Revenue Boost: A Marketing Podcast

Welcome to Revenue Boost: A Marketing Podcast, the ultimate resource for business leaders eager to skyrocket your company's growth!In this episode, “The Power of Synergy: Aligning Sales and Marketing for Business Growth,” host Kerry Curran is joined by Kim Tran, Director, Head of Marketing & Business Development at Gimmal. We'll dive into the secrets of aligning sales and marketing for exceptional business growth and discuss the importance of change management in transforming marketing approaches. Discover how Kim's innovative strategies have revitalized brands and fostered seamless alignment between sales and marketing teams.If you're ready to align your marketing expertise with your business growth goals, this episode is a must-listen. Let's go!Podcast Guest: Kim TranHost: Kerry CurranTitle: The Power of Synergy: Aligning Sales and Marketing for Business GrowthWelcome to Revenue Boost: A Marketing Podcast, the ultimate resource for business leaders eager to skyrocket your company's growth! I'm your host, Kerry Curran, and this episode is, “The Power of Synergy: Aligning Sales and Marketing for Business Growth” With special guest Kim Tran, Director, Head of Marketing & Business Development, GimmalIn this episode we’ll discuss the secrets to aligning sales and marketing for exceptional business growth. We’ll discuss the importance of change management in transforming marketing approaches. Discover how Kim's innovative strategies have revitalized brands and fostered seamless alignment between sales and marketing teams. If you're ready to align your marketing expertise with your business growth goals, this episode is a must-listen. Let's go!Kerry Curran, RBMA (00:02.842)And welcome Kim. So please introduce yourself and tell us a bit about your background and experience.Kim Tran (00:09.255)Thank you, Kerry. Thank you for having me. So my background, I started off actually just about 10 years ago. I had been what I call a non -traditional marketer. I started off my career thinking I wanted to become a lawyer, started off in media litigation, First Amendment law. And while there, social media was just coming up, Facebook, LinkedIn. I started diving into customer events and then… did a full pivot into B2B SaaS just about 10 years ago, working for PR and marketing automation software company. And since then, I've worked in pretty much every industry you can think of, internet infrastructure, more recently, ed tech, and some time in financial services and global media as well.Kerry Curran, RBMA (01:00.986)That's great. Well, thank you. We're excited for you to share your expertise today. So I know you've worked with a lot of different marketing brands and teams and verticals. So what are some of the challenges that you've seen for brands when they're in a time of transition or need to update their marketing approach?Kim Tran (01:24.103)Yeah, this is such a great question because I always get it, you know, during interviews or even just, you know, panels and things like that. marketers, you know, yes, deep industry experience and expertise is very important, but there are very similar challenges across industries. I've been in the beta C space. I've been in the beta B space, tech, non -tech, and the challenges are really …First and foremost, educating your internal leadership about what marketing is, and also externally, building a brand long-term, managing brand perception, you know, top funnel, quote unquote, fluffy things that don't always have immediate returns, and educating your leadership on that, but also as a marketer, keeping up with all these changes, privacy compliance, you know, changing buyer behaviors.B2B space, especially long sales cycles, right? It's not a one overnight, one click buy like Amazon, but really thinking through psychologically, both from a change management perspective, but also in marketing and sales enablement perspective as well.Kerry Curran, RBMA (02:41.53)No, definitely. You know, I loved your point of change management in kind of how you work with your leadership to want to kind of pivot, especially if they're in a time of we need something's not working or we need this to work better. So talk a bit more about your approach to change management and what that's looked like for you.Kim Tran (03:06.599)Yeah, so I can talk about a past company, but also my current company, two very different spaces. So again, as I mentioned, you can work in various industries and people are dealing with very similar challenges. So when I was in financial services at a top credit card company, we were very well known for advertising. They were fun, they were cheeky.Kerry Curran, RBMA (03:21.434)Yeah.Kim Tran (03:36.359)You know, and there's something tangible to hold up as a credit card company, right? You can be very tactical about that. But while there, I was actually with a very niche division, the business bank division, and we were marketing to a more sophisticated customer, very upmarket. They

Welcome to Revenue Boost: A Marketing Podcast, the ultimate resource for business leaders eager to skyrocket their company's growth!In this episode, “Breaking Through the Clutter: The Power of Creativity in Marketing for Business Growth,” host Kerry Curran sits down with industry veteran Faye Doyle. They dive into the critical role of creativity in marketing and how companies can stand out in a crowded marketplace. Faye shares practical strategies for integrating creativity into your marketing efforts while balancing short-term performance with long-term brand building.Join us for an enlightening conversation with Faye as we explore how to break through the noise and drive sustainable business growth. Let's go! Podcast Guest: Faye DoyleHost: Kerry CurranTitle: Breaking Through the Clutter: The Power of Creativity in Marketing for Business GrowthWelcome to Revenue Boost: A Marketing Podcast, the ultimate resource for business leaders eager to skyrocket their company's growth! I'm your host, Kerry Curran, and this episode is, “Breaking Through the Clutter: