Remarkable Content with Ian Faison

It’s time to take a risk with your B2B content marketing. To create a top of funnel piece of content that’s truly unique. Because it’s easy to resort to the “safe” conventional strategies and industry jargon. With everyone using AI tools to pump out B2B content, you can’t afford to make one more thing that just fades into the crowd. So what if instead of a webinar or a slide deck, you made a murder mystery starring Kate Mara from House of Cards and Stranger Things’ Brett Gelman? We’re referring to the original podcast that debuted in the top 20 comedy fiction shows on Apple Podcasts: Murder in HR, presented by Gympass and produced by us here at Caspian Studios. On this episode of Remarkable, we’re showing you why it pays to take a risk in your content marketing. And how creative narratives can help your brand break through the noise, leave a lasting impression on your target audience, and revolutionize your B2B marketing strategy. So brace yourself for this very special episode of Remarkable where we talk with Gympass’ VP of Content Marketing, Chris Dean, about the creation of Murder in HR.About Murder in HRMurder in HR is a podcast about a woman named Jemma who just started a new job as Employee Experience Manager at a tech startup. On her first day at the company all-hands, one of her co-workers gets electrocuted. It’s while investigating his death that she discovers he was murdered. So she teams up with her Chief People Officer, Nicholas, to find out who the murderer is. So armed with her HR skills, Jemma investigates her toxic colleagues while trying not to become the next victim herself. Murder in HR is an original podcast murder mystery starring the voices of Kate Mara and Brett Gelman, produced by Caspian Studios and presented by Gympass. About our guest, Chris DeanChris Dean is VP of Content Marketing at Gympass, having joined the company in September of 2022. Prior to his current role, he served as Executive Director of Content Marketing and SEO at Ramsey Solutions. He has also served as Global Content Marketing & Public Relations Manager at Albemarle.What B2B Companies Can Learn From Murder in HR: Take a risk. Create a piece of content that transcends expectations in B2B marketing. Infuse storytelling into your marketing efforts to create a compelling and relatable narrative that engages and resonates with potential clients. Chris says that the availability of AI along with the need to grow brand recognition for Gympass in the U.S. drove them to create something top of funnel and unique. He says, “We didn't want to do some crazy stunt that got us a spike of awareness for the wrong reasons. We wanted something meaningful. We wanted something that was going to resonate with HR representatives. We wanted to give them a reason to continue to come back to us.” And Murder in HR was born.Use brand integrations. Put your branding into the story in a subtle and seamless way to blend into the plot while hinting at the benefits of your product. Gympass wanted to use brand integrations like Steven Spielberg (e.g. Reese’s Pieces in E.T.), fitting marketing for Gympass organically into the story structure of Murder in HR. Ian says that the way they integrated Gympass in the story was that the company in the story uses Gym Pass as part of their benefits. It’s a proven technique used from B2C, Hollywood and beyond to drive business.Create an experience. Make every piece of content fit the customer journey. Chris says, “The worst thing that you can have in content marketing is a dead end piece of content. It all needs to be part of a longer experience.” And that experience pushes customers to your website. But the thing about Gympass is they’re not trying to rush it. For them, it’s about creating a more seamless, enjoyable, and one-of-a-kind experience. Chris says, “It's all about continuing the conversation and offering up the next logical step for them to take with us.” So sit back and enjoy the ride.Quotes*“If they're listening to the podcast, they might not even know they have an HR related problem at their company. We're introducing the problem to them so that now they're problem aware. And then they're solution seeking because it's like, ‘Okay, I don't want these toxic behaviors. What can I do about it?’ And then once Gympass is introduced into that, then they're solution aware and they know that Gympass could be a possible solution for them.” - Chris Dean*”Our brand awareness activities need to be driving brand traffic. And so we should be seeing a continuous increase there from all of our activities. The challenge is associating one individual activity with that traffic profile. But whenever we have a launch of something, we can look on that traffic profile, and we see a distinct spike that perfectly aligns with that. And so that gives us an indication of the traffic impact of that activity.” - Chris DeanTime Stamps[1:55] Get to know Chris Dean, VP of Content Marketing at Gympass[4:21] Why is Murder in HR groundbreaking?[7:57] What was the impetus behind creating Murder in HR?[8:48] Tell me more about Murder in HR[15:45] How did the podcast incorporate brand integrations for Gympass?[21:35] What was the inspiration behind Murder in HR? And how did they use experiential marketing?[27:13] How do they think about the customer journey at Gympass?[32:04] How does Gympass measure the ROI of top of funnel or brand awareness content?[36:45] Chris Dean’s advice for other B2B content marketersLinksListen to Murder in HRConnect with Chris on LinkedInLearn more about GympassAbout Remarkable!Remarkable! is created by the team at Caspian Studios, the premier B2B Podcast-as-a-Service company. Caspian creates both non-fiction and fiction series for B2B companies. If you want a fiction series check out our new offering - The Business Thriller - Hollywood style storytelling for B2B. Learn more at CaspianStudios.com. In today’s episode, you heard from Ian Faison (CEO of Caspian Studios), Dane Eckerle (Head of Development), Colin Stamps (Podcast Launch Manager), Anagha Das (B2B Content Marketing Manager), and Meredith O’Neil (Senior Producer). Remarkable was produced this week by Meredith O’Neil, mixed by Scott Goodrich, and our theme song is “Solomon” by FALAK. Create something remarkable. Rise above the noise.

