B2B Marketing with Dave Gerhardt

Inside the Minds of Top CMOs: What’s Working, What’s Not, and How the CMO Role is Evolving in B2B Marketing

Mar 20, 2025

Megan Lueders, CMO at Sonatype, Ido Mart, CMO at ManyChat, and Kimberly Storin, CMO at Zayo, share insights from their diverse backgrounds in managing marketing for tech companies. They discuss the transformative challenges CMOs face today, emphasizing the shift from traditional demand generation to brand-led growth. The importance of emotional engagement and storytelling in B2B marketing is highlighted, alongside strategies for aligning effectively with other C-suite executives. They also unpack how to prove marketing's worth in an efficiency-driven era.

01:01:09

Creator website

Episode guests

Kimberly Storin

Ido Mart

Megan Lueders

AI Summary

AI Chapters

Episode notes

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

The CMO role is evolving and should be shaped by individual strengths while aligning closely with CEOs and stakeholders.

Modern B2B marketing emphasizes the use of first-party data and automation to create personalized messaging that resonates with clients.

Influencer marketing is increasingly effective in B2B contexts, allowing brands to engage authentically with target audiences through trusted voices.

Deep dives

The Impact of Personalized Marketing

Marketing messages must transcend the noise often found in inboxes and instead create a real impact on customers. Companies should strive to use first-party data for crafting personalized messages that resonate with individual clients. This approach not only ensures that messages are sent at the appropriate time but also through the right channels, whether it's email, SMS, or push notifications. Automation plays a crucial role, allowing businesses to deliver engagement at scale while avoiding generic communication.

Intro

2min

Insights from B2B Marketing Leaders on Software Security and Social Media

2min

The Evolving Role of the CMO

17min

Transforming Marketing Conversations: From Defense to Value Creation

5min

Evolving B2B Marketing Strategies

9min

Navigating B2B Marketing Dynamics

11min

The Power of Founder-Led Content

12min

Closing Insights on B2B Marketing Community and Website Optimization

3min

#229: Marketing Leadership | In this episode, Dave sits down with Megan Lueders (CMO at Sonatype), Ido Mart (CMO at Manychat), and Kimberly Storin (CMO at Zayo) for a live CMO panel discussion at Exit Five’s Austin marketing meetup. These marketing leaders share what’s working what’s not in B2B marketing today and how the role of the CMO is evolving.

Dave, Megan, Ido, and Kimberly cover:

What every new CMO needs to know about leading a marketing org
How to align with CEOs, CFOs, and key stakeholders to drive business impact
The biggest marketing shifts happening right now (and what’s no longer working)
How to prove marketing’s impact in the era of efficiency

Timestamps

(00:00) - – Introduction to the CMO panel
(03:45) - – The evolving role of the CMO in 2025
(07:11) - – The biggest challenges marketing leaders face today
(10:18) - – How to align marketing with CEOs, CFOs, and key stakeholders
(13:53) - – What every new CMO needs to know when stepping into the role
(17:28) - – The marketing strategies that are working right now (and what’s not)
(21:15) - – Why B2B marketing is more emotional than most people realize
(25:45) - – How to prove marketing’s impact in a data-driven, efficiency-focused era
(29:27) - – The shift from demand gen to brand-led growth
(32:52) - – The role of storytelling and positioning in B2B marketing success
(37:07) - – Building a high-performing marketing team and the skills CMOs need today
(40:47) - – Key takeaways and final advice for marketing leaders

Send guest pitches and ideas to hi@exitfive.com
Join the Exit Five Newsletter here: https://www.exitfive.com/newsletter
Check out the Exit Five job board: https://jobs.exitfive.com/
Become an Exit Five member: https://community.exitfive.com/checkout/exit-five-membership

***

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***

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B2B Marketing with Dave Gerhardt

Inside the Minds of Top CMOs: What’s Working, What’s Not, and How the CMO Role is Evolving in B2B Marketing

Episode guests

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

Deep dives

The Impact of Personalized Marketing

Defining the Role of the CMO

Navigating Challenges in Marketing Strategy

The Shift Towards Influencer Marketing

Balancing Acquisition and Retention Efforts

Remember Everything You Learn from Podcasts