The Power of Creativity in Marketing for Business Growth” With special guest and industry veteran,Faye Doyle In this episode, we'll dive into the critical role of creativity in marketing. Faye will share her insights on how companies can stand out in a crowded marketplace and build a brand that resonates with consumers. We'll explore practical strategies for integrating creativity into your marketing efforts and how to balance short-term performance with long-term brand building.So, if you're ready to learn how to break through the noise and drive sustainable business growth, join us for an enlightening conversation with Faye. Let’s go!Kerry Curran, RBMA (00:00.472)And welcome, Faye. Please tell us a bit about yourself and your extensive experience in marketing.Faye Doyle (00:09.106)Thank you, Kerry, for having me. So excited to be here. My background spans over 20 years in ad agencies, both large and boutique, in mostly Boston, but also a bit of New York. I also have some corporate marketing experience in the B2B space, as well as in performance marketing. So a little bit of a variety, which is nice.Kerry Curran, RBMA (00:33.176)Excellent. I know you've worked with a number of different brands and verticals and business challenges. So I'm excited to tap into your wealth of knowledge today. So I know we've talked about a number of topics, but from the top, what do you recommend for a company that's focused on building their brand awareness, but also tying it to revenue and brand growth?Faye Doyle (00:57.906)It's such a good question and if you're a marketer, you're probably waking up every day and asking yourself that very question. My focus would be the use of creativity. So it's crucial for brand awareness because you need to be able to break through the noise, capture consumers' attention, make sure that anything that you're communicating to them is memorable.So that they can really, you know, when it comes time to make a purchase, they're keeping you top of mind. So creativity, I would say, is the crucial component or ingredient to that.Kerry Curran, RBMA (01:33.016)Yeah, and creativity is not just a task or initiative. So how can companies really build creativity into their culture and process to make their marketing stand out?Faye Doyle (01:44.818)Well, I think the first and foremost thing is that there needs to be internal alignment. If there are differing opinions on what the brand stands for, who the brand is, and how the brand is represented, you're not going to be able to get that cohesive and kind of breakthrough, memorable branding opportunity. So internal alignment is absolutely key for that.Kerry Curran, RBMA (02:13.528)Yep, and so getting that internal buy-in, like how have you done that? Because I know there's always a lot of internal different opinions and stakeholders and egos.Faye Doyle (02:28.594)Yeah, there's a lot. Everybody has different priorities. I think branding can mean different things to different internal stakeholders. And then how that actually comes to life could mean different things to different people. Trust is really, at the end of the day, what this is all about. So once there is alignment, it's trusting the marketing team to be able to bring that to life in an effective way.Kerry Curran, RBMA (02:36.952)Mm -hmm.Faye Doyle (02:53.874)But also give some room to try different tactics and see what works. And even more importantly, what doesn't work. You can scale the things that work and you can sense things that aren't. And that over time gives you a focus. It's just constant. And to think about it as almost constant optimization of your marketing strategies and tactics.Kerry Curran, RBMA (03:17.272)Yeah, and do you find that when you kind of bring the stakeholders along or involve them, it's a little bit easier to get them kind of their buy-in or?Faye Doyle (03:28.21)It's, I mean, it's crucial. That is an absolute must.

Welcome to Revenue Boost: A Marketing Podcast, the ultimate resource for business leaders eager to skyrocket their company's growth!In this episode, "Accelerating Product Launch: Untangling Company Challenges from Concept to Market," host Kerry Curran welcomes Cynthia White, president of Ceatro Group. They explore the critical junctures where companies often face hurdles, from the initial stages of product development to bringing a product to market. Cynthia shares insights on how her firm intervenes when products underperform or companies struggle to meet market demands.Join us to discover how strategic thinking and deep market understanding can turn potential failures into resounding successes. If you're ready to unlock the secrets of accelerating your product launch and boosting your company's revenue, let's get started!Podcast Guest: Cynthia WhiteHost: Kerry CurranTitle: Accelerating Product Launch: Untangling Company Challenges from Concept to MarketWelcome to Revenue Boost: A Marketing Podcast, the ultimate resource for business leaders eager to skyrocket their company's growth! I'm your host, Kerry Curran, and this episode is, “Accelerating Product Launch: Untangling Company Challenges from Concept to Market” With special guest Cythnia White, president of Ceatro GroupIn this episode, we'll explore the critical junctures where companies often face hurdles, from the initial stages of product development to the final steps of bringing a product to market. Cynthia will share insights into how her firm intervenes when products underperform or when companies struggle to meet market demands. We'll discuss real-world examples of how strategic thinking and deep market understanding can turn potential failures into resounding successes.So, if you're ready to unlock the secrets of accelerating your product launch and boosting your company's revenue, let's get started! Kerry Curran, RBMA (00:02.398)Welcome Cynthia. I'd love for you to introduce yourself and tell us a bit about yourself and your company.Cynthia White (00:08.511)Sure, thank you so much. I'm Cynthia White. I am president of Ceatro Group. We are a management consulting anthropology