The Changemakers

How should marketing leaders approach the challenges of an economic downturn? It’s a big question, but one we put to Robin Daniels, our guest for this episode.If you’ve not come across Robin before, you’ll enjoy his enthusiasm and illuminating insight on marketing, leadership and growth. He’s worked at some amazing tech companies covering Salesforce, Box, LinkedIn, WeWork as well as being CMO of Matterport when they went public in 2021. There is plenty to take away from this chat that helps galvanise, improve, or reassure you. We talk about what marketing leaders and teams should be focusing on, how morale is impacted and as a leader what you can do, through to incremental gains, intelligent risks, and how to inspire yourself.  Enjoy. Timestamps: (04:20) Robin’s journey from Denmark to California and back again (09:48) What sparked his career in marketing and his role at Salesforce(13:46) Lessons learnt from the ’08 downturn – being incrementally better doesn’t cut it in a recession(17:00) Why you’ve got to market yourself like a consumer brand(20:01) How selling and marketing in a downturn changes(22:11) What marketing budgets he protects first when there are cuts on the table(26:27) Focus on things that move the needle. Do less but do it better.(34:55) Keeping people motivated during hard times and the importance of leadership(41:59) There is positivity in the market, but uncertainty can hamper your marketing (43:05) Where Robin draws inspiration from  Follow Robin on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robingdaniels/Don’t forget to subscribe and rate our show! Send us a message if you enjoyed this episodeIf you enjoy the chats then there are more ways to quench your thirst for creative inspiration in the world of B2B tech. 👉 Watch episodes on YouTube👉 Follow us on LinkedIn for regular snippets in your feed 👉 Visit our website for more in-depth thinking on topics👉 Subscribe to Beyond our monthly collection of insight, opinion and inspirationAnd finally please rate our podcast on Apple if you enjoyed it!✌️

This episode is pretty special. It’s a story that is truly unique, and one that hopefully isn’t going to be repeated for a long time. We talk to Michael Jeter who is the Creative Director at Zapier. For those of you who don’t know, Zapier is a product that allows you to integrate web applications and automate workflows. Michael joined the business to spearhead a major rebrand. His team got cracking and worked on it for eight months. They were about to launch when something happened. In this own words “It’s such an epic story. It’s one I’ll be telling for the rest of my career, because it’s truly unique.”It’s an inspirational story of reactivity, teamwork, leadership and the power of design.Enjoy.Follow Michael on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaeljeter/Here is a link to Zapier to check them out: https://zapier.com/ (https://zapier.com/Don’t forget to subscribe and rate our show!Send us a message if you enjoyed this episodeIf you enjoy the chats then there are more ways to quench your thirst for creative inspiration in the world of B2B tech. 👉 Watch episodes on YouTube👉 Follow us on LinkedIn for regular snippets in your feed 👉 Visit our website for more in-depth thinking on topics👉 Subscribe to Beyond our monthly collection of insight, opinion and inspirationAnd finally please rate our podcast on Apple if you enjoyed it!✌️

Ever wondered what it’s like to be a creative leader at a global tech company with over 70,000 employees? Well, so did we. So to find out, Dave speaks to Jessica Bognar, Creative Director – Brand at Salesforce. Salesforce is one of those iconic B2B brands, isn’t it? Less of a company, and more of an empire.Jessica joined the business in 2015, when they had a measly 10,000 staff. She came from an agency background, having worked on some awesome consumer brands and campaigns before she joined the B2B world. But that insight set her up to have a fresh view on B2B. To ask questions, and take approaches that were viewed as perhaps less traditional. Like why you need to have fun and connect on a human level – even in B2B marketing!Come join us for her insight on how to create bonds in such a large environment, the key to producing effective creative – and how a nugget of an idea from a copywriter swelled into a partnership with Matthew McConaughy…Enjoy.Timestamps:(02:58) Jessica’s journey to Salesforce(08:10) The role of the brand group(12:39) Her job as a teacher and collaborator making things happen(14:08) How the role of creative has changed and the driving force behind it(18:09) The ability to work with the Salesforce brand(20:01) The moment that caused a shift in their creative approach(23:53) Where she draws creative inspiration from(30:30) The one project Jessica is most proud of in her careerFollow Jessica on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessicabognar/I’m sure you don’t need us to link to who Salesforce are…but just in case. https://www.salesforce.com/uk/Don’t forget to subscribe and rate our show!Send us a message if you enjoyed this episodeIf you enjoy the chats then there are more ways to quench your thirst for creative inspiration in the world of B2B tech. 👉 Watch episodes on YouTube👉 Follow us on LinkedIn for regular snippets in your feed 👉 Visit our website for more in-depth thinking on topics👉 Subscribe to Beyond our monthly collection of insight, opinion and inspirationAnd finally please rate our podcast on Apple if you enjoyed it!✌️

