The Changemakers

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!✌️

In this episode, we speak to a man who has bravely crossed the divide between sales and marketing. So are there similarities? What makes each department tick? How can they get on better? Ben is EMEA Marketing Director at SailPoint, a market leader in identity security for the modern enterprise.He has over 30 years of experience in customer and partner success within the Cybersecurity and Enterprise Software arena, and his work has taken him across Europe, the Middle East, Africa & America. Having worked at enterprise companies like Oracle and Symantec, as well as start-ups, it’s safe to say he knows his stuff. Tune in to hear Ben talk about his son wanting him to sponsor the England football team, how he bridges the gap between sales and marketing, being scared witless at accepting the role, building his knowledge, balancing intent intelligence with customer understanding, the power of un-gating your content and much more. Timestamps(00:46) - Who is Ben Bulpett (04:15) – Selling services and consultancy vs product and licenses (05:41) – The SailPoint journey (08:36) – Involving sales leaders on the marketing journey & getting buy-in(10:21) – Making the leap from sales to marketing leadership(15:02) – How the B2B buying process has changed the relationship between sales and marketing(17:33) – Balancing intent intelligence and understanding your buyer (19:47) – Un-gating your content increases demand and rapport(30:11) – How to build those close relationships with sales(32:41) – The benefits of immersing yourself in other areas of the business(38:58) – What is one campaign or project that you are most proud of?Follow Ben on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benbulpett/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!✌️

Frida Ahrenby is CMO at GetAccept, a digital sales room platform on a mission to radically redefine the way companies run sales. In her role, she’s responsible for the company’s global marketing strategy and execution in all markets.Having grown the marketing team from three people to 25 over the past two and a half years, our chat with Frida comes at a really exciting time for GetAccept. It’s a wide-ranging chinwag, covering category creation, personal branding, and - most importantly - the power of hyper-relevant customer personas.Listen as we discuss:How to create detailed customer personasLearning and evolving personas for your marketingHow brand creates demandEncouraging employee advocacy and personal brandingWhat makes an effective leader in the B2B SaaS worldFollow Frida on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/frida-ahrenby-215353/Don’t forget to subscribe to our 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!✌️

Ardath is CEO & B2B Marketing Strategist at Marketing Interactions. She is a titan in the B2B marketing world with over 30 years of experience in business management and marketing as well the author of two books. It’s a journey that took her from starting as a consultant for her sister's marketing tech platform to now working with enterprise tech companies like Gong, Cisco Meraki and Dell Secureworks.Ardath helps them with the thorny issue of content marketing, specifically with the goal of creating something that resonates. She argues that technology has wrestled back the power of buyers to customers in the way they buy. You need to create deeper connections with customers and generate higher demand from qualified, sales-ready prospects thanks to highly targeted, hard-hitting, personalised communications.In this episode, we dive into the world of content and specifically what makes it good. We discuss how multiple pieces of it weave together to form a narrative that engages people and helps to drive momentum. Listen as we also discuss:How to break down internal silos and get different marketing teams all pulling in the same directionWhy we need to "get out of our own way" and create content that truly solves buyers' problems The art of connecting a specific problem to part of the buying processHow selling tech is different from selling services – a more contextual relationshipThe challenges at enterprise level of layers and approvals for marketingWhy you're giving your customers "whiplash" by separating out brand and demand-gen contentFollow Ardath on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ardathalbee/ Check out her Marketing Interactions blog: https://marketinginteractions.com/blog/ And lastly don’t forget to subscribe or follow 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!✌️

Kathryn is Director of EMEA Marketing at Box. She has risen through the ranks in the marketing department at Box and has 10 years of experience working in tech marketing in the US and UK. Before joining Box, she worked at Dell EMC and also agency side as a B2B marketing specialist giving her a view of processes and areas she recreated at Box.Box is a Cloud Content Management company that can call 68% of the Fortune 500 and 97,000 companies their customers. One of their values is to blow their customers’ minds every day, and this helps to create an environment of experimentation and creativity.At a time of growth over the last few years, we talk about how you can encourage creativity while controlling it, how marketers can get too tech happy, and the fundamentals marketers need to focus on for success.Listen as we also discuss:How Field Marketing has evolved The nuances, maturity, and challenges of different marketsSome of the issues that a demand gen approach and educating the marketHow customer understanding is pivotal to success as a marketer, and how they launched a research team internallyThe balance of experimentation and creativity while protecting the brandThe skills she values in her marketing teamFollow Kathryn on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kathryn-thomas-415b1a4b/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!✌️

Luke is the founder and managing director of OST Marketing, a B2B social media agency. With a wealth of experience, Luke is an expert B2B social media strategist. From creating an online community for people with epilepsy to launching his own social networks and even running conferences across the US and Europe, featuring many of the early leaders in social media - Luke is a leader in his field. OST Marketing is a multi-award-winning team behind some of the world’s most successful B2B brands on social media. Operating in eight countries and languages, their current client roster includes Salesforce, Gett, Bayer, and Infosys. Listen as we discuss:The differences between B2B and B2C approaches to social media How important personal brands are on social channelsTrends that B2B marketers should be aware of The value of community and staff advocacy Setting a meaningful social measurement framework that works for youFollow Luke on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lukebrynleyjones/Don’t forget to subscribe and review the Changemaker podcast!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!✌️

Gwen is VP Brand at Sinch, one of the fastest-growing tech companies in the world. In her role, Gwen helps to both implement and evolve the brand as well as working on the mergers and acquisitions part of the business, helping to integrate the new companies brought under the Sinch umbrella. Gwen is a brand builder and B2B tech marketing leader at the top of her game. She’s dedicated her career to building strong brands, having spent a decade working in the top advertising agencies before opening an art gallery in San Francisco. She returned to marketing for B2B tech companies in Silicon Valley.Sinch is a leading cloud communications platform that allows businesses to reach every mobile phone on the planet, in seconds or less, through mobile messaging, voice, and video. Based out of Stockholm, and with a local presence in more than 30 countries. At a time of rapid growth for Sinch, we talk to Gwen about the challenges this brings, her career, her love for advertising, and her own podcast, the Tech Marketing Podchat. Listen as we discuss:What B2B marketers can learn from B2C brandsHow to build a reputation for your brand The importance of defining your company’s valuesHow a good brand will continue to evolve and grow over timeBuilding a brand that works for your team and stakeholdersFollow Gwen on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gwen-lafage-9500381/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!✌️

Ashley is Vice President of Marketing at Ramp. She started in sales which developed her superpower of creating a great relationship between the marketing and sales teams! She’s worked at some fantastic tech companies like Marketo, Oracle, Wipro, and Pendo giving her insight into marketing operations and software before joining Ramp. Ramp is disrupting a tired space. They are building the world's first finance automation platform designed to save businesses time and money. This conversation was inspired by a LinkedIn post from Ashley that captured the essence of why it’s such a good time to be a tech marketer. We talk about her post and delve into more detail on the points made, and chat about so much more.Listen as we discuss:Why marketing is mission-critical in B2B tech companiesHow marketing can inform the strategy of the companyThe power of a creative organisation Encouraging her team to drive MarTech exploration and adoptionWhy embracing the ‘weird’ can work wondersFollow Ashley on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashleybrucker/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!✌️