

Renegade Marketers Unite
Drew Neisser
Renegade Marketers Unite focuses on marketing innovators, uncovering the how, what and why behind their on-going success. Award-winning marketer, author, and entrepreneur Drew Neisser keeps these conversations interesting and inspiring, wrapping up each episode with on-the-spot analysis and insights for big marketers and those that want to be. For more information visit http://DrewNeisser.com/podcast
Episodes
Mentioned books

Apr 20, 2018 • 37min
75: Best Practices for Bold Marketing Strategies, Learned from Marketo’s CMO
Marketo’s bold marketing strategies are well known across the marketing industry. For this episode of Renegade Thinkers Unite, Drew interviews their CMO, Sarah Kennedy. He also introduces a new segment on the podcast, Renegade Rapid Fire, where listeners can get to know Sarah in an informative and engaging Q & A session. Discover her best advice for CMOs, why she chose a career in marketing and her recommendation for a book that will renew your courageous marketing spirit. Sarah left a 10-year tenure at a previous company and lept into a five-month interview process at Marketo in order to diversify her experiences and pursue bold marketing. She is passionate about building an empowered and talented team as well as removing the shackles of perfectionism that plague the marketing industry. You don’t want to miss the insights Sarah brings from Marketo into this episode of Renegade Thinkers Unite. Discover why CMOs should be called to lead with conviction and the critical importance of risk-taking and experimentation through marketing. This interview will unveil Marketo secrets that will push your own company to greater success. Be sure to listen. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts - Stitcher- or Podsearch What You’ll Learn [0:30] Drew introduces his guest for this episode, Sarah Kennedy, CMO of Marketo [2:07] Drew gets to know Sarah through his new segment, Renegade Rapid Fire [11:25] The most intriguing part of Marketo culture that drew Sarah in [13:55] How the fearless mentality was created at Marketo [16:53] Sarah’s definition of a fearless marketer [23:20] CMOs are called to lead with conviction & stick to the ideas they truly believe in [27:07] Content marketing and brand stories at Marketo [32:54] Sarah’s final words of advice for CMOs [34:19] Drew summarizes his conversation with Sarah Kennedy Why “fearless and bold marketing” is the mantra guiding Marketo into the future When Sarah Kennedy joined the Marketo team, she immediately recognized the need to build a stellar team and fully understand the current Marketo brand story. Once she accomplished those tasks, she wanted to be able to have a single direction that would guide the company forward. That’s when “fearless marketing” was born. CMOs are born to lead, not waffle on ideas, and Sarah pursued fearless marketing relentlessly. She wanted to always circle back to customer engagement while also telling an even more powerful brand story that had been told in the past. Marketo has taken fearless marketing and turned it into an all-encompassing identity and even leadership summit events. Be sure to catch the full story on this episode of Renegade Thinkers Unite. Learn from Sarah’s 15 years of experience at top marketing companies to discover what makes a fearless marketer The definition of a “fearless marketer” is a CMO that is not afraid to experiment and take bold marketing risks. By setting aside fear of failure, CMOs are able to pursue THE idea they truly believe in. Fearless marketers aren’t afraid to experiment with platforms and strategies that other companies are ignoring. Bold marketing decisions, even if they fail by conventional standards, allow companies to learn and grow. Having the right infrastructure in place to be able to learn from mistakes is critical. Sarah shares all of this advice and more, so be sure to give this episode your full attention. CMOs are called to lead with conviction and empower their teams to pursue bold ideas without fear of failure Sarah believes that it is a moral imperative for CMOs to empower their teams to make bold marketing decisions. When Drew asks her about the most Renegade thing she’s ever done in marketing, she explains that it’s any time she steps up and serves as a voice for both the customer and her team. Sarah also explains that CMOs should never doubt their ability to succeed. This interview is filled with even more inspirational advice that will leave you hungry for success and it should not be missed. Connect With Sarah Kennedy: Sarah’s profile on the Marketo website Connect with Sarah on LinkedIn Follow Sarah on Twitter Follow Sarah on Facebook Resources & People Mentioned Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International organization BOOK: You Are a Badass: How to Stop Doubting Your Greatness and Start Living an Awesome Life ARTICLE: Calling the World's Boldest Marketers to Join the Marketo® Fearless 50 Drew’s interview with Jon Miller, Turning Marketing into Math ARTICLE: Drink Your Own Champagne And 8 Other Delicious Ways To Drive Revenue Use promo code “Renegade 400” for $400 off your registration to the Marketo® Fearless 50 summit Connect with Drew http://renegade.com/ On LinkedIn On Twitter On Facebook On Instagram

Apr 13, 2018 • 39min
74: How Dropbox is Channeling Global Creative Energy Through a Bold Rebranding Effort
