Tag: CMO

Transformational B2B Marketing — The Modern Software Factory

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When Lauren Flaherty reflects on the changes that have taken place in the software industry since she came on board as CMO of CA Technologies in August 2013, she recognizes that today everyone operates on a sped-up clock. Gone are the days of months-long product development cycles. Technology has enhanced – and disrupted – every single industry, and Flaherty’s was not exempt.

In 2014, when she launched CA’s “Business Rewritten by Software” campaign, companies were beginning to understand the importance of reinventing their business models using software, but the technology was still left in the capable hands of the I.T. department. Today, I.T. is no longer separated from the business, but instead uniquely intertwined with its mission. Flaherty recognized that shift, which structured her team’s latest campaign: “Modern Software Factory.”

[To listen to the podcast now click here.]

During her four years at CA Technologies, Flaherty also learned invaluable lessons on transforming your brand, believing what you preach, and making the product experience real and tangible for customers.

Flaherty explains that every brand transformation has to start from the inside, and that it needs to permeate throughout the entire company. For example, employees should be receiving company-related news from the company, not external sources. When CA underwent its own transformation, Flaherty’s team implemented the changes six months prior to going public with them. She found it important to consult with her sales leads and get their unique perspective about the pain points their customers were experiencing. That helped her evaluate whether the transformation they were implementing was on point and would be well received.

Because CA’s products promised agility, Flaherty found it important to hold the company to the same standards. Rather than operating under drawn-out production cycles, she made sure her team worked in mini-sprints that built on the customer feedback they were receiving. This helped them get the product out to market faster in a way that was always relevant to the customers. During the process, Flaherty found that there was no longer a separation between tech and business – the two were entirely intertwined. The language and medium her department used to talk about their products needed to address both C-suite executives and I.T. teams.

The latest campaign, “Modern Software Factory,” built on the patterns Flaherty’s team observed throughout the last three years. This campaign worked to help people visualize abstract software concepts. They used television (an excellent medium for storytelling) to address the C-suite executives and partnered with CNN during the 2016 presidential election in what Flaherty describes as a “co-creation.” While it appeared to be a media buy, what her team actually did was create a seamless experience between two mediums; CA recognized that people would be consuming election coverage through various types of media, and by creating an app experience for CNN, CA was able to show – not tell – what they could do for brands. And in case you were wondering, the engagement and reach CNN experienced during that period would have taken years to develop without the help of the app!

Be Your Own Best Customer

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When Tom Libretto came to Pegasystems as Chief Marketing Officer in 2016, he recognized that the tech company was in the midst of a big change. Leadership was challenging many of their preconceived notions, and Libretto jumped right in to propel the changes. His first step was to get the lay of the land, so to speak, and understand what was working and what wasn’t, who were the star performers, and where the opportunities were for growth. Having worked at Lotus, Nokia, and Chase, Libretto brought with him an understanding of the discipline it took to effect change in a company. (To listen now, click here.)

For the smaller, more agile Pegasystems, Libretto knew he wanted to embrace real-time adaptive learning analytics. In this week’s podcast, he shares three takeaways for marketers to keep in mind as martech takes a hold on modern marketing.

The first takeaway is that if you’re selling a product to your consumers, you’d better be your product’s best user. One advantage Libretto had at Pegasystems is that their platform was one of the star performers. In fact, it was such an amazing product that they used PEGA to market, well, PEGA! Libretto described this as “drinking their own champagne,” but it helped convey a serious level of authenticity to customers. His team was also able to gain a unique perspective on their users’ issues and needs. And if the team ever created an update for the software they used in-house, it was automatically shared with their customers.

The second takeaway Libretto stressed is that the future of marketing is now. Some of us fear that the rise in cognitive artificial intelligence will put them out of our jobs, but the reality is that AI allows us to create a more personalized, seamless experience for customers. For example, with real-time adaptive learning analytics, Pegasystems is engaging in constant A/B testing. The time of “one-size fits all” marketing is in the past, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t a need for storytelling. Marketers will likely always need human stories to engage with consumers on a deeper level. Technology simply makes it easier.

The final takeaway Libretto shared was actually one of the hardest lessons he had to learn in marketing, and that was, “Don’t be afraid to fail.” It’s in our nature to want to please our clients and sell products, but sometimes you must fail in order to learn. The most important part of failing, however, is learning from it. Libretto made sure his team knew to diagnose their failures, because then at least they wouldn’t make the same mistakes again. So, while Libretto wouldn’t tolerate all mistakes, per se, he made sure his team remembered: “If you’re not failing, you’re not learning.”

Engaged Employees Beget Better Marketing

Posted on by Drew Neisser

When you think about how companies motivate employees, you’ll likely think of human resources first. This wasn’t the case for Patti Newcomer-Simmons, Vice President of Marketing at Intuit. After she returned to the financial software company following a hiatus, Newcomer-Simmons 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. (To listen to the whole episode now click here.)

