B2B Marketing: The Provocative Truth (alan.)

In today's episode of B2B marketing. Solved. Barney O’Kelly talks to Richard and Benedict about the importance of personal branding in B2B marketing.

In marketing, personal branding goes beyond the idea of influencing the public perception of an individual. It is about understanding how people can become an extension of a brand and improve the perception of their organisation by using their own brand.

Diving into the topic, we invited Barney O'Kelly, Digital Marketing Director at AlixPartners. Barney has spent more than twenty years advising business-to-business organisations on achieving successful business outcomes through marketing and communications.

His previous roles include Managing Director at Hagen Communications Ltd, Associate Contractor at Deloitte, Global Head of Communications at Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, and Head of Communications, Strategic and Digital at BAE Systems.

Barney is an original thinker with a broad experience in marketing strategy, digital marketing, martech, content development, and many others.

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In today's episode... wait, what podcast is this?

Rich and Bene speak the truth about this new stage not only for the podcast, but for alan. agency as a whole. Welcome to the new provocative era!

You can watch full video versions of the podcast on our YouTube channel.

Ready to provoke the truth? Get in touch at alan-agency.com.

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In today's episode of B2B Marketing: The Provocative Truth, Richard and Benedict talk to Amie Stankiste about content marketing strategy, and the truth behind creating a strategy with an impact. 

Without a doubt, content is essential to any marketing campaign or strategy. But it’s not enough to just produce plenty of content; it has become more important than ever to ensure that content marketing aligns with a company’s story, its intended audience, and most importantly, creates a meaningful impact.

Amie Stankiste recently joined ION as their CMO, and she has significant experience in financial services and technology marketing. Prior to joining ION, she has served as Global Head of Marketing at S&P Global Market Intelligence and the Global Marketing Director at Thomson Reuters, as well as previous experience working at BNY Mellon, Dow Jones, and more.

You can find Amie Stankiste on Linkedin and Twitter.

You can watch full video versions of the podcast on our YouTube channel.

Ready to provoke the truth? Get in touch at alan-agency.com.

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In today's episode of B2B Marketing: The Provocative Truth, Aine Long talks to Richard and Benedict about how B2B marketers can balance short-term lead generation versus long-term brand building.

Developing an effective marketing plan is one of the most vital things B2B marketers can do to ensure the success and growth of their organisations. But should you focus more on a short-term or a long-term marketing strategy?

Aine Long recently joined Sysdig as the Marketing Campaigns Lead - EMEA Field, and she has significant experience as a marketer in the technology industry. Her previous experience includes serving as the Senior Regional Marketing Manager EMEA at F5 and Marketing Manager EMEA at NGINX, as well as previous experience at Trend Micro, PGi, and more.

You can find Aine Long on Linkedin.

You can watch full video versions of the podcast on our YouTube channel.

Ready to provoke the truth? Get in touch at alan-agency.com.

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In this episode of B2B Marketing: The Provocative Truth, Richard and Benedict sit down with Adrian Coxon to chat about all things B Corp, and the significance of being a B Corp in marketing.

Having the B Corp badge makes a clear statement about a company's practices. However, does it have any meaning when it comes to B2B? And how does it affect the practices of marketing in said company?

Adrian Coxon is the Brand and Marketing Director at Octopus, and he is an experienced CMO with a proven track record of delivering significant growth across retail and institutional financial services, e-commerce and tech companies. He’s previously served as CMO at the Equiti Group and as a Marketing Consultant at ARC Interact. He also held leadership roles at Circus Street, Gain Capital, and more.

You can find Adrian Coxon on Linkedin.

You can watch full video versions of the podcast on our YouTube channel.

Ready to provoke the truth? Get in touch at alan-agency.com.

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In today's episode of B2B Marketing: The Provocative Truth, Richard and Benedict talk to Mitali Israni about aligning sales and marketing, and the truth behind communicating the value of marketing.

Understanding the relationship between marketing and sales requires more than meets the eye. It’s not just about marketers going after the accounts that sales want; it’s about carefully crafting a strategy that allows marketing to make their impact on pipeline and gives sales the opportunities to win.

Mitali Israni is the Director of Marketing at Medallia, and she has 12+ years experience in demand generation in financial services. Prior to working at Medallia, she served as the Assistant Director of Brand, Marketing and Communications at EY. Additionally, Mitali previously was a journalist and content producer reporting on financial and corporate news. She has worked around the world across B2B SaaS, Enterprise Software, Professional, and Financial Services marketing campaigns.

You can find Mitali Israni on Linkedin.

You can watch full video versions of the podcast on our YouTube channel.

Ready to provoke the truth? Get in touch at alan-agency.com.

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In this episode of B2B Marketing: The Provocative Truth, Richard and Benedict speak with Gonzalo Garcia Villanueva to discuss the importance of balancing art and science as a CMO.

The role of the CMO has changed. Being a CMO now more than ever involves providing data-driven leadership and showing the board how marketing directly influences the business. However, this doesn’t mean that a creative approach can be thrown to the wayside. How can an effective CMO truly balance art and science?

Gonzalo Garcia Villanueva has been the Global CMO at GfK for two years, and prior to that he has held various senior positions at Bloomberg LP and Fujitsu. He has over 20 years of experience as a marketer, and he has managed a variety of disciplines across a range of different markets around the globe. In particular, he has significant expertise in the financial and technology industries, and he maintains a highly creative approach to his style of leadership.

You can find Gonzalo Garcia Villanueva on Linkedin.

You can watch full video versions of the podcast on our YouTube channel.

Ready to provoke the truth? Get in touch at alan-agency.com.

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In this episode of B2B Marketing: The Provocative Truth, Richard and Benedict are joined by Cat Dutton to discuss all things creative within the current state of B2B Marketing.

Where it stands in B2B Marketing currently is that marketers need to be strategic in their approach in order to show a return on investment. It’s more important than ever to bring the key stakeholders on a ‘journey’ to truly understand and invest in marketing. This can be extremely difficult however if the constant bureaucracy is stifling creativity. Marketers need to use creativity to fuel growth and get stakeholders on board.

Cat Dutton recently joined Pegasystems as their VP of EMEA Marketing, but prior to Pegasystems, she has held several senior positions at Atos, including Global CMO, and at Fujitsu. She has almost 20 years of experience in B2B marketing, particularly in client facing roles. She has a proven track record of delivering significant growth and value to organisations, and she has been named in B2B Marketing’s Top 20 Women in Technology.

You can find Cat Dutton on Linkedin.

You can watch full video versions of the podcast on our YouTube channel.

Ready to provoke the truth? Get in touch at alan-agency.com.

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In this episode of B2B Marketing: The Provocative Truth, Richard and Benedict talk to Annabelle Atchison to discuss the pros and cons of being a generalist in marketing.

Nowadays, what is the right way to approach marketing? Is it optimal to become a generalist in order to be most adaptable and potentially progress faster in your career? Or is it better to become a specialist in a particular field of interest in order to become an expert in your field? There’s clear pros and cons to both, making this question difficult to answer. It’s incredibly important to uncover the truth here in order to find the right choice.

Annabelle Atchison has served as the Head of Communications for the last couple years at IONOS, and prior to this role, she served for five years as the CEO and co-founder of 42ponies. Additionally, she has served as a Director and Head of Social Media and Digital Communications at 33 Digital as well as Social Media Lead at Microsoft Deutschland. She has significant experience in managing teams in PR, social media, brand experience, and brand strategy.

You can find Annabelle Atchison on Linkedin.

You can watch full video versions of the podcast on our YouTube channel.

Ready to provoke the truth? Get in touch at alan-agency.com.

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In this episode of B2B Marketing: The Provocative Truth, Richard and Benedict talk to Brian Macreadie about the truth behind bravery, or a lack thereof, in B2B.

The reputation of B2B marketing being stuffy and overly corporate is well-known, and it is often reinforced by businesses. Marketers can feel stifled by this assumption, and it can prevent marketers from releasing more provocative and captivating campaigns. What’s the truth behind being brave? And how do marketers break out of the vicious cycle?

Brian Macreadie is the Head of Marketing at Addleshaw Goddard, and he has a breadth of experience as a senior marketer across the last 20+ years. In addition to his current role, Brian has been the Head of Brand & Campaign Marketing at Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner LLP as well as the Head of Brand & Campaign Marketing at Berwin Leighton Paisner. He has additional experience at Getty Images, FLAG Telecom (now Reliance Globalcomm), and more. Brian has won a variety of B2B Marketing awards and is a regular public speaker where he delivers his poetry.

You can find Brian Macreadie on Linkedin.

You can watch full video versions of the podcast on our YouTube channel.

Ready to provoke the truth? Get in touch at alan-agency.com.

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In this episode of B2B Marketing: The Provocative Truth, Richard and Benedict talk to Shallu Behar-Sheehan about the importance of mindfulness for marketers.

Nowadays, marketers struggle to remember what’s most important because they’re caught up in data streams, stakeholders’ input, etc. They are lacking the ability to reflect on their work, and therefore need to develop their presence of mind. But how do you cultivate mindfulness? What does it even mean to be mindful?

Shallu Behar-Sheehan is Vice President, Group Marketing and Chief of Staff at Capgemini, and she has 20+ years in marketing in the technology sector. Prior to joining Capgemini, she was CMO at Trūata, VP EMEA Marketing & Global Campaigns at F5 Networks, and Head of Marketing Communications, Partner Communications & Distribution Marketing EMEAR at Cisco. She has won several awards including Top 20 Women in Tech (B2B Marketing, 2019), Top 100 Most Impactful B2B Marketing Leaders in Europe (Hot Topics, 2019), and Top 100 Most Influential B2B Marketing Leaders in Europe (Hot Topics, 2016).

You can find Shallu Behar-Sheehan on Linkedin.

You can watch full video versions of the podcast on our YouTube channel.

Ready to provoke the truth? Get in touch at alan-agency.com.

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In this episode of B2B Marketing: The Provocative Truth, Richard and Benedict talk to Katarina Nordin about finding a balance of knowledge in both global and local markets.

Oftentimes, global marketing teams feel that they have total control over the knowledge and strategy for marketing and that local markets should just follow suit. However, this top-down approach can be unbalanced and not appropriately address the needs of the individual local markets. How can global and local marketing share knowledge and appropriately activate within each market?