Few companies have mastered the art of channeling creative energy through a focused rebranding effort better than Dropbox. On this episode of Renegade Thinkers Unite, Drew interviews CMO of Dropbox Carolyn Feinstein. Their shared love of creative energy and authentic storytelling makes for a podcast episode you don’t want to miss. Carolyn discusses her passion for connecting deeply with consumers through stories as well as why Dropbox chose to “fix something that wasn’t broken” all on this episode. Be sure to listen to discover how Carolyn’s team shifted the market’s perspective about the well-loved company and its offerings. With over half a billion worldwide users, Dropbox is among the best for workflow technology companies. Their ability to roll out massive internal changes while simultaneously conveying the right story to loyal consumers is encouraging. Hear all about the challenges tackled, lessons learned, and joyful successes on this episode of Renegade Thinkers Unite Subscribe on Apple Podcasts - Stitcher- or Podsearch What You’ll Learn [0:30] Drew asks the question, “if it’s not broken, should you break it anyway?” [2:00] Carolyn’s go-to story to share with marketers [6:16] The biggest moment for Carolyn when she was with Electronic Arts [11:03] The massive rebranding project Carolyn helped Dropbox navigate [14:27] Shifting the consumers' perspective of Dropbox [16:57] How Dropbox handled the fear of changing a well-loved brand [21:40] The internal rollout of Dropbox’s rebranding project [23:57] Dropbox is becoming an eponym and approaching the level of Google or FedEx [26:00] The art of a living, dynamic workspace product [28:15] Distraction = death in the modern workplace, and how Dropbox is unleashing global creative energy [31:08] The biggest lessons learned throughout this bold rebranding mission and the 3 main measures used to measure a storytelling effort [35:06] Drew summarizes this inspiring episode of Renegade Thinkers Unite How did Dropbox approach such a massive project? By following these three main ideas Carolyn’s team is passionate about storytelling. She explains to Drew on this episode of Renegade Thinkers Unite that connecting people to one another through quality products and touching stories is the best way to begin a rebranding project. After realizing that Dropbox wanted to reinvent itself, Carolyn followed three main ideas that dictated their path: the art of storytelling, achieving buy-in from internal audiences, and listening to the voice of loyal customers. To hear how she skillfully knit these steps together into one successful mission be sure to listen to this episode. Rebranding should not be incremental - bold actions conquer fear and allow your company to make huge strides forward Dropbox’s biggest success throughout the rebranding process was persuading every member on the team that bold actions were the way to achieve ultimate success. Drew is also a huge proponent of the idea that incremental steps don’t move companies forward. Carolyn knew she needed to snap people to attention and have them understand that Dropbox is more than cloud storage. While there will always be some concerns about restructuring a brand’s identity, moving forward with confidence is the ultimate way to launch your company into the next chapter of success. You’ll surely learn from this episode of Renegade Thinkers Unite so be sure to give it your full attention. The crisis of modern work is “death by distraction” - hear how Dropbox is channeling the world’s creative energy and allowing people to work to their full potential The modern workplace is plagued with notifications, emails, and deadlines. Carolyn and her team at Dropbox recognized this issue and wanted to solve it. Their solution? Streamlined services and products geared at freeing teams from monotonous and time-consuming tasks so they can unleash their creative energy. The goal? Global teams working on a united platform to create projects that will change the world. That’s why Dropbox continues to be a leader in workplace technology and creative storytelling. This interview is one you don’t want to miss. Connect With Carolyn: Dropbox’s blog on Carolyn Connect with Carolyn on LinkedIn Follow Carolyn on Facebook Resources & People Mentioned Ep. 63: Marketing Trends from The CMO Survey and Reigniting Your Passion for Marketing Ep. 65: The Ups and Downs of Xerox’s Universal Awareness and Shifting Your Brand Perception Dropbox Paper ARTICLE: The world needs your creative energy Connect with Drew http://renegade.com/ On LinkedIn On Twitter On Facebook On Instagram

Apr 6, 2018 • 37min
73: MRP CMO Explains Why Predictive Analytics in Marketing Will Revolutionize the B2B Industry
Predictive analytics in marketing is going to revolutionize the way CMOs and marketing teams do business. On this stimulating episode of Renegade Thinkers Unite, Drew interviews James Regan, CMO and co-founder of MRP. James and his company are greeting predictive analytics with excitement and ingenuity. He shares why your company should be doing the same on this episode. This technology, combined with artificial intelligence (AI), is not something to be feared, contrary to what Hollywood may lead us to believe. For a full explanation of this exciting new technology, why predictive analytics is NOT the death of big brand ideas and company storytelling, and how to start integrating this idea into your company, be sure to listen to this conversation. Predictive analytics in marketing is something everyone needs to hear. Don’t be left behind, and give this podcast your full attention. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts - Stitcher- or Podsearch What You’ll Learn [0:29] Drew tracks down an expert in the field of predictive analytics for this episode, James Regan, CMO and co-founder at MRP [2:05] The excitement surrounding predictive analytics at MRP [4:20] James’ layman’s explanation of predictive analytics [8:26] Specific actions that sales teams can take to take advantage of this information [11:38] The death of traditional marketing campaigns [13:57] James shares a real-world example to describe how predictive analytics works [14:55] Creating the messages upfront and programming them into the analytics system is still a challenge [16:10] Predictive analytics, the future of B2B marketing, and removing the human element [20:50] What is preventing mass adoption of predictive analytics? [23:48] Predictive analytics is NOT the death of the big-brand idea [26:04] How a CMO’s plan can welcome predictive analytics [28:33] Why an out of control marketing tech stack can be mitigated through predictive analytics tools and outsourcing [32:33] James’ two overall “do’s” and a “don’t” for CMOs Predictive analytics in marketing is fairly new - what is it and why is it important? Predictive analytics seeks to increase marketers’ ability to achieve the “holy trinity” of digital marketing - getting the right message in front of the right person at exactly the right time. James offers listeners of this episode of Renegade Thinkers Unite the perfect explanation of this technology. In a B2B sense, every organization has potential clients that are doing research on what they may need to buy that will serve their needs. Predictive analytics can track this digital data trail that tells your organization general geolocations and keyword sets that are spiking. The analytics program then automatically sends out tailored content that puts a problem-solving solution directly in front of the eyes of the potential client. James further explains that this is not being done at an individual level, rather at a group target market level. James’ description is best understood by listening to this episode of Renegade Thinkers Unite, so be sure to make time for the full audio. Why the invention of predictive analytics is a death sentence for traditional campaigns, but not for big brand storytelling Predictive analytics is moving marketing teams towards automating and programming their engagement strategies into an AI program, rather than focusing on traditional campaign methods. James claims that traditional campaigns are simply too slow in today’s environment. He argues that if you really want to deliver a relevant message, you have to be doing programmed customer engagement. You need to have an “always-on” approach that directly integrates your response with the appropriate message that is aligned to the content your potential customers are consuming outside of your firewall. Simply put, traditional campaigns create gaps in communicating with your customers that cannot be permitted any longer. This does not mean your brand’s big stories are irrelevant. Predictive analytics simply propels your values and stories at lightning-fast speed - it does not eliminate the story you’re trying to tell. You have to focus on the big brand of your company before you can focus on content delivery optimization. This episode is full of insights that you need to hear, so be sure to listen. The future of B2B marketing in a predictive analytics world, removal of the human screen, and what is preventing mass adoption of this technology AI and predictive analytics are going to reshape the world of B2B marketing as we know it. One of the biggest questions Drew asks James on this episode surrounds the perceived danger of removing the human element from the backend of content delivery. What will prevent an AI system from delivering the wrong message at an inappropriate time? James explains that AI will pull from an extensive digital repository of content that a marketing team has crafted. It will not be creating its own messages. Programming algorithms to know what message to pull and when is still a challenge, but one that is quickly being solved by the marketing world’s best and brightest. There is also the issue of what companies have access to massive data-ingestion technology. James predicts an arms race to see what company can get the best real-time input on customers and their behavior and that this will drive the future of predictive analytics. The next few years will see a huge uptick in this technology, and your company should not be left out of the loop. Be in the know by listening to this interview on Renegade Thinkers Unite. Connect With James Regan: MRP About Us webpage Connect with James on LinkedIn Follow James on Twitter Resources & People Mentioned DOCUMENTARY: Spielberg MOVIE: Minority Report Ep. 46 - Visionary CEO Alan Trefler on Future of Marketing Connect with Drew http://renegade.com/ On LinkedIn On Twitter On Facebook On Instagram

Apr 2, 2018 • 33min
72: Best Strategies to Improve Your Marketing Technology Stack - with CMO Eric Eden, Part 2
In this second installation of Drew’s interview with Eric Eden, CMO of Receipt Bank, they discuss additional strategies to improve your marketing technology stack. Be sure to listen to part 1 of this conversation on episode 71 of Renegade Thinkers Unite. After securing a budget and receiving buy-in from company leadership teams, selecting the right pieces to add to your marketing technology stack is the next big step.