Now, you might think that employee engagement simply means satisfaction with the company. Not so. When Newcomer-Simmons 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-Simmons 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-Simmons shared several principles that marketing leaders need to abide by to truly engage and empower their employees, ultimately translating that positivity into productivity.

The first of these principles was pretty simple: be open to your employees’ feedback. Newcomer-Simmons explained that there has to be some level of vulnerability on the part of any leader in the sense that he or she should always acknowledge that they could have done something differently. At Intuit, Newcomer-Simmons schedules monthly meetings and directly asks her teams for opinions on what she could do better in the future, what worked and what didn’t.

The changes she made in response to the feedback received weren’t always grand gestures. Sometimes it was as simple as being mindful of her presence or tone in meetings. Her openness and vulnerability allowed employees to feel as though their voices were heard, which translated to positive feelings towards their efforts and the company. Similar to how brands build loyalty with consumers, being open to feedback encouraged loyalty in Newcomer-Simmons’s team.

The next engagement principle Newcomer-Simmons shared was integrity. It wasn’t enough to listen to feedback and promise change—she actually had to do as she said. She refers to this as the “say-do” ratio. If she were to go back on her word after asking for constructive criticism, it could have been perceived as betrayal. Her employees would have been left discouraged, which would have eventually trickled into loss of engagement with the company. Because of Intuit’s limited window of marketing opportunities during tax season, it was vital to for Newcomer-Simmons to have all hands on deck, which was only possible if her employees were fully engaged.

The last principle she described was leading by example. Employees held to a higher standard than their team leaders and supervisors were at high risk of developing resentment towards the company. Or worse, they would do as their leaders did, which would cause internal conflict because of the discord in employee standards. Both would have negatively affected the company, which is why Newcomer-Simmons emphasized the importance of holding herself to the same standard as her team members. So, if you plan on to raise the bar and ask more from your team, be prepared to raise that same bar for yourself and lead by example.

Building a World Class Brand on a Shoestring Budget

Posted on by Drew Neisser

Dara Royer sat alone at her desk pondering the seemingly impossible–how do you rebrand a global organization with only a $50,000 budget?  She knew in her heart of hearts that rebranding was not just a nice next step for Mercy Corps, but it was a critical requirement for the organization to realize its global ambitions. She also knew there is little glory in being right, what really mattered was getting the rest of Mercy Corps to join her on the journey and embrace the forthcoming change.  Royer’s journey as Chief Development and Marketing Officer is chronicled in detail in Episode 15 of Renegade Thinkers Unite and it is profoundly instructive for all businesses especially those with modest budgets and massive expectations.

And just in case you were wondering if I was hyperbolizing, the outcome of Mercy Corps rebranding was an increase in awareness, revenue via donations and recognition by the Harris Poll as the 2017 EquiTrend “Brand of the Year” and “Most Loved Brand” in the category of International Aid Nonprofits. Those are results that would delight any chief marketer and leads to the question, how the heck did Royer and her team accomplish so much with so little?  Once again, you’re encouraged to listen to this very special podcast episode, but in the meantime here are three key takeaways from this episode related to frugality, storytelling and leadership.

Ultimately, these key takeaways can be seen as a mini-marketing plan. For starters, Royer took the idea of “DIY,” or do it yourself, to a whole new level in her rebranding efforts. Wanting to develop a solid strategic foundation for rebranding, Royer knew that conducting research would be invaluable.  The only problem was cost — typically a global study involving hundreds of interviews can cost more than a hundred thousand dollars, money her organization did not have. So what did Royer do? She made sure her team was trained in research methodology and equipped them with the communication skills to work with their team members, government officials, and the beneficiaries of the people they help. By dedicating that time and energy into training her team, they were able to produce consistent and valid results that allowed specific themes to emerge and guide their rebranding efforts.  Involving the organization in the research had the added advantage of making all the key stakeholders feel like owners of both the process and the ultimate outcome.

Once the research was concluded, Royer drafted a clear strategy statement that focused on telling an “epic” story that would resonate across 42 countries and a broad array of cultures.  For her, it wasn’t about any particular ad. She wanted to make sure that regardless of the marketing channel, the “big picture” was clear and rooted in Mercy Corps’ fundamental belief that a better world is possible. This belief extends to meeting the urgent needs of individuals in the present, while building a stronger world for tomorrow.  With this strategy in hand, Royer focused on telling emotionally-charged stories that resonated with all stakeholders including employees, donors and those affected by Mercy Corps actions.

Without revealing the entire podcast, the final takeaway is a leadership lesson. Royer found that the toughest lesson she had to learn when it comes to rebranding is that being right doesn’t matter. Even if you have THE idea, you can’t just expect a large organization to fall in line. Consensus building is an art form that no enlightened leader can succeed without mastering.  Fortunately for Royer, the necessity of conducting the research in-house had the added benefit of involving a large number of employees in the process, making the ultimate adoption of the new brand positioning less of a sales effort and more of a “look what you all helped create” success story.