Your employees have untapped star potential. Think about it.We all love a little drama, some hot gossip, some spilt tea. And it happens in the office just as much as it happens in a high-end restaurant. We’re not saying you should stir it up for the sake of creating content, but it’s the personalities, interpersonal relationships, and social politics that attract an audience. And you aren’t tapping into that audience. Not yet.If someone were to say, “Want to watch a show about waiters at a fancy restaurant?” You’d probably say no. Well, you’d be saying no to Bravo’s “crown jewel” with over 4 million viewers and each member of the cast earning at least $25,000 an episode: Vanderpump Rules. The show made celebrities out of their waitstaff and earned a dedicated following for ten seasons with an eleventh season on the way. So on this episode of Remarkable, we’re asking the question: “Want to make a series about the employees at your B2B tech company?” To do that, we’re joined by PandaDoc Head of Content Bethany Fagan. Together, we're turning to the reality TV sensation to learn about creating a series, leveraging divisible content, putting your talent front and center, and posting where your competitors aren’t. So pour yourself some rosé and put your feet up because we’re talking Scandoval-and-all on this episode of Remarkable.About Vanderpump RulesVanderpump Rules is a reality TV show about former Real Housewives star Lisa Vanderpump and her staff at her high end restaurants and bars in West Hollywood, including SUR [Sexy Unique Restaurant] Restaurant & Lounge, Pump Restaurant and Tom Tom Restaurant & Bar. It’s a spinoff of Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. It focuses on the interpersonal relationships and drama among the employees, including Kristen Doute, Katie Maloney, Tom Sandoval, Stassi Schroeder and Jax Taylor. So there are blooming romantic relationships, cheating, divorce, marriage, betrayals, etc. The first season aired in 2013 and now there are 10 seasons out, all on Bravo.About our guest, Bethany FaganBethany Fagan is Head of Content at PandaDoc. She has been with PandaDoc for over 7 years, having joined in February 2016 as Partner Marketing Manager. Prior to PandaDoc, she served as Director of Content and PR at iQ media. She is a founding member of Sales Hacker, Inc. and an Associate Member of Pavilion. She is based in the Washington D.C.-Baltimore area.What B2B Companies Can Learn From Vanderpump Rules: Create a series. Make a podcast or video series for your organization. Use the content in its entirety or cut it into smaller pieces and post it across social media channels. It diversifies your content asset production, spreads brand awareness and accesses new audiences. Bethany says that last year, they saw a 79% increase in their social media followers. And she credits that growth to the PandaDoc podcast, The Customer Engagement Lab, which Bethany’s team started in 2020. Lisa Vanderpump’s leveraging of reality tv has resulted in as many as 2,000 diners showing up to her restaurants on a busy night, and a net worth of somewhere around $90 million.Use the talent you have. People are drawn to companies they can relate to. Put faces to the company name and focus on the relationships to impart authenticity and humanize your brand. On top of this benefitting your company’s brand, you’re also leveraging the personal brands of each employee involved. If one of them gets fans, it magnifies your company’s brand and theirs. Likewise, Lisa Vanderpump features her employees in Vanderpump Rules. Each of them has a personal brand that they’ve built outside of the show that fans relate to. That’s why Jax, Stassi and Ariana all have millions of Instagram followers. And why Stassi, Katie, and Kristen were able to launch a wine company together. Because fans want to buy into their personal brands.Go where your competitors aren’t. Post your marketing content on Instagram if your competitors use LinkedIn and Facebook. Bethany says PandaDoc is posting to TikTok simply because the DocuSigns and the Adobe Signs of the world weren’t on it. And month-over-month, they see a 10 to 20% increase in followers. It's a winning strategy to grow your brand.Quotes*”Content marketing 101 is repurposing and getting more juice from the squeeze.” - Bethany Fagan*”From a content team perspective, we just try to control the controllable. You know, what are some of the metrics that I know that matter that I can confidently report on and try to tie that back to revenue for the business? That's how I tell the story with my leadership team, and that's how I get them to invest in more content for us.” - Bethany FaganTime Stamps[1:28] Get to know Bethany Fagan, Head of Content at PandaDoc[2:38] Why are we covering Vanderpump Rules?[3:31] Learn more about Vanderpump Rules[7:20] Why is Scandoval so attention-grabbing?[9:41] What contributed to Vanderpump Rules’ longevity?[14:26] What B2B marketing lessons can we take from Vanderpump Rules? (And how has PandaDoc leveraged these lessons?)[16:24] The power of diversifying marketing content and leveraging its divisible content[24:01] About PandaDoc’s TikTok debut and how to measure success on a new social media platform[27:23] Learn more about PandaDoc’s content strategy with their podcast, The Customer Engagement Lab[32:27] How to get leadership on board to invest in new contentLinksWatch Vanderpump RulesConnect with Bethany Fagan on LinkedInLearn more about PandaDocCheck out PandaDoc’s podcast, The Customer Engagement LabAbout Remarkable!Remarkable! is created by the team at Caspian Studios, the premier B2B Podcast-as-a-Service company. Caspian creates both non-fiction and fiction series for B2B companies. If you want a fiction series check out our new offering - The Business Thriller - Hollywood style storytelling for B2B. Learn more at CaspianStudios.com. In today’s episode, you heard from Ian Faison (CEO of Caspian Studios), Dane Eckerle (Head of Development), Colin Stamps (Podcast Launch Manager), Anagha Das (B2B Content Marketing Manager), and Meredith O’Neil (Senior Producer). Remarkable was produced this week by Meredith O’Neil, mixed by Scott Goodrich, and our theme song is “Solomon” by FALAK. Create something remarkable. Rise above the noise.