Mar 30, 2018 • 38min
71: Using a Refined Marketing Technology Stack as a Revenue Generator - with CMO Eric Eden, Part 1
When Drew recently asked a crowd of CMOs how much revenue marketing should directly generate, most said 5-15%. However, Eric Eden, expert CMO of Receipt Bank, claimed that marketing should be a company’s main revenue generator, bringing in 80% of all sales. This uncommon point of view is explained and detailed on this episode of Renegade Thinkers Unite. Eric and Drew talk through the first two main steps of how to turn your marketing efforts into a revenue machine. They discuss the importance of having a solid foundation marketing technology stack, all of the details behind why evidence-based marketing is the norm, and how to secure a substantial marketing budget for your team. Don’t miss part two of this interview on the next episode of Renegade Thinkers Unite. You’ll learn a lot from part one of this conversation, so give it your full attention. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts - Stitcher- or Podsearch What You’ll Learn [0:29] Drew introduces his guest for this episode, Eric Eden [3:05] How to lay the foundation for marketing to become a revenue generator [6:00] Why the burden of proof for success lies with the marketer [8:27] What exactly is evidence-based marketing, and how do you define your strategy? [13:57] Eric walks through his process for securing a substantial marketing budget [22:02] The essentials for your company’s tech stack and additional layers to consider [28:22] What’s the next step after creating a solid CRM piece? [33:39] Why isn’t it more common to combine the first two layers of your marketing stack? Why a CRM is a foundational basis needed for any successful marketing or revenue-generating campaign Eric explains on this episode of Renegade Thinkers Unite that without a functional and clean customer relationship management technology piece, your marketing will never turn into a revenue generator. He continues by saying that, “If you don’t have a good marketing technology stack that enables your demand generation engine, everything falls apart.” A solid CRM piece allows you to track leads, understand what is encouraging or hindering contract success, improves integration between marketing and sales teams, and is necessary when putting together a budget proposal. If a CMO is looking at upgrading a single piece of their marketing strategy, having a bombproof CRM platform needs to be at the top of the list. To hear why CRM technology is so critical, and to understand why Eric is so adamant about this piece of technology, be sure to give this episode a listen. The importance of understanding evidence-based marketing to secure a substantial budget Gone are the days where the phrase, “it’s complicated, just trust me!” can be successful in budget meetings with company executives. In order to secure the funds marketing teams need, CMOs need to understand how to articulate their marketing in in terms of data and evidence of success. The burden of proof lies with the CMO to persuade others why marketing as a revenue generator can work for the company. You have to determine how to frame things in such a way that makes people comfortable with spending dollars on marketing, build a common language that all teams and levels of employees understand, and prevent any misconceptions. Once you have set the stage and brought people over to your side of the budget debate, you can then begin to determine what percentage of the budget should be spent on each potential customer, and the ROI that would come from each prospective contract. This framing turns marketing into an investment, not a cost, and is the key to massive success. To hear Drew and Eric’s conversation surrounding evidence-based marketing and how it can ultimately be used to generate revenue, don’t miss this episode. Transform your ordinary marketing campaigns into a massive revenue generator through automation After a functional CRM piece, the next step to generate revenue is marketing automation - the second most popular piece of a technology stack. Eric urges listeners of this episode of Renegade Thinkers Unite to understand that automation cannot and does not happen overnight, or even within 90 days. A truly successful marketing automation plan can take upwards of 6 months to design and implement. But the time investment is 100% worth it. By hiring talented sales people and allowing them to actually sell your company, without getting bogged down by monotonous tasks, you are ultimately generating more revenue for the company. Automation allows more integration between the marketing and sales teams and setting the correct timeline expectations upfront will prevent mishaps later on down the line. Drew and Eric have a great conversation about marketing automation and the connections it has to revenue generation on this episode, CMOs in every industry need to hear it. Connect With Eric: Receipt Bank’s blog - when Eric joined the team as CMO Connect with Eric on LinkedIn Follow Eric on Twitter Follow Eric on Facebook Resources & People Mentioned Download Drew’s latest ebook and learn from 11 of the top CMOs SalesForce technology Connect with Drew http://renegade.com/ On LinkedIn On Twitter On Facebook On Instagram

Mar 23, 2018 • 39min
70: The Prophet Way of Utilizing Brand Storytelling to Engage With Audiences
