession, many B2B marketers are acting like we are. Budget and staff reductions are in the headlines daily, particularly for tech companies. Seeing shades of 2008, CMOs are hunkering down, trying to do more with less.

Joshua Leatherman, CMO of Service Express—a data center company with double-digit growth for most of his 11 years—says it’s critical for companies to prepare employees on how to navigate a recession, employ a predictive revenue model and focus on authentic voices of the customers in marketing.

Read the full Q&A on Ad Age: Marketing in a Recession - How CMOs Can Manage Spending Without Harming The Brand

Listen to the Episode: Recession Proof Your B2B Marketing

CMO Huddlers Discuss B2B Acquisitions (LIVE)

Fri, 20 Jan 2023 10:58:17 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 328: Shifting Into Position Post-Acquisition

On your mark… Get set… Acquire a company!

An acquisition announcement garners a lot of excitement, but the real challenge rests in everything a company does afterwards to ensure that brand equity isn’t lost and that customers aren’t confused. Want an acquisition playbook? Here’s the kicker, no two acquisitions are the same.

Luckily for our listeners, we have three fantastic CMOs with multiple acquisitions under their belts, here to share their strategies and best practices when it comes to effectively pivoting post-acquisition. With wisdom from Julie Feller of U.S. Legal Support, Isabelle Papoulias of Mediafly, and Kristen Russel of symplr, this episode is not to be missed—tune in!

What You’ll Learn

Why no two acquisitions are the same
How to effectively integrate brands post-acquisition
How to measure the success of an acquisition

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegade.com/podcasts/

Bonus Huddle: Let's Discuss B2B Benchmarks

Fri, 13 Jan 2023 17:14:31 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 327: Forrester’s B2B Budget Benchmarks

B2B marketers… This is the episode to bring to your C-Suite.

It’s no secret that marketing budgets are often the first to be cut when things get tight, but Forrester analysts Barbie Mattie and Nick Buck are here with the cold hard data about why marketing spend correlates directly to business growth.

Tune in for a fascinating conversation about the implications of Forrester’s benchmarks, with guidance on budget allocation, marketing orchestration, why brand is important, and more.

This recording comes from a CMO Huddles Bonus Huddle—a private Q&A with our community of B2B CMOs where they can ask the questions that guide the conversation. If you want to get involved, you can apply here.

Speaking of CMO Huddles… CMO Huddles is now a community partner with Forrester’s B2B Summit, coming to Austin, Texas from June 5th to 7th. Huddlers will get access to preferred pricing + other exclusive benefits — if you’re a B2B CMO looking to connect with fellow CMOs and Forrester’s top-notch analysts in a very special way, join us ASAP.

What You’ll Learn

Forrester recommendations for budget allocation
Why brand reputation matters
How to get the most out of your budget in 2023

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegade.com/podcasts/

CMO Huddler Joe Cohen on Renegade Marketers Unite

Fri, 06 Jan 2023 17:26:34 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 326: Taking a Stand as a B2B Brand

Should B2B brands commit to ESG initiatives?

This question is one that’s debated in both public forums and behind closed C-Suite boards, and it’s one that we tackle in this episode featuring Joe Cohen, the Chief Marketing and Communications Officer at AXIS. Tune in as we discuss the why AXIS has leaned into commitment to ESG, how to do it right, and what amazing things might happen if you do.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

How AXIS has committed to ESG
Why B2B brands shouldn’t be afraid to take a stand
When and why a brand should take a stand

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegade.com/podcasts/

CMO Huddlers Discuss Selling Brand to the C-Suite (LIVE)

Fri, 30 Dec 2022 15:02:56 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 325: How to Sell the Selling Power of B2B Brand Strategy

B2B marketers know that brand sells, but how does a CMO sell brand?

In this episode, three CMOs share the secrets to setting up your B2B brand strategy for success. Tune in to learn how to sell brand to the board, the C-Suite, and through data—to get the internal buy-in necessary if you want your branding efforts to succeed and propel business growth. This interview’s expert insights come from:

Pamela Herrmann (previously at On Q Financial, now at SVP Marketing at Ethisphere)
Jamie Gier (previously CMO of Dreambox Learning, Ceros)
Johnny Smith, Jr. (previously at Encompass Health, now VP Comms at Roche Diagnostics)

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegade.com/podcasts/

Bonus Huddle: Let's Discuss Web3

Fri, 23 Dec 2022 15:00:25 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 324: What B2B CMOs Need to Know About Web 3.0

The metaverse. Web3. Cryptocurrency. NFTs.

These platforms may not be at top of mind for most B2B CMOs today, but maybe it’s time to start evaluating their potential. That’s why we invited futurist Shelly Palmer, CEO of The Palmer Group and co-founder of Metacademy, to speak at a CMO Huddles #BonusHuddle about the exciting possibilities of these community-building tools.

Now we’re airing the conversation on Renegade Marketers Unite. Tune in to hear about how these tools are already being used by big brands in the real world, how CMOs can get started in their Web3 education, and more!

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegade.com/podcasts/

Huddler Amisha Gandhi on Ad Age

Wed, 21 Dec 2022 18:32:23 GMT

Integrated campaign and user conference led to 12% YOY increase for Tipalti.

Marketing leaders are expected to have a positive impact on revenue—but double it? That was what Amisha Gandhi was asked when she arrived as senior VP of marketing at Tipalti in January 2021. Tipalti, a payables automation software provider, benefited from the need to pay bills from anywhere—as offices shut down at the beginning of the pandemic. The next challenge for Gandhi was maintaining record growth.

“At every stage that your company goes through, you need to take a breath and reassess, revamp, and make some improvements on the gaps that you have at this level of growth,” Gandhi said. “What is the next thing to get the brand, demand gen and our goals to the next level?”.

Read the full Q&A on Ad Age: How a Payables Software Firm Continued Revenue Growth after Pandemic Boom

Listen to the Episode: Building B2B Brand and Demand in Tandem

CMO Huddlers Discuss B2B Marketing Teams (LIVE)

Fri, 16 Dec 2022 22:09:11 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 323: Build Your Dream B2B Marketing Team

What maketh a high functioning, well connected B2B marketing team?

In this episode of Renegade Marketers Unite, we welcome three CMOs who share their approaches to shaping, growing, and nurturing their marketing organization in tandem with business growth. Get ready for some winning wisdom from these three CMOs:

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegade.com/podcasts/

CMO Huddler Amisha Gandhi on Renegade Marketers Unite

Fri, 09 Dec 2022 15:35:12 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 322: Building B2B Brand and Demand In Tandem

“When you make an investment, make it worthwhile.”

That’s exactly what Amisha Gandhi has done in her last two years as Tipalti’s SVP of Marketing, joining the fintech organization not too long after it rebranded and was raring to grow.

In this episode, learn what it takes to come in as the new CMO and get quick wins while setting up an organization for marketing-led growth. From optimizing demand to defining a brand purpose to squeezing everything out of events, learn how to ensure that marketing’s contribution to the organization can’t be questioned (AKA 52% marketing-sourced net new deals, among many other impressive numbers). Tune in!

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegade.com/podcasts/

CMO Huddler Josh Leatherman on Renegade Marketers Unite

Fri, 02 Dec 2022 15:33:45 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 321: Recession Proof Your B2B Marketing

Josh Leatherman has been with Service Express for over a decade, serving the last 6 as CMO as the company has grown from $30 million to $250 million in ARR. And they don’t show signs of stopping, on a growth path to reach half a billion by 2025.

But with signs of a recession growing stronger, will that put a pause on their high-growth plans?

“We just refuse to participate in recessions,” says Josh, joking that he wished it was that easy. But he’s not too nervous. You can recession-proof your business.

How? Tune in to this episode to learn the secret to revenue growth, how to maximize marketing spend, and how to build customer advocacy programs in the face of a downturn.

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegade.com/podcasts/

Drew Neisser's Takeaways: B2B Brand Strategy for 2023

Fri, 25 Nov 2022 15:09:14 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 320: B2B Brand Strategy Lessons for 2023

What should the coolest, most CATS-est of marketers be thinking about for 2023? (CATS standing for courageous, artful, thoughtful, and scientific). Tune into this episode with Drew as he reflects on some of the standout lessons of 2022 when it comes to building an unbeatable B2B brand strategy.

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegade.com/podcasts/

Bonus Huddle: Let's Discuss B2B Branding

Fri, 18 Nov 2022 15:03:17 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 319: B2B Brands: Cut Those Cognitive Calories!

“This is a critical thing about a powerful brand: It requires very few cognitive calories from their audience to remember it.”

The idea of “cognitive calories” resonated deeply with the CMOs attending the CMO Huddles Bonus Huddle (re: private Q&A) with Lindsay Pedersen, brand strategist and author of Forging an Ironclad Brand. In this episode, tune in to hear all of Lindsay’s illuminating insights into what it takes to create a truly sharp, memorable, and resonant B2B brand. It’s not to be missed. Tune in!

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegade.com/podcasts/

CMO Huddlers Discuss Enterprise-Level Branding (LIVE)

Fri, 11 Nov 2022 16:07:22 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 318: Branding in the B2B Big-League

There’s a lot to be learned from the enterprise brand.

They’ve reached a status that many strive for, and it’s pretty clear from today’s episode that an emphasis on brand and an eye on the future are the reasons why. Tune in to hear from Rebecca Stone of Cisco Meraki and Peeyush Dubey of TheMathCompany (he was at LTI at the time of this interview) about why to go big on brand, as well as how these mega-brands are looking at things like CSR, Web 3.0, the metaverse, and more!

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegade.com/podcasts/

The 101 Top B2B Marketing Influencers of 2022

Mon, 07 Nov 2022 16:19:25 GMT

Leading a marketing department is never easy, but 2022 brought with it a host of unique challenges that made things especially difficult. The return to live events following the onset of COVID, the Great Migration of experienced employees to new roles, budget issues tied to a struggling global supply chain, and signs of a recession are just a few of the characteristics that forced many marketers to be magicians in the past year.

But, through a blend of creativity, acumen, and veritable marketing superpowers, some CMOs were able to not just survive, but thrive. In this eBook, we take a look at the top 101 B2B Marketers of 2022 who were able to stand tall and succeed despite the odds—take a look!

DOWNLOAD

CMO Huddlers Discuss B2B Marketing Mixes (LIVE)

Fri, 28 Oct 2022 17:26:20 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 316: B2B Marketing Mix-ology

Allocating your marketing budget but don’t know where to start?

Begin with the end in mind. That’s where we start in today’s episode with Mary Leigh Mackie of AvePoint, Sue Holub of OnSolve, and Suzanne Reed of LBMC, three marketing mix masters with tons of hard-earned wisdom about how to spend money wisely with a limited budget.

Tune in to hear each CMOs approach to their marketing mix, working backwards from who they target to how they spend to how they adjust their marketing mix along the way. This is both a timeless and a timely episode—don’t miss it!

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegade.com/podcasts/

Bonus Huddle: Let's Discuss Customer Confidence

Fri, 21 Oct 2022 14:14:34 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 315: Brent Adamson Unlocks Customer Confidence

We couldn’t quit Brent Adamson even if we wanted to. Yep, he’s back for his 5th appearance on Renegade Marketers Unite! One of the premier sales thinkers of today, Brent recently joined a CMO Huddles Bonus Huddle to discuss how to sell in the context of a will-it or won’t-it-happen recession.

Regardless of whether or not the downturn will become a reality, this episode is a lesson in staying a few steps ahead of your customers—how to demonstrate real value that brings decision makers together and overcomes buyer trepidation. He also shares advice for B2B CMOs facing budget cuts but not outcome cuts—don’t’ sleep on this one!

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegade.com/podcasts/

CMO Huddlers Discuss B2B Employee Culture (LIVE)

Fri, 07 Oct 2022 14:36:40 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 313: B2B Culture Wins Every Time

When a CMO says, “We’ve been winning business lately because of our culture…” That’s a mic drop moment.

Tune in to this episode of Renegade Marketers Unite to hear from 3 CMOs who know the true value of great employee cultures, from companies with remarkable growth and some impressive stats, like a 94% retention rate for one and 96% C-Sat for another.

Learn how to codify brand values, bring them to life across the organization, and more from the super stars of this show: CMOs Mandy Dhaliwal of Nutanix, Bhaskar Roy of Workato, and Julie Kaplan of CareMetx.

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegade.com/podcasts/

Bonus Huddle: Let's Discuss Productivity

Fri, 07 Oct 2022 14:36:14 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 312: Make Time to Save Time: A CMO Guide to Productivity

What’s a CMO’s number one adversary? Time.

In a role with such a wide purview and high expectations, there are a limited number of hours to get it all done. Enter Kory Kogon, VP of Global Field Development at FranklinCovey and author of The 5 Choices: The Path to Extraordinary Productivity.

Kory recently joined a CMO Huddles Bonus Huddle (re: a private Q&A) to share the 5 most important choices anyone makes during the day and change bad, time-sucking habits in order to be less busy, more productive, and healthier all around. Don’t miss it!

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegade.com/podcasts/

CMO Huddlers Discuss B2B Recruiting in The Great Resignation

Fri, 23 Sep 2022 16:14:30 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 311: B2B Marketers Overcoming The Great Resignation

The Great Resignation, The Great Renegotiation, The Great Reshuffle… whatever you want to call it, recruiting challenges are alive and well in the B2B world. That’s why we brought in 3 savvy, inspiring CMOs to share their approaches to attracting talent via Great Cultures, Great Experiences, and Great Brands… all while the world adjusts to a new hybrid reality. Don’t miss this one, featuring:

Allison Munro, Chief Marketing and Ecosystem Officer at Vena
Adriel Sanchez, previous CMO at Newsela, now CMO at WalkMe
Kristin Fornal, previous CMO at IAM Robotics, now Founder of Brand pH LLC

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegade.com/podcasts/

Drew Neisser's Takeaways: Recession-Proofing Your Marketing

Fri, 16 Sep 2022 14:14:29 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 310: Two Drews Get Recession-Proofed!

The jury’s still out on the pending recession and whether it’ll happen or not. But a month’s worth of CMO Huddles discussions about how to prepare for a downturn has yielded a wealth of best practices that you should be keen to put in place no matter what the future holds.

In this Drew-on-Drew episode, the Drews explore 4 buckets of recession preparedness: Essentialness, Insulation, Operation, and Internal. In each bucket, there’s a lot to consider, like how important it is to ramp up your customer marketing efforts, how to tie marketing activities to revenue, how to balance staff and programs in the face of budget cuts, and more.

If you’d like to see where your business might be lacking in particular, take a spin in this special Recession Preparedness Calculator, developed with the help of the fabulous team at Outgrow.co.

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegade.com/podcasts/

CMO Recession Preparedness Calculator

Fri, 09 Sep 2022 17:17:11 GMT

With the pandemic getting closer to endemic status, marketers are shifting their attention to an increasingly likely recession. In a recent survey, 85% of US-based CFOs thought we were already in a downturn and 61% expected it to last at least 6 months. And when CFOs get nervous, marketing budgets get cut. Are you as ready as you could be? Use this calculator to find out where you stand relative to your peers and how you can get ahead of your competitors.

Based on conversations happening at CMO Huddles, we've sorted recession-preparedness into 4 buckets, which you can get a sneak peek of below. Take the full calculator quiz to get a personalized recession-proofing plan.

Essentialness
- Are you a must-have or a nice-to-have brand?
- Is ROI baked into your product?
- Do you have a CAB?
- What % of customers actually refer you?
Insulation
- Are you hugging your customers?
- Do you have customer case histories?
- Are you trying to create demand, or capture it?
- Can you correlate marketing and revenue?
Operation
- Do you have a C-Suite blessed predictive demand gen model?
- What's your balance of people, programs, and MarTech?
- Are you making big budget commitments?
- Do you have a % of your budget set aside for experimentation?
Internal:
- How much credibility have you built internally?
- Do you prioritize building strong C-Suite relationships?
- Have you surveyed your employees?
- Do your employees love your brand?

To create a calculator like this for your business, check out the no-code SaaS platform, Outgrow.

Bonus Huddle: Let's Discuss GTM

Fri, 09 Sep 2022 14:43:20 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 309: B2B CMO GTM Strategies with Sangram Vajre  

Oh, do we love any and all conversations with Sangram Vajre! At the heels of co-founding his new venture GTM Partners and co-authoring the WSJ best-selling book MOVE: The 4-Question Go-To-Market Framework, we invited Sangram to join a CMO Huddles Bonus Huddle (re: a private Q&A) to help B2B CMOs rethink their GTM strategy and wow…

He did not disappoint. Tune in for a fantastic episode with a seasoned marketer-at-heart that covers the CMO’s role in GTM, signs your GTM strategy might be broken, which metrics matter in the world of GTM, and a whole lot more.

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegade.com/podcasts/

CMO Huddlers Discuss B2B Market Research

Fri, 02 Sep 2022 13:52:50 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 308: The B2B Market Research Episode

B2B market research. When done right, it’s a tentpole for an entire quarter’s worth of marketing activities. A resource to help SDRs transform leads into genuine opportunities. A newsworthy buzz about your brand that will catch the attention of everyone in your orbit, including customers, prospects, analysts, and talent for those highly skilled roles you’re trying to fill.

For this episode, we’ve got two world-class CMOs to share all the ins and outs of B2B market research with you—say hello again to longtime friends of the pod: Denise Vu Broady of Appian and Dan Lowden of Human and tune to learn how to get your B2B market research to do all of the above. Happy listening!

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegade.com/podcasts/

Bonus Huddle: Let's Discuss Marketing Ops

Fri, 19 Aug 2022 14:34:04 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 306: Marketing Ops — What B2B CMOs Need to Know

We have lofty expectations for our MarTech stacks. They’re meant to automate marketing processes to clear the way for more big thinking. To keep a clean and accurate tracker of every customer and prospect in the system. To prove to the org that marketing is contributing to growth.

But this isn’t always the reality, and B2B businesses often find themselves with too much tech, not enough staff, and dirty data that focuses on the wrong metrics. Avoid these woes by listening to this episode with Mike McKinnon, VP of Global Revenue Operations at LogRhythm and author of The Marketing Operations Handbook (which you should get your hands on ASAP).

This conversation comes from a CMO Huddles Bonus Huddle (re: a private Q&A), and answers all your questions about budgeting for MarTech, the intersection of Marketing Ops and Rev Ops, proving marketing’s value, and more.

It just skims the surface of what top B2B CMOs of today are solving together at CMO Huddles… To learn more about our guest pass program, visit https://cmohuddles.com/guest-pass

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegade.com/podcasts/

Huddler Kerry Ok on Ad Age

Thu, 18 Aug 2022 17:45:13 GMT

Software developers are notorious for rejecting marketing in almost any form. Their sniff test for inauthenticity rivals that of world-class sommeliers. But a few brands crack the code, turning skeptics into fans. How Auth0—a software company that was recently acquired by Okta—did it is a lesson for any marketer looking to build community among super-savvy end users.

