488: One Promise, One Motion: How NetApp Built Strategic Demand

When B2B brands try to be everything to everyone, they end up with what Gabie Boko calls a "brand of commas." NetApp chose focus instead: One clear promise the whole company could rally behind and a direct line to business growth.

In this episode, Drew sits down with Gabie Boko (NetApp) to unpack how NetApp rallied leadership around Intelligent Data Infrastructure, redefined strategic demand as a shared go-to-market motion, and built alignment from the CEO to sales. Gabie shares how focus, authenticity, and cross-functional trust helped modernize NetApp's story.

In this episode:

• Moving from a "brand of commas" to one durable narrative the company can stand behind for years

• Choosing Intelligent Data Infrastructure to stay customer-tested and future-proof without falling into AI-washing

• Defining strategic demand as a company-wide motion that unites marketing, sales, and partners

Plus:

• How NetApp's NFL partnerships built reach and brand lift without massive ad spend

• How success is measured through share of voice, sentiment, pipeline, and revenue growth

• How to avoid category-creation detours and free teams from over-branding every product

• The CMO journey from hope to determination, and how to sequence wins without burning political capital

Tune in to learn how one promise and shared accountability reshaped NetApp's story!

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegademarketing.com/podcasts/

To learn more about CMO Huddles, visit https://cmohuddles.com/