Can you sum up your marketing message in three words? (And would customers “get” it?)Like, can you write it in plain language—just a few words that would make sense to your audience? Because if you - the B2B marketer - get it, your audience will too, right? Maybe not.On this episode of Remarkable, we’re learning from the 90s classic movie Speed about keeping it simple. The movie can literally be summed up in three words: “Bomb on bus.” It’s a blissfully simple premise that rocked viewers, made Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock stars, and raked in $350 million dollars at the box office. And we’re bringing on board Director of Content Strategy at 6Sense, Chris Hutchins, to talk storytelling, using character tropes, and fictionalizing your B2B marketing. So grab your popcorn and buckle up for the wild ride that is this latest, greatest episode of Remarkable as we talk about Speed (“Not the drug, but the movie” - Ian Faison).About the movie SpeedSpeed is a 1994 action movie starring Keanu Reeves as young police officer Jack Traven who has to keep a bomb from exploding on a city bus by staying above 50 mph. It also stars Sandra Bullock as the female counterpoint, Annie, who ironically had had her drivers’ license revoked for speeding but steps in when the bus driver is shot. And of course the villain is played by Dennis Hopper as Howard Payne, the madman who rigged the bus with the bomb in the first place. Speed was written by Graham Yost and directed by Jan de Bont.About our guest, Chris HutchinsChris is a versatile, deadline-driven content director, editor and writer with corporate go-to-market, creative agency and professional journalism experience. He uses nimble workflows to produce world-class content at scale. His agency work has engaged millions of consumers worldwide.Chris is currently the Director of Content Strategy for 6sense, an ABM platform. He also provides consulting services for SMBs that need help with content strategy, content production, branding and messaging.In addition, he helps craft award-winning immersive marketing narratives, screenplays and novels for companies such as 20th Century Fox, A&E, Cinemax, Discovery, FOX Broadcasting, Infiniti, Macmillan Publishers and Ubisoft. He has been profiled by The New York Times, The Washington Post, NPR’s Weekend Edition, ABC Radio and the BBC.What B2B Companies Can Learn From Speed: Keep the story simple. Use simple, straightforward language to explain what your marketing message is. Drop the jargon and boil down your message. Chris says that your audience needs a simple story, especially in the beginning, “to get the hook and begin to get an understanding of our content or product.” He says you don’t want prospective customers opening your site to find the content to be far over their heads. Speed does this with its simple premise that anyone can understand, that grabs attention and conveys a sense of immediacy.Fictionalize your story. Add fictionalized elements to your B2B marketing to grab your audience's attention, invite their curiosity, and inspire them to share their experience on social media. Chris shared an example of an event that incorporated a sort of online scavenger hunt. He says, “You just need to color outside the lines just a little bit to make it memorable.” And that the effect can be dramatic, especially in the B2B world. We see fictionalized elements in Speed as well, like when the bus has to cross an unfinished overpass, effectively leaping over a 50-foot gap in the road. Viewers are invited to suspend their disbelief to continue following the storyline. That fictional element is an invitation to go deeper into the story, deeper into engagement.Quotes*”When I think about blissful storytelling, it’s uncomplicated. Here is a movie done 30 years ago that is just pure bliss because you don't have to have a deep knowledge of X, Y, and Z. You are just there for the ride.” - Chris Hutchins*”As B2B content creators and marketers, we often assume our audience has the same kind of comprehensive knowledge about our product, when in fact, we are the ones who are drinking the Kool-Aid. They need the simple story - at least in the beginning - to get the hook, and to get an understanding and become delighted and dazzled by our solution. Make it as plain spoken as possible. And make sure that our readers who are coming to our site, likely for the first time, find something that isn't overwhelming or over their heads.” - Chris Hutchins*”The B2B equivalent of a blissful story is simply told and invites curiosity. It gets you from the beginning of the story to the end. And then keeps you engaged to investigate more.” - Chris Hutchins*”When you are starting to get sick of your messaging, that means that it's probably starting to sink in with your audience.” - Ian Faison*“Don't try to be every single thing. Just try to focus and say, ‘This is exactly the utility that you're gonna get from this thing.’ It's not gonna be 50 other things. It's just gonna be this one.” - Ian Faison“The first 30 minutes of the movie is not set on a bus. And the last 30 minutes of the movie is not set on a bus. But all we remember when we talk about speed is the stuff on the bus. So what do you want your audience to remember? What do you want them to remember feeling?” - Chris Hutchins“There are ways to enhance your narrative with fictional elements or fictionalized elements. You just need to color outside the lines just a little bit to make it memorable for them. It’s wildly, wildly experimental stuff in the world of B2B. But the path of creating these experiences, while it's a non-trivial thing to accomplish, it's absolutely possible and the promotional upside can be really dramatic.” - Chris HutchinsTime Stamps[1:20] Get to know Chris Hutchins, Director of Content Strategy at 6Sense[2:41] Tell me more about Speed[7:43] What makes Speed Remarkable?[12:23] How to keep your brand message simple[16:08] Ask: What do you want your audience to remember feeling about your brand?[19:39] What is 6Sense?[22:40] How does Chris use his experience as a narrative writer in his marketing work at 6Sense, and what can we learn from it?[28:53] Why don't we use fiction more in B2B?[35:28] How could you apply fiction to a B2B event?LinksWatch SpeedConnect with Chris Hutchins on LinkedInLearn more about 6SenseCheck out Chris’ work and writingAbout Remarkable!Remarkable! is created by the team at Caspian Studios, the premier B2B Podcast-as-a-Service company. Caspian creates both non-fiction and fiction series for B2B companies. If you want a fiction series check out our new offering - The Business Thriller - Hollywood style storytelling for B2B. Learn more at CaspianStudios.com. In today’s episode, you heard from Ian Faison (CEO of Caspian Studios), Dane Eckerle (Head of Development), Colin Stamps (Podcast Launch Manager), Anagha Das (B2B Content Marketing Manager), and Meredith O’Neil (Senior Producer). Remarkable was produced this week by Meredith O’Neil, mixed by Scott Goodrich, and our theme song is “Solomon” by FALAK. Create something remarkable. Rise above the noise.