The process starts with hiring your target. “Around one-third of our marketing team members are developers,” said Kerry Ok, Auth0’s senior VP of marketing. “They hold us to really high standards.”

Auth0 used tutorials, brand ambassadors and a sense of humor to reach super-savvy end users

Read the full Q&A on Ad Age: How a Software Company Built Trust in the Developer Community

Listen to the Episode: Auth0 Marketing VP on Developing Developer Love

CMO Huddlers Discuss B2B Rebranding (LIVE)

Fri, 12 Aug 2022 14:29:58 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 305: B2B Rebranding: Tips and Tricks

There are many different reasons to rebrand, but if it’s just to change the logo and colors to “freshen things up,” that’s not it. A rebrand has to be more a coat of paint on an old barn, and while we talk a lot about that here on Renegade Marketers Unite, this episode brings three different 3 rebranding stories to the forefront.

Tune in to learn about three different B2B rebrands from CMOs Heather Salerno of Appcast, Marshall Poindexter of OpenEye Scientific, and Gabi Zijderveld of Smart Eye. They share all kinds of goodies, like how to get buy-in for rebranding efforts, how to work with agency partners, how much to budget for a rebrand, and more. Don’t miss it!

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegade.com/podcasts/

CMO Huddler Narine Galstian on Renegade Marketers Unite

Fri, 05 Aug 2022 15:09:28 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 304: All In On Brand with SADA CMO

Over the course of SADA’s growth, the company has had a habit of going all in. It went all in on Google Cloud in 2019, divesting its Microsoft Cloud business to get there. It went all in on its 2020 rebrand, casting aside the brand it had for the brand it needed to move business forward despite the shock of the pandemic. And it goes all in for its employees, customers, and prospects every day.

It’s kinda a no-brainer that their brand purpose can be surmised in the phrase “Together, we’re all in.” In this episode, SADA CMO Narine Galstian talks about all the strategic thinking behind the cloud provider’s bold rebrand. She also discusses the secret to her longevity at SADA (almost 10 years!!) and what it means to be an #IamRemarkable facilitator. Check it out!

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegade.com/podcasts/

CMO Huddlers Discuss Purpose-Driven Marketing (LIVE)

Fri, 22 Jul 2022 13:52:48 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 302: B2B World... Meet Purpose-Driven Marketing

In case you weren’t sure about the power of purpose, this episode of Renegade Marketers Unite with Peter Neiman of Amalgamated Bank and Julia Goebel of Halo Health (now a part of symplr) may just clear things up for you. The marketing execs at these organizations have seen it first-hand—purpose wins employees, customers, and prospects in ways that even the most impressive swag cannot.

Tune in for a fascinating episode as we cover how marketers can help their organizations embed purpose into everything they do, why the business you may lose isn’t always necessarily a bad thing, how to avoid “purpose-washing,” and more!

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegade.com/podcasts/

The Top 10 Renegade Marketers Unite Episodes

Fri, 08 Jul 2022 10:39:14 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 300: 300 Episodes Later: An Ode to Top CMOs

300 episodes of Renegade Marketers Unite. Thank you for supporting and trusting this incredible community of B2B CMOs and other marketing-obsessed individuals.

We thought long and hard about how to celebrate this milestone, but what better way than to relive some of the most powerful moments and expert insights of the last 100 most downloaded episodes? This 300th episode features interviews with Toni Clayton-Hine of EY, Bill Strawderman of GS1, Johnny Smith Jr. (2x!) of Encompass Health, and Peeyush Dubey of LTI among many others.

Please continue to share your favorite moments and don’t forget – hit me up on LinkedIn with your feedback, comments, or questions. I may just answer it live on the show.

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegade.com/podcasts/

Bonus Huddle: Let's Discuss B2B Thought Leadership

Thu, 30 Jun 2022 16:14:48 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 299: How to Play the B2B Thought Leadership Long Game

Peter Winick, founder and CEO of Thought Leadership Leverage, has deep expertise in helping those with deep expertise, with two decades of experience building thought leadership platforms that actually drive revenue and differentiation.

He stopped by a CMO Huddles Bonus Huddle to discuss thoughtful thought leadership for B2B CMOs—and now you can listen to the conversation on Renegade Marketers Unite. Tune in to learn how to get buy-in for thought leadership programs, what works and what doesn’t, and how CMOs can approach building their own thought leadership brand.

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegade.com/podcasts/

CMO Huddlers Discuss B2B Growth Marketing (LIVE)

Fri, 17 Jun 2022 10:41:40 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 297: What the Heck is Growth Marketing!?

The confusing thing about the term “Growth Marketing” is that every business wants to grow. Every business wants to acquire new customers, to increase revenue, to measure success in dollar signs year over year. But desire alone does not the growth marketer make.

It’s about so much more than that. Yes, you need to acquire customers, but you also need to make acquisition easier. You need to deliver on your promise when they do sign. You need to give them reasons to become avid evangelists for your brand.

In this episode of Renegade Marketers Unite, 3 CMOs in very different fields share their unique perspectives on what it means to be a growth marketer, how they’re applying it in the real world, and what success looks like. (Hint: 500% quarterly growth, reducing negative brand sentiment by 90%, etc.)

Tune in to hear insights from three all-star Growth Marketing CMOs: Jennifer Houston of D-Wave Systems, Gary Sevounts of Socure, and Katherine Post Calvert of PagerDuty (previously Khoros).

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegade.com/podcasts/

CMO Huddler Katrina Klier on Renegade Marketers Unite

Fri, 10 Jun 2022 09:38:28 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 296: No More B2B Content Pollution!

Is your B2B content engine eco-friendly? Or is it just polluting an already oversaturated world of podcasts, blogs, white papers, and self-described thought leaders? In this episode of Renegade Marketers Unite, PROS CMO Katrina Klier joins Drew to talk about where B2B brands can do better when it comes to creating engaging, thought-provoking content to serve as a tentpole for the organization.

Tune in for a fascinating episode dedicated to B2B content marketing. With insights into finding your perfect content fit, drafting on industry analysts, and B2B market research design, there’s a lot to learn. Don’t miss it!

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegade.com/podcasts/

Bonus Huddle: Let's Discuss ABM

Fri, 03 Jun 2022 09:39:01 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 295: What B2B CMOs Need to Know About ABM

Want more predictability in your pipeline? You just found your match in account-based marketing. ABM for short, these three simple letters are strapped with big implications for the organizations that get it right.

In this episode, B2B Fusion’s Founder and CMO Jon Russo shares his ABM expertise, covering how to go about launching your ABM strategy in a way that will align Sales and Marketing, optimize revenue growth, and help you forecast the future.

Tune in to hear the ins and outs of ABM, like how to measure a “marketing qualified account,” what red flags to look out for, and what you need to get your ABM program off the ground.

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegade.com/podcasts/

Huddler David Kirven on Ad Age

Thu, 02 Jun 2022 14:09:00 GMT

Ask chief marketing officers about their top challenges, and they’re likely to include recruiting affordable talent. Even for lateral moves, employees are being lured by massive salary increases, and candidates who have already accepted jobs have walked away in favor of a higher offer.

To address this chaos, David Kirven, CMO of data management platform Reltio, has made employee retention a top priority. His efforts include involving employees in Reltio’s repositioning initiative, making brand values part of every meeting, recharge days and weekly coffee chats with the CEO. Kirven also offers recruits “step-up” roles—versus lateral positions—and supports those new employees with mentors.

Reltio CMO on recharge days, coffees with the CEO and mentors for new employees

Read the full Q&A on Ad Age: Employee Retention—How a Data Company Is Responding to the ‘Great Resignation'

Listen to the Episode: Recruit, Retain, Rejoice: Upping Employee Experience

CMO Huddlers Discuss B2B Metrics and Measurement (LIVE)

Tue, 31 May 2022 16:57:56 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 294: All Roads Lead to Measurement: How to Future-Proof B2B Marketing

Here’s a riddle for you: If marketing grew the business but nobody was around to measure it, did it really happen? No matter what side of this philosophical query you stand on, let’s face it: No one is going to take marketing seriously if they can’t quantify it with data.

Put any two B2B metrics dashboards side by side, and you’ll soon find that there is no one-size-fits-all way to prove marketing’s value—but there is a lot to learn by observing what’s working for others.

In this episode of Renegade Marketers Unite, CMOs Chris Willis of Acrolinx, Tara Robertson of Teamwork, and Karl Van den Bergh of Gigamon each share how they evolved marketing metrics at their organizations. Tune in to learn all kinds of amazing takes on the world of measurement, including:

Why a CMO should be a CPO (Chief Pipeline Officer), too
How to use the innovative Sales Velocity formula
Tips on how to measure the unmeasurable
Why you need to ditch revenue as a leading indicator, and more!

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegade.com/podcasts/

Bonus Huddle: Let's Discuss B2B Innovation

Fri, 13 May 2022 10:15:36 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 292: B2B Innovation is a Learned Muscle

Ah, innovation. The buzzword of every company striving to be different, daring, and bold. But what the heck does it actually look like to innovate? And how can a CMO get their teams to start innovating in a way that actually yields growth (i.e., not just quirky ideas in brainstorming meetings)?

Carla Johnson is the perfect person to walk us through her foolproof formula for innovation that moves the needle. She’s a 10x author, and her most recent book RE:Think Innovation busts the myth that innovation requires any special degrees, training, or skills.

The key takeaway from this interview is that innovation is a learned muscle, and Carla lays out how the exercises every CMO can use to shape their own innovation powers AND build a team filled with strong innovators. This episode of Renegade Marketers Unite is not to be missed.

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegade.com/podcasts/

CMO Huddlers Discuss B2B Marketing in 2022 (LIVE)

Fri, 06 May 2022 09:48:30 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 291: How Are Your New Year's Resolutions Going?

Ahh, the New Year’s resolution—easily made but oft forgot. Today’s episode of Renegade Marketers Unite is here to remind you to check in on the promises you made at the beginning of the year. It’s here to recall the importance of reflection and growth at all times, not just once a year.

Tune in to hear from three all-star marketers about the lessons they learned in 2021 and planned to bring in to 2022. This conversation is equally timely and timeless, with insights into human-first marketing, battling digital fatigue, auditing MarTech, rethinking lead gen, not letting fear hold you back, and much, much more.

The aforementioned all-star marketers:

Katrina Klier, CMO of PROS
Kevin Briody, CMO of Edmentum
Mika Yamamoto, CMO and CXO of F5

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegade.com/podcasts/

Drew Neisser's Takeaways: Top 5 B2B CMO Challenges

Fri, 29 Apr 2022 09:33:58 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 290: Two Drews Tackle Top CMO Challenges

CMOs have a lot on their minds lately, so let’s get into the mind of one, shall we? Or, even better, let’s get into the mind of host Drew Neisser, as he hosts a conversation with himself (is this what it feels like to be in his head?!) on all the things CMOs are thinking about right now and how they’re solving them.

Sourced from the conversations happening at CMO Huddles, Drew (and Drew) cover everything from employee retention to proving brand value to managing a messy inbox, providing useful takeaways you can implement today. After this episode, even the busiest CMO will know how to reclaim 10+ hours of their time per week (Seriously!) and work more effectively than ever.

Want to learn more about our CMO Huddles community? This just skims the surface of what top B2B CMOs of today are solving together...come join us!

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegade.com/podcasts/

Upcoming Events: May Huddles Schedule

Fri, 22 Apr 2022 12:39:53 GMT

Regular Huddles | Topic: Demand Gen

Transition Team: May 3rd, 1-2pm ET
Huddle A: May 3rd, 4-5pm ET
Huddle B: May 6th, 11-12pm ET
Huddle C: May 10th, 12-1pm ET
Huddle D: May 11th, 5-6pm ET
Make Good: May 12th, 1-2pm ET

Bonus Huddle | Rethinking GTM with Sangram Vajre (former CEO of Terminus)

Bonus Huddle: May 17th, 12-1pm ET

CMO Huddler Kerry Ok on Renegade Marketers Unite

Fri, 22 Apr 2022 09:32:43 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 289: Auth0 Marketing VP on Developing Developer Love

Developers don’t want to be marketed to, you say? Kerry Ok, SVP of Marketing for Auth0 is here to prove you wrong. From day one, Auth0’s marketing mandate wasn’t about building pipeline or demand gen, it was about building trust and relationships with a vibrant community that loves learning, discussion, and things that make their lives easier.

Talk about renegade marketing—this episode is all about shirking traditional B2B marketing tactics in exchange for far more powerful and engaging ones (that just so happen to yield an 80% YoY increase in unaided awareness). From building a strong customer community to gamifying internal comms to getting silly with Loggie the anti-mascot, tune in for a fascinating episode about what courageous marketing really looks like.

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegade.com/podcasts/

Bonus Huddle: Let's Discuss B2B Marketing Attribution

Fri, 15 Apr 2022 15:45:07 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 288: Forrester’s Ross Graber on Perfecting the CMO Dashboard

CMOs and marketing metric fiends–this is the episode for you.

Forrester VP and Principal Analyst Ross Graber joins us on this “Bonus Huddle” episode to enlighten us on which metrics should be on every CMO dashboard–and which should be left off. He shares formulas for calculating important metrics like marketing revenue lift, how to turn seemingly flimsy marketing concepts like “value add” into a solid metric, and how CMOs can set proper expectations for their CEOs.

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegade.com/podcasts/

CMO Huddlers Discuss SaaS Marketing (LIVE)

Fri, 08 Apr 2022 14:47:25 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 287: 3 Savvy CMOs Share SaaS Marketing Secrets

SaaS is a 145 billion dollar industry that touches almost every aspect of our work lives. Even this podcast is brought to you by SaaS—a collection of 7+ tools to record, publish, and house countless marketing insights.

You’d be hard-pressed to find a successful software product right now that isn’t either fully SaaS or migrating to it. There are 35,000 SaaS products from over 15,000 companies competing in over 740 vertical markets, which means there’s a noteworthy number of CMOs out there navigating a competitive market with massive growth potential.

To help us understand what makes SaaS marketing such a distinct challenge are CMOs Grant Johnson of Emburse, Ali McCarthy of Skience, and former CMO of Bynder, Andrew Hally (he’s now CMO at Markforged). Tune in to hear how these CMOs have navigated the choppy waters of marketing SaaS and how they are using their past experiences to inform future decisions.

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegade.com/podcasts/

Huddler Paige O'Neill on Ad Age

Fri, 08 Apr 2022 14:21:43 GMT

For Sitecore CMO Paige O’Neill, the arrival of a new CEO, the acquisition of four companies and a near doubling of the employee base in just 18 months meant one thing: It was time for the customer experience management company to rebrand.

“With all the change, rapid expansion of our product portfolio, and new team members, it seemed like the right time to check in on our brand purpose and refresh our brand identity,” O’Neill said.

Sitecore project was shaped by customers’ desire to stand out digitally

Read the full Q&A on Ad Age: How Rebrand Followed Rapid Growth for Customer Experience Management Company

Listen to the Episode: B2B Virtual Events Done Better | Interview Questions that Build Better Marketing Teams | Advice for CMOs in Their First 100 Days

Bonus Huddle: Let's Discuss Sales Enablement

Fri, 25 Mar 2022 14:51:01 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 285: What B2B CMOs Need to Know About Sales Enablement

For many B2B companies, the sales process is broken yet the solution is remarkably simple. It’s time to treat buyers as collaboration partners instead of targets. Time to approach selling as something you do with a prospect rather than to them. Time to make selling more human and more effective in a world where more qualified leads is not resulting in higher win rates.

Simple, right? But not easy. As laid out in Sales expert Andy Paul’s new book Sell Without Selling Out, it takes true courage to transform the current playbook, but those bold enough to take the leap will see shorter decision cycles and higher win rates, any B2B organization’s dream.

In this episode, Andy shares how marketers are uniquely poised to enable sales teams through insights into buyer behavior—introducing a new way of selling that ditches “salesy” to make way for connection, curiosity, understanding, and generosity. Don’t miss it!

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegade.com/podcasts/

Upcoming Events: April Huddles Schedule

Tue, 22 Mar 2022 15:21:30 GMT

Regular Huddles | Topic: Brand Building

Transition Team: April 5th, 1-2pm ET
Huddle A: April 5th, 4-5pm ET
Huddle B: April 6th, 1-2pm ET
Huddle C: April 11th, 4-5pm ET
Huddle D: April 13th, 4-5pm ET
Make Good: April 19th, 11-12pm ET

Bonus Huddle | Marketing Ops with Mike McKinnon, VP, WW Revenue Ops at LogRhythm and author of The Marketing Operations Handbook

Bonus Huddle: April 26th, 4-5pm ET

CMO Huddlers Discuss B2B Startup Marketing (LIVE)

Fri, 18 Mar 2022 10:11:14 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 284: The Thrill of Being a B2B Startup CMO

Are startup CMOs gluttons for punishment? The CMO role is tough enough these days, but strap on high expectations, limited resources, and the pressure of a low life expectancy for startups, and you’ve got yourself a real challenge.

For CMOs Allyson Havener of TrustRadius and Ajay Khanna of Explorium, startup is a way of life. They don’t see their roles as punishment; instead, they see an exciting opportunity to build something great in a fast-paced environment, with a close-knit team of others who are like family. Tune in to this fascinating episode to hear how both CMOs navigate their roles, standing up the marketing function while building a team and a brand with an eye towards long-term success.

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegade.com/podcasts/

Huddler Peeyush Dubey on Ad Age

Tue, 15 Mar 2022 15:14:19 GMT

How did global consulting giant LTI launch its Canvas online collaboration platform in fewer than four months? According to Chief Marketing Officer Peeyush Dubey, it took shoshin, “a Zen Buddhism word that means ‘beginner's mind.’ We believe that anyone with a beginner's mind will be able to solve many more challenges than someone who is thinking like an expert.”

While not what you’d expect to hear from a tech consulting firm with more than 42,000 employees serving 460 clients in 33 countries, it’s how Canvas was launched in record time during the pandemic. And it was Canvas that helped LTI change customer perceptions and accelerate growth.

Starting with a blank slate led to fast-track development of LTI Canvas

Read the full Q&A on Ad Age: How Zen Buddhism Helped Launch Tech Collaboration Platform in Record Time

Listen to the Episode: LTI CMO: The Shoshin of Brand, Demand, and Expand

Super Huddle: Let's Discuss the CFO-CMO Relationship

Fri, 04 Mar 2022 15:01:33 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 282: CFO Panel: Investing in the CMO Role

For a locked room labeled “Marketing Spend,” the CFO holds the keys. And they aren’t going to be quick to hand them over, either. This all-important alliance depends on the CMO’s fluency in CFO-speak, AKA how $1 into marketing will equal more $$$ out. Luckily, it’s not too hard a language to pick up.

