Recently, Forrester released a considerable report that covers 2020 predictions in everything from artificial intelligence in business, to personalization in B2C marketing, to cybersecurity, and much, much more. Though extremely substantive, we homed in on the B2B marketing elements (fitting, given that we’re a strategic boutique for B2B marketers). One section in particular struck us as especially interesting. The title,...
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Retention vs. Acquisition: Marketing from Beyond the Sale

It’s tough to find solid evidence for an exact number but, when it comes the notion that customer retention is cheaper than acquisition, many experts lean on the ratio of 6:1. While it’s tough to solidly corroborate that number, it is generally agreed on by veteran marketers that it is significantly cheaper to retain a customer than to go out...
Slow and Steady (and Well Researched) Wins the Race

CMOs, when joining a team, are often immediately tasked with boosting marketing effectiveness. Unfortunately, only a small percentage actually ask for or are given the time they need to properly evaluate the situation, and plan accordingly. Starting the shake things up quickly without getting your footing is dangerous. It can make it difficult for even the most creative marketer to...
How Marketing Helped Gusto Grow
In the young world of Silicon Valley start-ups, an oft-adopted mindset is that a good product will attract attention on its own, sans marketing. While that's often how these snowballs start rolling, they'll usually find marketing is required to really achieve a high level of success. This is sort of how Gusto got started—4 years after its launch and initial...
How Adobe Stays Fresh as a Renegade Marketer

After 13 years at Adobe, Ann Lewnes has demonstrated a knack for being a renegade marketer, and keeping her marketing fresh and effective. The same can be said for her two decades at Intel immediately prior. That tenure is exceptional but somewhat unusual for the marketing field, where there’s more pressure to rotate staff in order to bring new ideas...
How much MarTech is Too Much?

Tech is pervasive in the modern era—virtually every industry vertical has a strong showing of start-up companies touting some form of SaaS to make lives easier. Marketing is no different. Platforms for content management, talent, management, market research, and who knows how many other things, have been popping up. Sure, it’s great as a buyer to have multiple options for...
Why Persona Marketing May Not Be Working for You

Marketers have heard that they need a separate persona for every slice of their target audience. But at what point are they diluting their brand or outright wasting money by over-segmenting their marketing? To answer these important questions, we interviewed our CEO, Drew Neisser. Q: Why do many marketers think more personas is better? Doesn’t one or two personas signal...
Unbuttoning a Buttoned-Up Category

Believe it or not, the toxicology quality control industry isn’t always the most interesting or lively one, at least when it comes to branding and marketing. Shocker! Typically, being tangential to crime and medicine— the industry’s marketing efforts can all be a little bland or straightforward. Utak CMO Matt Kopp saw this as an opportunity for simple, effective differentiation. They...
The Power of Outdoor Advertising in B2B

CMOs are often inclined—and encouraged—to prioritize online spend, especially in the tech world. Digital advertisings offers unparalleled analytics, immense control, and is in line with modern cultural shifts. For marketers who have been in the game a bit longer, there’s the added pressure to not appear out-of-touch, hence skewing digital. That said, leave it to the under-35 entrepreneurs at Brex—a...
How the World Surf League is Fighting to Save the Planet

Let’s take a brief pause from the usual marketing talk to look at the big picture: the world’s oceans are in poor shape. It’s going to be a challenge to overcome, and it’ll take a lot of effort on our part. Fortunately, some organizations, like the World Surf League, are leading the charge and inspiring action. The WSL operates over...