Katarina Nordin is the Head of Global Marketing at Adyen, and she has held various senior marketing positions at Adyen such as Head of Marketing - Nordics & Baltics and Marketing Manager - Nordics & Baltics for the last four years. Prior to joining Adyen, Kat was a Marketing Manager at both Raconteur and alan. agency, and she has held other marketing positions at Ogilvy.

You can find Katarina Nordin on Linkedin.

You can watch full video versions of the podcast on our YouTube channel. 

Ready to provoke the truth? Get in touch at alan-agency.com.

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In this episode of B2B Marketing: The Provocative Truth, Benedict sits down with Gihan Hyde to discuss all things ESG for B2B marketing.

More than ever, it is the responsibility of a business to seriously consider their ESG efforts because people are increasingly concerned with who and how they conduct their business. But what can marketing do to solidify ESG efforts? What misconceptions can we as marketers resolve around ESG?

Gihan Hyde is an ESG expert with 20+ years of experience, and she has been serving as the CEO and Founder of Communique for over a year. During this time, she has also worked as the ESG Communications Training Instructor at the Chartered Institute of Public Relations, Guest Course Instructor at the Chartered Institute of Marketing, ESG Communication Columnist at FinTech Futures, and as Board Adviser to The Writer. She has significant experience as a communications consultant and has worked for companies such as Barclays, bp, Marks & Spencer, HSBC, and more.

You can find Gihan Hyde on Linkedin.

You can watch full video versions of the podcast on our YouTube channel.

Ready to provoke the truth? Get in touch at alan-agency.com.

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In this episode of B2B Marketing: The Provocative Truth, Benedict speaks to Rosie Guest to discuss how to build and scale a marketing department in a business that traditionally doesn't understand the value of marketing.

Marketing brings so much more to a business than making a brand seem “sexy”. But it can be difficult to establish marketing as a truly strategic business partner when the business doesn’t fully value what marketing is capable of. What can be done to break from this? How can marketing build and grow into a driving force in the business despite the obstacles?

Rosie Guest has been the Chief Marketing & Communications Officer at Apex Group for almost two years, but she has held senior marketing positions at Apex Group such as Global Head of Marketing and Global Marketing Director for the last eight years. Prior to joining Apex Group, Rosie worked as a Business Development Manager at Baronsmead Partners LLP, and she held several roles at KYOCERA Document Solutions UK. Rosie won the “Disrupter of the Year” award at the 2020 Women in Finance Awards, and she is extremely proud of and passionate about driving diversity and gender equality in the workplace.

You can find Rosie Guest on Linkedin.

You can watch full video versions of the podcast on our YouTube channel.

Ready to provoke the truth? Get in touch at alan-agency.com.

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In this episode of B2B Marketing: The Provocative Truth, Benedict sits down with Aiden Scusa, Chief Excuse Officer at EXYT (EXcuse Yourself Today) to debate whether Aiden’s philosophy of excuse-making is still a viable option for B2B marketers.

For years, B2B marketers have made excuses. “The industry is too conservative”, “CEOs don't believe in brand-building”, “lack of budget” and “lack of creative talent” have all been go-to's for the industry to justify mediocre marketing.

Despite audiences demanding change, Aiden argues that B2B marketers should duck the challenge and double down with bigger, bolder, better excuses.

But Aiden is wrong.

Watch as Benedict calls out Aiden and excuse-making B2B marketers in our most controversial episode yet.

You can find Aiden Scusa on Linkedin.

You can watch full video versions of the podcast on our YouTube channel.

Ready to provoke the truth? Get in touch at alan-agency.com.

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In this episode of B2B Marketing: The Provocative Truth, Benedict sits down with Teri Donovan to discuss all things data and how to make data work for marketers.

There’s no question that data has become an integral part of marketing, especially in the advent of digital. However, with all this new data available, how can marketers utilise it to its maximum potential without it becoming a debilitating reliance? Does using data make the humanities obsolete, or can a hybrid, informed approach be implemented? And above all else, are marketers even capable of handling it all?

Teri Donovan is an experienced senior marketer with 20+ years of experience in both B2B and B2C businesses. She is currently Director of Partner Marketing in EMEA at Cisco but prior to this, has held several senior marketing positions at Cisco over the last 9+ years, including leading Enterprise/CIO Marketing. Prior to Cisco, Teri has also held senior marketing positions at Sony Europe, has worked in the games development industry, and also spent time working within an integrated marketing agency.

You can find Teri Donovan on Linkedin.

You can watch full video versions of the podcast on our YouTube channel.

Ready to provoke the truth? Get in touch at alan-agency.com.

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In this episode of B2B Marketing: The Provocative Truth, Benedict speaks to Leeya Hendricks about giving marketing a role at board level.

Marketers are expected to do it all without the recognition. As provocative as it sounds, marketing for a while has felt that the board of their respective companies doesn’t respect what they do. While studies have shown that the C-suite relies on the CMO, they simultaneously do not consider marketing a strategic partner in the business. How can marketing change this culture and evolve to better show its irreplaceable value?

Leeya Hendricks is the CMO for both Delta Capita and Prytek, and she has 15+ years of experience as a senior marketer. Prior to Delta Capita and Prytek, she served as the VP, Global Marketing at Kurtosys Cloud Solutions, and before that, Senior Marketing Director, Europe at Gartner. She has additional experience at companies such as Oracle, Accenture, IBM, BCX, and more. Additionally, Leeya works as a visiting lecturer at the University of Westminster and an official member and contributing author for the Forbes Communications Council. She also has experience as an awards judge for The Drum, the B2B Marketing Awards, and the Women in Marketing CIC Awards.

You can find Leeya Hendricks on Linkedin.

You can watch full video versions of the podcast on our YouTube channel.

Ready to provoke the truth? Get in touch at alan-agency.com.

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In this episode of B2B Marketing: The Provocative Truth, Benedict sits down with Nina Reschovsky to discuss the differences between B2B and B2C, and how experience in a start-up can inform working for a large corporation.

It has become increasingly less important to make a strong distinction between B2B and B2C marketing, because ultimately, as marketers, we all are trying to reach that emotional connection with people, regardless of if they are a consumer or a business-decision maker. When taking experience from a start-up into a larger corporation, previous skills with agility and adaptability help marketers to move various industries into this new, people-focused approach to marketing that has emerged.

Nina Reschovsky is an experienced marketing strategist with 11+ years of experience. Prior to joining Uber as B2B Marketing Lead, she served as the Head of Marketing, EMEA for Staffbase. Prior to this, she has also worked as Senior Marketing Manager - UK & Nordics for AB Tasty as well as Head of Content for Fitbug. Prior to her move to marketing, Nina worked as a freelance journalist, contributing to several publications, and as a writer for Business Reporter.

You can find Nina Reschovsky on Linkedin.

You can watch full video versions of the podcast on our YouTube channel.

Ready to provoke the truth? Get in touch at alan-agency.com.

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In this episode of B2B Marketing: The Provocative Truth, Benedict speaks to Matthew Leopold about the key to good thought leadership.

While businesses may understand that there is a need to contribute to thought leadership, they may not understand how to effectively bring it to market, which could mitigate its intended impact. Effective thought leadership has to be carefully considered and integrated into content marketing strategy in order to resonate with its intended audiences. So what can marketing do to contribute meaningfully? 

Matthew Leopold is the Head of Brand, PR, and Content Marketing at LexisNexis UK, and he also serves as Non Executive Director at the European Sponsorship Association. Prior to joining LexisNexis UK, Matthew served as PR and Brand Director at RingCentral, and he has additional experience at British Gas, Galileo Watermark, and more. Outside of marketing, Matthew is also an ambulance volunteer, a charitable trustee, and school governor.

You can find Matthew Leopold on Linkedin.

You can watch full video versions of the podcast on our YouTube channel.

Ready to provoke the truth? Get in touch at alan-agency.com.

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In this episode of B2B Marketing: The Provocative Truth, Benedict talks to Cheryl Guerin about authentically inclusive marketing for an increasingly diverse world.

Businesses need to be inclusive not just in their marketing campaigns, but in their companies as a whole. It is the responsibility of every company to recognise that the world is more diverse than ever, and that it is necessary to elevate diverse voices and experiences authentically. But what is marketing’s role in this? And how can marketers reflect a deeper understanding and meaningfully incorporate diverse experiences and perspectives?

Cheryl Guerin is an accomplished senior marketer with 20+ years of experience. She is currently serving as the EVP, Global Brand Strategy & Innovation, but since joining Mastercard in 2000, she has held several senior marketing positions including EVP, North America Marketing and Communications, EVP, Global Credit Products, and more. Additionally, Cheryl serves as a Board Member for Ronald McDonald House New York, the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation, and the Advertising Club of New York.

You can find Cheryl Guerin on Linkedin.

You can watch full video versions of the podcast on our YouTube channel.

Ready to provoke the truth? Get in touch at alan-agency.com.

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In this episode of B2B Marketing: The Provocative Truth, Benedict sits down with Carrie Heath to discuss the role that marketing can play in employer branding and how to build the most diverse teams possible.

Industries like financial and professional services have been lagging behind other sectors in building diversity. And, as the world becomes an increasingly diverse place, it is essential that companies’ employees reflect this change. The marketing teams of these organisations can help develop appropriate strategies and initiatives that can revitalise an employer’s brand and recruit a diverse workforce that is keen to progress these industries.

Carrie Heath is an experienced senior marketer with demonstrated experience in the data provisioning and information technology industry. She is the Marketing Director, Europe at LexisNexis Risk Solutions, and she has held several senior marketing positions at LexisNexis Risk Solutions in her six year tenure, including Head of Marketing, Europe, and Head of Marketing UK&I. She has also served as Marketing Manager at both 3T RPD Ltd and HPI Ltd, and she has previously worked at The Automobile Association, Regus, and The British School of Motoring. 

You can find Carrie Heath on Linkedin.

You can watch full video versions of the podcast on our YouTube channel.

Ready to provoke the truth? Get in touch at alan-agency.com.

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In this episode of B2B Marketing: The Provocative Truth, Benedict sits down with Will Brookes to discuss what marketers need to know about how their potential clients make decisions.

Marketers often focus on singular audiences: the very people who would benefit from what they’re selling. However, it seems as though they are quite naive in their understanding of how their prospective clients’ decisions are made. In B2B especially, it’s not as simple as targeting a specific individual; the buying process involves stakeholders, other business leaders, and so on. With the buyer journey being so much more complex, marketers need to really consider how other businesses make their decisions in order to market to them more effectively. 