In this episode, we’re airing three Q&As with three CFOs who laid out their formulas for a great CMO/CFO alliance during a recent CMO Huddles Super Huddle (a bi-annual mega-huddle exclusively for our community of B2B CMOs). Tune in for some wonderful insights from Chris Andersen of Acquia, Nicole Anasenes of Ansys, and John Evarts (now President and COO) of Mediafly—insights that CMOs just might want to share with a CFO who’s on the fence about the power of marketing.

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegade.com/podcasts/

CMO Huddlers Discuss Employee Retention and Recruiting (LIVE)

Fri, 25 Feb 2022 14:55:04 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 281: Recruit, Retain, Rejoice: Upping Employee Experience

What’s a B2B brand without employees? In a word, nothing. They are the lifeblood of any company—the ones who execute brilliant strategy, the ones who take care of your customers, the ones who represent your brand to the world. That’s what makes a renewed focus on employee experience (EX for short) so important, especially when The Great Resignation is a very real challenge today.

In this episode, CMOs David Kirven of Reltio, Caroline Tien-Spalding of Aptology, and Michael Collins of CFA Institute share how their organizations are approaching employee retention, as well as how they are optimizing the recruiting process to bring on great employees faster. The show also covers the role brand plays in EX, what we can learn from people data, and the unique role C-Suite leaders play in recruiting and retention. Tune in!

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegade.com/podcasts/

Upcoming Events: March Huddles Schedule

Thu, 24 Feb 2022 14:58:59 GMT

Super Huddle | The CMO/CRO Relationship

Super Huddle IV: March 23rd, 1-3pm ET

Regular Huddles | Topic: Sales Alignment/Enablement

Transition Team: March 1st, 1-2pm ET

Regular Huddle (Make Good for Super Huddle): March 15th, 12-1pm ET

Bonus Huddle | Selling for CMOs with Andy Paul

Bonus Huddle: March 1st, 4-5pm ET

About Andy Paul:

Andy is on a mission to educate sales leaders and sales professionals about the power of continuous learning to transform how they perform.

His podcast, Sales Enablement with Andy Paul is on the top of every list of the best sales podcasts with over 2 million downloads to date, and was on INC Magazine’s list of the top leadership podcasts.

He's #8 on LinkedIn’s list of the Top 50 Global Sales Experts to follow, and his two award-winning books, Zero-Time Selling and Amp Up Your Sales, were both Amazon best-sellers.

Andy has consulted with some of the biggest businesses in the world including Square, Philips, Grubhub, and more, making him one of the leading voices in the sales industry today.

Bonus Huddle | Responding to Crisis (if/when/how)

Bonus Huddle: March 30th, 12-1pm ET

Drew Neisser's Takeaways: Renegade Marketing

Fri, 18 Feb 2022 14:57:07 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 280: A B2B CMO Asks, Drew Answers

We’re switching things up for episode 280 of Renegade Marketers Unite. Instead of asking the questions, Drew will be answering them. Our special, stand-in host for this episode is Katrina Klier, CMO of PROS, who led the conversation for the benefit of her marketing team while taking a deep dive into Drew’s new book, Renegade Marketing: 12 Steps to Building Unbeatable B2B Brands.

This discussion covers everything from how to rethink marketing metrics, to how to justify B2B brand spend, to the book’s Clear Away the Clutter pledge. Drew also discusses B2B marketing trends in 2022 and more ideas gleaned from CMO Huddles, an elite community that unites and empowers a cross-section of B2B marketing executives to share, care, and dare each other to greatness. Check it out!

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegade.com/podcasts/

Bonus Huddle: Let's Discuss CX

Fri, 11 Feb 2022 14:54:54 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 279: What B2B CMOs Need to Know About CX

When Dan Gingiss and his family went out to a nice steakhouse for his son’s 15th birthday, little did he know that he’d walk away with a perfect metaphor for how to deliver an extraordinary customer experience. Remarkable CX is as simple as replacing a birthday candle with a sparkler—the small, seemingly simple changes to the way you celebrate and serve your customers can go a long, long way.

This episode comes from a CMO Huddles Bonus Huddle (re: a private Q&A) with Dan, an international keynote speaker affectionately known as The Experience Maker with a wealth of insights and stories about the power of phenomenal CX. Tune in to learn all about how B2B brands can up their CX game, how marketers play a key role in building better customer experiences, and more!

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegade.com/podcasts/

Huddler Cary Bainbridge on Ad Age

Mon, 07 Feb 2022 16:23:17 GMT

The marketing industry is often accused of being superficial, burnishing images with clever taglines or fancy new logos. But the pandemic inspired some marketers—including ABM Industries, a 112-year-old cleaning company—to transform their services from the inside out.

The company chose to evolve cleaning from a “very budget-sensitive operational expense” that happened behind the scenes to a public-safety oriented “clean people could see,” said Cary Bainbridge, chief marketing officer. To accomplish that, ABM formed an advisory council of experts, redesigned its service, retrained and certified more than 3,000 staffers—and only then created new messaging.

ABM Industries evolved from operating behind the scenes to ‘clean people can see'

Read the full Q&A on Ad Age: Why the Pandemic Transformed a Legacy Cleaning Company’s Marketing Strategy

Listen to the Episode: How to Serve Your B2B Customers When They Need You

CMO Huddlers Discuss IPOs (LIVE)

Fri, 28 Jan 2022 15:18:25 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 277: B2B Brands, Want to Grow? Go IPO

A CMO doesn’t join a B2B organization to keep things the way they are, they join to lead that company into the next phase of growth. That’s the mindset that CMOs Noreen Allen (who recently stepped down after 10 years at Bandwidth) and Kevin Spurway of Similarweb have brought to their roles over the years, evidenced by the integral roles they’ve played in bringing companies public.

In this episode, Noreen and Kevin share what it takes to prepare for an IPO and what it feels like to ring that bell in Times Square after months of hard work. This discussion is not just for those CMOs getting ready for an IPO, either. It’s a call to action for marketing leaders to embrace the IPO mindset: where strong positioning, a cranking predictable revenue engine, and a healthy set of attribution metrics can fuel next-level growth.

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegade.com/podcasts/

Super Huddle: Let's Discuss the CEO-CMO Relationship

Fri, 21 Jan 2022 15:20:24 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 276: CMO Panel: Celebrating the CMO Role

The CEO relationship is one of if not the most important alliance in a CMO’s world. It’s not going to be easy to do your job if your CEO doesn’t have your back. It’s an especially tough job if one’s CEO doesn’t believe in (or understand) the power of marketing, but it doesn’t mean that they can’t learn.

In this episode, we’re airing three Q&As with three CEOs who know that marketing can transform B2B organizations into powerhouses: David Friend of Wasabi, Rana el Kaliouby of Affectiva (now Smart Eye), and Larry English of Centric Consulting. The panel convened during a Super Huddle (a bi-annual mega-huddle exclusively for our CMO Huddles community), and all three CEOs shared their perspectives on marketing and their relationships with their own CMOs.

Tune in for some wonderful insights, including tips for what makes a great brand, why diversity matters, and what trends we can expect in an increasingly digital world.

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegade.com/podcasts/

CMO Huddlers Discuss B2B Content Marketing (LIVE)

Fri, 14 Jan 2022 16:36:00 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 275: Calling All Compelling Content!

Can your content cut through? Through the 27 touchpoints in a B2B buyer’s journey. Through the flurry of emails hitting everyone’s inbox every day. Through the clutter of millions of blogs, social posts, and videos online. It’s a heavy task for any company to run a truly remarkable content program, but when done right, it can boost your brand to new heights.

In this episode, CMOs Jamie Gier of Ceros, Suzanne Reed of LBMC, and Heidi Bullock of Tealium gather together to discuss all things content marketing. Tune in to learn how to create a content engine that will not only engage prospects in increasingly complicated sales cycles but will excite existing customers, garner partnerships, and draw in top talent.

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegade.com/podcasts/

Upcoming Events: February Huddles Schedule

Fri, 14 Jan 2022 14:45:00 GMT

Regular Huddles | Topic: Tech Stacks

Transition Team: February 1st, 1-2pm ET

Huddle A: February 1st, 4-5pm ET

Huddle B: February 8th, 1-2pm ET

Huddle C: February 14th, 4-5pm ET

Huddle D: February 16th, 5-6pm ET

Bonus Huddle | Thought Leadership Approaches with Peter Winick

Bonus Huddle: February 22nd, 4-5pm ET

About Peter Winick:

Peter is the founder and CEO of Thought Leadership Leverage. For the past two decades he has helped individuals and organizations build and grow revenue streams through designing and growing their thought leadership platforms as well as acting as a guide and advisor for increasing business to business sales of thought leadership products.

CMO Huddlers Discuss Decision-Making (LIVE)

Tue, 04 Jan 2022 18:36:31 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 273: Honing Your Decision-Making Chops for 2022

Decisions, decisions. We encounter them every day. Like whether to snooze your alarm one more time. What way to make your eggs in the morning. Whether or not your B2B brand strategy is in need of a revamp. Yes, some decisions are much more difficult than others, and in this episode, we’ll be discussing how to make great ones with CMOs Jennifer Davis of LEARFIELD and Jon Miller of Demandbase, as well as special guest Professor Kimberly Whitler of UVA’s Darden School of Business.

Tune in while we cover how to conquer decision making (Hint from Jennifer: Decisions are a starting line, not a finishing line). From brand positioning to ABX to taking a stand, this is a great episode for marketers looking to grow more confident in decisions big and small. Check it out!

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegade.com/podcasts/

Bonus Huddle: Let's Discuss DE&I

Tue, 28 Dec 2021 15:21:47 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 272: What CMOs Need to Know About DEI

The road to true Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) is not a destination, it’s a journey. It’s one that many B2B marketers have embarked on in the last year, and for the CMOs of CMO Huddles, it’s a priority. To help CMOs navigate that journey, we hosted a Bonus Huddle (re: a private panel and Q&A) on the topic with DEI experts Cassandra Blackburn of Sprout Social, Cory Haynes of Salesforce (at Talkdesk at the time of the huddle), and Elisa Vincent of Skillsoft.

The conversation was incredibly illuminating and insightful, so illuminating and insightful that we just had to turn it into an episode of Renegade Marketers Unite. In this episode, learn how 3 B2B organizations are making DEI real, where and how to recruit diverse talent, and how marketing leaders are advancing such initiatives with true allyship. Don’t miss it!

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegade.com/podcasts/

CMO Huddlers Discuss Digital Fatigue (LIVE)

Fri, 17 Dec 2021 19:22:41 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 271: 2022: The Year We Dynamite Digital

Webinar-itis. Virtual event absentia. Zoom gloom. Just a few of the pesky, present-day afflictions that pervade in an era of such rapid digital acceleration, where work-from-home is the norm and the return to physical events is still up in the air. As a result, B2B audiences are more discerning than ever.

It’s up to the savvy CMO to remedy this “digital fatigue” with high-quality experiences, and in this episode, CMOs Shirley Macbeth of Forrester, Paul Stoddart of Epicor, and Amanda Carty of Diligent share how they’re making it work.

Tune in for a deep dive into driving digital engagement, with great tips on how to up your event game, coach virtual keynoters, mobilize employees across the organization, and more.

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegade.com/podcasts/

Upcoming Events: January Huddles Schedule

Tue, 14 Dec 2021 17:09:03 GMT

Regular Huddles | Topic: Organizational Design

Transition Team: January 4th, 1-2pm ET

Huddle A: January 4th, 4-5pm ET

Huddle B: January 11th, 1-2pm ET

Huddle C: January 18th, 4-5pm ET

Huddle D: January 19th, 5-6pm ET

Bonus Huddle | ABM with Jon Russo

Bonus Huddle: January 25th, 4-5pm ET

Bonus Huddle Guest: Jon is a three-time global Chief Marketing Officer in successful public and private high tech companies in Silicon Valley, NYC, and Luxembourg. He currently leads B2B Fusion to optimize marketing technologies and business process to drive revenue growth, with an expertise in email deliverability, Account Based strategies, and marketing automation for high technology, financial services, and healthcare companies.

Jon is a certified master in Eloqua and a Marketo Certified Expert. He earned his Masters in Business from the Haas School at UC Berkeley and is a former active duty US Army officer.

Drew Neisser's Takeaways: CMO Huddles 2021

Fri, 10 Dec 2021 17:31:22 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 270: Renegade Wrapped: 2021 in Review

Curious about Drew’s top hits for 2021? Well, this is the episode for you. From the rocket growth of CMO Huddles (a community for B2B CMOs that share, care, and dare each other to greatness, if you didn’t know) to the release of Renegade Marketing, this year has been one for the books—filled with ups and downs and a whole lotta B2B marketing lessons.

Tune in for one of our special Drew-on-Drew episodes, where the Drews review 2021, covering top challenges CMOs are facing with recommendations for how to face them head-on. Key takeaways? 2022 should be the year to: Stick to your North Star. Lead by doing less, better. And take small bets that could become big bets.

P.S. If you’re a B2B CMO interested in joining CMO Huddles, apply for a guest pass today! You can also send an email to cmohuddles@renegade.com.

P.S.S. B2C CMOs interested in helping Alan Hart test out B2C Huddles Beta—hit him up on LinkedIn or Twitter.

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegade.com/podcasts/

CMO Huddler Peeyush Dubey on Renegade Marketers Unite

Fri, 03 Dec 2021 16:40:13 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 269: LTI CMO: The Shoshin of Brand, Demand, and Expand

Want to teach an old dog new tricks? Teach them shoshin. It’s a word from Zen Buddhism that means “beginner’s mind,” a state of approaching any challenge with a childlike eagerness. It’s about infinite curiosity, about the constant learning process, about being an open canvas to all the possibilities out there.

It’s the shoshin mindset that drives everything at LTI, a global IT and digital solutions company with 40,000 employees around the world. In this episode, CMO Peeyush Dubey shares how shoshin has driven the brand’s success, especially in relation to LTI Canvas, the new product that LTI developed in three months in response to the COVID pandemic.

Tune in to hear all about it in this fascinating interview, as well how LTI scales its marketing efforts under a three-pronged structure of brand, demand, and expand.

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegade.com/podcasts/

CMO Huddlers Discuss the First 90 Days (LIVE)

Fri, 26 Nov 2021 18:27:19 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 268: A Play-By-Play for the First 90 Days

Want to win in the CMO role? It’s all about that first 90 days. Three months’ worth of work that can pave the way for success. And at the executive level, CMOs don’t go in blindly—these master marketeers are dedicated to finding the quick wins to prove their savvy while ramping up for long-term success.

In this episode, Dave Bornmann of Association Analytics, Julie Kaplan of CareMetx, and Johnny Smith Jr. of Encompass Health describe their own approaches to the first 90 days at their current positions. Tune in to hear about the value of using those first few months to listen, to forge allyships, and to optimize the marketing department in a way that will boost both professional and organizational success.

BONUS: Dave generously provided us with a draft of the 90 Day Plan he made while interviewing for his current role. A valuable resource for any CMO. Reach out if you want a copy!

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegade.com/podcasts/

CMO Huddlers Discuss B2B Analyst Relations (LIVE)

Fri, 19 Nov 2021 21:07:10 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 267: Analyzing B2B Analyst Relations

Forrester. Gartner. IDC. These global market research firms can put your brand on the map, or they can tuck you into the doldrums of an undesirable quadrant. With a direct and well-trusted line to B2B customers, analyst relations are no joke, and the CMO plays an integral role in building up a mutually beneficial relationship that lasts.

In this episode, CMOs Isabelle Papoulias of Mediafly, Carlos Carvajal of Q2, and Narine Galstian of SADA share their experiences navigating the world of analyst relations and the lessons they’ve learned along the way. Whether you’re in the early stages of getting on the analysts’ radar or refining the way you engage your analyst connections, this episode is packed with best practices, mistakes to avoid, and more.

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegade.com/podcasts/

Upcoming Events: December Huddles Schedule

Mon, 15 Nov 2021 18:06:14 GMT

Regular Huddles | Time Management

Transition Team: December 1st, 1-2pm ET

Huddle A: December 2nd, 12-1pm ET

Huddle B: December 7th, 1-2pm ET

Huddle C: December 9th, 4-5pm ET

Huddle D: December 14th, 5-6pm ET

Bonus Huddle | Rethinking Innovation and the Marketer’s Role

Bonus Huddle: December 15th, 5-6pm ET

Bonus Huddle Guest: Carla Johnson, Keynote Speaker & Author

Carla is a world-renowned storyteller, an entertaining speaker, and a prolific author.

Having lived, worked, and studied on five continents, she's partnered with top brands and conferences to train thousands of people how to rethink the work that they do and the impact they can have. Her visionary expertise has inspired and equipped leaders at all levels to embrace change, welcome new ideas, and transform their business.

Her work with Fortune 500 brands served as the foundation for many of her books. Her tenth, RE:Think Innovation (available for pre-order now) busts the myth that innovation is something that requires a specific degree or special training. In fact, Carla explains why, to be a successful company in today's hyper-competitive, customer-driven world, innovation must be everyone's business.

LinkedIn: Carla Johnson
Twitter: @CarlaJohnson

Huddler Ellyn Raftery on Ad Age

Mon, 08 Nov 2021 16:35:33 GMT

In the span of three years, three large financial services companies merged into one goliath called FIS. With roughly $12 billion in annual revenue and more than 60,000 employees serving more than 20,000 clients in 130 countries, FIS might be the largest company you haven’t heard of. It’s a situation Ellen Raftery, its chief marketing and communications officer, expects to remedy with a new multidimensional brand campaign.

Starting with a revamping of corporate values, Raftery and her team looked to streamline a portfolio of more than 850 products that consumed more than 9 million web pages. Ultimately, they redesigned the portfolio into 10 categories and one clear promise: "Advancing the way the world pays, banks and invests." New “three letter” ads that spell out FIS make the company’s offering accessible to various audiences. While Raftery admits there’s lot more to do, the campaign has already exceeded expectations in terms of reach and impact.

Strategic position, core values and brand positioning were reevaluated to streamline portfolio

Read the full Q&A on Ad Age: How FIS Invested in New Brand after Financial Megamerger

Listen to the Episode: How FIS CMO Spells Brand

CMO Huddlers Discuss B2B Leadership (LIVE)

Fri, 05 Nov 2021 15:16:56 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 264: Gigamon CMO on Engineering Giga-Growth

Forget the notion of born leaders. Leadership is a skill that is that’s learned through practice, and even trial and error. It is a skill that needs continual refinement and is always a work in progress. In this episode, we explore the path to leadership with CMOs Amy Messano of Altair, Bill Strawderman of GS1 US, and Toni Clayton-Hine of EY Americas.