David Aaker, known as “Father of Modern Branding,” discusses the idea of B2B brand storytelling and being able to convey engaging messages on this episode of Renegade Thinkers Unite hosted by Drew Neisser. As the Vice Chairman of marketing consultant giant Prophet and renowned author, David has decades of experience in reinventing the way a company shares its brand message. He explains to Drew the importance of balancing hard facts with emotions as well as emphasizes the importance of becoming a brand other companies want to be associated with. David also shares multiple personal stories that validate the importance of being a stellar brand storyteller. You don’t want to miss his explanation of how both T-Mobile and Barclay turned their companies around through brand storytelling. David’s expertise will revolutionize your company’s way of conveying messages, so be sure to give this episode your full attention. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts - Stitcher- or Podsearch What You’ll Learn [0:30] Drew introduces his guest for this episode, David Aaker [2:58] Why is everyone realizing that storytelling is critically important? [4:27] Why is a story so important in engaging employees? [8:54] What will it take for B2B firms to recognize that story is a cultural opportunity? [12:32] David’s personal stories behind effective storytelling [16:39] Why does the story go away once a company reaches marketing evaluation stages? [17:58] How does a brand find their signature stories? [21:06] The balance between hard facts and “fluffy” emotions in storytelling marketing [24:23] Actionable items behind improving your B2B storytelling marketing efforts [29:13] David’s steps for creating a brand storytelling plan [32:42] One of the most common problems when brands attempt storytelling marketing for the first time [33:25] Drew summarizes his conversation with David Aaker Why are stories so effective in engaging customers and employees? Brand storytelling is more than just a hot topic in current B2B marketing environments. It is the key to truly connecting with your employees, partners, and customers. B2B customers feel the need to have a relationship with the business they interact with and employees need to feel that their work is important. Stories garner attention, change perceptions and attitudes, and inspire action - and stories are far more effective than fact-sharing alone. This is why your company and team need to be experts in brand storytelling. To hear the full reasoning behind why this idea is a critical issue for companies across the country, be sure to listen to this episode of Renegade Thinkers Unite. The importance of creating a signature story while balancing fact and emotion When trying to convey a message, a CMO has two options: share facts or tell stories. Even though some may argue that "if it's not fact-based how do you convince people's it's actually true?", there is a balance that needs to be reached. The key in the B2B storytelling space is to either magnify the problem, offer a solution or accentuate the outcome. This can artfully be done by combining customer testimony with just enough facts to provide a reliable level of reality. Just listing data and facts is a record-keeping entry - not a compelling marketing campaign. David highlights that a signature story can be 200-300% more effective than data alone. To hear more about why brand storytelling is so impactful give this episode a listen. Actionable items for creating brand storytelling initiatives Take it from the best leader in storytelling. David lays out a plan to create a storytelling focus in your company on this episode of Renegade Thinkers Unite. As a CMO you must first believe and buy into the power of storytelling marketing. Then you have to build a skilled team and develop an environment that allows storytelling opportunities to flourish. Drew also adds that you have to throw your content calendars away because all they do is allow you to get away with regularly producing mediocre content. Hiring a support crew that can take raw stories and turn them into engaging content can also drastically improve your storytelling ability. For more hands-on hints on brand storytelling, don’t let this episode go unlistened. Connect With David: David’s Prophet webpage Connect with David on LinkedIn Follow David on Twitter Follow David on Facebook Email David Resources & People Mentioned BOOK: Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln BOOK: Grant BOOK: Creating Signature Stories: Strategic Messaging that Energizes, Persuades and Inspires PODCAST: David Aaker on the power of stories and the fight for the soul of capitalism ARTICLE: How Barclays Defined Brand Purpose and Regained Customer Trust Episode #4 - Content Marketing - Guest, David Beebe, Marriott Audible Course - The Art of Storytelling: From Parents to Professionals Connect with Drew http://renegade.com/ On LinkedIn On Twitter On Facebook On Instagram

Mar 16, 2018 • 49min
69: How Arrow Electronics Reinvented Storytelling Marketing and the Importance of Taking Risks
In order to achieve storytelling marketing success, CMOs have to be willing to take risks. Even with all of the data and metrics available to evaluate, sometimes the best ideas come directly from human intuition. On this episode of Renegade Thinkers Unite, Drew interviews Rich Kylberg, Vice President of Corporate Marketing and Communications at Arrow Electronics. Arrow is a $24 billion global supplier for a wide array of technology and products, and Rich has helped them break into new ways of communicating internally and externally. Throughout this podcast, Rich explains how his background in literature allows him to see marketing campaigns in new ways and why casting a vision internally is needed before you can communicate identity externally. Arrow’s groundbreaking SAM vehicle technology is revolutionizing many industries, and you’ll be inspired by Rich’s explanation of this pursuit. Their conversation is a perfect mix of marketing knowledge and inspiration - you don’t want to miss it. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts - Stitcher- or Podsearch What You’ll Learn [1:25] Drew introduces his guest for this episode, Rich Kylberg of Arrow Electronics [2:48] Rich’s favorite risk-taking story from his childhood [8:00] How Rich’s educational background impacts his current career [13:18] The story behind how Rich joined the Arrow team and how they created a common identity [17:45] Taking the internal identity and transforming it into an external message [21:55] Arrow’s program that brought their innovative ideas to life that enhance humanity [27:30] The barriers Rich’s team encountered while developing the SAM technology [33:00] Rich shares the best lessons he learned through the SAM journey [37:13] Why you should bring in an outside firm to assist your company in storytelling [39:51] The power of a plan on a page [42:07] Drew summarizes his conversation with Rich How Rich helped Arrow create a common identity When Rich joined the Arrow team, they