Will Brookes is the CEO of Raconteur and has held this role for almost two years. As CEO, Will has overhauled the business by reducing Raconteur’s reliance on print and growing the company’s digital offerings. Over the last 11 years, Will has held other senior positions at Raconteur such as Managing Director and Head of Publishing, and during that time oversaw a great deal of growth for the company. Under Will’s leadership, Raconteur won the PPA’s Business Media Brand of the Year Award for 2022.

You can find Will Brookes on Linkedin.

You can watch full video versions of the podcast on our YouTube channel.

Ready to provoke the truth? Get in touch at alan-agency.com.

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In this episode of B2B Marketing: The Provocative Truth, Benedict sits down with Nick Hughes to discuss building the value of purpose through a marketing lens.

Purpose is now a topic hotly discussed at board level, but many argue it is still not properly understood. No matter the size of the company, from a single individual to thousands, purpose is absolutely necessary. Having that reason to get out of bed and go to work is crucial not only to establishing a company’s identity but also to guide everyone to the path of success. But what does it mean for marketing to help develop purpose in a given business?

Nick Hughes is the Director of Marketing and Communications at SEGRO, and he has held this position for the last 9 years. Prior to joining SEGRO, Nick spent 2 years as the Global Head of Marketing & Communications at Knight Frank. He additionally worked as a consultant marketing director for a commissioned project, and as a Joint MD for Siren Design. Nick has served as a member of the Membership and Marketing Communications Committee for Real Estate Balance for the last 5 years.

You can find Nick Hughes on Linkedin.

You can watch full video versions of the podcast on our YouTube channel.

Ready to provoke the truth? Get in touch at alan-agency.com.

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In this episode of B2B Marketing: The Provocative Truth, Benedict talks to Simon Dodd about brand activation in companies that are both B2B and B2C.

All marketers understand the importance of brand activation. Having a strong brand is how your company is salient in the minds of current or potential clients. However, there is a balance that must be found if a company is both B2B and B2C. Each arm of the company may need its own brand or maybe is there a unified approach? Is it hard to shape the company’s identity? And how can marketers make sense of it all? 

Simon Dodd is Senior Marketing Manager at Coventry Building Society. He has held this position for over five years. Prior to joining Coventry Building Society, Simon has worked as Head of Marketing - Invoice Finance at Hitachi Capital (UK) and as Head of Marketing at Johnson Fleming Ltd. He also has previous experience at RWE npower, the Royal Bank of Scotland, and more.

You can find Simon Dodd on Linkedin.

You can watch full video versions of the podcast on our YouTube channel.

Ready to provoke the truth? Get in touch at alan-agency.com.

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In this special holiday edition of B2B Marketing: The Provocative Truth, Benedict invites Barney O’Kelly and Komal Thadani to discuss and look back at the most provocative truths in B2B Marketing for 2022.

Looking back at B2B Marketing in 2022, it’s evident that we’ve made a lot of progress, but there’s still more to do. According to alan.’s research, 82% of business decision makers still think B2B is boring and predictable. However, we also know that the appetite for change is much greater than it has been in previous years. The same study found 88% of business decision makers want a bolder and contrarian approach to B2B marketing. So what can we learn from the previous year that will propel us into a bright new future?

Komal Thadani is the Marketing Campaigns Director at ServiceNow, and her previous experience includes working as Marketing Director - Small & Medium Business, Cloud Platform, JAPAC and Marketing Head - Open Cloud Infrastructure, Asia Pacific & Japan at Oracle, and Portfolio Marketing Leader, ASEAN and Channel & Digital Marketing, ASEAN & India at IBM, as well as positions at Accenture Services and Lowe Lintas.

Barney O'Kelly is the Digital Marketing Director at AlixPartners, and his previous roles include Managing Director at Hagen Communications Ltd, Associate Contractor at Deloitte, Global Head of Communications at Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, and Head of Communications, Strategic and Digital at BAE Systems.

You can watch full video versions of the podcast on our YouTube channel.

Ready to provoke the truth? Get in touch at alan-agency.com.

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In this final episode of B2B Marketing: The Provocative Truth of the year, Benedict and our lovely guests will bring us the thrilling conclusion to our provocative breakdown of B2B Marketing in 2022.

With the world being so unpredictable, it is hard to truly know what’s coming next. But it’s important to think about the possibilities that come with the new year as it might have a bigger impact on marketers than initially thought. To conclude 2022, we reflect on what has and hasn’t stuck with us over the past year, and we determine what will be important to look out for in 2023.

Thank you to all of our listeners for the past year! We look forward to bringing more of the podcast to you in 2023. Until then, Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Komal Thadani is the Marketing Campaigns Director at ServiceNow, and her previous experience includes working as Marketing Director - Small & Medium Business, Cloud Platform, JAPAC and Marketing Head - Open Cloud Infrastructure, Asia Pacific & Japan at Oracle, and Portfolio Marketing Leader, ASEAN and Channel & Digital Marketing, ASEAN & India at IBM, as well as positions at Accenture Services and Lowe Lintas.

Barney O'Kelly is the Digital Marketing Director at AlixPartners, and his previous roles include Managing Director at Hagen Communications Ltd, Associate Contractor at Deloitte, Global Head of Communications at Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, and Head of Communications, Strategic and Digital at BAE Systems.

You can watch full video versions of the podcast on our YouTube channel.

Ready to provoke the truth? Get in touch at alan-agency.com.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this special edition of B2B Marketing: The Provocative Truth, Benedict sits down with the team at alan. to discuss their new report, ‘The Power of Provocation’.

In 2017, business decision-makers fired a warning shot when 71% voiced their discontent. Five years, on the mob is angry. This year, 82% chastised B2B marketing as boring, predictable, repetitive. Frustration is boiling over.

Through research conducted by alan, we argue for marketers to make B2B electrifying, deeply moving, and we show what needs to be done in our report ‘The Power of Provocation’. The mandate for change is clear. A bolder B2B is there for the taking. You just need to decide if you’re up for the fight.

Our panel for this special episode includes Josh Cohen, alan’s Senior Research & Intelligence Manager, Daniele Pulega, alan’s Creative Director, and Chris Illman, alan’s Head of Strategy.

Find the full report HERE.

You can watch full video versions of the podcast on our YouTube channel.

Ready to provoke the truth? Get in touch at alan-agency.com.

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In this episode of B2B Marketing: The Provocative Truth, Benedict sits down with Adam Morgan, Executive Creative Director at Adobe, to talk about why the future of B2B is creative.

In B2B, it’s already difficult enough to prove to businesses that creativity is a better long-term investment despite having ample well-researched studies stating exactly that. Then there’s the additional hurdle of companies not truly understanding what it means to be creative. Is there a traditional point of view that’s preventing a more creative, emotional approach from becoming more commonplace? Or are marketers finally embracing a proven method to make real connections with clients?

Adam Morgan is the Executive Creative Director and Brand Leader at Adobe, and he has a proven track record of creating brand value for Adobe’s B2B business. Prior to joining Adobe, Adam has worked as Executive Creative Director at ThomasArts, Creative Director at McCann Erickson, and more. In addition, Adam is the host of the Real Creative Leadership podcast, which provides insight and guidance for creative leaders, and the author of Sorry Spock, Emotions Drive Business: Proving the Value of Creative Ideas with Science, which provides thorough research as to why emotional ideas are better for business.

You can find Adam Morgan on Linkedin and on his website.

You can watch full video versions of the podcast on our YouTube channel.

Ready to provoke the truth? Get in touch at alan-agency.com.

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In this episode of B2B Marketing: The Provocative Truth, Benedict talks to Melton Littlepage about how the B2B buying journey is evolving, and how businesses can adapt to a new era.

Buyers have more control over the process than ever before, and they could possibly go through the whole process without ever interfacing with the seller. Because of this and the buyer journey in B2B is so much more complicated than in B2C, marketers are discouraged from taking risks. But a new era is already here. So how can marketers recognise the new era of the B2B buyer journey, and how does the role of the B2B marketer need to change?

Melton Littlepage is the CMO at Outreach, and he has over 20 years of experience with a proven track record of generating growth in SaaS businesses and leading teams around the world. Prior to joining Outreach, Melton served as the Senior VP of Marketing at Tenable and New Relic, Inc. as well as the CMO at Schoology. He has also held several positions at SAP Concur, including VP Global Marketing.

You can find Melton Littlepage on Linkedin.

You can watch full video versions of the podcast on our YouTube channel.

Ready to provoke the truth? Get in touch at alan-agency.com.

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In this episode of B2B Marketing: The Provocative Truth, Benedict sits down with Faith Wheller about employee retention, coaching, and what the pandemic means for the future of working in marketing.

It’s no secret that the working world is forever changed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Almost two years of working from home has changed the way employees want to work, how they collaborate with their teams, and what expectations they have of their employers. Businesses are required to reconsider their past protocols as well as establish initiatives to hire, train, and retain the best employees. So what does this mean for the marketing teams of the future?

Faith Wheller has recently joined TeamViewer as their VP of Brand, Sponsorship, and Campaigns, and she has 20+ years of marketing experience. Prior to joining TeamViewer, she served as Senior Director of Marketing for Intuit as well as several senior marketing roles at Cisco including Senior Director Global Marketing and Marketing Director - EMEA. She has also held roles at BT and Westcon-Comstor. She has a proven track record of building data driven marketing plans and leading high-performing teams.

You can find Faith Wheller on Linkedin and Twitter.

You can watch full video versions of the podcast on our YouTube channel.

Ready to provoke the truth? Get in touch at alan-agency.com.

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In this episode of B2B Marketing: The Provocative Truth, Benedict sits down with Ilaria Pasquinelli to discuss all things regarding the Creative B2B Lions.

B2B isn’t really known for being all that creative, at least historically, and the industry as a whole doesn’t fully understand its value. However, the advent of the Creative B2B Lions is signalling not only that creativity in B2B should be uplifted and celebrated, but also that there is a shift toward a more creative industry overall. But will the Creative B2B Lions be enough motivation to propel B2B towards a brighter, creative future?

Ilaria Pasquinelli is the VP of Marketing at LIONS, the team behind the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, and she is an experienced senior marketer with experience in driving growth through brand in both the B2B and B2C industries. 

LIONS is the home of creativity, and they have been championing excellence in creativity for over 65 years. They are the team behind the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, a yearly celebration across industries that aims to establish the standard for progressive creativity.

You can find Ilaria Pasquinelli on Linkedin.

You can find out more about the Creative B2B Lions here.