Tune in as we focus on the “Chief” of Chief Marketing Officer, exploring many aspects of CMOing, from how leadership adapted during COVID to how to lead while following the lead of your CEO. This episode is filled with unique insights into the different paths to leadership as well as tried-and-true ways to inspire employees and organizations to greatness. Don’t miss it!

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegade.com/podcasts/

Upcoming Events: November Huddles Schedule

Mon, 01 Nov 2021 15:20:32 GMT

Regular Huddles | 2021 Lessons Learned

Transition Team: November 1st, 1-2pm ET

Huddle A: November 1st, 3-4pm ET

Huddle B: November 2nd, 2-3pm ET

Huddle C: November 9th, 2-3pm ET

Huddle D: November 10th, 4-5pm ET

Make Good: November 30th, 5-6pm ET

Bonus Huddle | Building a Predictive Marketing Model

Bonus Huddle: November 16th, 4-5pm ET

Bonus Huddle Guest: Ross Graber, VP & Principal Analyst at Forrester.

From his bio: Ross is passionate about helping B2B marketing organizations create meaningful systems of measurement that accurately reflect marketing’s contribution to the business. As a researcher and thought leader, Ross focuses on developing and operationalizing the approaches leading organizations use to demonstrate accountability, understand results, and make improvements. His research has spanned the marketing operations discipline and includes data, process, people, and technology.

LinkedIn: Ross Graber
Twitter: @RossGraber

CMO Huddler Karl Van den Bergh on Renegade Marketers Unite

Fri, 29 Oct 2021 15:35:30 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 264: Gigamon CMO on Engineering Giga-Growth

What does pro-skateboarder Tony Hawk have to do with network security? For one, his surname is the same as Gigamon’s latest cloud visibility offering, Hawk by Gigamon. The solution enables customers to get a full 360 view of their hybrid infrastructures, making it easier to see—as Tony described in his Cameo for the brand—what could go wrong, what the backup plan is, and how to transform chaos into control.

Tony Hawk’s role as a Gigamon’s spokesperson is just one part of a massive, marketing-led transformation for the brand. It all started in 2019 when Gigamon went private and brought on Karl Van den Bergh as CMO to lead the strategic shift. With an engineering background, Karl faced the challenge head-on, quickly building a predictive ROI model and ramping up brand awareness efforts across the board.

Tune in for a seriously fascinating episode with a master marketeer, one who uniquely understands the value of how engaged employees, a clearly defined brand, and an award-winning demand gen engine can build the momentum a company needs to really soar (like, increasing pipeline by 6x soar).

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegade.com/podcasts/

CMO Huddler Ellyn Raftery on Renegade Marketers Unite

Fri, 22 Oct 2021 21:53:42 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 263: How FIS CMO Spells Brand

What does B2B success look like? Some might say that it looks like $12 billion in annual revenue with over 60,000 employees serving more than 20,000 clients in 130 countries, and in that case, FIS is right on the money. So why did the financial services company decide to turn their focus to building brand awareness?

In this episode, CMO Ellyn Raftery shares how FIS simplified its brand after acquiring Worldpay, streamlining a docket of 800+ products into 10 distinct categories and one brand story as it shifted into a B2B2C mindset.

Tune in to learn how FIS developed the new brand, how they made it real, and how it’s setting them up for even more growth in the future. Plus, learn Ellyn’s secret to CMO longevity—she’s been at FIS for 9 years!

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegade.com/podcasts/

Huddler Jennifer Houston on Ad Age

Tue, 19 Oct 2021 15:59:31 GMT

Driving demand is a typical chief marketing officer mandate—not “fix the brand.”

But for Jennifer Houston, CMO of D-Wave, the maker of quantum computer systems, lingering negative sentiment about the brand was so high that it not only hurt demand but was damaging employee morale. So, fixing the brand became her top priority and, in the process, Houston created a playbook from which almost any CMO can learn.

Company changed the narrative with the help of its customers and a commitment to today’s reality

Read the full Q&A on Ad Age: How D-Wave Made a Quantum Leap in Brand Perception

Listen to the Episode: What the Heck is Growth Marketing!? | B2B Branding IS Rocket Science

CMO Huddlers Discuss the Changing Role of the CMO (LIVE)

Fri, 15 Oct 2021 21:55:40 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 262: The B2B CMO of the Future?

It’s time to restructure your B2B organization. To trim down your MarTech stack. To reconsider which metrics matter. These are things that this episode’s guests are all in agreement on, and taking it one step further, they also believe that the CMO is the one for the job.

Tune in to hear from two of the three CMO to CRO authors, Brandi Starr and Rolly Keenan (COO and CRO of Tegrita, respectively), as we compare the future-thinking recommendations put forth in their book with those in Drew’s new book, Renegade Marketing. To keep everyone honest, CMO Peter Finter of CyberGRX brings a bevy of real-world experience and insights to the table. Don’t miss it!

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegade.com/podcasts/

CMO Huddler Cary Bainbridge on Renegade Marketers Unite

Fri, 08 Oct 2021 16:49:56 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 261: How to Serve Your B2B Customers When They Need You

Of the B2B brands that became essential post-COVID, ABM Industries sweeps up. Literally. No, this isn’t a show about Account-Based Marketing per se; it’s about a facility services company that stepped up during a time of need to ensure that employees, customers, and customers’ customers were safe.

Tune in to this fascinating interview with ABM CMO Cary Bainbridge, where she shares how the company relied on the experts and adapted in real-time to help customers through a time of need. This is a lesson in pivoting under pressure, with great insights for marketers into co-branding, developing essential services, and more.

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegade.com/podcasts/

CMO Huddlers Discuss the Hybrid Workplace (LIVE)

Fri, 24 Sep 2021 13:55:42 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Thinkers Unite, Episode 259: B2B Leadership in a Hybrid World

Ahh, work from home. A concept that became a hashtag overnight as the pandemic shut down offices around the world, relegating entire teams to Zoom squares. Zoom squares that moved away from the area, that enjoyed skipping a long commute, and that were able to maintain high levels of productivity despite the limitations. Zoom squares that nevertheless missed the creative spark that comes from in-person meetings.

Now that things are opening up again, B2B businesses face a new challenge: figuring out what exactly their new policies will be when it comes to in-office versus remote work. In this episode, Khalid El Khatib of Stack Overflow, Ellina Shinnick of HUB International, and Mike Brannan of Centric Consulting share how their respective companies have adapted, offering heaps of insights into how to maintain a strong work culture, how to effectively communicate with hybrid teams, and what it means to be a good leader during these ever-changing times. Don’t miss it!

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegade.com/podcasts/

Huddler Celia Fleischaker on Ad Age

Thu, 16 Sep 2021 16:20:19 GMT

Starting as CMO in the middle of a pandemic is challenging enough. But what about when your new company is spinning off a major chunk of business that will keep the original company name? That’s exactly what Celia Fleischaker confronted when becoming CMO of Verint in September 2020. Her approach provides multiple lessons for b-to-b CMOs.

To redefine the brand, Fleischaker and her team began with market research among employees, customers, prospects and industry analysts. Zeroing in on the idea of “boundless customer engagement,” the rollout focused initially on employees, making sure they not just understood the new brand story but could and would evangelize about it.

Customer engagement company consulted with employees and clients before going to market

Read the full Q&A on Ad Age: How Verint Juggled a Spinoff and Rebranding amid the Pandemic

Listen to the Episode: Being a Groundbreaking B2B CMO

CMO Huddler Jennifer Houston on Renegade Thinkers Unite

Fri, 10 Sep 2021 10:55:57 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Thinkers Unite, Episode 257: B2B Branding IS Rocket Science

If you build it, will they come? Not necessarily, especially not if all coverage and conversation about your brand is negative. Case in point—three years ago, D-Wave Systems had a 30 percent negative brand sentiment in the market, and the brand’s team of quantum physicists all turned to marketing to save the day.

In this episode, learn how CMO Jennifer Houston faced challenge head on without dwelling on the negative, developing instead a powerful new brand promise to highlight D-Wave’s practical quantum computing capabilities. Effectively decreasing the brand’s negative sentiment from 30 percent to less than 3, this is a remarkable story about the power of B2B branding—don’t miss it!

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegade.com/podcasts/

CMO Huddlers Discuss B2B Branding on a Budget (LIVE)

Fri, 03 Sep 2021 17:17:04 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Thinkers Unite, Episode 256: B2B Branding on a Budget

No budget, no problem! Said no one ever. Except, maybe, the savvy CMO who’s got the magic touch when it comes to making something out of nothing. As Gartner’s CMO Spend survey showed marketing budgets being slashed across all industries in 2021, marketers are being asked to do more with less—and while that’s absolutely a challenge, CMOs are stepping up to prove how important marketing is.

Today’s show features three CMO guests at start-ups, two of which had virtually no marketing staff when they came onboard. Tune in to hear a bevy of practical insights into how to stretch a small budget in big ways from Chi-Chi Liang of Alloy, JD Dillon of Tigo Energy, and Luanne Tierney, who had just left her role at Betterworks.

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegade.com/podcasts/

CMO Huddlers Discuss Cultivating Customer Champions (LIVE)

Fri, 20 Aug 2021 09:35:54 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Thinkers Unite, Episode 254: Transforming B2B Customers into Raving Fans

“When the going gets tough, the tough hug their customers.” That’s the theme that emerged early on in CMO Huddles, and the going at that point in April 2020 surely was tough. As the world shut down, customer retention became a top priority for many B2B brands, with astounding results—customer success strategy revealed itself to be a key growth strategy.

Customer-centric marketing does not only increase the likelihood of cross-sell and upsell opportunities, it also cultivates a healthy set of customer champions who are more than happy to refer prospects (and what’s more convincing to buy than a glowing customer review?). In today’s episode, CMOs Marshall Poindexter of OpenEye Scientific, Jakki Geiger (formerly of Reltio), and Simon Schaffer-Goldman of Case Paper cover the ins and outs of building and maintaining great customer relationships—don’t miss it!

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegade.com/podcasts/

CMO Huddlers Discuss B2B Partnership Marketing (LIVE)

Fri, 06 Aug 2021 09:51:17 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Thinkers Unite, Episode 251: B2B Partnership Marketing for the Win!

If there’s no partnership experience (PX) function in your organization yet, it’s high time you made one. As this episode’s all-star CMO guests can avow, a well-built and well-maintained partner ecosystem can do a lot for any B2B brand. Not only can it accelerate brand awareness and trust in the market, but a well-run partner marketing program can also directly and exponentially impact both pipeline and revenue.

In this episode, learn why partnership marketing needs to be taken seriously, with real-world examples to prove it and a slew of incredible insights into both growing and sustaining a powerful partner program from CMOs Denise Vu Broady of Appian, Michael Welts of Wasabi, and Melissa Sargeant of Litmus.

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegade.com/podcasts/

CMO Huddler Celia Fleischaker on Renegade Thinkers Unite

Fri, 30 Jul 2021 14:50:45 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Thinkers Unite, Episode 252: Being a Groundbreaking CMO

No two CMO playbooks are the same, but in all of them, agility is a prereq for success. The best CMOs are able to recognize the unique challenges of their organizations in the context of their growth stage and brand identity (or lack thereof), then develop the foundation for marketing-led, organization-wide success.

CMO Celia Fleischaker is an expert in the custom build, with previous stints at Epicor and PROS and now taking on a new challenge at Verint, a $1.3 billion company that recently completed a massive spin-off of its cybersecurity services, cementing itself as a pure-play customer engagement brand. Tune in to learn how Celia moved from her past experience for her current one, adapting along the way as needed to deliver a resonant Verint message to inspire employees and customers alike.

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegade.com/podcasts/

Huddler Shirley Macbeth on Ad Age

Wed, 28 Jul 2021 16:29:27 GMT

In the B-to-B community, Forrester has enjoyed strong awareness as a premium purveyor of expertise, but not so much for marketing its own brand. So, when Forrester acquired SiriusDecisions, another B-to-B research and advisory firm beloved for its “demand waterfall,” the executive team decided it was time to get its marketing act together and brought in CMO Shirley Macbeth to do just that.

Since Macbeth began in March 2020, just before lockdown, Forrester introduced a new product portfolio, “Forrester Decisions”; launched an employee orientation campaign, “Bold at Work;” and re-engineered its marketing to mirror the waterfall approach it preached to its customers. It also radically simplified its tech stack, pared down its persona list, re-oriented its employees on the new brand and no longer resemble the cobbler’s shoeless children.

CMO discusses new a product portfolio, an employee orientation campaign and paring the list of customer personas

Read the full Q&A on Ad Age: How Forrester Began Practicing the Marketing It Preaches

Listen to the Episode: Forrester CMO on Practicing What You Preach

CMO Huddlers Discuss B2B Brand Consolidation (LIVE)

Fri, 16 Jul 2021 17:25:34 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Thinkers Unite, Episode 249: B2B Brand Consolidation Done Right

It takes special care to brew a post-acquisition stew. B2B brands need to determine how to properly blend the newly acquired brand into the established mix without jeopardizing the integrity of the branded house, and without losing the equity and loyal customer base of its sub-brand.

In today’s episode, CMOs Grant Johnson of Emburse, Kevin Ruane of Precisely, and Joshua Leatherman of Service Express share how they’ve successfully consolidated newly acquired brands, reflecting on best practices and mistakes made around the B2B world as companies work to build branded house empires. Tune in for a ton of great tips for B2B brand consolidation, from how to measure the value of an acquired brand to how to protect SEO equity in the process.

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegade.com/podcasts/

CMO Huddler Andrew Hally on Renegade Thinkers Unite

Fri, 09 Jul 2021 15:31:26 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Thinkers Unite, Episode 248: Climbing from B2B Startup to B2B Scaleup

Transitioning from startup to scaleup sure does come with its growing pains. Marketing teams are stretched as they recruit for new and necessary functions, systemize demand gen efforts, and update their brand story in the market. Add in a global pandemic, a team spread across nine time zones, and a competitive labor market and you’ve got yourself an immense challenge.

For Bynder CMO Andrew Hally, this is not his first rodeo. Bringing in lessons learned from scaling up at Allego, Andrew shares how his team adapted to advance the brand’s growth phase in style. This is a fascinating episode about the marketing strategy behind two different scaleups, as well as why leading starts with listening and how to optimize intent signals in your category. Don’t miss it!

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegade.com/podcasts/

CMO Huddler Joe Toubes on Renegade Thinkers Unite

Fri, 02 Jul 2021 12:07:21 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Thinkers Unite, Episode 247: Sweetening Honeywell's Brand Promise

You’ve no doubt heard of Honeywell, the publicly traded, multinational conglomerate among the Fortune 100 and list of top 100 US federal contractors, with stock in both the Dow and S&P. Around since 1906, Honeywell is a mega brand, bringing in over $32 billion in revenue with a global workforce of over 110,000.

But what is it that Honeywell does exactly? That was the marketing challenge Joe Toubes encountered when taking on the VP of Global Marketing role in 2019—the market still associated Honeywell with a product it didn’t even sell anymore. Tune in to learn how Toubes and his team revamped the Honeywell brand, solidifying a new message in the market and attracting top talent along the way.

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegade.com/podcasts/

CMO Huddlers Discuss Employee Engagement (LIVE)

Fri, 25 Jun 2021 17:32:22 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Thinkers Unite, Episode 246: Keeping Employees Front and Center

Why should B2B organizations make employee engagement a high priority? According to Forbes, highly engaged teams are 21% more profitable. Employees that feel supported by their companies stay longer, perform better, and are less likely to get burnt out. They become cheerleaders for your brand, attracting other great talent and generating buzz that is nearly impossible to replicate any other way.

In this episode, CMO Caroline Tien-Spalding of Aptology, CMO Jeff Perkins of ParkMobile, and Tanika Vital-Pringle, the founder of Brand Rebirth, discuss just how to develop employee-first cultures that will be able to withstand tough times, drive empathy, and enable employee loyalty. This profound and practical conversation is undoubtedly a lesson in the power of empathy—don’t miss it!

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegade.com/podcasts/

CMO Huddlers Discuss B2B Marketing Metrics (LIVE)

Fri, 18 Jun 2021 17:37:42 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Thinkers Unite, Episode 245: Perfecting Marketing Metrics

The perfect B2B marketing metrics dashboard doesn’t exist. Well, not in the way that you’d think. Every organization is at a different growth stage, has different opinions in the C-Suite, and has different strategic priorities, so it only makes sense that there’s no one-size-fits-all measurement standard out there. Savvy CMOs know this—and they also know that not everything marketing contributes can be measured—but that doesn’t mean that it shouldn’t be done.

In this episode, we explore which metrics matter to the CMOs at three B2B organizations: Rebecca Stone of Cisco Meraki, Chandar Pattabhiram of Coupa, and Katie Risch of Centro. This insightful discussion is about how to demonstrate the value of marketing to the C-Suite, to your organization, and to the world at large. Tune in to learn about the best “brand-quisition” metrics, the state of attribution modeling today, why employer brand metrics are really important (even if no one thinks so), and more.

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegade.com/podcasts/

CMO Huddlers Discuss the Power of Values-Based Marketing (LIVE)

Fri, 04 Jun 2021 11:29:32 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Thinkers Unite, Episode 243: Oh FUD, Say Goodbye to Fear-Based B2B Marketing

FUD, you ever heard of it? No, not Elmer Fudd, the Looney Toon set on hunting that wascally wabbit Bugs. We’re talking about FUD, the acronym for Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt, a marketing tactic that focuses on the dangers customers face if they don’t adopt a product. In the B2B cybersecurity world, FUD-based marketing is quite popular, and while it’s effective in many cases, the negative approach can have unintended consequences on company culture and brand perception.

Enter Dan Lowden of HUMAN, Kevin Sellers of Ping Identity, and Armen Najarian of RSA, three B2B CMOs in the cybersecurity world set on throwing FUD out the door and selling instead through values-based marketing. Tune in to this fascinating episode to learn how these brands have found ingenious ways to differentiate themselves in an increasingly competitive market, why B2B brand values are essential to success, and more.

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegade.com/podcasts/

CMO Huddlers Discuss B2B Category Creation (LIVE)

Fri, 28 May 2021 11:34:03 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Thinkers Unite, Episode 242: So You Want to Create a Category?

Category creation is the ultimate form of B2B brand differentiation. Think Salesforce and CRM, HubSpot and inbound marketing—these top-tier brands are the leaders in their category because they were the champions of it from the very beginning. It takes a lot of work to get there, however, and not all brands are made for category creation.