We’re willing to bet that you’re working on a new B2B campaign and require some new inspiration.Because all B2B tech ads look and sound the same. They just melt into one shapeless, forgettable jumble of fingers typing and screens scrolling. But we see you plodding along in the B2B marketing marathon of sameness, and we’re throwing you some jet-boosted sneakers.On this episode of Remarkable, we’re daring you to do the exact opposite of your competitors, to outsource the authenticity of your brand voice to your customers, and much, much more. And we’re doing that with the help of our special guest, Senior Director of Brand at Axonius, Kaite Rosa. Together, we’re exploring the iconic and visionary 2007 Nike ad campaign featuring pro runner Lauren Fleshman. We look at how the ad deviated from the “tasteful nude” status quo of female athletes in ads, dismantled the objectification of women in sports, and promoted inclusivity by leveraging Lauren’s voice. And how you too can subvert expectations, make a statement, and do it authentically. So lace up your new sneaks and get ready to redefine B2B ads on the latest episode of Remarkable.About Nike’s “Objectify Me” CampaignNike’s “Objectify Me” campaign was a 2007 ad featuring pro runner Lauren Fleshman. It’s a 30-second black and white slow mo video of Lauren running toward the camera. And we hear Lauren’s voice. She says, “Look at me, study me, understand me. I’m not a small, pink version of a man. Don’t give me small, pink versions of a man’s running shoe. I’m Lauren Fleshman. I’m a runner, and I’m a woman.” Then it shows her running out of frame, and the Nike logo pops up on screen. It’s a really understated Nike ad that deviated FAR from its predecessors.Lauren is a decorated distance runner. She won five NCAA championships at Stanford and two national championships as a professional athlete. She’s also a writer, having been featured in The New York Times and Runner’s World. Lauren is now Brand Strategy Advisor for fitness apparel company Oiselle, and Co-Founder of natural food company Picky Bars. Her book Good For a Girl: A Woman Running in a Man’s World came out in January 2023.About our guest, Kaite RosaKaite Rosa is Senior Director of Brand at Axonius, where she leads the team responsible for creating a $2.6 billion brand in less than five years. Cited as one of the fastest-growing cybersecurity brands in history, Axonius has been named one of the most valuable private cloud companies in the world by the Forbes Cloud 100, along with numerous industry accolades.A life-long writer, she is passionate about using storytelling and creative concepts to define and build exceptional brand experiences. She has spent the bulk of her career at tech startups, and thrives on rapidly growing, fast-paced teams. Previously, she led brand and content at Payfactors, Virgin Pulse, and VentureFizz.What B2B Companies Can Learn From Nike’s “Objectify Me” Campaign: Do the opposite of what’s expected. Look at what other companies in your space are doing in their campaigns and make a campaign based on the antithesis of that. Be the rebel in your industry. Subvert the expected. Kaite says so many brands feel like they have to join in on what’s popular or trending. She says, “There's a lot of, like, ‘Me too,’ right? Like, they're gonna copy it and try to make it their own, and look very similar. But what inspires me the most is looking at what your competitors are doing and doing the exact opposite.” It’s like how Lauren Fleshman was presented with a briefing inspired by Brandi Chastain’s “tasteful nude” ad, and advocated instead to be in her athletic gear and to write the ad copy herself. She turned the copy on its head, saying that if she was going to be objectified, it would be to design running gear specific to her physiology. And the campaign became iconic.Outsource authenticity to your customers. Make your customer’s voice your brand voice. Ian says marketers always want to control the narrative, but sometimes you need to let your customers take the wheel. Because he says that when you ask customers to talk about your brand in their own words, “They come up with something absolutely brilliant that you could never have written.” And how could that not be authentic? Nike was able to outsource the authenticity piece of Lauren’s ad because Lauren wrote the copy herself. For sure, there was a layer of brand approval, but the words are Lauren’s. So outsource the authenticity piece of your ad copy to customers, and it will resonate.Quotes*”Whether you're working in a bootstrapped company or publicly funded company. any budget can accommodate your customer voice.” - Kaite Rosa*”If you're doing a high-level brand campaign, the approach shouldn't be, ‘Let's sell you all the features and benefits.’ It should be, ‘Let's get you in the store. Let's get you remembering who we are so that the next time you need those new sneakers or you need a B2B SaaS solution,  you remember the ad.’” - Kaite Rosa*”What is memorable and where storytelling really comes alive is when you look at what's out there and say, ‘We're gonna do something that is disruptive, that is different. And I think that you can do that on any budget.” - Kaite Rosa*“People latch on to the authenticity of brands. That's what drives you emotionally to a brand, is that it feels authentic. It resonates with you. And I think living and breathing your values in everything you do, if you're at a company with a culture that encourages that, that ties your values into everything you do, it comes naturally. Good marketing and good brands tap into those values.” - Kaite RosaTime Stamps[1:37] Get to know Kaite Rosa, Senior Director of Brand at Axonius[2:14] Tell me more about Nike’s “Objectify Me” campaign[8:04] About athletic advertising before Lauren Fleshman’s campaign[12:23] About the timelessness of the “Objectify Me” ad[14:23] Why challenging the status quo is important[23:27] How to ground your message in values[24:53] What does Axonius do?[25:42] What’s Axonius’ brand strategy?[26:41] How does Kaite think about the ROI of content marketing?[27:14] Learn more about Axonius’ “Controlling Complexity” campaign with gymnast Simone BilesLinksSee Nike’s Objectify Me ad with Lauren FleshmanConnect with Kaite Rosa on LinkedInLearn more about AxoniusCheck out the Axonius campaign with Simone BilesAbout Remarkable!Remarkable! is created by the team at Caspian Studios, the premier B2B Podcast-as-a-Service company. Caspian creates both non-fiction and fiction series for B2B companies. If you want a fiction series check out our new offering - The Business Thriller - Hollywood style storytelling for B2B. Learn more at CaspianStudios.com. In today’s episode, you heard from Ian Faison (CEO of Caspian Studios), Dane Eckerle (Head of Development), Colin Stamps (Podcast Launch Manager), Anagha Das (B2B Content Marketing Manager), and Meredith O’Neil (Senior Producer). Remarkable was produced this week by Meredith O’Neil, mixed by Scott Goodrich, and our theme song is “Solomon” by FALAK. Create something remarkable. Rise above the noise.