You can watch full video versions of the podcast on our YouTube channel.

Ready to provoke the truth? Get in touch at alan-agency.com.

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In this episode of B2B Marketing: The Provocative Truth, Benedict sits down with Ben O’Connor of alan. agency to discuss the truth behind B2B marketers’ ambitions and convictions.

In alan. agency’s recent research report, ‘The Power of Provocation’, business leaders agreed that marketers needed to raise their ambitions and take charge of their work. However, is it true that B2B marketers have no ambition? Or are there numerous factors inhibiting a marketer’s ability to pursue and create compelling work? Ben O’Connor, with his inside perspective with clients, illuminates what might be really going on.

Ben O’Connor is the Head of Client Services at alan. agency, and he has been with alan. for the past two years. He is an experienced business director with a curious, strategic, and creative approach, and he brings this perspective to his fearless leadership of alan’s ambitious client services team. Prior to joining alan, Ben has served as Business Director at Aesop Agency, Gravity Global, and Ogilvy.

You can find Ben O’Connor on Linkedin.

You can watch full video versions of the podcast on our YouTube channel.

Ready to provoke the truth? Get in touch at alan-agency.com.

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In this episode of B2B Marketing: The Provocative Truth, Benedict talks to Malcolm Fried about the crucial need for evidence-based marketing.

With technology and data ever changing the B2B industry, marketers have more evidence than ever to effectively activate campaigns. However, it would certainly seem that marketers still don’t take a truly evidence-based approach to their marketing. Why have marketers not embraced decision-making qualified with data? And what are their concerns regarding utilising the plethora of information at their disposal?

Malcolm Fried is the CMO of Ninety One, and he is a seasoned marketer with 20+ years of experience. Before becoming Ninety One’s CMO in the company’s demerge from Investec, Malcolm served as CMO at Investec. Additionally, he has worked as a marketing consultant as well as Head of Media & Broadcast EMEA for Bloomberg.

You can find Malcolm Fried on Linkedin.

You can watch full video versions of the podcast on our YouTube channel.

Ready to provoke the truth? Get in touch at alan-agency.com.

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In this episode of B2B Marketing: The Provocative Truth, Benedict sits down with James Watson to discuss all things thought leadership, and how it can educate B2B industries.

Thought leadership is everywhere in B2B industries. However, it doesn’t always make a lasting impact on its target audience, and it almost never actually educates the target audience on a given concept. Effective thought leadership has to leave the audience with a piece of insight, and that they are walking away with more information than they previously had. But what’s the truth behind achieving exactly that? How do we get there?

James Watson is the CMO of The Glimpse Group, and he has 20+ years of marketing experience. Particularly, in the last 10 years, James has focused his marketing efforts on immersive technology, and he has worked with a variety of organisations. His previous roles include CMO of Immerse, Client Services Director at Imagination, and Business Director at OgilvyOne. Additionally, James serves as Co-Chair of the VR AR Association and as a member of BSI’s VR & AR Committee.

You can find James Watson on Linkedin.

You can watch full video versions of the podcast on our YouTube channel.

Ready to provoke the truth? Get in touch at alan-agency.com.

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In this episode of B2B Marketing: The Provocative Truth, Benedict talks to Birim Gonulsen about the consumerization of B2B, and the lessons B2B can learn from B2C.

Historically, there was the assumption that B2B and B2C marketing are completely different and separate from each other. However, this is becoming increasingly less true. There will always be a distinction, but as it becomes more important to market to the individuals of a business as opposed to the vague idea of the business as a whole, there are lessons that each type of marketing could learn from each other. What could a B2C marketer bring to the table in a B2B context?

Birim Gonulsen is a seasoned senior marketer with 20+ years of experience. She is the CMO, Southern Europe for Visa, and she has been with them for almost five years. Prior to joining Visa, Birim’s marketing career focused on B2C. She previously worked as Senior Director adidas Brand, EM North for adidas and as Marketing Director / Member of Executive Board for Hurriyet. She has also held many roles at the Coca-Cola Company including Marketing Manager and Business Development Manager.

You can find Birim Gonulsen on Linkedin.

You can watch full video versions of the podcast on our YouTube channel.

Ready to provoke the truth? Get in touch at alan-agency.com.

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In this episode of B2B Marketing: The Provocative Truth, Benedict sits down with Madlen Nicolaus to discuss how obsession with pipeline could have an impact on brand awareness.

With an impending recession, there are valid concerns about how companies are going to hit targets. There has been a growing concern on how to optimise pipelines and ensure short-term results. Focusing too much on pipeline will take time and budget away from long-term brand building. There needs to be a balance of the two in order to be truly successful. What changes does B2B marketing need to make in order to turn it around?

Madlen Nicolaus is an accomplished marketer in both B2B and B2C businesses, and she has over 18 years of experience. She has a proven history of implementing and managing successful marketing plans. She is VP Marketing EMEA for SAP Concur, and she has been with the business for almost six years. Prior to joining SAP Concur, she held several positions at Salesforce including Head of EMEA Cloud Marketing. Madlen has also previously worked at Kodak and Ketchum PR.

You can find Madlen Nicolaus on Linkedin.

You can watch full video versions of the podcast on our YouTube channel.

Ready to provoke the truth? Get in touch at alan-agency.com.

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In this episode of B2B Marketing: The Provocative Truth, Benedict chats to Sam Shrager about what truly effective content and SEO marketing looks like.

It’s really easy to get caught up in the idea that you have to push out content to keep up certain appearances, but if you’re approaching content strategy this way, it becomes increasingly difficult to actually give your audience what they want. And it definitely becomes harder to make an impact on them. What do B2B marketers really need to consider in order to create meaningful content that achieves business objectives and doesn’t waste budget?

Sam Shrager is the Executive Director, Marketing and Communications at BCB Group, and she has significant experience as a senior marketer in financial services, particularly crypto. At BCB Group, she leads strategy and communications for all communications as well as works with stakeholders to push the business forward in the crypto industry. Prior to joining BCB Group, she served in a number of senior marketing positions at business such as Arbion, Bluepod Media Worldwide, NKB Group, GEODYNAMICS WorldWide, and more. 

You can find Sam Shrager on Linkedin.

You can watch full video versions of the podcast on our YouTube channel.

Ready to provoke the truth? Get in touch at alan-agency.com.

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In this episode of B2B Marketing: The Provocative Truth, Benedict speaks to Andrew Davies to break down the implications of M&A on marketing. 

Mergers and acquisitions put companies in unique positions regarding their brand. When integrating marketing teams together, there is both an exciting and daunting opportunity to unify the new business and create a bulletproof brand that will progress the company forward post-M&A. But what do you really need to know about how to appropriately move forward? How can you ensure your business’s growth in the future?

Andrew Davies is CMO of Paddle, and he is an experienced and accomplished marketer in the SaaS space. Since joining Paddle in early 2022, Andrew has overseen and continues to lead the company’s marketing function and enabled its significant growth. Prior to joining Paddle, Andrew’s previous roles include VP Corporate Marketing at Optimizely and Co-Founder/CMO of Idio. Additionally, Andrew sits on the board of Ninety CIC and is an active advisor and investor in early-stage startups.

You can find Andrew Davies on Linkedin.

You can watch full video versions of the podcast on our YouTube channel.

Ready to provoke the truth? Get in touch at alan-agency.com.

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In this episode of B2B Marketing: The Provocative Truth, Benedict sits down with Nandik Barbhaiya to discuss how to get the board on board with brand.

It’s fair to say that most marketers understand the intrinsic value of brand-building. Even if they are not prioritising it for their business, marketers know how building a strong brand helps the business longer-term. However, it can often be difficult for marketers, and even the CMO to articulate that importance to the board, especially if there’s no clear way to trace brand to revenue. So what is the case that marketing can make?

Nandik Barbhaiya is the MD and Founder of Mr. Brand Genie, and he is an accomplished marketer with 17+ years of experience. Nandik’s most recent role was as Interim CMO for the &me Investing App at Moneyfarm, but he has held several senior marketing roles throughout his career. Such roles include CMO of ETX Capital, Vice President Marketing (FTC) for Finixio, CMO (FTC) of Stenn, Global Head of Marketing at ForexTime, and more.

You can find Nandik Barbhaiya on Linkedin.

You can watch full video versions of the podcast on our YouTube channel.

Ready to provoke the truth? Get in touch at alan-agency.com.

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In this episode of B2B Marketing: The Provocative Truth, Benedict speaks to Lucy Birch about what a divestment means for B2B marketing, and the CMO’s role in guarding the business’s values.

Divestments are unique opportunities as it provides a chance for marketing to re-shape the brand values so that they align with the business’s future. However, this is much easier said than done; it’s tricky to balance establishing new, authentic principles that will guide the business going forward and managing employee’s expectations of the business’s identity. How can a CMO be the guiding voice of the company’s values while managing the responsibility of the re-brand?

Lucy Birch is a highly experienced leader in marketing, brand, and communications across both B2C and B2B businesses, and she has a proven track record of leading teams on the UK, European, and global level. She is currently serving as Chief Marketing and Communications Officer for Kantar Public, but prior to this, she has held several senior positions at PwC including Global Strategic Marketing Leader, and UK Marketing and Brand Director as well as positions at KPMG.

You can find Lucy Birch on Linkedin.

You can watch full video versions of the podcast on our YouTube channel.

Ready to provoke the truth? Get in touch at alan-agency.com.

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In this episode of B2B Marketing: The Provocative Truth, Benedict chats to Andrea Linehan about marketing’s potential for driving revenue in B2B.

There’s a problem with revenue in B2B marketing. Marketers are not maximising the potential for marketing to drive revenue when it is so crucial to the business’s success. Is the issue down to marketers not willing to put their reputation on the line, or are there bigger problems with current strategies? Either way, in order for marketing to justify its function (and budget), marketing needs to show how it directly contributes to revenue.

Andrea Linehan is a seasoned marketer primarily focused on fintech. She is the CMO of CurrencyFair.com and Zai, and she is an advisory board member for the CMO Council as well as a board member for the Irish International Business Network. Prior to joining CurrencyFair.com, Andrea served as CMO for GRID Finance.  In 2021, she was listed as part of the Top 30 Most Influential Fintech Marketers by The Fintech Marketing Hub.

You can find Andrea Linehan on Linkedin.

You can watch full video versions of the podcast on our YouTube channel.

Ready to provoke the truth? Get in touch at alan-agency.com.