This episode features three expert marketing execs who also happen to be veteran category creators—Chip Rodgers of WorkSpan, Gabi Zijderveld of Affectiva, and Bernd Leger (now at Mimecast). Tune in to learn the ins and outs of category creation, like how to engage with analysts to build credibility, how you know you’re on the right track, and how to manage competitors as a category leader.

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegade.com/podcasts/

Huddler Johnny Smith, Jr. on Ad Age

Fri, 21 May 2021 16:39:52 GMT

Marketing as a discipline does not exist in every company. In smaller companies, the absence is often driven by founders who believe that if they make a great product, the market will find them. In larger companies, the reasons are harder to pinpoint but the result is often the same: Marketing is really an order-taking function for sales. How does a newly arrived marketer correct this situation?

When Johnny Smith, Jr., began as VP of marketing services at Encompass Health in late 2019, those assigned to marketing suffered from low morale and labored to keep up with requests. Taking a methodical approach, Smith transformed the department into one that knew customers, built the brand, drove demand and was unafraid of saying no to sales.

Marketing VP discusses the 4 principles that brought a divided team together

Read the full Q&A on Ad Age: How Encompass Health Refocused Marketing to Build the Brand

Listen to the Episode: One Marketer’s Change Management Playbook

CMO Huddler Shirley Macbeth on Renegade Thinkers Unite

Fri, 21 May 2021 11:36:13 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Thinkers Unite, Episode 241: Forrester CMO on Practicing What You Preach

If you’re a B2B marketer and you’ve never heard of Forrester, you’re probably not a B2B marketer. The world-renowned research and advisory firm has firmly established itself as one of the most influential of its kind, and in this episode, CMO Shirley Macbeth fills us in on how Forrester maintains its high status via ever-evolving brand strategy and dedicated brand activation.

Having joined Forrester right when the world shut down in March 2020, Shirley dove headfirst into bringing Forrester’s Bold at Work message to life and consolidating the recently acquired SiriusDecisions without losing its loyal customer base. Not only that, Forrester’s marketing team drank its own champagne, using data to increase marketing spend and narrow down its list of key target personas from 20 to 5 (as well as its product set from hundreds to a handful). This is an awesome B2B brand story—check it out!

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegade.com/podcasts/

CMO Huddlers Discuss B2B Organizational Design (LIVE)

Fri, 14 May 2021 11:36:12 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Thinkers Unite, Episode 240: Structuring the Ideal B2B Marketing Department

B2B success starts with carefully considered organizational design. Whether strategically allocating budget and staff across multiple marketing functions or managing a growing MarTech stack, organizational design is no easy task. In this episode, CMOs Kathie Johnson of Talkdesk, Anna Griffin of Smartsheet, and Melanie Marcus of Surescripts discuss how they’ve structured their marketing teams for today and tomorrow, aligning to C-Suite expectations and adapting to both predictable and unexpected change.

Be sure to tune in to learn how the right B2B marketing structure can align Sales and Marketing teams, grow revenue, and transform marketing into an integral part of a B2B brand (and why DE&I should be a priority for building marketing teams). Check it out!

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegade.com/podcasts/

CMO Huddler Paul Stoddart on Renegade Thinkers Unite

Fri, 07 May 2021 15:26:52 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Thinkers Unite, Episode 239: B2B Brand Transformation in 3 Acts

Powerful narratives tend to follow a 3-act story structure: the setup, the confrontation, and the resolution. Act One is about establishing characters and their challenges in the world they live in; Act Two is about the actions they take in response to said challenges; and Act Three brings the story to a climax, effectively giving characters a new sense of who they are.

In this fascinating episode, CMO Paul Stoddart lays out the 3-act story behind Epicor’s recent brand development. Tune in to learn how Epicor identified where it was lacking, discovered a new purpose that aligned its brand strategy to its business strategy, and brought its new promise to life through its employees and customers, effectively transforming the organization from the inside out.

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegade.com/podcasts/

CMO Huddlers Discuss B2B Vertical Marketing (LIVE)

Fri, 30 Apr 2021 11:38:59 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Thinkers Unite, Episode 238: The B2B Vertical Marketing Playbook

Artful marketers don’t just chuck paint at the wall and hope people notice, they come with a full set of brushes and an eye for detail. It’s this focus that can lead to some really effective, targeted marketing campaigns, and in this episode, we’ll be exploring the medium called “Vertical Marketing.”

There’s a lot to sift through when it comes to building a robust B2B vertical marketing program, but Ian Howells of Sage Intacct, Lynne Capozzi of Acquia, and Mika Yamamoto of F5 are great guides. Tune in to hear how they apply vertical marketing in the real world, where they’ve noticed mistakes, and why vertical marketing is here to stay.

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegade.com/podcasts/

CMO Huddler Michael Collins on Renegade Thinkers Unite

Fri, 16 Apr 2021 15:21:25 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Thinkers Unite, Episode 236: Balancing Brand and Demand

Which came first, brand or demand? It’s an age-old question in the B2B world, especially for B2B CMOs who understand the delicate balance between growing a powerful, lasting brand and a demand gen engine that delivers results. Enter CFA Institute, a leading association of investment professionals with a global reach and a strong brand identity.

In this episode, CMO Michael Collins shares exactly how CFA balances brand and demand while managing a robust MarTech stack, adjusting strategy where needed, and tracking key metrics to maintain a healthy data-oriented alignment with the C-Suite. Tune in to hear what has worked, what hasn’t, and how CFA has driven growth within its close-knit community of Chartered Financial Analysts.

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegade.com/podcasts/

CMO Huddler Heidi Bullock on Renegade Thinkers Unite

Fri, 09 Apr 2021 15:25:08 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Thinkers Unite, Episode 235: Brewing a Simple Brand Story with Tealium

When CMO Heidi Bullock joined Tealium in 2019, her mandate was to grow the company from great to greater. Tealium already had a solid standing in the customer data management space when she arrived, having reached over $100 million in ARR with no plans of slowing down.

Heidi dove in immediately, directly reaching out to customers and partners to figure out how to level up the brand. Tune in to hear Heidi spill the tea on how Tealium simplified its brand story, infused it into the organization, and brought it to market with a flourish. This episode is a remarkable lesson in B2B brand strategy—you don’t want to miss it!

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegade.com/podcasts/

CMO Huddlers Discuss Marketing to Marketers (LIVE)

Fri, 02 Apr 2021 11:40:54 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Thinkers Unite, Episode 234: B2B Marketers Marketing to Marketers

Like any good magician, a great marketer never reveals their secrets. The best marketing is so good that it wows its target audience on the stage, but when that audience is a group of marketers, things become a lot trickier. It’s like pulling a rabbit out of a hat at a magician’s convention—your fellow marketers already know all the tricks of the trade, so they are that much harder to impress.

In this episode, we spoke with three master CMOs of marketing to marketers: Norman Guadagno of Acoustic, Jamie Gilpin of Sprout Social, and Eric Eden of Postclick. In this insightful conversation, they share all kinds of tricks of the trade, from strategies to really engage the marketing community to how much MarTech is too much. Check it out!

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegade.com/podcasts/

CMO Huddler Johnny Smith Jr. on Renegade Thinkers Unite

Fri, 26 Mar 2021 15:23:21 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Thinkers Unite, Episode 233: One Marketer's Change Management Playbook

When Johnny Smith Jr. joined Encompass Health as VP of Marketing, he was tasked with a tall order—to create a strong, growth-oriented marketing department. The change management job would involve a complete rebuild, but luckily for Encompass Health, Johnny’s strategic approach to marketing transformation and diplomatic leadership helped them align the organization in 12 months.

Tune in to hear Johnny’s in-depth, step-by-step guide to building a marketing organization. From establishing guiding principles to aligning newly organized across strategic priorities, Johnny is a master in change management. Check it out!

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegade.com/podcasts/

CMO Huddlers Discuss the CMO Job Search (LIVE)

Fri, 19 Mar 2021 11:43:12 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Thinkers Unite, Episode 232: Finding the Perfect CMO Gig in 2021

The executive job search is all about taking a consultative approach. For CMOs, it’s about using interviews to truly understand the pain points of an organization and to measure their values against your own. It’s about setting expectations so that, once hired, the CMO be able to deliver both quick wins and big wins that have a lasting impact. And now, Post-COVID, it’s also about doing all of those things virtually.

This episode comes from a livestream we recorded in January 2021 with three guests who bring different perspectives to the CMO job search. Patti Newcomer-Small had just been hired as CMO at FMG Suite, Sara Larsen was in transition at the time (now she’s CMO of Wolters Kluwer Health), and Brandon Palmer of Discover Podium coaches CMOs looking for their next gig. Tune in to hear how the job hunt has changed post-COVID as well as an abundance of useful tips for the search and that first 90 days as a virtual leader.

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegade.com/podcasts/

Huddler Kevin Sellers on Ad Age

Tue, 09 Mar 2021 17:45:29 GMT

In his book, "Quantum Marketing," MasterCard Chief Marketing Officer Raja Rajamannar observes that “B2B marketing is several generations behind when it comes to tapping into emotions ... the reliance is on data and performance claims within communication elements, which by nature tend to be less interesting and hardly inspiring.” It's a painful truth, which is why it is noteworthy when a campaign breaks with convention.

One such campaign is from Ping Identity, featuring actor/athlete Terry Crews as "chief identity champion." The campaign, launched in October 2020, is the culmination of CMO Kevin Sellers’ efforts to dramatically increase awareness of the brand. “You can't win business if you don't even get a chance to bid on the deal” says Sellers. “You’re trying to get them to know you and remember you, and you can't do that by being really safe.” With site traffic up 1,000%, Sellers knows he’s tapped into something special.

Ping Identity's CMO discusses why actor Terry Crews' 'chief identity champion' character broke with product-focused convention.

Read the full Q&A on Ad Age: How a Software Firm Tapped into Emotion to Reshape B-To-B Marketing

Listen to the Episode: Awareness Matters: How One B2B CMO Cut Through

Huddler Kevin Ruane on Ad Age

Mon, 22 Feb 2021 17:54:15 GMT

At the first hint of the deal to acquire the software division of Pitney Bowes, Syncsort Chief Marketing Officer Kevin Ruane knew he would be playing "Beat the Clock." Once the deal closed in December 2019, Syncsort would have only six months before it had to drop the Pitney Bowes name. And, given that the acquisition would double the data integrity company's revenue and product portfolio, it was also clear that the combined entity needed a new name.

Nonetheless, Ruane was determined to involve the more than 1,400 combined employees in every step of that naming process. “We had an obligation to put our employees at the center of this branding because of the cultural aspects of bringing these businesses together,” he says. By May 2020, the world was intaroduced to Precisely, but not before hundreds of employees had the chance to learn about, influence and embrace the new brand and purpose.

Precisely CMO discusses the challenge of merging two businesses and launching a new name.

Read the full Q&A on Ad Age: How a Data Integrity Company Got Employees Involved in Rebranding Process

Listen to the Episode: Precisely How to Change Your Brand Name

CMO Huddlers Discuss B2B Virtual Events (LIVE)

Fri, 12 Feb 2021 12:46:12 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Thinkers Unite, Episode 227: B2B Virtual Events Done Better

In-person events have always been gold for B2B brands. Accounting for 10-50% of B2B marketing budgets in 2019, B2B marketers relied on physical events as a massive revenue source, effectively filling the funnel with leads, closing deals, and extending customer contracts.

This was not to be so in 2020. We all know the story—as marketers everywhere had to pivot to digital, events and event planning went virtual. Lift and shift was not going to work. Not only did B2B marketing teams face unanticipated technical challenges and a sea of new virtual platforms, they also had to figure out how they could actually engage attendees and nurture leads in a world of Zoom fatigue.

This episode comes from a recent livestream, where CMO Mandy Dhaliwal (Dell Boomi), CMO Paige O’Neill (Sitecore), and CEO David Fischette (Go West Creative Group) shared everything about their virtual event experiences in 2020, both the good and the bad. Tune in for common challenges, creative solutions, and predictions for the future of B2B virtual events. Who knows, they may be here to stay.

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegade.com/podcasts/

Huddler Melissa Sargeant on Ad Age

Tue, 09 Feb 2021 17:58:13 GMT

Like snow blanketing the East Coast, email is relentless. But there is the occasional snowflake—an email so relevant, timely and well-crafted that it moves you to action—and delivers an ROI of, say, $42 for every $1 spent. This kind of email, it turns out, can be found only through testing. One expert in this area is Melissa Sargeant, chief marketing officer of Litmus, a leading provider of email testing software. Sargeant anticipates a bright future for email especially as marketers increase their use of AI and machine learning. These technologies enable marketers to deliver personalized and consistent experiences—trends Sargeant sees converging in 2021.

Litmus CMO discusses AI, machine learning and personalized customer experiences.

Read the full Q&A on Ad Age: How a Testing Software Firm Helps Marketers Double Down on Email

Listen to the Episode: Litmus Testing Your B2B Email Marketing Strategy

CMO Huddlers Discuss Gender Equality in the Workplace (LIVE)

Fri, 15 Jan 2021 12:48:08 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Thinkers Unite, Episode 223: How to Get More Women in the C-Suite

There are 50 honorees listed in TopRank’s 2020 installment of Influential Women in B2B Marketing Who Rocked, and in addition to these amazing leaders, we at Renegade know that there are countless others worth celebrating for their contributions to marketing in the B2B world.

This episode comes from our recent livestream show on the subject, featuring LogRhythm CMO Cindy Zhou, Skillsoft CMO Michelle Boockoff-Bajdek, and Charlene Li, the founder of Altimeter, author of The Disruption Mindset, and one of the women on TopRank’s aforementioned list.

Tune in to hear these inspiring leaders and role models share all about what it means to be a woman in the C-Suite, what progress still needs to be made, and how we can all work together to get there.

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegade.com/podcasts/

CMO Huddlers Discuss Conversational AI (LIVE)

Fri, 18 Dec 2020 12:51:20 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Thinkers Unite, Episode 219: Powering 2021 B2B Marketing with Conversational AI

In the premiere episode of Renegade Thinkers Live, Drew was joined by CMOs Rashmi Vittal (Conversica) and John McCrea (Amplify.ai), to discuss all things conversational AI. We take stirring things up quite literally here at Renegade, so in this episode, we sipped in the latest AI marketing insights along with Letherbee’s original label gin (which was amazing, by the way).

It was a fun episode, filled with AI conversational marketing use cases, wisdom from Dr. Benjamin Franklin, and a Live audience Q&A. Even Google Chrome makes an appearance! Tune in to hear some incredible use cases, learn why John and Rashmi both say that “bot” is a terrible word, and see just how Intelligent Virtual Assistants (IVAs) can transform B2B marketing in a digital-first world.

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegade.com/podcasts/

CMO Huddler Kevin Sellers on Renegade Thinkers Unite

Fri, 11 Dec 2020 15:45:12 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Thinkers Unite, Episode 218: Awareness Matters: How One B2B CMO Cuts Through

What happens when you pair an identity security company and Terry Crews? An impressive, wildly successful influencer marketing success story, that’s what. It was the final piece of the “Let’s boost our brand awareness” puzzle that Ping Identity CMO Kevin Sellers was looking for. They had already identified their new brand identity and got internal support, now it was time to go big.

This episode is all about the courageous, artful, thoughtful, and scientific marketing that goes into building brand awareness, all in the service of driving new customer acquisition. As Kevin shares, “You can’t win business if you don’t even get a chance to bid on the deal.” Tune in for an inspiring story about brand differentiation, with ingenious marketing executions and measurable results.

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegade.com/podcasts/

Huddler Carlos Carvajal on Ad Age

Fri, 04 Dec 2020 18:08:59 GMT

Acquiring new customers—so-called "new net logos"—has been the prime directive in the B2B tech realm. From private equity to venture capital, from startup to IPO, value was based on the ability to add customers at an ever-increasing rate. When the pandemic struck, adding customers became increasingly challenging, except for essential sectors including security, cloud or remote work capabilities such as Zoom. Attention turned to existing customers, with retention being Job One and upselling the tactic for stability if not growth.

For Carlos Carvajal—who started at K2 Software as CMO in November 2019—the focus on customers began as a research exercise to identify new messaging. What K2 learned proved to be far more important as the pandemic took hold. Fortuitously, the business process-management and automation company was increasingly delivering software to help automate essential, mission-critical processes. Packaging this insight into a new product, K2 had a powerful story to tell existing customers. It drove engagement and revenue and preceded K2's acquisition by Nintex in October.

CMO discusses how K2 adjusted strategy in response to the pandemic.

Read the full Q&A on Ad Age: How App for Mission-Critical Processes Drove Customer Retention for Software Company

Listen to the Episode: B2B Partnerships That Matter

CMO Huddler Kevin Ruane on Renegade Thinkers Unite

Fri, 04 Dec 2020 15:33:46 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Thinkers Unite, Episode 217: Precisely How to Change Your Brand Name

Would CMO Kevin Ruane recommend renaming a brand during a pandemic? No, he wouldn’t; but they had to do precisely that when Syncsort acquired the data and software division of Pitney Bowes in December 2019. The company had 6 months to change the Pitney Bowes name—6 months that just so happened to coincide with all of the disruptions of 2020.

In this episode, Kevin shares how Syncsort became Precisely, a global leader in data integrity committed to its “Trust Your Data” message. Tune in for tried-and-true best practices for B2B brands undergoing a name change, like when to get employees involved (hint: early and often) and how to successfully transition old brand equity over to a new, purpose-packed brand.

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegade.com/podcasts/

CMO Huddler Melissa Sargeant on Renegade Thinkers Unite

Fri, 20 Nov 2020 16:07:36 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Thinkers Unite, Episode 215: Litmus Testing Your B2B Email Marketing Strategy

This September, Litmus released the results of its latest state of email survey: 77% of marketers say email is one of their most effective channels, and 78% suggest that it’s been vital to their overall success. This should come as no surprise, especially given that Litmus surveys have also found email has a staggeringly high return on investment: $42 ROI for every $1 spent.

The survey came out with the launch of Litmus’ first-ever Litmus Live Everywhere, a free, virtual event to replace their in-person one (which typically costs ~$1500, by the way), as well as a new product and certification program. Needless to say, Litmus has been busy.

In this episode, CMO Melissa Sargeant joins Drew to discuss all things email marketing, like how Litmus markets to marketers, common mistakes, and why batch and blast is dead. This episode is jam-packed with insights from the CMO of one of the leading email marketing tools of today. Don’t miss it!