Marketing is generally a one-way conversation. You tell your audience what to buy, period, end of story. But what if we could change that dynamic and actually give our audience some control over our campaigns?You might argue that you already listen to the voice of the customer through surveys and testimonials. But have you ever really used their feedback to make a game-changing decision in your business? Well, today's the day we flip the script and let the audience take charge.On this episode of Remarkable, we’re soaking up marketing lessons from the UK hit series Love Island. Because Love Island is a show that relies on its audience to make those critical decisions, audience members can literally decide whether an islander will stay or go. This might be why the show earned itself a dedicated following. Without that audience participation, it wouldn’t be the Love Island we know and…well, love. So tune in as we unpack the marketing gold that is Love Island. We'll show you how to hook your audience on your content by tapping into the power of their input. Get ready to learn how to make your customers an integral part of your decision-making process and create an unbreakable connection with them. It's time to let your audience take control and revolutionize your marketing approach.About Love IslandLove Island is a reality tv/dating game show where beautiful single people are invited to stay in a tropical villa together in search of love. Drama unfolds when new islanders arrive, they’re given challenges, or contestants fail to match up and get kicked off the island. One couple will win a cash prize. ($100,000) They often also leave with sponsor and branding deals, and lots of new Instagram followers.It was originally a popular series in the UK created by ITV Studios (2005 and 2006 was Celebrity Love Island, then returned in 2015) The U.S. started its own version in 2019. Now 22 versions of Love Island exist worldwide.About our guest, Kailey RaymondKailey Raymond is Director of Enterprise Marketing at Segment. There, she is building a full-funnel Enterprise Marketing motion including ABM, thought leadership, upsell/cross-sell and outbound programs. Prior to Segment, Kailey started the Customer Marketing team at AlphaSense, built local communities and revenue at Hired in both Sales and Field Marketing roles and grew a global community of career transitioners and partners as the second employee of a STEM bootcamp.What B2B Companies Can Learn From Love Island: Give your audience agency in your brand. Ask for their feedback and incorporate it into your marketing. By showing them you’re listening and taking action based on their feedback, you show that you care about them. It creates a mutually beneficial relationship and forms a connection. Love Island actually has its own app. And people watching can vote for their favorite couples, as well as decide on who stays on the island and who gets kicked off. So every viewer has some power over the fate of each islander, so much so that the show becomes quite addictive. Ian says, “Giving the audience agency is ridiculously powerful.” Get your audience involved in the decision making and they’ll be hooked on your marketing.Engage with your audience in real time. The goal is to respond and interact with your audience in as quick of a timeline as possible. So build the muscle of quick response times on your marketing team. And leverage AI to speed up that process. Being able to interact with your audience provides a personalized, human experience. On Love Island, producers are sourcing viewer tweets in real time and showing them on screen to add dimension to the show. So as a viewer, the chance that your tweet could be part of the show makes your participation all the more appealing.Quotes*”The show requires engagement, it requires the audience to participate, or it would destroy the fabric of the show. Like, I can make a difference in getting this person voted off. Giving the audience agency is ridiculously powerful.” - Ian Faison*”The real-time audience interaction that they've embedded within the show allows you to feel like you're a part of their journey. It makes you want to watch. Every episode you have vested interest because you could be helpful getting somebody you don't like watching booted off the island or giving them the chance to win a hundred thousand pounds. So I think that they created this special sauce with being able to bring in multiple different channels with social, going along with video at the exact same time, and getting the audience interaction live.” - Kailey Raymond*”You absolutely have to have an on-demand component. You have to have a live component to some of your stuff. But if you're not creating on-demand content that's easily streamable, accessible, multi-platform, you are missing out on a massive demographic.” - Ian FaisonTime Stamps[1:28] Get to know Kailey Raymond, Global Executive Content Marketing Lead at VMware[5:00] Tell me more about Love Island[6:44] What’s the story behind how Love Island was made?[10:27] How did Love Island rise above the noise of other reality dating shows?[16:29] How can you leverage key storylines to create interest for your audience?[18:56] What marketing lessons can we glean from Love Island?[25:21] What does Love Island teach us about responding in real time?[30:12] What we can learn from viewer statistics[33:58] How does Love Island use partner marketing?LinksWatch Love IslandConnect with Kailey on LinkedInLearn more about SegmentAbout Remarkable!Remarkable! is created by the team at Caspian Studios, the premier B2B Podcast-as-a-Service company. Caspian creates both non-fiction and fiction series for B2B companies. If you want a fiction series check out our new offering - The Business Thriller - Hollywood style storytelling for B2B. Learn more at CaspianStudios.com. In today’s episode, you heard from Ian Faison (CEO of Caspian Studios), Dane Eckerle (Head of Development), Colin Stamps (Podcast Launch Manager), Anagha Das (B2B Content Marketing Manager), and Meredith O’Neil (Senior Producer). Remarkable was produced this week by Meredith O’Neil, mixed by Scott Goodrich, and our theme song is “Solomon” by FALAK. Create something remarkable. Rise above the noise.

The Remarkable team is hard at work on Season 3. And hold on tight because it’s gonna be a good one. This upcoming season, we’re taking B2B marketing lessons from the likes of Mad Men, Survivor, the 90s Keanu Reeves classic, Speed, and much, much more. And we’re doing it all with the help of new guests every episode! We’ll be speaking with marketers from companies like G2, ClickUp, ActiveCampaign and ZoomInfo. And through their expert lens, we’re giving you - the B2B marketer - tips, tricks and tools to use in your own campaigns. So keep an eye on your podcast platform of choice for brand new episodes of Remarkable coming your way very soon.