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In this episode of B2B Marketing: The Provocative Truth, Benedict talks to Kelly Brown about making every brand interaction count in B2B.

While the current viewpoint is that B2C and B2B are more similar than ever before, there are still distinct differences that shouldn’t be neglected. One such difference is relating to customer experience. Unlike B2C, B2B has a finite pool of potential customers, so ensuring that every touchpoint with a customer is as optimised as possible for both the customer and the business. However, it seems as though B2B often forget how important customer experience is. How can B2B marketing up its game?

Kelly Brown is a strategic marketing leader with a pragmatic, execution-oriented approach. She is currently serving as the CMO of Teckro where she has been for the last four years. Prior to joining Teckro, Kelly has held several senior marketing roles including CMO of Sidetrade and VP Marketing, Europe at Veeva Systems. Additionally she has also held several roles at EMC such as Senior Director, Worldwide Regional and Channel Marketing. Prior to marketing, Kelly held several positions as a journalist.

You can find Kelly Brown on Linkedin.

You can watch full video versions of the podcast on our YouTube channel.

Ready to provoke the truth? Get in touch at alan-agency.com.

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In this episode of B2B Marketing: The Provocative Truth, Benedict sits down with Steffen Hedebrandt to discuss what B2B marketers really need to know about the buyer journey and data analysis.

While it may seem that B2B marketers are masters of data, the reality is that very few actually understand what’s happening at any given moment in the buyer journey. This mostly comes down to marketers not having precise tools and accurate analysis methods to get a clear picture of what’s happening. Marketers need to invest in the time and resources to quantify the full buyer journey, but what can marketers do to truly understand the process?

Steffen Hedebrandt is the CMO and Co-Founder of Dreamdata, and as a marketer, he is driven by data and specialises in maximising growth and scaling businesses. Prior to co-founding Dreamdata, Steffen held several other senior marketing roles including Head of Marketing at AIRTAME and Country Manager, Nordics at Upwork as well as roles at Elance, Ambidextrous, and more. In addition, Steffen has also worked as a Lecturer for the DJØF, in which he taught Microsoft Excel for students of Aalborg University.

You can find Steffen Hedebrandt on Linkedin.

You can watch full video versions of the podcast on our YouTube channel.

Ready to provoke the truth? Get in touch at alan-agency.com.

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In this episode of B2B Marketing: The Provocative Truth, Benedict sits down with John Huntinghouse to discuss how to build a culture of experimentation within B2B marketing.

Within B2B, it’s very easy for marketing to fall in line. The status quo has an unhealthy grip on marketers. This isn’t necessarily due to a lack of desire to shake it up, but rather a series of hurdles that make it much more difficult. However, in order to break the mould and create marketing with an impact, it’s crucial to experiment in marketing and find new, innovative ways to approach one’s work. How can B2B marketers not only encourage a culture of experimentation but also experiment effectively to get a desired answer?

John Huntinghouse is the VP of Marketing at TAB Bank, and he is an accomplished marketer with a background in digital marketing, demand generation, and more. In addition to his position at TAB Bank, John is an Adjunct Professor of Marketing at Weber State University and a Board Member for the American Red Cross. Prior to joining TAB Bank in 2019, John also worked at Epic Marketing and KSL 5 TV, and founded Huntinghouse Media. Prior to marketing, John worked as a Genetic Researcher at Intermountain Healthcare. John has been recognised as Utah Business Magazine’s 2022 Marketer of the Year and has won the  2022 Stevie Award for Marketing Campaign of the Year - Financial Products & Services.

You can find John Huntinghouse on Linkedin.

You can watch full video versions of the podcast on our YouTube channel.

Ready to provoke the truth? Get in touch at alan-agency.com.

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In this episode of B2B Marketing: The Provocative Truth, Benedict chats to Ian Macleod about all things product proposition, and how B2B marketers can step up their product marketing.

There’s no denying that there’s some incredible products available in B2B industries. However, a great product alone will not guarantee excellent marketing, let alone reaching the right audience for the product. That’s where the ideal product proposition comes in. But creating an effective proposition that will resonate with your target audience is much easier said than done. What are the considerations for creating a bulletproof proposition?

Ian Macleod is a seasoned senior marketer and growth leader with 20+ years of experience. He has experience in both B2B and B2C businesses and specialises in start-ups, scale-ups, and more. Currently, Ian is the CMO of SALESmanago, but prior to this, he has served in many senior marketing roles, such as VP of Marketing at Linnworks, CMO of Triptease, VP of Marketing at Velocity Mobile and more. He also currently serves as an Advisor for Troupe and Outfts as well as a Mentor for Wiseup.

You can find Ian Macleod on Linkedin.

You can watch full video versions of the podcast on our YouTube channel.

Ready to provoke the truth? Get in touch at alan-agency.com.

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In this episode of B2B Marketing: The Provocative Truth, Benedict talks to David Remaud about how AI will affect the future of MarTech.

It’s no secret that AI is one of, if not the most talked about topic in business spaces. There is a lot to discuss regarding AI because it has the potential to totally change how we view marketing and how we work. But, while everyone tries to get their two cents on the matter, are we actually considering in what ways AI will be useful to us? What are the actual implications of incorporating AI into how marketers work?

David Remaud is an established senior marketer with 20+ years of experience. As a marketer, he strives to create and manage high-value businesses as well as develop people and teams around pioneering projects. David is the CMO of iBanFirst, but prior to joining them in 2019, he has also served as CMO of Dhatim, CMO of Wildmoka, CEO and Founder of Plugnsurf, and more. He has also held several Advisory Board Member positions, most recently and currently at madamePee.

You can find David Remaud on Linkedin.

You can watch full video versions of the podcast on our YouTube channel.

Ready to provoke the truth? Get in touch at alan-agency.com.

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In this episode of B2B Marketing: The Provocative Truth, Benedict sits down with Uwe Hook to discuss the often overlooked issues around AI.

It’s impossible to deny that AI has become one of the most hot-button topics in the world of business this year. There’s so much talk around how AI is going to change how people work across a variety of sectors. But concerningly,  the conversation hasn't spent enough time focusing on the implications of AI on people’s jobs. It’s important to not let people fall to the wayside with every new innovation, and as marketers, it’s important to understand how things will change, and what measures need to be taken to not let people struggle.

Uwe Hook is an Interim CMO/CDO with Chameleon Collective, and in this position, he has successfully served in a number of senior marketing positions to help accelerate growing businesses. Positions he has held while part of the Chameleon Collective include CMO of Origina, and Interim CMO of WorldRemit. Prior to this, Uwe served as Interim CMO/CDO for CO-OP Financial Services and CEO/Co-Founder of Bateshook. He has also held senior marketing roles at OMD Worldwide, Direct Partners, Genex, and more.

You can find Uwe Hook on Linkedin.

You can watch full video versions of the podcast on our YouTube channel.

Ready to provoke the truth? Get in touch at alan-agency.com.

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In this episode of B2B Marketing: The Provocative Truth, Benedict speaks to Pavlina Louki about the unique challenges of scaling a marketing function at pace. 

There are several considerations when it comes to scaling a marketing function. The biggest of these is most likely bringing in exceptional talent that will help build the business. But when the business scales much more rapidly than average, everything changes. How can marketing leaders in such positions prioritise effectively in order to create and build the best marketing function possible? What are the unique risks of rapid escalation?

Pavlina Louki is the VP Marketing at Qualco, and she has 15+ years of experience. Prior to marketing, she worked as a programmer, but as a marketer, she enables tech businesses to bolster their international positioning. Prior to joining Qualco Group in early 2022, she has also served as Head of Marketing for QUALCO, Senior Marketing Manager for SAS, and more. She has also previously co-founded WEBEASY Digital Marketing Agency.

You can find Pavlina Louki on Linkedin.

You can watch full video versions of the podcast on our YouTube channel.

Ready to provoke the truth? Get in touch at alan-agency.com.

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In this episode of B2B Marketing: The Provocative Truth, Benedict talks to Scott Gainey about the challenges of creating a new category as a disruptive company. 

In order for a company to be an innovator in the world today, it requires significant effort into creating something truly new for the industry you’re in. In the case of many B2B companies, this effort is put into creating a whole new category within the sector by offering a solution that reshapes how people view a type of product or service. However, to be truly disruptive and change your sector is no easy task, and marketing has a distinct role to play in making that happen.

Scott Gainey is the CMO of Nile and has been a senior marketer in disruptive tech companies for over 20 years. Prior to joining Nile as CMO in 2021, Scott’s previous roles include CMO of Cherwell Software, CMO of Sentinel One, VP of Product Marketing at Palo Alto Networks, and Senior Director of Product Marketing, Security at Cisco Systems. He has also held senior marketing positions at Xsigo Systems, NetApp, Veritas Technologies LLC, and more.

You can find Scott Gainey on Linkedin.

You can watch full video versions of the podcast on our YouTube channel.

Ready to provoke the truth? Get in touch at alan-agency.com.

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In this episode of B2B Marketing: The Provocative Truth, Benedict speaks to Jeroen Kuppens about how B2B marketers get caught up in online marketing theories. 

Obviously everyone in a business knows that their work has to relate to business goals, right? …Right? Well, in the social media age, it is easy to get distracted, and B2B marketers are not immune to this. While marketers know their work has to contribute to the business goals, it’s very easy to read the success stories and endless hacks and tips online and think that’s what’s best for the business. They may be useful pointers, but every business needs something different. How can marketers critically approach their practice to fit their business while appropriately incorporating new ideas from online?

Jeroen Kuppens is the CMO of Sana Commerce, and he has been with the business for 8+ years. As CMO, he has led an international team and focuses on driving the growth of the business, which is one of the most rapidly growing in the Netherlands. Prior to serving as CMO, Jeroen has also served as Global Marketing Manager and Marketing Coordinator at Sana Commerce. Prior to this, Jeroen has worked as an Ambassador, Scout, Sales, Promotion & Marketing for Tecnifibre.

You can find Jeroen Kuppens on Linkedin.

You can watch full video versions of the podcast on our YouTube channel.

Ready to provoke the truth? Get in touch at alan-agency.com.

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In this episode of B2B Marketing: The Provocative Truth, Benedict sits down with Dan O’Hara to discuss the need for art and science to not only coexist, but work together in marketing.