You know when you’re scrolling through LinkedIn and someone just makes you stop? Well Ling Koay, Chief Brand Officer at Oneflow, is one of those people. She has a wonderful way of thinking and is so good at articulating her thoughts. As well as being kick-ass at her job, she’s a wonderful advocate of diversity and equality. We simply had to have her on the pod for the final instalment of our three-part ‘Women in Creative Leadership’ special.If you don’t know Oneflow already, please check them out via the link at the bottom. Their brand isn’t ‘normal’ for a B2B tech company, but it’s brilliant, unique, attention-grabbing and suits them to the ground. All the work of Ling and her team. Listen as Ling gives her views on what creativity is and techniques on producing new ideas. How people can find their superpowers. And how allowing them to be themselves will always make people more productive and happier.  This mini-series also aims to gauge the temperature of gender equality and diversity within the creative and marketing sides of the B2B tech industry. So we also hear Ling’s views on where we are in the fight for true equality. What more can be done, and how we as an industry can make sure that every talented female can climb the ranks into senior leadership positions.Timestamps:(03:33) How Ling started in copywriting and honing storytelling(05:26) The role of brand at Oneflow and their unique look(08:05) How brand is a competitive strategy(10:00) Leadership is how you interpret it and the 2%(13:05) The different between inclusivity in the Scandinavian tech industry and real life(19:25) Challenges of recruiting with diversity(30:06) Creativity is simple new ways to solve a problem(36:42) The routine to allow creativityFollow Ling on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lingkoay/ Oneflow are a company that provides the complete platform for digital contracts. Check them out here: https://oneflow.com/Don’t forget to subscribe and rate our show!Send us a message if you enjoyed this episodeIf you enjoy the chats then there are more ways to quench your thirst for creative inspiration in the world of B2B tech. 👉 Watch episodes on YouTube👉 Follow us on LinkedIn for regular snippets in your feed 👉 Visit our website for more in-depth thinking on topics👉 Subscribe to Beyond our monthly collection of insight, opinion and inspirationAnd finally please rate our podcast on Apple if you enjoyed it!✌️

Welcome to the second of our three-part ‘Women in Creative Leadership’ special. This mini-series aims to gauge the temperature of gender equality and diversity within the creative and marketing sides of the B2B tech industry. Where are we in the fight for true equality? What more can be done, and how can we as an industry make sure that every talented female has the opportunity to climb the ranks into senior leadership positions?Our second guest to discuss these crucial issues is Jess Ellis, Senior Director, Integrated Brand Marketing at Slack, a company that needs no introduction. We first met Jess during her time with our client, customer engagement platform firm Khoros. She has such an interesting background having held creative roles in sport, entertainment, retail and of course tech. Now she’s moved into a new role at Slack, we had to grab her for a chat about her thoroughly inspiring views on equality, team dynamics, values and leadership in the creative world – and much more.Timestamps:(03:24) – Jess’s background and career(06:21) – How she builds a team in today’s environment(09:42) – People are still feeling part of something when working remotely(10:50) – Leadership is an opportunity to provide opportunity, inspiration and empowerment for everyone(15:58) – How to inspire people creatively when working remotely(19:03) – If you feel there is a glass ceiling, you’re in the wrong company(22:18) – The opportunities to have a mentor and the benefitsFollow Jess on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jellisstudio/ Visit Slack here: https://slack.comDon’t forget to subscribe and rate our show!Send us a message if you enjoyed this episodeIf you enjoy the chats then there are more ways to quench your thirst for creative inspiration in the world of B2B tech. 👉 Watch episodes on YouTube👉 Follow us on LinkedIn for regular snippets in your feed 👉 Visit our website for more in-depth thinking on topics👉 Subscribe to Beyond our monthly collection of insight, opinion and inspirationAnd finally please rate our podcast on Apple if you enjoyed it!✌️