Imagine your marketing team working on a project with clear guidelines. They know what their end goal is. Everyone’s executing their role, communicating seamlessly, and meeting deadlines. The result? Marketing perfection. This could be you, after you listen to this.We’ve all experienced the frustration of working on a project where expectations and roles aren’t clear. Some people put in more effort than others, work is sloppy, deadlines are missed. There’s an imbalance that makes getting any work done nearly impossible.But there’s a magic that happens when you foster a culture of communication, trust, and cohesion; working together as one. And through this culture, you can power amazing results.On this episode of Remarkable, we’re getting in the groove with the help of Webby Honoree and Global Executive Content Marketing Lead at VMware, Yadin Porter de León. Together, we’re exploring how to foster internal cohesion for B2B marketing success and taking lessons from The Mandalorian. So you can take your marketing team by the hands and say, ‘This is the way.”About The MandalorianThe Mandalorian is a Star Wars TV series that launched in 2019. It’s created and executive produced by Jon Favreau, who we know on Remarkable for also directing and executive producing Iron Man. Jon Favreau partnered with Lucas Film and Disney for the production of the series. It’s considered a space western and is the first live action TV series in the franchise. It stars Pedro Pascal as the main character, Din Djarin. And the show premiered on Disney+ on November 12, 2019. It’s now in its third season with a fourth in development.The Mandalorian takes place after The Return of the Jedi and the fall of the Galactic Empire. Din Djarin is a lone bounty hunter who’s hired by Imperial Forces to go get the child Grogu aka Baby Yoda. Instead, Din Djarin ends up going on the run to protect Grogu and reunite Grogu with his kind.What B2B Companies Can Learn From The Mandalorian: Align across the C-suite about your strategic go-to-market strategy. Once leadership agrees on the strategy, messaging, channels, and target customers, they can direct the rest of the company. But Yadin says it’s not just about creating a doc or a presentation. It’s about building relationships, gaining trust, and getting buy-in from people. He says, “That agreement takes a lot of work. It takes a lot of alignment across so many different stakeholders and interests. And then once you have that, you have everyone who's bought into it able to move in the same direction.”Give your marketing team guardrails and the end goal, and then let them decide how they get to the finished product. You’ve got a brilliant team of marketers at your service, so trust their ingenuity. Give them the autonomy to use their creativity and problem solving skills to achieve the end result you’re looking for. Ian says, “The idea of ‘This is the way,’ this is our marketing strategy, allows people to be very creative within those left and right limits." And Yadin adds, "Don't tell them how to do it, but tell them what the vision and the outcome is and then see what amazing things they create.”Quotes*”The mantra of, ‘This is the way’ demonstrates the way in which multiple different people can follow the same path and produce great results, and create great value when they don't have to be born in the same area or be brought up in the same way.” - Yadin Porter de Léon“That mantra applied to B2B marketing can be extremely powerful if you have messaging and branding consistency. Where you go to market in the same way across all of your geos, across all your departments, across all of your business units instead of having all these weird, crazy, fragmented things that may seem cool at the time, but not actually showing up in the market in a way that will actually tell a consistent story.” - Yadin Porter de Léon“There are bad things too. Like, you can get stuck, lost in cookie pulling and retargeting and brand ads and all the things we've always done the same way. And so ‘This is the way’ means basically, you know, get on board, or else,” - Yadin Porter de Léon*”Create a vision and then inspire those people who want to be creative to be creative, because now they have the guardrails. Don't tell them how to do it, but tell them what the vision and the outcome is and then see what amazing things they create.” - Yadin Porter de LéonTime Stamps[1:40] Get to know Yadin Porter de Léon, Global Executive Content Marketing Lead at VMware[2:19] Tell me more about The Mandalorian[8:52] What’s the story behind how The Mandalorian was made?[12:11] What are the core truths behind the Mandalorian?[14:58] How can “This is the way” be applied to B2B marketing?[17:52] Learn more about OneVMware[18:18] What role does leadership play in establishing internal alignment[19:44] Tell me more about the podcast CIO Exchange [28:52] How to bring your brand to market in a way that will resonate with your audienceLinksWatch “The Mandalorian”Connect with Yadin on LinkedInLearn more about VMwareAbout Remarkable!Remarkable! is created by the team at Caspian Studios, the premier B2B Podcast-as-a-Service company. Caspian creates both non-fiction and fiction series for B2B companies. If you want a fiction series check out our new offering - The Business Thriller - Hollywood style storytelling for B2B. Learn more at CaspianStudios.com. In today’s episode, you heard from Ian Faison (CEO of Caspian Studios), Dane Eckerle (Head of Development), Colin Stamps (Podcast Launch Manager), Anagha Das (B2B Content Marketing Manager), and Meredith O’Neil (Senior Producer). Remarkable was produced this week by Meredith O’Neil, mixed by Scott Goodrich, and our theme song is “Solomon” by FALAK. Create something remarkable. Rise above the noise.

If you feel like you’re struggling to differentiate your company from a sea saturated with similar brands, this is the episode for you. You want to market your brand to make it pop, yet it can feel overwhelming trying to nail down a winning idea for your next campaign. That’s because out of 100 factors, you might have 99 in common with your competitors. But that one factor that your competitors don't have, THAT is the one you market. On this episode of Remarkable, we’re relaxing to the soft, soothing music of the Vrbo ad campaign, “Only Your People.” We’re chatting about how the campaign helped Vrbo, a brand that’s been around for nearly three decades, to grab audience attention as a major competitor to Airbnb. Vrbo repositioned itself through a single message: only your people will be at the rental. It’s responding to a pain point specific to Airbnb customers who don’t want to share a space with the host or other guests. And the campaign is getting talked about in marketing circles everywhere. So follow along as we talk about how you, too, can position your brand as a major name in your industry. About Corporate BroVrbo is a vacation rental company similar to Airbnb. So homeowners list their properties directly on the Vrbo site; beach houses, mountain cabins, treehouses, villas, boats, and more.It started in 1995 as an independent company acquired by HomeAway in 2006, and then again in 2015 by Expedia Group.The name V-R-B-O is an acronym for Vacation Rentals by Owner.VRBO is Airbnb's biggest competitor with over 2 million listings and vacation rentals in more than 190 countries. Their website sees over 15.9 million unique visitors per month, and listings are posted on the Expedia site, which sees 730 million unique visitors per month.The big difference between Vrbo and Airbnb is that Vrbo only offers entire properties for rent. So renters have the whole place to themselves, whereas on Airbnb, renters have the option of house shares. This means they may be renting a room within a house and the owner is there at the same time. Because of this, Vrbo tends to attract larger, higher-end property rentals and cater to groups of people, whether whole families or friends, or simply folks with higher budgets.What B2B Companies Can Learn From Vrbo: Study your buyers to find their pain points and create messaging for each of them. This shows your audience that you’re listening to them and that their opinions matter. And it helps build trust! An example of this is Wix, whose ad, “The Power of Wix Infrastructure,” reassures users their websites are backed by four data centers and tens of thousands of servers. In other words, there’s basically no way their site could go down. This is different from other hosting providers, where a site might run on one dedicated server, increasing the risk of the site crashing. They also have an ad called “Security’s On Us,” highlighting how they offer enterprise-grade security that’s fully managed for users. It has lots of bells and whistles to prevent hackers and bugs from gaining access to the site. So users won’t have to worry about either hackers