Nowadays, marketers have access to a wealth of data to make sense of marketing activities. However, even in B2B marketing, strictly going off the data doesn’t provide the whole picture, especially because of how hard it can be to actually track and attribute specific marketing activities. Yes, data has to justify a marketing plan, but any seasoned marketer knows that the most effective strategies combine both art and science. So how do you get that balance?

Dan O’Hara is Marketing Director at DEMICA, and he has 10+ years as a marketer. Primarily working in financial services, Dan is a results-driven marketer, which is shown through his leadership and growth of DEMICA’s marketing function. Prior to DEMICA, Dan served as Head of Marketing, UKI and Senior Marketing Manager at Refinitiv, as well as Marketing Manager at S&P Global Marketing Intelligence. He has also previously worked at the Chartered Institute for Securities & Investment (CISI), and CABI.

You can find Dan O’Hara on Linkedin.

You can watch full video versions of the podcast on our YouTube channel.

Ready to provoke the truth? Get in touch at alan-agency.com.

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In this episode of B2B Marketing: The Provocative Truth, Benedict chats to Stuart Shingler about what performance really means in B2B.

Despite performance marketing having been around for a while, there is still a lack of understanding about what it truly is, leading it to be conflated with and used interchangeably to digital marketing. But it’s much more nuanced than that. What will really help marketers is not to get bogged down by what it means. Rather, it’s important to build a culture of performance and use the metrics to inform marketing activities. How do you build that culture though? How can performance help build a reactive marketing function?

Stuart Shingler is the VP of Brand and Product Marketing at Tink and has been a creative and driven marketer for 10+ years. Prior to his current role at Tink, he has also served as their Product Marketing Director and Demand Generation Director. Before Tink, Stuart held several positions at Klarna including Global Product Marketing Lead and Partner Marketing Manager. He has also held roles at Bythjul Norden AB, Brathay, and more. Before becoming a marketer, Stuart has also previously been a professional musician.

You can find Stuart Shingler on Linkedin.

You can watch full video versions of the podcast on our YouTube channel.

Ready to provoke the truth? Get in touch at alan-agency.com.

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In this episode of B2B Marketing: The Provocative Truth, Benedict chats to Laura Klysz about truly leading thought leadership. 

There are a lot of problems with how thought leadership is done in B2B. Not only is it underutilised as a tool for businesses, but fundamentally, it isn’t actually doing what it suggests. Very little thought leadership actually leads any thought in a given space. Certainly there are interesting insights to be shared, but what does it really mean to provoke new and interesting ideas around B2B? How can companies better use this asset as part of their marketing activities?

Laura Klysz is the Global Head of Marketing and Communications at Simmons & Simmons, and she has been a marketer for 20 years. Her marketing career has focused primarily on professional services, and she has proven experience in creating strategic programs that deliver results. Prior to joining Simmons & Simmons, Laura served as Head of Marketing, UK/US/EMEA at Herbert Smith Freehills and Marketing Manager at KPMG UK, as well as other positions at Blake Lapthorn and Withers LLP.

You can find Laura Klysz on Linkedin.

You can watch full video versions of the podcast on our YouTube channel.

Ready to provoke the truth? Get in touch at alan-agency.com.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of B2B Marketing: The Provocative Truth, Benedict sits down with Archana Dhankar to discuss all things influencer marketing in B2B. 

There’s no denying the differences between B2B and B2C marketing. However, it’s all too easy to have a closed mindset as to what could work for your business. Influencer marketing has made waves in B2C as a viable and effective strategy, but B2B has yet to understand and embrace how influencer marketing could work for them. Influencer marketing for businesses has significantly more potential than previously thought, so in what ways can businesses embrace this strategy?

Archana Dhankar is the Senior Director, Global Demand Generation at Sutherland, and she has a marketing career spanning 18+ years. Throughout her career, she has managed and led successful campaigns internationally and for a wide range of industries. Prior to joining Sutherland last year, she previously worked for EDB as Director Marketing, EMEA & Global Social Media as well as for Aspire as Global Marketing Director. She has extensive experience researching influencer marketing, and is an influencer herself, having written and managed several blogs including allthatclicks.com and fashionforroyals.com.

You can find Archana Dhankar on Linkedin.

You can watch full video versions of the podcast on our YouTube channel.

Ready to provoke the truth? Get in touch at alan-agency.com.

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In this episode of B2B Marketing: The Provocative Truth, Benedict sits down with Jennifer Leggio to discuss how attribution for marketing and sales needs to change with the buyer journey.

Nowadays, it’s extremely important for sales and marketing to work together to achieve the same goal of creating pipeline. However, it would seem many B2B businesses are functioning as if marketing and sales can be accurately measured with the same KPIs. Using the same metrics for marketing as sales will undoubtedly create incomplete or inaccurate data on how marketing contributes to pipeline. Additionally, with how fast the world changes, it’s more important than ever to reevaluate how marketing and sales can tackle the buyer journey and what metrics to judge them by. So what needs to change?

Jennifer Leggio is CMO of Netography, and she has been an innovative and tenacious B2B marketer for 23+ years. Her career has focused primarily on the cybersecurity industry, and she has significant experience in communications and growth strategy. Prior to joining Netography in 2022, Jennifer has held several senior marketing positions including as CMO & VP Revenue Operations at Virsec, CMO of Claroty, CMO & VP Operations at Flashpoint, and more. She has also served as an Advisor for MetroSITE Group, LLC, Infocyte, Inc., Glasswing Ventures, and more.

You can find Jennifer Leggio on Linkedin.

You can watch full video versions of the podcast on our YouTube channel.

Ready to provoke the truth? Get in touch at alan-agency.com.

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In this episode of B2B Marketing: The Provocative Truth, we look back at some of the provocative topics we have talked about in 2023 so far!

Episode Clips Included:

• How Data Proves the Need for Creativity in B2B, with Adam Morgan, Executive Creative Director at Adobe
• Educating B2B Industries with Thought Leadership, with James Watson, CMO of The Glimpse Group
• Unifying a B2B Marketing Department after M&A, with Andrew Davies, CMO of Paddle
• Marketing in a Divestment and Re-Brand, with Lucy Birch, CM&CO at Kantar Public
• Creating the Ideal B2B Customer Experience, with Kelly Brown, CMO of Teckro
• The Unspoken Problem of AI in Business, with Uwe Hook, Interim CMO/CDO at Chameleon Collective
• The Urgent Need to Focus on Business Goals, with Jeroen Kuppens, CMO of Sana Commerce
• Thought Provoking B2B Thought Leadership, with Laura Klysz, Global Head of Marketing & Communications at Simmons & Simmons

We will now be going on our summer break, and we will be back very soon with more provocative truths!

You can watch full video versions of the podcast on our YouTube channel.

Ready to provoke the truth? Get in touch at alan-agency.com.

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In this episode of B2B Marketing: The Provocative Truth, Benedict sits down with Mark Cullen about the need for B2B marketers to be brave.

The key to marketing with an impact is saying something authentic about your company and delivering it in an emotive way. Most marketers understand that it takes a level of emotional impact to make a significant impression on your audience. However, there seem to be many factors that inhibit marketers ability to create something that shines. So what’s holding them back? What’s preventing B2B marketers from being emotive and brave in their work? And how do you create something really memorable?

Mark Cullen is the CMO of Simon-Kucher & Partners and has over 20 years in marketing and communications. He is an innovative and creative leader with a proven record of transforming international clients across different industries. Prior to joining Simon-Kucher in 2021, Mark has held other senior marketing roles including Marketing Director, UK & Europe for Alvarez & Marsal, Director Brand, Marketing, & Communications - EY Financial Service for EY, and Group Head of Internal Communications at Aviva. 

You can find Mark Cullen on Linkedin.

You can watch full video versions of the podcast on our YouTube channel.

Ready to provoke the truth? Get in touch at alan-agency.com.

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In this episode of B2B Marketing: The Provocative Truth, Benedict sits down with Winfried Schultz to discuss how to bring ABM into the future.

ABM had its moment in B2B marketing not that long ago. Many marketers, including those on this podcast have discussed how ABM can be a transformative strategy. However, it seems the trendiness of ABM resulted in many marketers not understanding what makes it truly powerful and engaging in activities that value quantity and efficiency over quality and authenticity. What do B2B marketers need to know in order to decide if ABM is right for their business and how to effectively connect with their audience? What needs to change to bring ABM into the future?

Winfried Schultz is the VP of Marketing EMEA at Teradata, and throughout his 20+ year career, he has led transformative marketing to many businesses across sectors. Prior to joining Teradata in 2019, Win served as VP Marketing TPS and Marketing Director EMEA & APAC for Black Box as well as Sales and Marketing Director for RADIODATA GmbH. He has also held senior marketing roles at Danaher Corporation, Tektronix/Danaher, and more. Win also currently serves as Managing Director of @mktginouterrim Consulting. 

You can find Winfried Schultz on Linkedin.

You can watch full video versions of the podcast on our YouTube channel.

Ready to provoke the truth? Get in touch at alan-agency.com.

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In this episode of B2B Marketing: The Provocative Truth, Benedict speaks with Karen Sage how businesses can go further with establishing their brand.

Businesses understand that it’s important to have an identity that their customers align with, but quite often, their priorities are about generating revenue as quickly as possible and disregard brand. Because of this, brand often becomes generic so as to appeal to as many people as possible. But it is proven over and over again how a unique brand that stands for something actually drives growth long term and brings your ideal customer to you sooner. So the question becomes, why aren’t companies doing more? What is stopping them from ensuring their long-term success?

Karen Sage is the CMO of Shipwell, and she is a hands-on leader who has used her “out-of-the-box” strategies to strongly deliver to revenue. Prior to joining Shipwell last year, Karen has served as CMO of Syncron, CMO of Transplace, CMO of MercuryGate International, and many other senior marketing roles. In addition to her role at Shipwell, Karen also serves as an Advisory Board Member for Service Council and as a Member at HYPCCCYCL.

You can find Karen Sage on Linkedin.

You can watch full video versions of the podcast on our YouTube channel.

Ready to provoke the truth? Get in touch at alan-agency.com.

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In this episode of B2B Marketing: The Provocative Truth, Benedict talks to Madhukar Kumar about what a product-led growth strategy looks like in B2B.

Marketers in most businesses, especially in the SaaS space, understand their need to collaborate with their product teams to have an effective strategy. However, what B2B marketers might be missing out on is a “product-led” growth strategy, and it might be because they just don’t know about how PLG could impact their business. So what exactly are B2B marketers missing out on? In what ways can marketers include a PLG strategy among their wider marketing activities, and how could it uniquely support business objectives?