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegade.com/podcasts/

CMO Huddler Caroline Tien-Spalding on Renegade Thinkers Unite

Fri, 13 Nov 2020 18:08:50 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Thinkers Unite, Episode 214: How CMOs Can Hire Smarter in 2021

Any B2B or B2C organization is only as good as its team, so it may be surprising to hear that the hiring process hasn’t really changed for the last decade. In fact, 9 out of 10 CMOs say they aren’t doing anything different when it comes to building their marketing squads.

It’s high time for that to change; it’s time to bring all of the tools available in MarTech over to the people side of the house. In this episode, Aptology CMO Caroline Tien-Spalding joins us to talk all things employee hiring. Tune in to hear why understanding behavior at work is essential, how Caroline built a CRO advisory board to help drive content, and how hiring right can boost revenue across the board.

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegade.com/podcasts/

Huddler Norman Guadagno on Ad Age

Thu, 12 Nov 2020 18:13:38 GMT

When IBM sold its marketing software division to investment firm Centerbridge Partners in July 2019, the new owner essentially created a 1,000-person startup. It was given a new name, Acoustic, but lacked a culture, brand equity and a cohesive product offering. With only a few months to maximize the pedigree of IBM Watson Marketing, the clock was ticking.

This was the challenge for Norman Guadagno, Acoustic’s first chief marketing officer. Guadagno, facing a “build the plane while flying it” scenario, luckily started on the same day as the chief human resources officer—giving the pair the opportunity to craft a culture together. This partnership allowed marketing to impact the entire organization, helping Guadagno deliver on Acoustic’s new promise, “Marketing technology reimagined.”

Acoustic CMO discusses how an employee ambassador program helped spread the new mission, vision and values.

Read the full Q&A on Ad Age: How an IBM Spinoff Preserved Culture and Brand Equity on the Fly

Listen to the Episode: Spinning a New B2B Brand Out of IBM

Huddler Katie Risch on Ad Age

Wed, 04 Nov 2020 18:42:37 GMT

After successive years of double-digit growth, Centro, a digital advertising software company, expected more of the same in 2020. Marketers and their agencies were spending heavily through the Chicago-based company’s digital buying platform and relied on company employees to help execute their buys. The partnerships were fueled by a near-weekly parade of face-to-face industry events.

When COVID hit, the events, travel and entertainment industries stopped spending overnight. Like so many others, Centro’s Chief Marketing Officer Katie Risch was forced to regroup.

Centro's CMO discusses the messaging, products and webinars that supported clients working from home.

Read the full Q&A on Ad Age: How Customers Helped a Digital Software Company Navigate the Pandemic

Listen to the Episode: B2B Marketing to the Rescue

CMO Huddler Jamie Gilpin on Renegade Thinkers Unite

Fri, 30 Oct 2020 17:21:50 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Thinkers Unite, Episode 212: Making B2B Marketing More Social

As a multi-disciplined, multi-functional channel, social deserves a seat at every B2B brand’s strategic table. A robust social strategy does more than just drive brand awareness, it also can also generate leads, attract talent, and build a strong employee culture with far-reaching effects. Don’t take just our word for it though—this week’s guest is Jamie Gilpin, the CMO of leading social media management platform Sprout Social, and she’s here to discuss all things, well, social.

From why the C-Suite needs to be on social to why you need more than just a “Twintern” to manage your social channels, this episode is chock full of insights about common B2B social media mistakes and specific B2B social media success. Jamie not only shares how social plays an important role in Sprout Social’s marketing mix, she also addresses how social listening has informed successful marketing motions and driven revenue. Check it out!

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegade.com/podcasts/

CMO Huddler Carlos Carvajal on Renegade Thinkers Unite

Fri, 23 Oct 2020 13:22:05 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Thinkers Unite, Episode 211: B2B Partnerships That Matter

Like many B2B companies, K2 Software has really zeroed in on what makes its low-code process automation platform mission-critical for its customers. Unlike many B2B companies, K2 had already started shifting its strategy and messaging in 2019, months before the far-reaching effects of COVID were on anybody’s radar. In the scramble to prove that its product or service is essential during a downturn, K2 was ahead of the game.

In this episode of Renegade Thinkers Unite, K2 CMO Carlos Carvajal shares how the company’s recent brand transformation and various internal and customer partnerships have helped them navigate the challenges of 2020 and transform automation for the better. Be sure to tune in to hear about the success of K2’s virtual event, the launch of a new sub-brand, how K2 celebrates customer success, and more.

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegade.com/podcasts/

CMO Huddler Norman Guadagno on Renegade Thinkers Unite

Fri, 09 Oct 2020 14:36:05 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Thinkers Unite, 209: Spinning a New B2B Brand Out of IBM

Imagine a globally recognized brand (say, IBM Watson Marketing) decides to spin out and gets packaged up and purchased by private equity. Imagine said brand not only has big name recognition, but also a handful of acquisitioned companies with some seriously loyal customers. So, you’re a brand-new company with 1,000+ employees, 3,500+ customers in 21 countries, and 5 major products; you need to build an infrastructure, culture, and brand from scratch. Top that all off with a worldwide pandemic, and you’ve got one seriously big challenge ahead of you.

Enter CMO Norman Guadagno. Joining Acoustic in 2019, Norman’s mandate was to create a brand, build a marketing organization, and build a company for the IBM carve-out. Daunting, yes, but in this epic episode, Norman shares how Acoustic has made a name for itself. From partnering with HR to establish a distinct culture to selling the new brand to existing customers, this jam-packed episode is a must for courageous B2B marketers everywhere.

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegade.com/podcasts/

Huddler Rashmi Vittal on Ad Age

Wed, 30 Sep 2020 17:53:26 GMT

For years, B2B marketers have been measured by the quantity of leads they generate for the sales team, whose job is to convert them into revenue. When leads don’t convert, the departments can blame each other for poor leads or bad sales efforts. Without resolution, the standoff can persist.

One chief marketing officer who has systematically diffused the tension between her counterparts in sales is Rashmi Vittal of Conversica, a provider of virtual assistant software. Vittal discusses how a simple but robust nine-square grid fully aligns her team with sales and eliminates potential conflicts before they start. Among the keys to this détente: making sure marketers walk in sales’ shoes, sales enablement playbooks, a commitment to continuous improvement and a shared set of performance metrics. In other words, there is no hand-off.

Conversica CMO discusses how an alignment grid keeps the departments' partnership on track.

Read the full Q&A on Ad Age: How a Software Company Ended the War between Marketing and Sales

Listen to the Episode: One CMO’s System for Aligning Sales and Marketing

CMO Huddler Katie Risch on Renegade Thinkers Unite

Fri, 18 Sep 2020 13:26:50 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Thinkers Unite, Episode 206: B2B Marketing to the Rescue

Businesses need marketing now more than ever if they want to drive top-line growth. Why? Because marketers know how to do more with less. Despite budget cuts and the shift to virtual-only communications, marketers still know how to motivate employees, generate quality leads for sales teams, and gather customer feedback to influence product. As Drew says, “Marketing to the rescue. This is your moment.”

Enter CMO Katie Risch of Centro, a global software provider for digital advertisers that has grown from 3 employees to 700 in 15 years. In this episode, Katie shares how the marketing team at Centro has played a crucial role during COVID—enabling the sales team via high-quality content and enabling the product team to develop a companion product for the platform. As one of the original 3 employees at Centro, Katie also shares her unique path to the CMO role, one that has made her a dynamic leader who really understands what it means to align teams to work towards the company vision. You don’t want to miss it!

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegade.com/podcasts/

Huddler Chandar Pattabhiram on Ad Age

Thu, 17 Sep 2020 14:42:15 GMT

Marketers targeting enterprise customers traditionally struggle with a long and complex sales process, dealing with buying committees of 10 or more that can deliberate for up to 18 months, putting them through seemingly endless hoops. When the pandemic struck, enterprise sales—with the exception of essential business-continuity services including security, communications and logistics—ground to a halt. This left the rest of the B2B world scrambling for traction.

Chandar Pattabhiram, chief marketing officer of Coupa, a business spend management platform, recognized the need for repositioning. During three weeks in March, Pattabhiram and his team revamped their messaging to place an emphasis on resilience—appealing to chief financial officers who would see the downturn as an opportunity to position their companies for future success. Since then, Coupa has been one of Silicon Valley’s high-flyers, with its stock more than doubling, a result at least partially fueled by its rapid repositioning.

CMO discusses how Coupa sees the downturn as an opportunity to position companies for future success.

Read the full Q&A on Ad Age: How the Pandemic Inspired a Marketing Campaign That Embraces Client Resilience

Listen to the Episode: Today’s Resilience is Tomorrow’s Excellence

Huddler Dan Lowden on Ad Age

Tue, 08 Sep 2020 14:45:41 GMT

Since the early days of the internet, cybersecurity firms have offered complex technical explanations about how their approach thwarts bad actors who can disrupt highly vulnerable computer systems. One company taking a different approach is White Ops, a cybersecurity company that protects brands from sophisticated bot attacks and fraud.

“People can see right through you if you are talking too much tech, using too many buzzwords, trying to oversell or sell too hard,” says CMO Dan Lowden, whose “Keep it Human” campaign has driven revenue growth and led to a round of funding from Goldman Sachs Merchant Banking Division and ClearSky Security.

Why White Ops avoids buzzwords, technical jargon and the hard sell.

Read the full Q&A on Ad Age: How One Cybersecurity Firm Keeps Its Marketing Human

Listen to the Episode: Finding Your Brand’s North Star

Huddler Joshua Leatherman on Ad Age

Wed, 26 Aug 2020 14:49:58 GMT

Marketing scientists are increasingly the norm in B2B. These individuals know how to stand up a demand generation engine, one that can drive leads into a nurture stream and track them through the sales pipeline. The reward is what many in the industry call “net new logos.” Contribute enough of these new customers at a reasonable acquisition cost and you are a company hero.

One such individual is Joshua Leatherman, the CMO of Service Express, a company that maintains data centers. When Leatherman arrived 8 years ago, it was a traditional sales-driven organization with a limited marketing infrastructure. Today, marketing contributes 70 percent of the new logo pipeline—about as good as it gets. Letterman attributes success to a disciplined process, responsive sales teams and a revenue operations unit that sits between sales and marketing, providing a neutral source of actionable data.

Service Express CMO discusses why marketing contributes 70 percent of the new customer pipeline.

Read the full Q&A on Ad Age: How a Data Center Company Mastered the Science of B2B Marketing

Listen to the Episode: CMO Mathematics with Service Express

Huddler Jakki Geiger on Ad Age

Wed, 19 Aug 2020 14:57:36 GMT

Although it seems like ancient history, when the economy was booming, many B2B brands saw themselves as growth catalysts. Promising help with acquisition, these brands offered a vision of unlimited success for customers. One such brand is Reltio, a data management platform, whose new website in February 2020 touted “winning in the experience economy” as its reason for being. Then the pandemic struck.

For Jakki Geiger, Reltio’s CMO, it was a pivotal moment. Recognizing that the message was potentially tone-deaf as many businesses went into survival mode, Geiger asked her team to find a new promise. Mining their brand’s corporate mission, Reltio shifted from a message of winning new customers to one of serving, protecting and retaining current ones—demonstrating agility in the face of disruption.

Reltio's CMO discusses the pivot to a new marketing message to reach businesses in survival mode.

Read the full Q&A on Ad Age: How the Pandemic Inspired a Strategy Shift from Customer Acquisition to Retention

Listen to the Episode: Rethinking Your Brand Promise…In a Hurry

CMO Huddler Rashmi Vittal on Renegade Thinkers Unite

Fri, 14 Aug 2020 13:09:34 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Thinkers Unite, Episode 201: One CMO's System for Aligning Sales and Marketing

With 25 years in the tech industry, Conversica CMO Rashmi Vittal knows a thing or two about sales and marketing alignment. She knows that it’s about “company-wide enablement” as opposed to “sales enablement.” She knows the value of a simplified product message. And she knows the common excuse, “Well, I gave leads to sales and they just didn’t do anything with them,” just won’t cut it.

In this week’s episode, Drew and Rashmi discuss her nine-square “Alignment Between Sales and Marketing” grid. It’s a simple yet thorough model, one that recognizes that achieving alignment is about constant evolution and clear communication. Be sure to tune in to hear how Conversica applies this grid in action, as well as how they’ve pivoted in 2020.

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegade.com/podcasts/

Huddler Michelle (BB) Boockoff-Bajdek on Ad Age

Tue, 11 Aug 2020 15:00:32 GMT

The absence of physical events in 2020 created a void for B2B marketers, many of whom rely on them for up to 80 percent of their leads. Marketers also count on events to educate, celebrate and entertain customers, partners and employees. Budgets are lavish, and hard-core digital marketers including Adobe’s Ann Lewnes praise their effectiveness. It wasn’t a surprise when big brands, including Adobe and IBM, staged virtual events in April.

While the brands benefited from early-mover advantage in terms of attendance, the overall experience could not compare with their stellar physical events. Looking to do better, the CMO of Skillsoft, the learning management system software and content producer, used design thinking to reimagine a virtual event experience from the ground up.

Skillsoft CMO discusses interactive keynotes, case studies and courses across four continents.

Read the full Q&A on Ad Age: How a Learning Tech Company Reimagined Its Global, 24-Hour Virtual Event

Listen to the Episode: Raising the Bar with Virtual Events

CMO Huddler Chandar Pattabhiram on Renegade Thinkers Unite

Fri, 31 Jul 2020 16:56:00 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Thinkers Unite, Episode 199: Today's Resilience is Tomorrow's Excellence

What does B2B excellence look like in a downturn? When faced with this question, the software company Coupa quickly adopted a story of resilience. The decision to change its messaging allowed Coupa to change buying committee perspectives on its offering—if the prospect’s goal was to preserve capital and mitigate risk in the long-run, Coupa had the solution to get there.

Coupa’s strategy has proven effective, and the company’s skyrocketing stock is proof. In this week’s densely packed episode, CMO Chandar Pattabhiram uncovers how they pivoted under pressure, harmonizing their messaging and releasing it to a 100% digital world. He also shares valuable insights, like Geoffrey Moore’s concept of “provocation selling,” the 4 P’s of pivoting, and how Coupa is taking action against social injustice.

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegade.com/podcasts/

Huddler Mandy Dhaliwal on Ad Age

Wed, 22 Jul 2020 15:05:37 GMT

Most B2B marketers consider internal audiences important. Before a new campaign is launched, employees are gathered in a town hall in which the big news is shared by senior leadership. These are often followed by departmental sessions and the distribution of new sales materials. For many companies, indoctrination stops there.

Not at IT service management company Boomi, a Dell Technologies business. After announcing its new corporate mission of “accelerating business outcomes,” the sales team was required to become accredited on the new brand story and the new sales pitch. Other employees were encouraged to share the story on social media. Explains Mandy Dhaliwal, Boomi’s CMO, “Our brand ambassadors are our staff. If we don’t believe in our technology, who will?” Unifying the staff behind the campaign accelerated marketing results for the brand, whose share of voice and lead flow increased.

CMO discusses why Boomi focused on internal audiences first.

Read the full Q&A on Ad Age: How Employee Buy-in Drove Results for a B2B Marketing Campaign

Listen to the Episode: Why Dell Boomi is Booming

CMO Huddler Jakki Geiger on Renegade Thinkers Unite

Fri, 17 Jul 2020 17:38:02 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Thinkers Unite, Episode 197: Rethinking Your Brand Promise...In a Hurry

Right around mid-March 2020, every brand, B2B or B2C, had to take a cold hard look at their brand promise and consider its relevance. Was the brand promise that seemed so right in the go-go months before the pandemic suddenly tone deaf? For Jakki Geiger, CMO of Reltio, a Silicon Valley-based data management platform, the answer to that question was “yes.” Practically overnight, the idea of “winning” seemed out of step with their customers, many of whom were focused more on surviving and less on thriving. So, what’s a savvy marketer to do?

In this remarkably frank episode, Geiger shares exactly how she and her colleagues shifted gears and found a new, more relevant message around “serving, protecting, and retaining.” It’s a story of agility, determination, customer-centricity, and fearless leadership that almost any marketer can learn from. Drew and Jakki cover a lot of ground including the role CMOs can play not just in driving leads (which she did) but also driving social change in areas like diversity.

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegade.com/podcasts/

Huddler Amy Messano on Ad Age

Wed, 15 Jul 2020 15:08:48 GMT

When Amy Messano joined Altair as CMO in early 2019, the global tech company was in the middle of an acquisition spree that radically reshaped it. With 30 or so new companies merged into one, Messano had to make sure it became a cohesive branded house and not a chaotic house of brands. To do that, Messano and her team spent close to a year conducting research among their 3,300 employees and hundreds of customers, ultimately developing a new vision for the brand. Then the pandemic struck.

Not wanting to appear tone deaf, Messano considered holding off on the launch. But a bit more research with employees and customers revealed that their new rallying cry, #OnlyForward, was actually a welcome message of positivity in a time of uncertainty. Messano discusses how the rebranding came into being, how the team gained employee and customer buy-in and how they knew their efforts were indeed well-timed.

Altair's CMO discusses how the launch became a message of positivity in a time of uncertainty.

Read the full Q&A on Ad Age: Why the Pandemic Didn’t Stop a Global Tech Company’s Rebrand

Listen to the Episode: Decoding Your Company’s True Brand Purpose

CMO Huddler Michelle Boockoff-Bajdek on Renegade Thinkers Unite

Fri, 10 Jul 2020 17:34:24 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Thinkers Unite, Episode 196: Raising the Bar with Virtual Events

If you’re looking for an example of a high-quality virtual event, you’ve got to check out Skillsoft’s Perspectives 2020. Drew did, and he was absolutely blown away by the online summit. In fact, it was so engaging that he just had to interview their CMO, Michelle Boockoff-Bajdek (Michelle BB for short) to learn more about the work that went on behind the scenes to create a global experience that rivals pre-COVID physical events.

In this episode, Michelle generously shares the details behind the making of the event, as well as other tips, like how they’re measuring its success and how they plan to use the momentum to generate demand. We’ve also got a special Q&A session with a live audience of CMOs: Gabi Zijderveld from Affectiva, Ian Howells from Sage Intacct, Holly Rollo from RSA Security, and Mark Floisand from Coveo. Check it out!

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegade.com/podcasts/

Huddler Peter Finter on Ad Age

Tue, 07 Jul 2020 15:11:37 GMT

Just months ago, B2B marketers had lofty growth plans focused on driving a large quantity of leads into their sales funnels. Today, with so many businesses struggling and lead-generating events off the table, those plans have been torn up. Many marketers are now making customer retention their top priority, which is a victory even if it means making contract concessions.

Couchbase, an open-source database software company, has found success with this approach. Because "customer-centricity" is part of the company’s core values, Chief Marketing Officer Peter Finter said it is easier to demonstrate increased empathy for customers—which translated into “we’re in this together” messaging, making training courses free and flexibility on terms. “We want to take pressure off our customers,” says Finter.