or their site crashing, which may happen with other hosting sites.Identify what your differentiating feature is from your competitors and create a campaign around it. Run it as a single-feature ad on a key position. The simple, straight-forward messaging and clear benefit of your brand over others will resonate with your target audience. Ian says, “the point of positioning is to focus on the one thing that your competitor can't. A great positioning campaign like this allows there to be no wiggle room at all. You cannot get around this. If [customers] believe that this one feature is so important, then you're guaranteed to earn their business.” CRM Platform Monday.com ran a campaign that’s a great example of this. They have an ad that shows up in Google search results that says, “CRM Without the Frustration - No-Code CRM Software.” The ad acknowledges and validates a pain point of other CRM platforms - that they are hard to learn how to use - and offers a solution.Quotes*”Vrbo is just an overall, generally more predictable experience. You know what you're going to get. You don't know what you're going to get with Airbnb. And for some people, that is the delight of going to Airbnb, it’s like there is a little bit of serendipity there. Whereas for Vrbo, nope, you're not paying for serendipity.” - Ian Faison*“It's really understanding the pain points as well. You really have to study the buyer’s thought process to understand the super common pain points.” - Colin Stamps*”[Monday.com] took all the pain points and they were like, ‘Let's create messaging for each of these to stand out from the other search results that are currently showing up for our competitors.’” - Anagha DasTime Stamps[1:29] Tell me more about Vrbo[3:51] About the "Only Your People" ad campaign[6:33] How Vrbo differentiates itself from Airbnb with new ad campaign[11:48] The importance of messaging to make your brand stand out from competitors[14:42] How to identify customer pinpoints to market to[15:00] How to choose a single feature to market[21:54] B2B examples of single feature ads that recognize customer pain pointsLinksWatch Vrbo CommercialsLearn more about VrboRead April Dunford’s book on product positioning, Obviously AwesomeCheck out Monday.com and their positioning against other CRMsAbout Remarkable!Remarkable! is created by the team at Caspian Studios, the premier B2B Podcast-as-a-Service company. Caspian creates both non-fiction and fiction series for B2B companies. If you want a fiction series check out our new offering - The Business Thriller - Hollywood style storytelling for B2B. Learn more at CaspianStudios.com. In today’s episode, you heard from Ian Faison (CEO of Caspian Studios), Dane Eckerle (Head of Development), Colin Stamps (Podcast Launch Manager), Anagha Das (B2B Content Marketing Manager), and Meredith O’Neil (Senior Producer). Remarkable was produced this week by Meredith O’Neil, mixed by Scott Goodrich, and our theme song is “Solomon” by FALAK. Create something remarkable. Rise above the noise.

We don’t have to convince you, a B2B marketer, that S.A.D. (Sales Are Dope). You live, breathe, and dream in analytics, KPI’s, and conversion rates. You count impressions in your dreams instead of sheep. But you may actually be taking yourself too seriously. It’s time to have some fun with your work and use satire in your marketing.  The irony, sarcasm, and parody of satire in your content, hits your target audience hard, and differentiates your content from the sea of corporate handshake stock photos and banality that B2B marketing materials usually consist of. On this episode of Remarkable, we’re binge-watching Corporate Bro videos on YouTube. Listen in as we show you why a portion of your marketing budget should be used to make world class edu-tainment content. We also cover how you can take a multi-channel, multi-format approach, and partner with a well-known content creator. So you can A.B.C. (Always Be Closing.)About Corporate BroCorporate Bro is a sketch comedy character that satirizes corporate sales life. Ross Pomerantz is the mastermind behind the character. Ross is a content creator, corporate speaker and entrepreneur from Atlanta, Georgia. He writes, produces, and stars in the sketches. He started making 6-second videos on Vine in 2013 when he started his first tech sales job at Oracle. He has now performed for companies like Dropbox, Smartsheet and Salesforce. And his YouTube, which he started in 2016, has 25M subscribers. Ross holds an MBA from Stanford University, and his full-time day job is on the leadership team at Bravado (as of 2022).What B2B Companies Can Learn From Corporate Bro: Use a percentage of your marketing budget to make funny stuff. Comedy, edutainment, whatever you want to call it. Make something just to connect with your audience, and make them laugh. Because, Colin says, “You probably have some white papers, some webinars, et cetera, and that's fine. You should have all that. But there's also that angle of, ‘All right, let's put out some other content that's a little more entertaining and relatable and fun.’” Let’s face it - not many B2B companies are making their audience laugh. But there are cheeky ways to get your audience to crack a smile! The sales engagement company Sopro made a campaign called “We Love Our Clients.” The video shows a slew of clients making difficult requests, and ends with the phrase, “Sopro makes finding clients easy. You just have to deal with them.” This kind of satire creates impact and makes your brand stand out.Use a multi-channel, multi-format approach. Distribute content across multiple social media channels. Go where your audience is — whether that’s Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn, etc. And do both short and long-form videos. A great example of a multi-channel, multi-format approach is how Scratch Pad created a podcast called Beyond Quota that they collaborate on with Corporate Bro, and share episodes both on podcast streaming platforms as well as on YouTube. So, no matter what platform your audience spends time on, they’ll see your content there. Partner with a well-known content creator. No matter what industry you’re in, there’s a content creator for you. Find somebody whose messaging would resonate with your audience and create a campaign with them. Ian says, “There's a million examples of times where people just try to borrow a celebrity's audience and that doesn't work. It's not about that. It's about co-creating something with them that is unique and special.” A great example of content co-creation is when marketing automation company Klaviyo partnered with Eli Weiss, Senior Director of CX and Retention at Jones Road Beauty, on their Less Stalking, More Talking campaign. Weiss is not just a relevant and trusted name in e-commerce, but he also shares the same customer-first philosophy as Klaviyo, making him a perfect fit for the campaign. By working together, they’re leveraging both of their audiences, spreading brand awareness, building trust, and creating memorable content. It’s a win-win-win…win situation.Quotes*”What you can control as a marketer is [being] consistent and repeatable. That's what [Corporate Bro] has done for a decade and that is a pathway to winning.” - Ian Faison*”What makes Corporate Bro so good is it connects with you in a way [that reminds you] not to take yourself too seriously when perhaps your job is on the line if you don't close this deal or if you don't have a good quarter.” - Colin StampsTime Stamps[1:25] Tell me more about Corporate Bro[3:02] Why are we covering Corporate Bro?[6:09] What is satire? What's the psychology of satire?[11:11] How do you run multi-channel, multi-format campaign? [13:38] What are examples of companies who have partnered with content creators?[15:42] Why is it important for companies to make funny content?LinksWatch Corporate Bro videosCheck out Corporate Bro’s websiteRead about Corporate Bro in the pressFollow Ross Pomerantz aka Corporate Bro on InstagramConnect with Corporate Bro on LinkedInFollow Corporate Bro on TwitterCheck out Beyond Quota podcast with Corporate BroTune in to Sales Are Dope (S.A.D.)About Remarkable!Remarkable! is created by the team at Caspian Studios, the premier B2B Podcast-as-a-Service company. Caspian creates both non-fiction and fiction series for B2B companies. If you want a fiction series check out our new offering - The Business Thriller - Hollywood style storytelling for B2B. Learn more at CaspianStudios.com. In today’s episode, you heard from Ian Faison (CEO of Caspian Studios), Dane Eckerle (Head of Development), Colin Stamps (Podcast Launch Manager), Anagha Das (B2B Content Marketing Manager), and Meredith O’Neil (Senior Producer). Remarkable was produced this week by Meredith O’Neil, mixed by Scott Goodrich, and our theme song is “Solomon” by FALAK. Create something remarkable. Rise above the noise.