had recently acquired over 130 companies and many hadn’t yet fallen in line with the overarching Arrow brand. Arrow was on the verge of becoming a holding company too comfortable in their own success, but Rich was determined to take some risks and create a guiding theme that would direct every employee and customer interaction. Thus, the phrase “guiding innovation forward” was born. Rich explains that “you have to inspire your employees before you can market your company externally” and this progress was essential for Arrow to continue growing. It created a conversation starter that is still being talked about today. To hear exactly how Rich achieved this lofty goal, be sure to give this episode a listen. Why risk taking in marketing is so important Rich and Drew are adamant about risk-taking in marketing - it’s one of the key aspects of being a Renegade Thinker. On this episode, Rich explains that the opportunity to attain exponential rewards are worth taking substantial risks and that the fear of mediocrity is often the driving force behind risk-taking. CMOs in any B2B environment should ask themselves these questions: What risks am I willing to take in my marketing? What will be the source of my courage? How am I going to prepare? After you consider these questions, remember that as a marketer you need to be empowered to try ideas, keep what works, and move past what doesn't. Without risky marketing decisions, Rich and his team never could have developed the storytelling marketing campaign that moved Arrow into the future of connecting with clients and telling great stories. Be sure to discover the story on this episode. Arrow’s innovative storytelling marketing campaign and how Rich and his team burst through the barriers they encountered Arrow Electronics recently unveiled their latest storytelling marketing campaign, and it’s one that resonates with people across the country. When Rich and his team were connected with a former Indy Racing League race car driver who was sadly diagnosed as a quadriplegic after a crash in 2000, they came up with the SAM car technology - a car that would allow drivers with disabilities to regain their independence. When asked about the project, Rich's team explained that "We hope the SAM car continues to drive technology innovation forward and inspire people to dream big because anything is possible.” Had Rich and his marketing team forgone risk-taking and stuck with what is “normal” and expected in the marketing industry, this amazing project never would have left the idea board. It’s sure to inspire you and your team to take marketing risks and delve into the unknown so be sure to get all of the details by listening to this episode of Renegade Thinkers Unite. Connect With Rich: About Arrow Connect with Rich on LinkedIn Follow Rich on Twitter Follow Rich on Facebook Resources & People Mentioned ARTICLE: SAM Car Technology To Benefit Humanity Connect with Drew http://renegade.com/ On LinkedIn On Twitter On Facebook On Instagram

Mar 9, 2018 • 37min
68: Taking a Look at Provenir’s Marketing Risks and Their Path Towards In-House Communication Distribution
The term “marketing risks” is not often heard in the financial technology industry, but Adi Bachar-Reske, Global Head of Marketing at Provenir, is making it commonplace. She has overturned the company’s communication strategies and is sharing her insights on this episode of Renegade Thinkers Unite. In her conversation with Drew, Adi explains how Provenir went from using a third-party communication distribution company to handling all of their press releases and supporting content themselves. She also fully explains why Provenir seeks to help financial lenders make better, faster decisions. Taking marketing risks is one way to ensure your company stands out from the competition, even though it takes courage as a CMO. Drew shares his top four qualities for entrepreneurs as well as why you should avoid too many micro-campaigns all on this episode. You’ll enjoy Drew and Adi’s conversation, and it’ll leave you thinking, so be sure to listen. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts - Stitcher- or Podsearch What You’ll Learn [2:07] Drew introduces his guest for this episode, Adi Bachar-Reske, Global Head of Marketing at Provenir [3:33] Adi’s approach and philosophy for risk-taking in marketing [10:17] Why Provenir decided to go with in-house communication strategies [14:07] The content that Adi created and the mechanisms they used to direct customers [17:00] Viewing new campaign strategies from an evaluation standpoint [19:23] The full story behind how Adi brought Provenir’s marketing in-house [21:10] Why you should avoid too many micro-campaigns that drive leads but don’t add up to a bigger story [24:01] Provenir’s main goal as viewed through a car lease example [30:00] Adi’s go-to inspirational resources for marketing risks and CMO advice [32:42] Adi looks forward into the rest of 2018 and talks about the challenges she hopes to tackle Provenir’s main focus within financial technology and why empowering people to make better, faster decisions is so important Provenir strives to orchestrate a company’s decision making processes for customers. Adi first experienced this decision-making dilemma after wanting to lease her third car from the same company in four years. Even though the company knew her as a customer and was familiar with her positive financial history, the company still made her wait over 48 hours before they would approve another lease agreement. She believes that decision making needs to be faster, more automated, and that you should never make a customer wait while you decide on whether or not to take their business because it gives them time to go to your competitors. That’s what Provenir prevents. They empower lenders to make better decisions faster and enables them to provide their customers with an even better experience. Adi shares some great anecdotes with Drew about why automating decisions is so critical to a company’s success and you don’t want to miss them. The path towards in-house communication strategies and how Adi artfully crafted this process from start to finish Even though working with public relations organizations