Madhukar Kumar is the CMO of Singlestore, and he has 15+ years of experience in leading product and marketing teams for global organisations. Prior to joining Singlestore, Madhukar has served as Head of Growth and Marketing at DevRev, VP Product and Solutions Marketing at Nutanix, VP Product and Developer Marketing at Redis Labs, and more. In addition to his career, Madhukar has previously guest lectured at Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business in which he teaches New Product Development. He also is currently writing a book which he publishes chapter by chapter on Substack called “<code> Growth”.

You can find Madhukar Kumar on Linkedin.

You can subscribe to Madhukar’s Substack here. 

You can watch full video versions of the podcast on our YouTube channel.

Ready to provoke the truth? Get in touch at alan-agency.com.

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In this episode of B2B Marketing: The Provocative Truth, Benedict sits down with Simeon Lando to discuss the unique challenges of emerging into new foreign markets.

If your business is fortunate enough to expand internationally, there are a handful of new considerations for marketers to take on. It is not just as simple as dropping an existing proposition into a new market, and that (lack of) strategy, if implemented, often goes awry. Marketers need to adapt their messaging and approach when entering new markets around the world, but what other considerations need to be thought about? How can marketing take ownership of this element of a business’s growth?

Simeon Lando is the CMO at FORM3, and throughout his career, he has built and implemented strategies that deliver results both in the UK and internationally. Before joining FORM3 in 2021, Simeon has previously served as Senior Director, Marketing at Finastra, Marketing Director at Refinitiv, and Head of Digital Engagement, Global Business Solutions at Barclaycard. He has also worked at Stylesight, PayPal, Dun & Bradstreet, and more.

You can find Simeon Lando on Linkedin.

You can watch full video versions of the podcast on our YouTube channel.

Ready to provoke the truth? Get in touch at alan-agency.com.

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In this episode of B2B Marketing: The Provocative Truth, Benedict speaks to Duarte Garrido about the importance of attribution in proving ROI.

There’s no denying that the topic of attribution has been simmering at the top B2B marketers’ minds. There are conflicting views among marketers about what attribution should look like, but with the current state of B2B, it seems like the push to prove ROI is becoming increasingly important. So what kind of attribution model is going to work best for the business’s needs? And how does marketing need to align with other departments to effectively tie activities back to revenue?

Duarte Garrido is the VP of Growth Marketing at real-time payment network business Volt, and he has been in B2B growth marketing for 10+ years. As a marketer, Duarte focuses on social and omnichannel strategy and digital transformation across many sectors internationally. His previous experience includes Global Head of Social and Omnichannel at Standard Chartered Bank, Group Head of Social Media at Coca-Cola HBC, and additional roles at Philip Morris International, Sky, and more. In addition to his role at Volt, he also serves as a Corporate Advisor for Handprint.

You can find Duarte Garrido on Linkedin.

You can watch full video versions of the podcast on our YouTube channel.

Ready to provoke the truth? Get in touch at alan-agency.com.

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In this episode of B2B Marketing: The Provocative Truth, Benedict speaks to Matthew Harper about redefining the role of the CMO.

Not only is the role of the CMO not understood by the rest of the business, the CMOs themselves sometimes hardly know how to be effective leaders for their company. This has led to the CMO having the shortest tenure of any role in the C-suite. But it doesn’t have to be like this. What it means to be an effective CMO has changed, and it’s within reach of CMOs to excel at their role, but this does require reevaluating what are the priorities and what relationships with the rest of the business need to look like.

Matthew Harper is a dynamic, results-driven senior marketing professional with 20 years of experience across the international technology industry. Primarily, Matt has worked in enterprise SaaS, developer tools, AI platforms, and more. Matt is CMO of LinearB, and his previous experience includes VP of Marketing at Mattermost, VP of Marketing at Nylas, VP of Marketing at Moogsoft, and more.

You can find Matthew Harper on Linkedin.

You can watch full video versions of the podcast on our YouTube channel.

Ready to provoke the truth? Get in touch at alan-agency.com.

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In this episode of B2B Marketing: The Provocative Truth, Benedict sits down with Paul Afshar to discuss the practicalities of using AI in B2B marketing.

AI has been at the forefront of everyone’s minds in the B2B marketing space. Even on this podcast, there has been much discussion about how AI has the potential to completely reinvent the industry. However, there’s only so much hypothesising one can do before taking action and start implementing. But does the theoretical discussion thus far actually contribute to how we should utilise AI? What are the considerations that still need to be addressed?

Paul Afshar is a seasoned senior marketer with experience in both B2B and B2C. With 10 years in B2B specifically, he has led world-class campaigns with the most sophisticated martech stacks. Prior to joining Unlimit, Paul has held several senior roles including Acting CMO of OSOME, Marketing Director of Dext, and more. He has also previously been a Board Member for Circl and a Partner for FleishmanHillard Fishburn. 

You can find Paul Afshar on Linkedin.

You can watch full video versions of the podcast on our YouTube channel.

Ready to provoke the truth? Get in touch at alan-agency.com.

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We brought the podcast to you LIVE from the B2B Marketing Expo at the ExCeL London! Thank you to everyone who attended the session!

Benedict is joined by our distinguished panel:

- Áine Bryn, Partner & CMO at Marsh McLennan UK

- Craig Welch, SVP, Head of Research Marketing at Elsevier

- Gonzalo Garcia Villanueva, Global CMO at NielsenIQ

You can find our panelists, Áine, Craig, and Gonzalo on Linkedin.

You can watch full video versions of the podcast on our YouTube channel.

Ready to provoke the truth? Get in touch at https://www.alan-agency.com/.

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Benedict Buckland of alan. agency moderates PANEL: Marketing + Sales A Winning Combination? Thank you to everyone who attended the session!

Benedict was joined by our lovely panel:

- Tom Boston, Brand Awareness Manager at Salesloft

- Julia Pikes, Senior Marketing Director, EMEA at Hubspot

- Thomas Van der Staaij, Senior Marketing Manager at AWS

- Freya Ward, Global Sales Director at Headley Media

You can watch full video versions of the podcast on our YouTube channel.

Ready to provoke the truth? Get in touch at https://www.alan-agency.com/.

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In this first episode of B2B Marketing: The Provocative Truth in 2024, Benedict speaks to Chris Wade about how maturing B2B organisations need to adapt.

As a company grows and establishes itself firmly in the market, it can be easy for it to fall into an all too comfortable pattern. Once business settles into a groove, it can become hard to make changes that ultimately are better for progress. Companies become risk averse and hesitant to adapt when ultimately, a business needs to do all that they can to help their customers. But knowing how to refocus a business’s direction takes careful consideration. Being adaptable doesn’t always mean starting from scratch. So what does a mature business need to do to stay relevant?

Chris Wade is the Chief Marketing and Product Officer at Gamma Communications, and he has held that role since late 2020. As an established senior marketer, Chris has used his proven creative and innovative skills to find new strategic opportunities and drive businesses forward. Prior to joining Gamma, Chris has previously served as Chief Product and Marketing Officer for Aptitude Software and several positions at Sage including VP of Product,  Director of Strategic Operations, and more. Chris has also previously been Board Member for Dynamo North East, and he currently serves as Trustee at Valour MAT.

You can find Chris Wade on Linkedin.

You can watch full video versions of the podcast on our YouTube channel.

Ready to provoke the truth? Get in touch at alan-agency.com.

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In this episode of B2B Marketing: The Provocative Truth, Benedict is joined by Will Sturgeon to discuss how marketing needs to adapt to make better use of specialists.

In a B2B marketing team, it’s crucial to have a well-rounded group that can tackle a variety of challenges that may come. Each individual needs to bring a unique skill set in order to make this happen. Many may say that specialising too much may not prepare the next generation of marketing leaders. Many more might suggest that specialising becomes less important with the growth of generative AI. But how can a range of specialists create an effective team? What are best practices when utilising such a group of individuals on a marketing team?

Will Sturgeon is the Head of Content and Thought Leadership and PwC UK. While Will has held this role for five years, he has a 20+ year career as an effective marketing leader. At PwC, Will is instrumental in shaping overall marketing strategy and leading a 100+ team. Prior to joining PwC UK, he has served as Executive Director for Golin, Director of Strategy and Planning at Harvard Public Relations, Director, Head of Media Strategy at Lewis PR, and more.

You can find Will Sturgeon on Linkedin.

You can watch full video versions of the podcast on our YouTube channel.

Ready to provoke the truth? Get in touch at alan-agency.com.

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In this episode of B2B Marketing: The Provocative Truth, Benedict sits down with Haralds Gabrans Zukovs to discuss how complex B2B products require sophisticated strategies and solutions.

B2B products and services are oftentimes much more complex than many of our B2C counterparts. And even within B2B, some offerings are particularly complicated. This distinction puts the pressure on B2B marketers to effectively reach their target audience. Their main goal becomes making it easy to understand who their business is and what they offer. Often this may include building out an entirely new marketing function, category creation, or even more involved activities. So where should a B2B marketer start?

Haralds Gabrans Zukovs is Head of Growth at Mindgard, and he has quickly climbed the ranks into senior marketing leadership. His expertise is in creating high-impact digital marketing strategies for global markets and driving business growth through demand generation. Prior to joining Mindgard, Haralds has also served as Head of Marketing at credolab, Head of Marketing at the Hyve Group plc, Head of marketing for Nordigen, and other marketing roles at SAF Tehnika JSC, AranetloT, and more.

You can find Haralds Gabrans Zukovs on Linkedin.

You can watch full video versions of the podcast on our YouTube channel.

Ready to provoke the truth? Get in touch at alan-agency.com.

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In this episode of B2B Marketing: The Provocative Truth, Benedict is joined by Kate Cox to discuss how B2B sales models need to be reimagined as the purchase decision evolves.

Kate provides a detailed analysis of the changing buying dynamics and convincingly makes the case for marketing to have jurisdiction over critical early sales activities. Listen to find out how B2B marketers can fine-tune their tech stack and take a progressive approach to business development.

Kate is a proven CMO with experience driving strong growth for recurring revenue businesses in the B2B, B2B2C and B2C sectors especially companies with high value expectations requiring rapid growth. Worked in 3 businesses under private equity ownership across multiple marketing disciplines with a particular expertise in developing the right marketing mix and investment levels across brand and digital performance channels to increase business value within a specific timeframe such as driving to an exit date. Part of the senior leadership leading the HEG exit to GoDaddy; the second largest UK tech exit in 2016. HEG was Europe's largest privately owned domain registration and web hosting business with strong presence in the UK and Germany focusing on Start-ups, SMBs, web designers and developers.

