Future Fuzz - The Digital Marketing Podcast Ep. 90 - The MQL is dead! - Charlotte Graham-Cumming - Ice Blue Sky
Summary
In this episode of Future Fuzz, host Justin Campbell sits down with Charlotte Graham-Cumming, CEO of Ice Blue Sky, to challenge traditional B2B marketing practices. Charlotte critiques Marketing Qualified Leads (MQLs) as outdated vanity metrics and champions Marketing Qualified Accounts (MQAs) as a better way to measure engagement.
She highlights the power of data-driven strategies, including how AI can reduce churn and accelerate sales cycles, and discusses the impact of account-based marketing (ABM). Charlotte also shares her journey as a female leader in tech, reflecting on overcoming challenges and fostering confidence in leadership.
Guest Bio
Charlotte is the founder and CEO of Ice Blue Sky, a leading B2B marketing agency specializing in strategic and account-based marketing (ABM) solutions for global technology brands. With over 16 years of experience, she has helped clients such as Cisco, Citrix, IBM, and Brother achieve their growth and success goals through innovative, impactful campaigns.
Charlotte is an active member of a network of entrepreneurs, where she collaborates with peers to exchange best practices and drive mutual success. She is passionate about crafting effective marketing strategies, enabling sales teams, and building strong partner channels. As a contributor to a bestselling business book and a recipient of multiple awards, Charlotte’s work has been widely recognized for its impact.
She enjoys working with individuals who share her vision and values and is always eager to embrace new opportunities to learn and contribute.
Chapters
00:00 Introduction to Charlotte Graham-Cumming and Ice Blue Sky
02:21 Why MQLs Are Failing Marketing and Sales
06:01 The Shift to Marketing Qualified Accounts (MQAs)
09:21 Using Psychology to Align Marketing and Sales
14:01 Leveraging AI to Analyze and Improve Data
18:51 Personalization and the Power of ABM
21:16 Founding Ice Blue Sky: Simplifying Complexity
23:43 Breaking Barriers: Female Leadership in Tech Marketing
26:04 Social Conditioning and Building Confidence as a Leader
Follow Charlotte on LinkedIn here
Follow Justin on LinkedIn here
Instagram Follow Charlotte on Instagram here