has been an industry standard for years. Adi and her team at Provenir recently decided to create and distribute their own in-house press releases. This decision came after a few of their self-published blog posts received large amounts of feedback and engagement. Journalists were attracted to the company and they connected with their audiences even without the third party assistance. While bringing communications in-house, Adi realized that there were a number of needs that now needed to be fulfilled by their team: create a CRM database, produce content to follow up each press release, measure the impact, etc. No one could do all of this work on their own, which is why Adi has teams across the world working on these communication and marketing strategies. She tells Drew that there are always trade-offs for bringing work in-house, but that it was definitely a successful marketing risk that Provenir took. To hear all about Adi’s challenges and successes with this venture, be sure to listen to this episode of Renegade Thinkers Unite. Taking strategic marketing risks can provide greater benefits, and your company can learn from Adi’s successes at Provenir There are four main qualities that Drew encourages every CMO to have: courage, artfulness, thoughtfulness, and scientificness. Of these, he believes that courage is the most essential and the one in shortest supply. Taking marketing risks can be difficult but it is necessary even in financial industries. If your team decides to go after a risky marketing venture rather than going with the standard methods and it’s successful, the payoffs will be far greater. You can learn from Provenir’s recent in-house communications successes and adapt their strategies to your company. Taking the initial steps is often the most challenging part, and requires every bit of courage that you have as a CMO. For inspiration, be sure to check out Adi’s story on this episode of Renegade Thinkers Unite. Connect With Adi: Provenir’s company team webpage Adi’s Provenir author webpage Connect with Adi on LinkedIn Follow Adi on Twitter Follow Adi on Facebook Follow Adi on Medium Resources & People Mentioned Adi’s article on chocolate-cinnamon cake Provenir blog article: “Is Google Picking on the Payday Lending Industry?” Provenir’s chosen database service - Hubspot PR Newswire website Inbound conferences Stratabeat B2B marketing agency BOOK: “Traction: Get a Grip on Your Business” Connect with Drew http://renegade.com/ On LinkedIn On Twitter On Facebook On Instagram

Mar 2, 2018 • 41min
67: How DocuSign’s CMO Discovered How to Develop a Marketing Vision through Orchestration
Developing a marketing vision through company-wide orchestration will allow you create more value while streamlining work. In today’s accelerated world, both customers and businesses want to spend less time on logistics and more time actually making a difference in their markets. DocuSign is one of the top businesses doing just that - allowing work to happen faster for over 200 million users across 188 countries. On this episode of Renegade Thinkers Unite, Drew interviews Scott Olrich, the Chief Strategy and Marketing Officer for DocuSign. They discuss exactly what orchestration means in terms of B2B marketing environments, how to sell a marketing vision, and why courageous decision making should be a part of any CMO job description. Scott is behind some of the biggest changes at DocuSign, rated as the 22nd best place to work in 2018 by Glassdoor. He shares his expertise with Drew in this interview and explains why ultimate orchestration will set you apart from your competitors in an exciting new way. To hear why marketing visions are so important, be sure to catch this episode of Renegade Thinkers Unite. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts - Stitcher- or Podsearch What You’ll Learn [1:10] Drew introduces his guest for this episode, Scott Olrich, Chief Strategy and Marketing Officer for DocuSign [4:25] DocuSign’s current place in transactional happiness and what it means to be an orchestrated company [11:54] What exactly does orchestration mean within a company? [15:05] The importance of not pushing the envelope too far when it comes to selling a vision [19:25] How Scott views the idea of a company narrative and how it can be used to sell your marketing vision [24:29] Scott shares how he’s incorporating courageous decision-making into his current position at DocuSign [28:59] Where DocuSign is headed in the future [36:25] Drew’s summary of the episode, and why orchestration will set you apart from your competitors Scott explains exactly what orchestration means within a company and why it’s so critical to long-term success When Scott started the orchestration process at DocuSign, the company was focused solely on making digital signatures easier. Now they are moving towards streamlining multiple components of doing business in a digital world. In any company environment, you have to understand where your organization's broader category of business is going to go. Rather than focusing solely on the “now,” teams have to be able to see where the entire market is going in the future and set up systems to accommodate that forward growth. That’s where orchestration comes in. Essentially, orchestration occurs when a company’s marketing visions, products, sales teams, and senior leadership all subscribe to a new macro way of thinking about the company. This drives long-term success because as Scott explains, “People want to buy into the future!” They just have to be given a reason to do so. The importance of not pushing the envelope too far when it comes to selling a marketing vision The first step of orchestration is to develop a new marketing vision for your company. This clear vision and narrative of what you think the company should be will drive your products, marketing strategies, and internal educational components. A vision should teach and challenge people to think differently about the bigger picture issue, but you have to be able to back up this vision with real-world examples that people can understand. Orchestration does so much more than just improve response rates for one marketing campaign, it has the power to rework your entire