Michael Lowe, Senior Director of Corporate Marketing at At-Bay and former leader of category creation at Clari, shares his insights on the nuances of creating new business categories. He discusses the significant difference between coining terms and true category creation, highlighting the vital role of community and support. Lowe reveals the challenges of educating the market and developing targeted content strategies that genuinely address audience needs. Listeners will find valuable lessons on navigating pricing strategies and evolving their marketing approaches.
Michael Lowe emphasizes the importance of community engagement in category creation, illustrating how Clari fostered a movement around 'revenue operations'.
The podcast highlights the complexity of measuring category creation success, focusing on long-term indicators rather than immediate revenue returns.
Deep dives
Introduction to SuperPath Pro
SuperPath Pro offers members a range of valuable resources, including a library of courses and scheduled one-on-one calls designed to foster collaboration. These calls encourage members to brainstorm and address content challenges together. Additionally, the initiative includes monthly SuperPath Socials, which feature group discussions and breakout sessions that allow participants to engage in specific topics related to content marketing. This holistic approach aims to create a supportive community while providing practical learning opportunities for its members.
Category Creation at Clary
The discussion highlights the strategic role of category creation in marketing, especially through Michael Lowe’s experience at Clary. Initially known for its forecasting capabilities, Clary recognized the potential of defining 'revenue operations' and positioned itself as a leader in this emerging space. By identifying a niche audience of revenue operations professionals and leveraging their needs, Clary was able to shift from traditional marketing to a more community-driven approach, ultimately fostering a movement around this new terminology. The emphasis was placed on understanding the audience and enriching their voice rather than merely promoting the product itself.
The Importance of Community and Content Strategy
Community engagement played a crucial role in the category creation process, as illustrated by initiatives such as the Revenue Operations Council at Clary. This group consisted of experienced customers who collaborated on research and shared expertise, enhancing the legitimacy of the revenue operations category. Moreover, this engagement extended to creating valuable, informative content that resonated with professionals in the field, focusing on their experiences and best practices rather than promoting Clary explicitly. By nurturing this community, Clary established itself as the go-to platform in revenue operations, promoting brand affinity among members.
Measuring Success in Category Creation
Measuring the success of category creation efforts is more complex than traditional content marketing metrics due to its long-term nature. Instead of immediate revenue returns, indicators such as rising search volumes for 'revenue operations' and the emergence of related job titles served as critical metrics. Clary also monitored how often it was referenced in job postings, reflecting its growing influence in the industry. This holistic approach to measurement underscores the importance of maintaining a narrative of community and market growth while acknowledging that immediate financial returns may not always accompany category creation activities.
In this episode of Content Briefly, we've interviewed Michael Lowe, Sr. Director, Corporate Marketing at At-Bay, and discussed his role back at Clari, the differences between coining a term and category creation, how content works in a category creation playbook, and more.