Welcome to the first of our three-part ‘Women in Creative Leadership’ special. This mini-series aims to gauge the temperature of gender equality and diversity within the creative and marketing sides of the B2B tech industry. Where are we in the fight for true equality? What more can be done, and how can we as an industry make sure that every talented female has the opportunity to climb the ranks into senior leadership positions?Our first guest to discuss these crucial issues is Larissa Schneider, Head of Marketing at Noname Security - leaders in API security. We first met Larissa during her time with our client, cloud computing firm Nutanix, whom she joined after they acquired her previous firm PernixData. The PernixData/Nutanix journey was a wild ride for Larissa, encompassing stints in Silicon Valley and her native Germany, an IPO, and a fairly rapid ascent up the leadership ranks. Now Larissa is a creatively driven leader at a company that is truly making waves achieving “unicorn” status only one year out of stealth. As you’ll hear, she is inspirational, wise and well worth listening to.Timestamps: (08:51) – Larissa’s background and career (12:48) – What inspired Larissa to get into marketing and the tech scene(15:30) – Thoughts on where the tech industry is in terms of equality and opportunities for female marketers(18:13) – How COVID enabled more opportunities for diversity through flexibility in remote working(23:18) – The hiring process and how a change in approach can reap rewards(27:09) – The role of mentors in her career Follow Larissa on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/schneiderlarissa/Don’t forget to subscribe and rate our show! Send us a message if you enjoyed this episodeIf you enjoy the chats then there are more ways to quench your thirst for creative inspiration in the world of B2B tech. 👉 Watch episodes on YouTube👉 Follow us on LinkedIn for regular snippets in your feed 👉 Visit our website for more in-depth thinking on topics👉 Subscribe to Beyond our monthly collection of insight, opinion and inspirationAnd finally please rate our podcast on Apple if you enjoyed it!✌️

Lindsey Selden is Creative Director, Brand at Sumo Logic - a SaaS analytics company on a mission to ensure its customers’ digital experiences are reliable and secure. Her role at the company encompasses brand, design, user experience, strategy, and marketing. There’s one thing that links all these together: people. Human beings with needs, feelings, and emotions that B2B tech brands so often fail to acknowledge and connect with.Listen as Dave and Lindsey discuss:How Lindsey’s acting background influenced her approach to authentic human connection Why empathy is so vital in brand design and communicationBuilding a community to engage your audienceApplying a creator-driven approach to B2B marketingThe questions to ask when hiring a creative teamTimestamps:(03:08) – Lindsey’s career journey so far(09:13) – What does Sumo Logic do? (10:14) – Lindsey’s acting background and how that influenced her approach to authentic human connection(12:44) – Storytelling in B2B marketing (15:53) - How emotion comes into play in B2B marketing(17:46) – Applying a creator-driven approach to marketing(18:41) – Cross-functional marketing teams(19:35) - The questions to ask when hiring a creative team(22:35) – Empathy in B2B marketing(24:14) – What kind of info makes personas valuable? (26:26) – Finding the balance between rational and emotional communication (28:51) – Tone of voice(31:57) – Surprise and delight in marketing(33:04) – B2B v. B2C marketing(41:19) – The project or campaign that Lindsey’s most proud of from her career to dateFollow Lindsey on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindsey-selden/Don’t forget to subscribe to The Changemakers podcast for new episodes.Send us a message if you enjoyed this episodeIf you enjoy the chats then there are more ways to quench your thirst for creative inspiration in the world of B2B tech. 👉 Watch episodes on YouTube👉 Follow us on LinkedIn for regular snippets in your feed 👉 Visit our website for more in-depth thinking on topics👉 Subscribe to Beyond our monthly collection of insight, opinion and inspirationAnd finally please rate our podcast on Apple if you enjoyed it!✌️