You can find Kate on Linkedin.

You can watch full video versions of the podcast on our YouTube channel.

Ready to provoke the truth? Get in touch at alan-agency.com.

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In this episode of B2B Marketing: The Provocative Truth, Benedict is joined by Efi Naskou to discuss how misconceptions about D&I are holding B2B brands back.

Efi challenges the sentiment behind the finding that B2B leaders don't think D&I is an important part of brand's narrative, making the case for a more nuanced and progressive approach. Listen to find out how B2B marketers have both a responsibility and opportunity to drive the D&I agenda within their brand communications.

Efi specialises in developing and implementing commercial strategies for businesses that view marketing as a strategic lever. She is a firm believer that smart marketing investment gives companies a clear edge, helps them grow faster, and secures their market position.

You can find Efi on Linkedin.

You can watch full video versions of the podcast on our YouTube channel.

Ready to provoke the truth? Get in touch at alan-agency.com.

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In this episode of B2B Marketing: The Provocative Truth, Benedict is joined by Katrina Nichols to interrogate Linkedin as a platform.

Katrina eviscerates much of the received wisdom about what works on Linkedin and advocates for a rebalance from influencers to evangelists. Tune in to hear a progressive perspective on how marketers can get value through novel, persona-led approaches to social platforms.

Katrina is an experienced marketing, public relations, and brand director, across a varied range of B2B products and services, with a digital, data-driven focus.. An expert in brand storytelling, she specialises in creating deep relationships and affinity between audiences and products and services.

You can find Katrina on Linkedin.

Ready to provoke the truth? Get in touch at alan-agency.com.

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In this episode of B2B Marketing: The Provocative Truth, Benedict is joined by Kayleeann Maritz to define marketing's role in shaping commercial strategy.

Kayleeann makes the compelling case for over investment in tier two accounts and provides multiple practical tips for how marketers can transform lead generation. Tune in to learn how a diversified approach built on robust segmentation and targeting is the bedrock of successful B2B marketing.

Kayleeann is experienced global marketer with expertise in brand building and growth.

You can find Kayleeann on Linkedin.

Ready to provoke change? Get in touch at alan-agency.com.

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In this episode of B2B Marketing: The Provocative Truth, Benedict is joined by Joel Harrison, Editor-in-Chief and co-founder of B2BMarketing.net, the leading community for B2B marketers, to explore the shift from lead generation to growth marketing, drawing insights from B2B Ignite, their flagship event.

He challenges the ambiguity of "growth marketing" and introduces the concept of the "commercial marketer" as a more holistic approach to B2B marketing success. Tune in to hear Joel's perspective on how marketers can elevate their role within organisations by mastering five key dimensions: financial acumen, reporting effectiveness, market insights, cross-functional collaboration and agile decision-making.

Joel Harrison is a veteran in the B2B marketing space, overseeing B2BMarketing.net's range of resources, events, and communities designed to empower marketers. His insights stem from years of experience and interactions with leading marketers across the industry.

You can find Joel on LinkedIn here: linkedin.com/in/joelharrison

Ready to provoke the truth? Get in touch at alan-agency.com.

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In today's episode of B2B marketing. Solved. Kate Owen talks to Richard and Benedict about how marketers can get the best from their marketing budgets.

Marketers constantly come up with good ideas that they want to apply to their organizations. However, most of them remain on the shelf because budgets limit a marketer's ability to implement their plans. These moments are when B2B marketers need to think outside the box and creatively escape B2B marketing budget limitations.

When talking about budgets, it’s always best to get an expert's help. For this reason, we invited Kate Owen, Chief Marketing Officer at UPP on to the podcast.

Kate worked in marketing and communications for over 20 years. She has extensive experience across all areas of marketing and communications within both B2B and B2C environments and in regional and global roles.

• Visit alan. for more information on how you can solve your marketing problems
• Subscribe on YouTube for video versions of B2B marketing. Solved. here

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In the very first Episode of B2B marketing. Solved. David Turner talks to Richard and Benedict about why people need to strike a balance between short term gains and long term brand building, and how you can manage the pressure from various departments that can be too to focused on demand generation and sales activation.

• Visit alan. for more information on how you can solve your marketing problems
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In today's episode of B2B marketing. Solved. Ruth Connor talks to Richard and Benedict about the challenges most marketing teams face in creating actionable marketing strategies, what role marketing plays in delivering business initiatives and achieving goals and how an overly scripted marketing tactic can stifle creativity and why you should try to be more responsive instead of reactive.

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In today's episode of B2B marketing. Solved. Paul Collier talks to Richard and Benedict about hypergrowth within companies, how this impacts marketing, what pressures it creates, and how you should structure a marketing department to keep pace with the business.

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In today's episode of B2B marketing. Solved. Miguel Avalos talks to Richard and Benedict about solid marketing strategies built on 3 key ideas, how and why companies should adapt a glocal (think global, act local) approach when it comes to marketing segments, and adapting different strategies to different environments.

• Visit alan. for more information on how you can solve your marketing problems
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If you're looking for practical, actionable solutions to your B2B marketing problems then B2B marketing. Solved. is here for you. In the first ever episode Richard and Benedict walk you through the impetus behind the creation of the podcast, why long term strategies are vital and why having your business invest in that strategy is key to building a brand.

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In today's episode of B2B marketing. Solved. Darren Atkins talks to Richard and Benedict about how to tackle the gap between marketing and sales. Darren talks about how important it is to sit down with sales teams and find exactly what the customers are telling them directly, using a mixture of manual and technological techniques to integrate the two departments, and following the insight and analytical data to shape these relationships.

• Visit alan. for more information on how you can solve your marketing problems
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In today's episode of B2B marketing. Solved. Komal Thadani talks to Richard and Benedict about the impact of a marketing tech stack and how to build one successfully.

Marketers have many fantastic tools and technologies they can apply in their daily activities. There are many resources to help you build and execute marketing campaigns, but it’s just as important to collect and analyse insights from these campaigns and their impact on your customers.

The problem is that tech stacks are not being utilised to their full potential by the marketing community today. Which is odd, considering their vast possibilities. To understand the reasons behind this, we’re welcoming Komal Thadani, Marketing Campaigns Director - EMEA at ServiceNow, to the podcast.

• Visit alan. for more information on how you can solve your marketing problems.
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In today's episode of B2B marketing. Solved. Chris Willman talks to Richard and Benedict about account-based marketing and how B2B companies can use it successfully.

Account-based marketing (ABM) is an increasingly popular business marketing strategy for B2B companies, and while it comes with many advantages, ABM is both poorly defined and implemented within numerous B2B organizations. As a result of this, many marketers struggle with ABM and this can have negative consequences on their overall B2B marketing strategy.

Chris Willman has extensive marketing experience, which can help us understand and clearly define ABM. He has been in charge of global demand gen for many exciting B2B tech firms during his career, including CrowdStrike, Kaspersky and RSA security.

• Visit alan. for more information on how you can solve your marketing problems.
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In today's episode of B2B marketing. Solved. Benedict is joined by Mirelle Adebiyi, Chief Marketing Officer at Itiviti to talk about how to go about brand building, post merger and acquisition.

• Visit alan. for more information on how you can solve your marketing problems
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In today's episode of B2B marketing. Solved. Áine Bryn talks to Richard and Benedict about how we can get sales and marketing departments working together to turn marketing into a high value business generation engine.

The marketing team doesn’t always have commercial credibility within an organisation.

Why?

Because it has always been challenging to quantify marketing's contribution to a company. There has often been rivalry between marketing and sales over who is responsible for generating revenue. But, the time has come to educate businesses about how marketing can contribute to organisational success.

• Visit alan. for more information on how you can solve your marketing problems.
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In today's episode of B2B marketing. Solved. Matt Hooper talks to Richard and Benedict about the importance of defining your position before you do anything else in marketing and business and being clear about what you want to be famous for.

Organisations often fail to grow because they don’t get the foundational aspects of their message or positioning right. But if you want to build a thriving business, getting them perfect is essential.

But where to start and how to do it exactly? Matt Hooper, Chief Marketing Officer at Quantexa, will give us all the details and insights.

Matt is a C-Suite CMO and Customer Experience leader specialising in business growth. He has twenty-five years of senior management team enterprise software experience across marketing, corporate strategy, operations, product management, sales operations, and business development.

Before joining Quantexa, Matt held senior positions in organisations like Orange, BT Global, Hewlett Packard, and Parametric Technology (PTC).

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In today's episode of B2B marketing. Solved. Inken Kuhlmann-Rhinow talks to Richard and Benedict about effectively managing a remote, international B2B marketing team.

Thanks to its many benefits, remote work is now a trend that shows no signs of letting up, especially in the B2B marketing space. But moving to remote working isn’t as simple as you might think — you need to have the right infrastructure, resources, and people to make it work.

To understand how you can effectively transition to remote working, we invited Inken Kuhlmann-Rhinow, Marketing Director, EMEA at HubSpot, onto the show. In her nine years at HubSpot, Inken has built scalable and diverse teams on top of being a remote leader based in Germany.

Inken has strong expertise in scaling new regions, developing go-to-market plans, and driving acquisition and awareness in a customer-centric organisation.

• Visit alan. for more information on how you can solve your marketing problems.
• Subscribe on YouTube for video versions of B2B marketing. Solved. here

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In today's episode of B2B marketing. Solved. Mark Larwood talks to Richard and Benedict about how B2B marketers can inject creativity into the ABM process and express their unique characteristics as a brand within the parameters of ABM.

Much of the time, marketers focus on generating more and more leads. But there is an issue with that. The funnel gets narrower towards the bottom, and more than 90% of those leads never become customers.

ABM promises to fix this problem by adopting a new approach and merging marketing and sales teams. Even though ABM delivers positive results, not all marketers know how to leverage it creatively to get the most from it.

To help you, Mark shares his top insights and advice. He is an experienced director-level B2B marketing professional with a strong track record of leading successful and award-winning teams in the IT, Technology, and Payments industries.

Mark helps companies build stronger marketing foundations, establish effective strategic plans, and execute compelling, successful multi-channel campaigns that deliver strong results.

• Visit alan. for more information on how you can solve your marketing problems
• Subscribe on YouTube for video versions of B2B marketing. Solved. here

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.