business if you allow it. The biggest danger with orchestration? You want to avoid a disconnect between your product and the vision you’re trying to sell. If your marketing teams and product teams are not on the same page, customers will recognize this and be wary of your company. To hear Scott explain this challenge in full detail, be sure to listen to this episode of Renegade Thinkers Unite. Why courageous decision making should be a large part of any CMO job description As the Chief Strategy Officer and CMO, Scott has been charged with taking an already successful company and making it even better. On this episode, Drew asks Scott how he has the courage to take risky decisions and how he combats the idea of “if it’s not broken, why fix it?” Once you establish a clear marketing vision you have to subscribe to it 100%, go out and win over the rest of the company, and then sell it to your customers. There’s actually a formula for this type of courageous decision-making, and Scott fully explains each step in this interview with Drew. Your company and your career will greatly benefit from hearing his story, so don’t miss this episode. Connect With Scott: DocuSign’s press release on Scott Connect with Scott on LinkedIn Resources & People Mentioned DocuSign website Ep. 42 “Why The Best Talent is Going Client-side w CMO of Boxed.com” Drew’s scheduling tool - Schedule Once Connect with Drew http://renegade.com/ On LinkedIn On Twitter On Facebook On Instagram

Feb 23, 2018 • 37min
66: Driving the Future of Banking Technology Through a Massive Merger with Martin Häring of Finastra
It’s always fun to talk with someone who is on the cutting edge of their industry. And when that industry is something as significant to the global economy as banking, it gets even more interesting. On this episode, you’ll hear my conversation with Martin Häring, CMO of a newly formed company Finastra. Finastra is actually the result of a merger between two existing powerhouses in the banking technology industry - Misys and D+H. In our conversation, Martin highlights the particular challenges faced in bringing two well-known and highly-respected companies together with an eye to maintaining the reputation and specialization of each but forging something altogether different and exciting at the same time. As Chief Marketing Officer, for Finastra, Martin is responsible for marketing on a global scale. He first joined the team at Misys in October 2013 and is part of the Executive Team at the newly formed company. He’s excited not only because the company is a big player in the banking industry but more so by its opportunity to determine the future of banking technology over the long haul. You’ll enjoy this conversation so I hope you take the time to listen. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher What You’ll Learn [0:29] My guest on this episode: Martin Häring of Finastra [1:18] The amazing journey of how Finastra combined 3 companies [4:41] Approaching the business analysis for a merger of this magnitude [7:23] Getting employees excited about the new brand coming from the merger [11:20] The brand naming process, legal hurdles, internal challenges [13:36] An unbelievable 6 month timeframe for making the merger happen [21:01] Martin’s interview with a human-sounding and human-looking android [24:43] A.I. solutions being built into the Finastra platform [28:07] The biggest marketing challenges Martin and Finastra are facing In marketing, we are all storytellers ~ Martin Häring One of the most intriguing things to me about a huge merger like has happened between Misys and D+H is the task of creating a new brand identity without losing the loyalty and enthusiasm of existing customers. It’s not simply a matter of coming up with a catchy name and deciding on a color palette for the new logo and letterhead. The legal issues alone are mind-boggling. Martin shares some of the challenges the Finastra team had to address in its merger and rebrand and highlights how the same foundational principle that supports good marketing - storytelling - was required internally in developing and nurturing a new vision among its team members, and externally in the form of customer outreach and communication. I love how marketing principles prove to be useful in a variety of challenges businesses face. Martin’s insights are gold, so be sure you take the time to listen. A brand starts with a bold vision and requires the underlying tech to fuel it ~ Martin Häring When it comes to bold visions, Martin Häring and the team at Finastra are leading the way in the banking industry. The company is positioned as a leader in banking technology and is intentionally paving the way for the future of what banking will become as a global industry. In our conversation, Martin and I talk about the role A.I. (artificial intelligence) will play in banking tech and how Finastra is leading the way in developing the systems and platforms that financial institutions will use in the future. It’s a long, slow road to introduce new technologies in the banking industry but the Finastra team is not only patient, they know the industry well and are taking steps at the pace the industry can handle. Are you driving the trends in your industry or trying to keep up with them? In Martin Häring’s view, CEOs and CMOs should be asking themselves daily if their company is merely maintaining the status quo or driving their industry forward. It’s the innovation and disruption market leaders create that makes them the go-to people in a given industry. In this conversation, as Martin describes the changes coming to the future of banking technology and the role his company, Finastra is playing in the implementation of those changes, I got a feel for what he meant. It’s about thinking ahead, looking into the future to see what will be needed years from now, and positioning yourself to be the one to meet those challenges and provide the right solutions. This was an enjoyable and challenging conversation you won’t want to miss. Connect With Martin: Finastra Company website Martin’s LinkedIn Profile Resources & People Mentioned www.Force.com (the SalesForce website) Connect with Drew On LinkedIn On Twitter On Facebook On Instagram