Couchbase CMO discusses how 'customer-centricity' is helping the B2B marketer stay connected.

Read the full Q&A on Ad Age: How Customer Retention Is Replacing Acquisition during the Coronavirus

Listen to the Episode: B2B Values to Solve Any Marketing Challenge

CMO Huddler Anna Griffin on Renegade Thinkers Unite

Fri, 26 Jun 2020 15:18:56 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Thinkers Unite, Episode 194: Collaborating Creatively in the Zoom Economy

“Zoom, Zoom, Zoom” may seem like the title of a children’s song, but for many of us, it’s the reality of the workday—a string of Zoom meetings that take up the brunt of one’s time. And while virtual meetings have been a great way to stay connected to colleagues and hold brainstorming sessions, they can be a real hindrance to productivity.

It’s important for CMOs and other leaders to help their teams Zoom smarter, not harder. In this week’s episode of Renegade Thinkers Unite, Smartsheet CMO Anna Griffin shares tips and tricks for facilitating effective brainstorming sessions, like starting meetings with a frame break and assigning ownership. The process passed the test, as the Smartsheet team pulled together and published their recent global survey within a week of their initial Zoom ideation session. Be sure to tune in, you won’t want to miss it.

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegade.com/podcasts/

CMO Huddler Amy Messano on Renegade Thinkers Unite

Fri, 12 Jun 2020 16:40:52 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Thinkers Unite, Episode 192: Decoding Your Company's True Brand Purpose

Brands must be handled with care. They are emotional, enduring, and convey everything a business stands for, so it behooves CMOs to ensure that their company’s brand purpose and the messaging around it are not tone-deaf, but accessible—so accessible that they become a rallying cry for employees and customers alike and speak to any challenge that may come your way.

Now, how can you achieve this? At Renegade, we suggest finding a common story and articulating it in six words or less, which is exactly what Altair did when the software engineering firm launched its “Only Forward” campaign. As CMO Amy Messano explains, they knew that their decision to rebrand during COVID was the right one; firstly, because they had previously put in nearly a year of hard work to find their brand story, and secondly, because their purpose gave employees hope in an otherwise unpredictable moment—the true acid test for a successful brand refresh.

In this week’s episode of Renegade Thinkers Unite, Amy shares the story behind Altair’s mid-COVID rebrand, including how she used her “engineering pocket translator” to discover their purpose-driven story statement, how they activated their employees with the new message, and how they’ve measured its success thus far.

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegade.com/podcasts/

Huddler Isabell Papoulias on Ad Age

Thu, 11 Jun 2020 15:28:05 GMT

Acquisitions are relentless in tech. Even in the middle of the pandemic, brands including Cisco, Microsoft, Facebook, VMware, Atlassian, Zoom, Intel, NVIDIA, Verizon, Docusign, BMC Software and Accenture acquired one or more companies. With each acquisition comes a series of branding questions. What to do with acquired names? How does the overall brand story change, if at all? For example, after SAP paid $8 billion for Qualtrics in 2019, it shifted much of its messaging to improving customer experiences, a promise enabled by Qualtrics technology.

For Isabelle Papoulias, CMO of Mediafly—a sales-enablement and content management software company—the answer to these questions changed after back-to-back acquisitions over a six-month period. The first acquisition was business as usual. But two weeks before announcing the second acquisition, Papoulias received a “stop the presses” call from her CEO. He wanted a new campaign. She took this as an opportunity to rethink everything, leading to a complete overhaul of the brand, go-to-market messaging and tactics.

CMO discusses Mediafly's integrated approach in support of new campaign on Ad Age.

Read the full Q&A on Ad Age: How Back-To-Back Acquisitions Led to a Tech Brand Overhaul

Listen to the Episode: Keep Calm and Acquisition On

CMO Huddler Peter Finter on Renegade Thinkers Unite

Fri, 05 Jun 2020 15:28:51 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Thinkers Unite, Episode 191: B2B Values to Solve Any Marketing Challenge

When do company values matter? Just ask today’s guest Peter Finter, the SVP and CMO at Couchbase: “It’s when you have to make a hard decision, that’s when values matter.” Speaking with conviction, Peter knows what it takes to prepare a business to take on any challenge. This conviction was made clear in Couchbase’s nearly seamless response to the COVID pandemic and how it took care of employees, customers, and prospects.

In this week’s interview, Peter shares the six unique values of the open-source cloud database company that they’ve brought to life in the recent months across the spectrum of their ecosystem, starting with “Be a good human always.” With a commitment to personalizing marketing through things like employee talent showcases on Zoom and a free community edition of their software, Couchbase’s priorities are evidence that the human, purpose-driven B2B brand will always outlast the two-dimensional, poster board one.

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegade.com/podcasts/

Huddler Mika Yamamoto on Ad Age

Wed, 06 May 2020 15:31:45 GMT

Given a chief marketing officer's to-do list—brand building, demand generation, employee communications, crisis management—it's counterintuitive to add additional responsibilities. But that’s what Mika Yamamoto insisted on when she took the dual roles of CMO and chief experience officer at F5 Networks—an application services company with more than 5,300 employees in 43 countries and many Fortune 500 clients—one year ago.

Realizing that marketing is more effective with a fulfilling customer experience, Yamamoto—whose background includes GM and strategy positions—leapt at the chance to bring both roles together. For Yamamoto, the organizational challenge boils down to whether an activity removes friction or adds delight. And one of the strategies to managing her double duties has been radically simplifying measurement.

F5's Mika Yamamoto discusses the benefits of being both CMO and CXO on Ad Age.

Read the full Q&A on Ad Age: How Marketing Can Be More Effective with a Fulfilling Customer Experience

Listen to the Episode: Why CMOs Should Be CXOs Too

CMO Huddler Michael Welts on Renegade Thinkers Unite

Fri, 24 Apr 2020 14:39:06 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Thinkers Unite, Episode 185: What a CEO Wants in Their CMO

We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: no CMO can succeed without the backing of their CEO. Countless CMO guests on the show have talked about how crucial it is to have that top-down support, and on this special episode, we’re joined not only by the CMO of Wasabi, Michael Welts, but also by his CEO, David Friend. With a strong working relationship that most would envy, they talk about how they’ve built their brand and grown their customer base from 1200 to 15,000 in just two years.

The key thing David was looking for was a “simplifier” CMO, and with Michael, he found just that. Through bold marketing, Michael and his team developed a strong value proposition, “1/5 the price of Amazon and 6x faster” and based their sales strategy around the three Wasabi “peas:” price, performance, and protection. Tune in to this week’s episode to hear how to build a B2B demand gen machine, measure metrics outside of revenue, and have the CEO-CMO relationship that dreams are made of.

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegade.com/podcasts/

CMO Huddler Mika Yamamoto on Renegade Thinkers Unite

Fri, 17 Apr 2020 17:16:03 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Thinkers Unite, Episode 184: Why CMOs Should Be CXOs Too

Now more than ever, people want simplicity. They’re looking for simple solutions to complex problems, simple language to describe complex ideas, and simple experiences in an increasingly complex world. That’s why this week’s episode, recorded pre-COVID, is so poignant. Mika Yamamoto, the CMO and CXO of F5 Networks, joins us to share the ways she has transformed how they do business by asking one simple question: “Does this remove friction or add delight?”

Mika discusses the advantages of combining the CMO and CXO roles, they’ve given her a unique end-to-end perspective that has ultimately led to innovative, measurable changes for F5’s employees, customers, and prospects. With the battle cry “code connects us all,” tune in to hear all about how to best measure customer satisfaction (spoiler, it’s not NPS) and how to align your employee’s day-to-day interactions with the larger goals of the organization.

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegade.com/podcasts/

CMO Huddler Kathie Johnson on Renegade Thinkers Unite

Fri, 03 Apr 2020 14:48:46 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Thinkers Unite, Episode 182: How Talkdesk Led the "Business Continuity" Curve

It’s impossible to have business continuity during a crisis if your contact center software is only designed to run on-premises (on-prem for short) and your employees can’t come into the office. This has become a serious issue for many companies in the recent weeks, because if your customers can’t reach your service team, it stops business in its tracks and, ultimately, adversely affects your brand.

That’s why Talkdesk, a cloud-based contact center solution, made it their mission to bring on-prem operations home quickly so that businesses could continue thriving while protecting their employees. Their first of many crisis-centered products launched one week before “business continuity” started trending, and Talkdesk CMO Kathie Johnson joins us this week to talk about how her team’s agility, commitment to goodwill, and holistic view of business put Talkdesk front and center in the conversation.

Pulling together a new, recession-conscious product development team is just one way to retool your growth engine during a downturn. For more examples and tips, check out our recent guide to B2B demand generation.

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegade.com/podcasts/

Huddler Kathie Johnson on Ad Age

Wed, 01 Apr 2020 15:35:58 GMT

Kathie Johnson was only a few months into her role as Talkdesk’s CMO when the COVID-19 pandemic struck. Before the crisis, Talkdesk was enjoying growth in a traditional industry, providing cloud-based software for contact centers—rooms filled with customer service representatives answering questions over the phone and via chat. Before the pandemic, more than 3 million people in the U.S. worked on location providing customer service. Now they had to do it from home.

There was no playbook for something of this magnitude, which Johnson knew was a challenge for Talkdesk, whose cloud-based solution could help. Convening a SWAT team from product development, operations and marketing, it took the company just days to develop a product that would help customers and other contact centers to continue operating.

CMO Kathie Johnson discusses how Talkdesk enabled clients and other companies to stay connected to customers on Ad Age.

Read the full Q&A on Ad Age: Cloud-Based Software Helped Call Centers Remain Open—from Home

Listen to the Episode: How Talkdesk Led the “Business Continuity” Curve

CMO Huddler Khalid El Khatib on Renegade Thinkers Unite

Fri, 27 Mar 2020 17:12:00 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Thinkers Unite, Episode 181: Collaboration in a #WFH World

Stack Overflow, an online Q&A community for developers, has a clear #WFH advantage—they’ve operated with a largely remote workforce for over a decade, and they’ve done it well, simultaneously growing their business and earning a spot on numerous Best Developer Website lists. That’s why, in response to COVID-19, they’ve made it their top priority to share their #WFH best practices and anticipate the challenges that more traditionally in-office businesses may be facing.

On this week’s episode of Renegade Thinkers Unite, we’re joined by Khalid El Khatib, Stack Overflow’s VP of Marketing, to discuss the things companies can do to not just keep their teams connected, but to continue collaborating and innovating as they work from their new home. Tune in to hear his well-informed take on virtual socializing, the future of events, and the wealth of resources and tools available as we navigate a virtual world.

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegade.com/podcasts/

Huddler Khalid El Khatib on Ad Age

Wed, 25 Mar 2020 15:41:27 GMT

As offices around the world go remote, employees are familiarizing themselves with the basics, including setting up a home office and maintaining a routine. Organizations with little experience working remotely face a steep learning curve to continue business as usual.

At Stack Overflow—a question-and-answer site for programmers—40 percent of the work was already conducted remotely before the company went fully remote on March 9. Khalid El Khatib, VP of Marketing, discusses how he and his team are leveraging their knowledge and extending their Q&A-style tools to create a database with best practices about working remotely.

Question-and-answer site for programmers shares best practices on working from home, including tools to stay connected on Ad Age.

Read the full Q&A on Ad Age: Stack Overflow Lends Its Expertise to the #Wfh Movement

Listen to the Episode: Collaboration in a #WFH World

CMO Huddler Joshua Leatherman on Renegade Thinkers Unite

Fri, 13 Mar 2020 15:10:56 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Thinkers Unite, Episode 179: CMO Mathematics with Service Express

Joshua Leatherman has been CMO at Service Express for 9 years now—during that tenure, revenue has grown from 30 million to 130 million, marketing efforts now contribute a whopping 70% of qualified leads in their sales pipeline, and their NPS score is currently at 90. Behind these impressive numbers is a lot of hard work, gaining executive buy-in, inspiring staff with an employee-first organizational purpose, and building a customer experience that drives satisfaction and referrals.

Leatherman is an expert on the metrics that matter, both the impressive ones listed above, and the ones that you look at behind the scenes to get there. It’s not about the number of meetings, it’s about the number of quality meetings; not the number of prospects, but the strategy behind how prospects are brought in and engaged. In this episode, you’ll get an up-close look at CMO math as Leatherman discusses how they calculate ROI and the essential steps to building a revenue-generating marketing engine. For more on measuring metrics that matter, check out chapter 10 of our B2B Brand Strategy Guide.

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegade.com/podcasts/

CMO Huddler Mandy Dhaliwal on Renegade Thinkers Unite

Fri, 06 Mar 2020 18:25:20 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Thinkers Unite, Episode 178: Why Dell Boomi is Booming

According to a Gartner Report, Dell Boomi leads the way as an innovative strategic partner for its clients in the Enterprise iPaaS category, with over 8,000 customers and a churn rate below 3%. That’s the biggest compliment you can get, especially if you’re a company with a large service component. What role did marketing play in developing these relationships and garnering this reputation? Drew sits down on this week’s episode with Mandy Dhaliwal, Dell Boomi’s CMO and certified sommelier, to discuss how she kept Boomi’s marketing initiatives grounded in company strategy in order to modernize engagement across the board.

When she joined in 2018, Mandy hit the ground running: she developed a company purpose within a six-week period (during a holiday, no less!), presented the positioning at the annual sales kickoff, and oversaw a complete rebrand with a clearer customer focus than ever before. This week’s Renegade Thinkers Unite is packed with remarkable insights. Check it out! Additionally, for a closer look at building a company purpose like Dell Boomi’s, take a look at chapter 3 of Renegade's guide to effective B2B brand strategy.

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegade.com/podcasts/

Huddler Simon Schaffer-Goldman on Ad Age

Wed, 04 Mar 2020 16:44:24 GMT

In his 20s, Simon Schaffer-Goldman had no plans to join the family business; he was too busy sheep-farming in New Zealand. Yet he would eventually become chief marketing officer at Case Paper, the company his grandfather founded, and would shepherd the 76-year-old organization through a successful rebrand featuring a modified logo, a fresh personality and a new purpose.

How did he do it? Schaffer-Goldman focused on the strongest pillars of the brand’s rich history: irreverent humor and a commitment to customers. Adopting the purpose-driven tagline, “On the Case,” Schaffer-Goldman made sure that humor was part of every form of company communication, from its website to email signatures, from trade show booths to print ads. Schaffer-Goldman also established the “On the Case” awards to inspire Case Paper’s more than 400 employees to continuously exceed customer expectations.

Empowering employees, says Case Paper's CMO, helps company to exceed consumer expectations on Ad Age.

Read the full Q&A on Ad Age: Paper Company Stamped Rebrand with Humor, Commitment to Customers

Listen to the Episode: How Paper Company Rebrand Cuts Through the Noise

CMO Huddler Chip Rodgers on Renegade Thinkers Unite

Fri, 28 Feb 2020 15:42:19 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Thinkers Unite, Episode 177: A CMO's Guide to Cultivating Customer Champions

How important are your customers to your business? This one should be a no-brainer—the relationships you build with your customers are vital to success. Leaders that actively focus on customer engagement and satisfaction are able to nurture a customer-base that will champion your product on your behalf and help push innovation. With a wealth of experience under his belt, Chip Rodgers, CMO of WorkSpan, knows the quantifiable value of cultivating customer champions and is here to tell us how he nurtured these relationships from WorkSpan’s early startup days to now.

Chip puts a special emphasis on building and retaining trust, and shared a perfect Bill McDermott quote on the subject: “Trust is earned in drops and lost in buckets.” For more gems like this, listen in to this week’s Renegade Thinkers Unite and learn about how cultivating customer champions can boost your business value, shape your product, and bring in new prospects. Plus, for additional material on the subject, take a look at the aptly named 8th chapter of our guide to effective B2B brand strategy, “Cultivate Customer Champions.”

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegade.com/podcasts/

CMO Huddler Isabelle Papoulias on Renegade Thinkers Unite

Wed, 12 Feb 2020 18:14:10 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Thinkers Unite, Episode 176: Keep Calm and Acquisition On

It’s tough enough to build a company’s marketing engine from the ground up, but Isabelle Papoulias, CMO of Mediafly, successfully navigated through not just one, but two acquisitions within a six-month period. What did she learn? Not all acquisitions are created equal: it was two weeks before their second acquisition announcement when Isabelle, in conversation with her CEO, realized they had an opportunity to completely pivot their brand messaging for the better and decided to scrap their original plan. While this would be considered risky to most, the decision ultimately elevated Mediafly to a new level within the sales enablement category.

Join us on this week’s episode of Renegade Thinkers Unite to hear all about Isabelle’s experience during these back-to-back acquisitions, how their campaign brought both expected and unexpected successes, and why ABM goes beyond marketing to give a company a surround-sound approach to targeting valuable prospects. If you’re looking for additional materials on polishing a brand—which can be helpful in scenarios like Isabelle’s—take a look at our comprehensive guide to effective B2B brand strategy!

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegade.com/podcasts/

CMO Huddler Dan Lowden on Renegade Thinkers Unite

Fri, 07 Feb 2020 17:43:58 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Thinkers Unite, Episode 174: Finding Your Brand's North Star

Sometimes, the big ideas sort of just happen. That said, some magical brand moment isn’t going to just appear without some planning or effort—but sometimes, some small bit of genuine authenticity can grow into a brand pearl. That’s part of what happened with White Ops, and on this episode, Dan Lowden, CMO, discusses how.

White Ops is fueled by their purpose-driven mission to disrupt the illicit economy built by cybercriminals; that mission has caught fire and stands as a sterling example of why purpose is a must. Tune in to hear about how they formed their mission, how they show it to the world, why they shun the hard sell, and how an overarching purpose came from a simple t-shirt that just read “human.”

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegade.com/podcasts/

CMO Huddler Lynne Capozzi on Renegade Thinkers Unite

Fri, 01 Nov 2019 17:16:38 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Thinkers Unite, Episode 160: When's the Right Time to Rebrand?

“When the time is right, you’ll know.” It feels like an almost trope-ish answer to many of life’s questions, or like the vague wisdom from a mentor in a karate movie. Unfortunately, the utility of that phrase really doesn’t extend to executing a rebrand. So, how did Acquia know it was time to rebrand?

Acquia, an enterprise software company, just topped $200 million in revenue, and has achieved 57% growth in the past three years. Clearly, they’ve been doing some things right, and can feel good about their recent decision to rebrand. So, how did CMO Lynne Capozzi know the timing was right? Well, it took a quite a bit of marketing know-how, a need to stand out in the market, and a desire to really emphasize the company’s purpose: to help people “experience digital freedom.”