3 Keys to Creativity

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Before we talk about the inspirational elements of Episode 13, let’s chat about the power of a having a great network. In this case, I connected with creativity guru Larry Robertson (star of Episode 13) through my new friend JJ Ramberg who I met through DEMAN, the Duke Entertainment Media and Arts Network that I’ve chaired in New York for the last six years.  My personal mission with DEMAN is to help current Duke students realize that there are fruitful career choices other than being lawyers, bankers or doctors. To achieve this mission I’ve helped organize annual networking events for Dukies and connected with undergrads and grads at DEMAN weekends down in Durham.  It was at one of these on campus events that I met JJ Ramberg, entrepreneur, and long-time TV show host. JJ and I talked about her start-up Goodshop and I mentioned my upcoming podcast series. Next thing you know JJ is referring Larry my way, he had been a guest on her TV show, and the result is well worth a listen for anyone curious about creativity and how they can increase their aptitude in this area. So now on to my podcast notes…

As it turns out, creativity is not instantaneous. Sure, you may have your “Aha!” moments, but true creativity is a constant, active process. Like with toned muscles, it takes work and training to get there. Or in the case of creativity, practice and happy accidents that allow you to free up your mind and take in different perspective. Some may think creativity is reserved for children playing pretend, creativity is actually the seed of innovation. And who doesn’t want to be innovative? If you’re looking to flex those creative muscles, keep these five questions in mind when tackling your next project:

  1. “How do I know what I know?”

Check in with your thoughts and assumptions. Sometimes we get caught in a repetitive closed-circuit loop of thought, which is counterintuitive to creativity.

  1. “Is there a pattern?”

People tune out to things that deviate from the norm and attribute it to noise (see above: closed-circuit loop). By checking in with our thoughts and assumptions, we allow for those deviations to come through.

  1. “What if….?”

Once you’ve answered the first two questions, you can start playing the What-If game and getting creative with it.

  1. “Is there another way of looking at it?”

Can you flip the scenario and see it from a different angle? What does that angle tell you?

  1. “Who cares?”

Innovation is an awesome goal to strive towards, but if no one besides you cares, it doesn’t lead to much. But practice makes perfect!

My conclusion is that it is easier to learn to be creative than to learn to be a good golfer but you’ll have to listen to this episode to decide on that one for yourself.

Thriving in the Engagement Economy

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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. It also got me that much more excited about attending Marketo’s Marketing Nation Summit where I’ll get to hear Chandar speak among many other great speakers.  Even yours truly will take the podium, twice in fact (Monday 4/24 at 12:15 PST and Wednesday 4/26 at 9:15 PST) and then I’ll be signing books (Monday 3pm PST).  So please say hello if you’re at this event and in the meantime, here are a few of the key takeaways from my conversation with Chandar as gleaned by Renegade’s newest star intern Magda Lewandowska:

The shift from old school marketing, to new school engagement

“Listen, learn, and engage.” – Chandar Pattabhiram

Think of the last meaningful conversation you had with a friend. The conversation probably started at one point, and ended at another. Between those two points, the conversation flowed, and it adapted to perceived feedback. Pattabhiram describes adaptive marketing similarly, in that there is a continuous loop of marketers needing to listen, learn, and engage throughout the lifespan of a consumer’s relationship with a brand. Rather than launching a singular campaign to the masses (old school marketing), it’s important to consider the needs and values of the individual (new school engagement).

The art of storytelling

“The true roots of marketing lie in effective storytelling.”– Chandar Pattabhiram

Consumers are constantly surrounded by the noise of similar and multiple brand offerings. What this has done is created a shift in the power balance from marketer to customer. Storytelling allows for a brand to not only differentiate themselves, but to also create a unique engagement opportunity. When we talk about storytelling, or brand stories, we’re not referring to the attributes of a brand, or competitive advantages. The goal of storytelling is to create an emotional connection with your consumers

Principles of storytelling in the “engagement economy”

  1. Go from product-driven to outcome driven, or as Pattabhiram refers to as, “customer-obsessed” since customers don’t care about the actual product, they care about what the product means to them.
  2. Make your story memorable–facts are less important than the epic nature of the details in a good story.
  3. Be authentic–Build connections with your consumers on an individual basis.

Engagement economy in action: Marketo and Aetna

As the marketing industry’s innovation leader and best solution for high growth enterprise businesses, Marketo is focused on helping marketers shift from the traditional styles of marketing to the new style of engagement. In today’s engagement economy, it’s important to build continuous, meaningful, and relevant relationships at every step in a consumer’s journey. This focus will allow for the growth of not only revenue, but also lifetime value. By capturing what is in your consumer’s mind, you are ultimately securing long-term engagement.

Marketo has helped healthcare organization Aetna in their engagement marketing strategies, with great success. With the altruistic goal of delivering better healthcare to people, they aimed to campaign directly to employees. They have effectively combined their social channels with their own website and associated pages, creating a unique and personalized experience for their customers. After their initial investment of $500K in their campaign, they have seen a 16x return.