You - yes you - as a B2B marketer are trained to be PERFECT. You’re a well-oiled machine hell bent on accuracy, precision, and aesthetics. Chances are you might not like what we have to say in this episode:  sometimes it pays to be imperfect. That’s right! We want you to embrace your mistakes.Mistakes are part of the marketing process. Everybody makes them! It’s time to accept your mistakes and be transparent about them. Your audience will be attracted to your authenticity, and you’ll have an edge over legacy brands in the industry.On this episode of Remarkable, we’re wallowing in the sarcasm, quick wit, and irreverence of the YouTube show You Suck at Cooking. We’re showing you how embracing mistakes will only level up your marketing skills, and how being real goes a long way at winning over your audience.About You Suck at CookingYou Suck at Cooking is a YouTube channel that satirizes classic cooking shows. Instead of being a picture-perfect set with the whole mise-en-place on a pristine kitchen set, the videos are clearly made by some dude in his own kitchen, for fun. He uses decidedly unprofessional terms — for example, he calls stirring “wangjangling,” and once mistakenly called his oven “onion.” He often burns whatever he’s making. But chef or not, the videos do have their own flair, including (but not limited to) original songs, stop motion animation, voicemails from his dad, special appearances of his dogs, and much, much more.The videos are shot from overhead as a pair of disembodied hands make the food in an everyday kitchen and a narrator walks you through each step. In fact, we never see the creator’s face. He’s totally anonymous. He even released a book called You Suck at Cooking: THE ABSURDLY PRACTICAL GUIDE TO SUCKING SLIGHTLY LESS AT MAKING FOOD: A COOKBOOK. The author is listed as…You Suck at Cooking. But according to a thread on Reddit, his name might be Mel. Anyway, the channel was started in 2015, and now has over 3 million subscribers.What B2B Companies Can Learn From You Suck at Cooking: Accept that getting things wrong is part of the process. It’s part of the journey to getting better at marketing. You could even say that if it weren’t for the mistakes, you’d never improve. Ian says, “In the B2B world and the tech world, when you're trying to create content, you want to create, like ‘This is the best way to do something.’ But the truth is, you figured out the best way by making 5,000 mistakes.” It’s all about how you pivot, think on your feet, and adjust your workflow based on what the mistake taught you. A good example of this is when Sony fell victim to one of the largest data breaches in history back in 2011. The breach exposed 77 million PlayStation users’ information. In response, the CEO personally apologized. Sony offered victims of the breach identity theft insurance, as well as a free month of PlayStation Plus. The CEO reassured users that PlayStation was taking additional measures to protect personally identifiable information. In other words, the company acknowledged the mistake, offered compensation, and promised to do better.Position yourself as a disruptor in the industry. Set yourself apart from legacy or traditional brands in the industry, and do it through humor! Make fun of the differences between your company and competitors. For example, Swatch made Swiss-made watches accessible and relevant to younger consumers with their playful branding, that set them apart from legacy luxury Swiss watch brands like Hublot or OMEGA. Another example is life insurance company, Dead Happy. They invite customers to “Make a Deathwish,” or in other words, make a wish for what you want your payout to be spent on when you die. It could be anything from sending your ashes to the edge of space to paying for someone to take care of your pets. The dark humor sets them apart from conventional life insurance companies and earns them a following, especially with younger generations.Quotes*”In the B2B world and the tech world, when you're trying to create content, you want to create, like ‘This is the best way to do something.’ But the truth is, you figured out the best way by making 5,000 mistakes. Like, you either get it right or you or you learn. And I think that that part for B2B marketing makes it way more real if you understand the mistakes, and if you make the case study. And if it's just the good stuff and not the bad stuff, then it's not gonna feel as real.” - Ian Faison*”It gives you an edge if you're the one who's saying what everyone else is thinking but doesn't have the guts to say. When it comes to B2B, we're all in the trenches together. So if we can level with each other and just be real, that's a better way to make relationships because you're trying to schmooze someone that’s in the business of schmoozing. It's like we can see through it. It just makes it feel more genuine” - Jaz ZepatosTime Stamps[1:15] Tell me more about You Suck at Cooking[4:10] What makes YSAC remarkable?[15:24] Why you should share anti-case studies[17:50] How does this apply to B2B?[21:00] What are some examples of irreverence or embracing mistakes in marketing?LinksWatch You Suck at Cooking on YouTubeVisit YSAC WebsiteGet YSAC BookCheck out YSAC InstagramListen to original YSAC music on SoundCloudQualtrics and their irreverent film seriesLife Insurance Company Dead Happy wants your DeathwishAbout Remarkable!Remarkable! is created by the team at Caspian Studios, the premier B2B Podcast-as-a-Service company. Caspian creates both non-fiction and fiction series for B2B companies. If you want a fiction series check out our new offering - The Business Thriller - Hollywood style storytelling for B2B. Learn more at CaspianStudios.com. In today’s episode, you heard from Ian Faison (CEO of Caspian Studios), Dane Eckerle (Head of Development), Colin Stamps (Podcast Launch Manager), Anagha Das (B2B Content Marketing Manager), and Meredith O’Neil (Senior Producer). Remarkable was produced this week by Meredith O’Neil, mixed by Scott Goodrich, and our theme song is “Solomon” by FALAK. Create something remarkable. Rise above the noise.