Wei Kee is Client Services Director at…Shaped By of course! She leads our client services team (aka the beating heart of the agency) who look after the full lifecycle of our client projects. But there’s far more to client services than that. Onboarding new clients, making sure existing ones feel nurtured, supported, and valued, ensuring we deliver on all our promises to them…Wei and her team have a lot on their plates.Originally hailing from Singapore, we talk to Wei about her journey to Bristol, the nuts and bolts of what makes a great client-agency relationship, tips for both sides to keep it running smoothly, and of course Wei’s food Instagram gets a mention. Listen as we discuss: What makes a good client/agency relationship?How to choose a creative agencyThe pitfalls of treating your agency as a supplier rather than a partnerThe processes in place to ensure that every client feels as looked after and valued as possible How marketers can be better clientsTimestamps: (03:47) – Wei’s role at Shaped By(05:09) – Wei’s career journey so far(10:52) – What makes a good client/agency relationship?(16:14) – The pitfalls of treating your agency as a supplier rather than a partner(20:04) – How do you ensure every client feels as cared for and valued as possible?(25:42) – How can you be a better client?(29:40) – What’s a typical sticking point and how can you mitigate them?(36:59) – How different time zones can impact managing client relationships(44:16) – One project, campaign, or initiative that Wei is particularly proud of over any otherFollow Wei on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wei-kee-5166a0a3/Check out Wei’s food Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mykeetchen/Don’t forget to subscribe to our Changemaker podcast for new episodes.Send us a message if you enjoyed this episodeIf you enjoy the chats then there are more ways to quench your thirst for creative inspiration in the world of B2B tech. 👉 Watch episodes on YouTube👉 Follow us on LinkedIn for regular snippets in your feed 👉 Visit our website for more in-depth thinking on topics👉 Subscribe to Beyond our monthly collection of insight, opinion and inspirationAnd finally please rate our podcast on Apple if you enjoyed it!✌️

Dmitry Shamis is Global Head of Creative at a company that really needs no introduction. But if you’re either from Mars or have been living under a rock for the past ten years, then HubSpot is a leading CRM platform that provides software for all kinds of businesses, from start-ups to enterprises. In his role as HubSpot’s Global Head of Creative, Dmitry leads a global in-house creative team of over 120 people. Although he has over a decade of experience building teams and providing creative solutions in the world of B2B, Dmitry doesn’t have a typical creative leader’s career trajectory, having started out in sports management before pivoting to web development. Listen as we discuss:Dmitry’s journey from sports management to creative leadershipThe importance of building relationships to create a strong creative teamFinding the balance between substance and flashSetting your brand apart with emotion and storytellingHubSpot’s Pirates of the Caribbean ad…Follow Dmitry on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dmitryshamis/Don’t forget to subscribe to The Changemakers podcast for new episodes.Send us a message if you enjoyed this episodeIf you enjoy the chats then there are more ways to quench your thirst for creative inspiration in the world of B2B tech. 👉 Watch episodes on YouTube👉 Follow us on LinkedIn for regular snippets in your feed 👉 Visit our website for more in-depth thinking on topics👉 Subscribe to Beyond our monthly collection of insight, opinion and inspirationAnd finally please rate our podcast on Apple if you enjoyed it!✌️

Lee is Director of Brand and Creative at Gong, a revenue intelligence platform used by over 2000 companies including Paychex, PayPal, Hubspot, LinkedIn, MuleSoft, Shopify, Slack, SproutSocial, Twilio, and Zillow. Our conversation comes at an exciting time creatively for Gong, having recently undergone a rebrand and ran a Super Bowl ad! We talk about the challenges and rewards of working in creative for a tech company, the reasoning behind Gong’s recent rebrand, and much more…Listen as we discuss:The importance of building a brand framework Why Gong chose to rebrand and the rebranding process How Gong’s creative team developed its Super Bowl ad Using storytelling to differentiate your marketingWhy B2B marketing doesn’t have to be boringTimestamps:(02:37) – Lee’s career to date(05:08) – The challenges of working in creative at a tech company(06:58) – What attracted Lee to his role at Gong? (08:25) – What was the reason for the Gong rebrand?(10:31) – Gong's rebranding process (11:42) - Limiting the number of rebrand decision-makers(12:22) - The evolution of logos in tech(14:26) – Gong’s Super Bowl ad(16:46) – Are B2B brands becoming more open to using humour in their marketing? (20:10) – Using LinkedIn to be provocative (24:05) – How challenging is it to create a visual identity that differentiates a brand in the marketplace? (28:32) – The importance of differentiating your brand (29:42) – Is there a set rebrand process or is every case different? (35:05) – A project or campaign Lee is more proud of than any other…Follow Lee on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leemincy/Don’t forget to subscribe to our Changemaker podcast for new episodes.Send us a message if you enjoyed this episodeIf you enjoy the chats then there are more ways to quench your thirst for creative inspiration in the world of B2B tech. 👉 Watch episodes on YouTube👉 Follow us on LinkedIn for regular snippets in your feed 👉 Visit our website for more in-depth thinking on topics👉 Subscribe to Beyond our monthly collection of insight, opinion and inspirationAnd finally please rate our podcast on Apple if you enjoyed it!✌️