Tune in to this week’s episode to hear more about Lynne’s extensive marketing background, their approach to a successful rebrand, the importance of getting internal buy-in, and more.

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegade.com/podcasts/

CMO Huddler Simon Schaffer-Goldman on Renegade Thinkers Unite

Fri, 11 Oct 2019 17:40:46 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Thinkers Unite, Episode 157: From Shepherding to CMOing: How Simon Schaffer-Goldman Helps Case Paper Cut Through

Simon Schaffer-Goldman of Case Paper is really just your run-of-the-mill CMO. Well, except maybe for starting out as a shepherd in New Zealand. Also, maybe his portfolio of stunning photography and his penchant for comedy writing are somewhat uncommon. Oh, and the willingness to lead a bold rebrand with a new approach that strays pretty far from the typical tone of B2B paper companies. Hm. Okay, maybe Simon isn’t so run-of-the-mill after all. Though, run-of-the-mill could make for some pretty decent paper industry puns… We’ll file that one away for now.

On this week’s RTU, Simon and Drew discuss Case Paper’s recent update to their branding and marketing, including their new commitment to being “On the Case,” how introducing a purpose-driven branding campaign can improve the company culture and operations, agency partnerships (including with yours truly!), and Case’s history—and future—with absurdity, humor, and, generally, having a good time cutting through. Listen in for more!

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegade.com/podcasts/

CMO Huddler Sara Larsen on Renegade Thinkers Unite

Sat, 07 Sep 2019 00:51:34 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Thinkers Unite, Episode 151: Spurring Company & Category Growth at Brightcove

If someone ran up to you and said, “Congrats, you’re now the CMO of a $165M tech company with about 500 employees,” what would you do? First, maybe celebrate a bit—that’s a pretty significant achievement—but next, you’ve got to form a plan. Are you pursuing growth? Acquiring companies? Rebranding? Pivoting away from tech and towards producing artisanal hand soaps?

Granted, Sara Larsen, CMO of Brightcove (a $165M cloud video platform with about 500 employees), didn’t just get her role from some random guy on the street—she’d stepped into it after an extensive career in tech marketing at companies like IBM and SAP—but hopefully, that thought exercise gave you just the slightest glimpse into the sort of decisions that need to get made when you take the helm of a ship like Brightcove.

Coming into the role, Larsen wanted to aim for growth, but not just for the company; the entire category of online video could be expanded with the right approach. Now, ten months later, the company has grown and is hard at work pushing its category further. Tune in to this interview to hear how they’re approaching that, as well as other insights regarding career management, successful acquisition, customer experience, employee engagement, and more.

For more about the short-term tactics that can lead to demand generation and growth, check out Renegade’s B2B demand generation guide, here.

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegade.com/podcasts/

CMO Huddler Armen Najarian on Renegade Thinkers Unite

Fri, 21 Jun 2019 14:54:40 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Thinkers Unite, Episode 139: Digital Superheroes: How Agari Makes a Bold Mission Real

What do you need to make a big splash? A big ship, one would assume, is a terrific place to start. So that’s exactly what Agari used to launch their new brand, the purpose of which is written loudly and proudly on the walls of their headquarters: “Agari protects digital communications to ensure humanity prevails over evil.”

That’s a pretty bold way of explaining that your company is an advanced cybersecurity firm for email. But a bold mission statement is exactly what companies need to grow. At Agari, this statement is deeply woven into the community fabric, from the board members down to rank-and-file employees.

On this episode of Renegade Thinkers Unite, Armen Najarian, CMO, discusses how they made the mission real, and how having that meaningful guidance of saving and protecting the world of digital communications, helped drive brand, product development, company growth, and more.

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegade.com/podcasts/

CMO Huddler Kevin Spurway on Renegade Thinkers Unite

Fri, 07 Jun 2019 16:54:52 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Thinkers Unite, Episode 137: Post-Sale Marketing and Keeping the Customer Smiling

Customers: What are they? Where do they come from, and what do they want? These are some of the great, cosmic questions we humans may never be able to answer. Just kidding, it’s actually (from a high-level, conceptual viewpoint) pretty simple. We’re all doing business with people, and people matter. If you keep your customer happy, great things happen. Going a little further, companies need to spend more time focusing on customer activation. Customers can and should be advocates for your brand, but to achieve that, they have to be treated well. Simple enough concept, but execution will take a little work.

On this episode of RTU, Kevin Spurway, SVP of Marketing at Appian, an enterprise application development platform, talks about the high level of commitment and effort required to really engage with customers, especially existing ones. He discusses what he calls “post-sale marketing,” which is how Appian has been so successful at developing meaningful relationships with its client base. Tune in to hear about post-sale marketing, celebrating customer success, customer-engagement pitfalls to avoid, and more!

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegade.com/podcasts/

CMO Huddler Rebecca Stone on Renegade Thinkers Unite

Fri, 17 May 2019 17:22:52 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Thinkers Unite, Episode 134: Building a Lean, Mean, Lead-Gen Machine

About 5 years ago, Rebecca Stone joined LiveRamp and the CEO said “I want you to be as sophisticated as possible in advertising, and how you use it.” At the time, the company had two sales development reps, a funnel that wasn’t necessarily feeding leads properly, and a young tech stack and tons of potential, so Rebecca got to work on the company’s digital transformation.

Now, the company has a tech stack built from roughly 40 different tools, broken into different operating nodes, a marketing team that supports 20 sales development reps, an in-house data lake, and data analytics models that can accurately predict how marketing spend will translate to revenue—a sort of holy grail for marketing analytics.

On this episode, Rebecca shares her journey at LiveRamp, a platform that helps brands get personalized ads in front of users across the web, and how she helped build the well-oiled marketing machine that her department has become.

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegade.com/podcasts/

CMO Huddler Leela Srinivasan on Renegade Thinkers Unite, Part 2

Wed, 06 Mar 2019 16:38:08 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Thinkers Unite, Episode 122: The Art of the Survey

Surveys can provide a wealth of data on any sort of topic. But there is an art to crafting the perfect survey, one that invites honest and valuable feedback without steering the respondents, and doesn’t damage the responses by overwhelming the survey takers.

Leela Srinivasan, CMO of SurveyMonkey, took some time after recording her recent RTU episode to discuss survey creation with Drew. Well-constructed surveys are crucial for informing creative, effective marketing efforts. To learn more about artfully crafting questions, audience selection, getting people to take your survey, making sense of the information, and more, check out this brief, bonus episode!

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegade.com/podcasts/

CMO Huddler Leela Srinivasan on Renegade Thinkers Unite, Part 1

Fri, 01 Mar 2019 16:35:15 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Thinkers Unite, Episode 121: How SurveyMonkey Powers the Curious Internally and Externally

“Eating your own dog food” didn’t sound so appetizing, so folks started “drinking their own champagne.” SurveyMonkey didn’t want people thinking they were sipping too much bubbly on the job, so now they “eat at their own restaurant.” Put simply, they lean heavily on their own offering to strengthen their marketing, grow their company and—as they like to say—power the curious!

From finding out how much a person uses technology, to determining how a company’s culture is developing, the options are endless on what info you can gather with SurveyMonkey, and the company’s marketing efforts put that to test. Leela Srinivasan, SurveyMonkey’s CMO, chats with Drew on how everything at SurveyMonkey—from campaign development to internal culture—is about creating and supporting a world of curious people.

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegade.com/podcasts/

CMO Huddler Ian Howells on Renegade Thinkers Unite

Fri, 15 Feb 2019 18:12:58 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Thinkers Unite, Episode 119: Be the Big Fish in Many Small Ponds

You’ve heard it said, “Be the big fish in a small pond.” But have you ever considered being the big fish in many small ponds? Sage Intacct, a provider of cloud financial management, is doing just that. To pull this off, Sage Intacct first defines different “micro-verticals” by breaking down larger marketplaces, like manufacturing, into more granular categories, like toys, planes, and cars. Following that, they become experts in the field, and begin producing valuable, category-specific sales materials and insights.

Vice President and Head of Marketing, Ian Howells, chats with Drew on this episode about how his employees get to know these different markets—or ponds if you will—and the rigorous process of becoming the biggest fish in each.

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegade.com/podcasts/

CMO Huddler Gabi Zijderveld on Renegade Thinkers Unite

Fri, 16 Nov 2018 18:09:54 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Thinkers Unite, Episode 106: Creating the Category — Affectiva and Emotional AI

Gabi Zijderveld is no stranger to pioneering new tech industries. As the CMO of Affectiva, she has helped to create an entirely new category in the tech industry: #EmotionAI. While emotional intelligence is not always fully understood, Gabi and her team at Affectiva have found a way to craft a narrative around emotional AI that the tech world could not ignore. From educational summits to simple handwritten notes to supporters, Gabi has found the keys in paving a new frontier for smart technology.

On this episode of Renegade Thinkers Unite, Gabi shares her nonlinear journey to the CMO seat at Affectiva. Her courageous drive to do something that had never been done before led to an innovative breakthrough for emotional intelligence. With the right strategies and priorities, Gabi proves that CMOs don’t have to follow the leader — they can create whole new markets for their product.

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegade.com/podcasts/

CMO Huddler Paige O'Neill of Renegade Thinkers Unite

Fri, 24 Aug 2018 17:31:29 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Thinkers Unite, Episode 94: Advice for CMOs in Their First 90 Days

Joining a company as the new chief marketing officer can be an intimidating affair. There are new team members to meet, historical strategies to digest, and an overwhelming pressure to make an impact early in your tenure. With the rest of the C-Suite reminding you of the needs to generate demand and to calculate ROI on every expenditure, it is easy to find yourself being pulled in multiple directions and forced into “ready, fire, aim” mode. Luckily, Paige O’Neill is here to help on this special episode of Renegade Thinkers Unite.

As the new CMO of Sitecore, an integrated CMS, and e-commerce solution, Paige is an expert at handling new roles in marketing departments, having been through the process on multiple occasions. Dubbing herself as the chief marketing “synthesizer,” Paige has a knack for synthesizing all the information that is thrown her way and gaining a quick understanding of the company’s goals and priorities. Having worked as a CMO for large companies as well as start-ups she continues to add to her extensive toolkit, taking away something new from each experience. Listen carefully as Paige details the critical steps every new CMO should take to ensure they too get off to a successful start.

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegade.com/podcasts/

CMO Huddler Jon Miller on Renegade Thinkers Unite

Fri, 22 Jun 2018 00:46:35 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Thinkers Unite, Episode 84: Why an Account Based Marketing Strategy in B2B is Successful

Finding the best ways to market in the noisy B2B world has always been a challenge, but Jon Miller, founder, and CEO of Engagio has found success with an account-based marketing strategy for his company. On this episode of Renegade Thinkers Unite, he explains what account-based marketing is and why it can change the way you approach prospective clients. He shares practical ways you can authentically relate to company CEOs and why account-based marketing strategies are a business process, not a tech stack tool.

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegade.com/podcasts/

CMO Huddler Eric Eden on Renegade Thinkers Unite, Part 2

Sun, 01 Apr 2018 11:33:08 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Thinkers Unite, Episode 72: Best Strategies to Improve Your Marketing Technology Stack

In this second installation of Drew’s interview with Eric Eden, CMO of Receipt Bank, they discuss additional strategies to improve your marketing technology stack. Be sure to listen to Part 1 of this conversation on episode 71 of Renegade Thinkers Unite.

You have to have the right technology stack in place in order to be effective in today’s B2B marketing environment. After securing a budget and receiving buy-in from company leadership teams, selecting the right pieces to add to your stack is the next big step.

There are countless programs and applications available, but CMOs must avoid getting caught up in the newest, shiniest options on the market. By identifying your organization’s marketing and revenue goals you can then decide which programs will help you achieve those goals. Hiring the right staff and giving them the right training will ensure these pieces will positively impact your marketing efforts, which will drive leads to your sales team.

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegade.com/podcasts/

CMO Huddler Eric Eden on Renegade Thinkers Unite, Part 1

Thu, 29 Mar 2018 12:33:42 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Thinkers Unite, Episode 71: Using a Refined Marketing Technology Stack as a Revenue Generator

When Drew recently asked a crowd of CMOs how much revenue marketing should directly generate, most said 5-15%. However, Eric Eden, expert CMO of Receipt Bank, claimed that marketing should be a company’s main revenue generator, bringing in 80% of all sales.

This uncommon point of view is explained and detailed on this episode of Renegade Thinkers Unite. Eric and Drew talk through the first two main steps of how to turn your marketing efforts into a revenue machine. They discuss the importance of having a solid foundation marketing technology stack, all of the details behind why evidence-based marketing is the norm, and how to secure a substantial marketing budget for your team. You can listen to part 2 of this interview here.

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegade.com/podcasts/

CMO Huddler Toni Clayton-Hine on Renegade Thinkers Unite

Thu, 15 Feb 2018 15:51:53 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Thinkers Unite, Episode 65: The Ups and Downs of Xerox’s Universal Awareness and Shifting Your Brand Perception

The ultimate dream for marketers is universal awareness – the point in time when your brand becomes synonymous with a noun. Having your brand become a verb is an even better case scenario (think, “I’ll Venmo you the money!” or “I’ll Google it.”) This extremely high level of brand awareness can create issues though when your brand perception becomes “stuck” in this one-way thinking.

On this episode of Renegade Thinkers Unite, the CMO of Xerox, Toni Clayton-Hine, joins Drew for a conversation about how Xerox is embracing the new connectivity trend and how it is breaking through old brand perceptions to stay relevant in the 21st century.

Toni shares with Drew the story behind Xerox’s latest marketing initiative, Set the Page Free, and how Xerox is striving to be at the forefront of the intersection between digital and physical workspaces. They also discuss the pros and cons of such a risky marketing project and Toni’s top “do’s and don’ts” for current CMOs.

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegade.com/podcasts/

CMO Huddler Denise Vu Broady on Renegade Thinkers Unite

Fri, 29 Sep 2017 16:59:52 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Thinkers Unite, Episode 43: Redefining Core Brand Values to Drive Customer Success

Core values undoubtedly determine the path of a brand. Companies that have a clear vision are likely to be more resistant to adversity than those that don’t. Denise Vu Broady, CMO at WorkForce Software, knows plenty about both core values and adversity. Having fled Vietnam as a child, Denise learned to become resilient by sticking to her roots while growing up in Richmond, Virginia. She learned in her post-graduate job quest that a strong foundation should be the backbone of any company.

When Denise arrived at WorkForce, she noticed that the core brand values had not be clearly defined. Working with the leadership team, she made this her top priority. Needless to say, changing the heart and soul of the established international company was no easy feat. That didn’t stop Denise from helping to redefine WorkForce’s ideology from the inside out.

On this Renegade Thinkers Unite episode, Denise explains how she managed to help construct WorkForce’s values and drive its future success.

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegade.com/podcasts/

CMO Huddler Grant Johnson on Renegade Thinkers Unite, Part 2

Fri, 28 Jul 2017 13:16:48 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Thinkers Unite, Episode 32: How Kofax's CMO Built a Global Marketing Organization

With great power comes great responsibility. When Lexmark acquired Kofax—an automation software company—in 2015, the now-global business was burdened with the task of streamlining its marketing functions. Kofax CMO Grant Johnson was tabbed for the job. It was Johnson’s duty to institute a centralized marketing plan that the company’s worldwide sectors could follow.

Grant Johnson talks about his formula for creating a unified, global marketing strategy in part two of his interview on the Renegade Thinkers Unite podcast (You can listen to the episode here.) Host Drew Neisser, accompanied by Inc. magazine author Bill Carmody, ask Johnson about his trials and triumphs. If you missed part one of this episode, you can listen to it here.

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegade.com/podcasts/

CMO Huddler Grant Johnson on Renegade Thinkers Unite, Part 1

Tue, 25 Jul 2017 13:12:19 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Thinkers Unite, Episode 31: B2B Marketing Success Starts with Internal Alignment

If one phrase could be used to describe the philosophy of marketing in 2017, it would be “customers come first.” Gone are the days of product pushing as a surefire advertising strategy. Consumers want to find solutions to the problems they encounter. Marketers have to address those needs from first contact to have a shot at a sale. And really, that’s how it should be—marketing brands as answers and showing that there are people behind the brand who care about the consumer.

Kofax CMO Grant Johnson is leading the way in putting the customer first. His team speaks its clients’ language, delivering an authentic persona at every buying stage.

Tune in to part one of Grant Johnson’s interview with Renegade Thinkers Unite host Drew Neisser, and Bill Carmody, entrepreneur and Inc. magazine author.

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegade.com/podcasts/

CMO Huddler Patti Newcomer-Small on Renegade Thinkers Unite

Sun, 14 May 2017 12:19:20 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Thinkers Unite, Episode 18: Engaged Employees Beget Better Marketing

When you think about how companies motivate employees, you’ll likely think of human resources first. This wasn’t the case for Patti Newcomer-Small, Vice President of Marketing at Intuit. After she returned to the financial software company following a hiatus, Newcomer-Small realized that it was her responsibility to improve the lives of her employees if she wanted to increase company productivity. To empower her team to perform at optimal levels, she would need to invest time and energy into promoting employee engagement.

Now, you might think that employee engagement simply means satisfaction with the company. Not so. When Newcomer-Small looked at metrics for Intuit’s employee engagement, she instead focused more on retention: Would the employee stay with the company even if they received a better offer from someone else?

Since her return to Intuit, Newcomer-Small significantly increased employee engagement—and thereby reduced turnover—which she described as one of her proudest accomplishments. So, if you’re wondering how you can do the same for your own company, you’ve found the right podcast! In this week’s episode, Newcomer-Small shared several principles that marketing leaders need to abide by to truly engage and empower their employees, ultimately translating that positivity into productivity. Check it out!

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegade.com/podcasts/

CMO Huddler Chandar Pattabhiram on Renegade Thinkers Unite

Sun, 16 Apr 2017 12:12:28 GMT

Listen Here | From Renegade Thinkers Unite, Episode 14: Marketo's CMO Reveals the Engagement Economy

At one point in our conversation, Chandar Pattabhiram says “I’ve always believed that people buy candles not because they need candles, but because they need light.” As CMO of Marketo, Chandar brings a floodlight to the world of marketing, leading to an episode of Renegade Thinkers Unite you won’t want to miss. Among his many illuminating ideas, Chandar espouses “engagement marketing” as the only way to overcome the radical shift in power from buyer to seller and proposes that we’ve entered the “engagement economy.”

Expecting a conversation about the science of marketing, marketing automation and perhaps the latest in artificial intelligence, his focus on engagement, the art of storytelling and advocacy provided a show that is as surprising as it is informative.

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegade.com/podcasts/