Category: Show Notes

In January 2023, Salesforce announced it was laying off 8,000 staffers, roughly 10% of its workforce. Smelling blood, five sharks of Wall Street—otherwise known as activist investors—started buying shares. It was a big blow for the brand that has been at the center of the tech world for the last 15 years, but one that it hasn’t been afraid to face head on. 

Welcome Salesforce President & CMO Sarah Franklin to Renegade Marketers Unite, here to share how Salesforce is committed to leading from the front, especially during turbulent times. Tune in as we talk about how to stay true to your brand values, why you need to drill down on customer centricity, what AI will mean for the future of B2B marketing, and a whole lot more. 

What You’ll Learn  

• How to lead during turbulent times 
• The future of generative AI & marketing 
• How to be more customer centric  
• How to be your own best customer 

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 

The CMO role is the most bespoke in the C-Suite, the range of responsibilities and challenges changing from company to company, growth stage to growth stage. In Ellie Ahmadi’s case, the challenge when she joined Schlesinger Group in the end of 2021 was to give the 57-year-old a brand a fresh face, one that matched the acquisitive company. 

Enter Sāgo, officially launched March 1st, 2023. In this episode, Ellie shares the work behind finding and launching the new brand name (in 11 months, no less), with a ton of great tips in how to activate a new brand for employees and customers without losing 57 years of brand equity. And all of this while building a better than ever demand gen engine. 

Tune in for a fascinating episode!   

What You’ll Learn  

• How to balance brand and demand in you first 90 days 
• What it means to change your brand name 
• How to roll out a new brand to employees and prospects 

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 

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 

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