firm. And our specialty has been helping companies understand the people that matter most to them, whether it be customers, employees, or supply chain partners, and figuring out what that means to their strategy, service, experience, product, financial strategy, sort of playing the middle between the market or the humans and the business to make sure the whole, both the company and the people get more value out of it.Kerry Curran, RBMA (00:44.542)Excellent. And so I know we've had a few conversations about a lot of the research you do and the partners that you work with. Talk a bit about when companies and brands tend to call you in and what are their pain points or questions they usually need help with.Cynthia White (01:04.095)Sure, so specifically for us. We are usually joining companies, the most ideal scenario is when they are just starting the exploration for a new product or service. That's the exciting stuff because you start early and you stay with them through the whole thing. That's not usually where it happens. Usually they call us in because they've heard that we can help them solve a problem that they haven't found another solution for. And that is usually that there's a product or a service or an experience in the market and it's not producing what they hope or the customers have been complaining or something shifts in the … Kerry Curran, RBMA (01:14.782)Mm-hmm.Cynthia White (01:36.593)… market and they need to make a big change. So in the scenario of service development, it could be anything from fixing a customer service strategy. Right now we have a client for whom we've been with for three years where during COVID they recognized that their in -person customer service experience in apparel wasn't going to work well due to COVID and already the changing landscape and they needed a better direct and digital service and experience strategy.We have a few other clients that we're working with now in the tech space who are launching new products or product feature additions and they want to understand more about how it will land or they want to understand needs and gaps. Right now we're putting together a proposal for a company that wants to transform their post login experience and that means understanding what customers may or may not want from post login. Of course, companies always think if they build it, the …Kerry Curran, RBMA (02:28.862)Mm-hmm.Cynthia White (02:36.305)… customers will come, but that almost never happens. So we try to do that early work with them to also see what is worth creating based on the money they need to make or the goals that the company has, not just the customer's goals.Kerry Curran, RBMA (02:50.974)And so how often do you find that they have a product in mind or a solution and they can't quite find the right market or they're

Welcome to Revenue Boost: A Marketing Podcast, the ultimate resource for business leaders eager to skyrocket their company's growth!In this episode, “The New CMO Playbook: Aligning Expertise with Business Growth Goals,” host Kerry Curran welcomes Erica Seidel. Erica shares her unique perspective on recruiting and nurturing top-tier marketing talent that drives revenue growth. This episode is packed with actionable insights on scaling your marketing team and aligning your marketing expertise with business growth goals.Join us as Erica and Kerry explore how today's CMOs can bridge the gap between strategy and execution, ensuring marketing has a critical seat at the strategic planning table. Whether you're aiming to double your company's revenue or scale sustainably, this conversation is a must-listen. Let's dive in!Podcast Guest: Erica SeidelHost: Kerry CurranTopic: The New CMO Playbook: Aligning Expertise with Business Growth GoalsWelcome to Revenue Boost: A Marketing Podcast, the ultimate resource for business leaders eager to skyrocket their company's growth! I'm your host, Kerry Curran, and this episode is, “The New CMO Playbook: Aligning Expertise with Business Growth Goals” With special guest Erica Seidel, Leading B2B CMO recruiter and founder of The Connective Good. In this episode, Erica shares her unique perspective on what it takes to find and cultivate top-tier marketing talent that doesn't just make things look pretty, but truly moves the needle on revenue. Whether you're aiming to double your company's revenue or scale your marketing team for sustainable growth, this conversation is packed with actionable insights.Join us as Erica and I explore how today's CMOs can be both changemakers and peacemakers, effectively bridging the gap between strategy and execution, and ensuring that marketing has a critical seat at the strategic planning table. If you're ready to align your marketing expertise with your business growth goals, this episode is a must-listen. Let's dive in!Kerry (00:02.931)Welcome, Erica. We are very excited to have you here today. I'd love for you to introduce yourself and share a bit of your background and expertise.Erica Seidel (00:11.47)Sure. Well, thanks for having me, Kerry. You and I have known each other, I think, a while. I've tried to recruit you for things, and so it's great to see you doing your revenue boost and great to chat with you. So I run a retained executive search practice called the Connective Good. And my tagline, as you know, is I place the make money marketing leaders and not the make it pretty ones.I've been doing this for, my goodness, about 13 years. That's amazing. And I started this because I had, I had previously been at Forrester way back and I had recruiters calling me and they were saying like, wow, this is the best job ever. But they didn't really understand what they were recruiting for and they weren't really taking the time to understand me. And I felt like, well, maybe I could do it better by being very niche focused. So….Initially, when I started my practice, it was the way I described it was the intersection between marketing and analytics and tech and data. And then I just was able to simplify it as I talked to many people and kind of shared my elevator pitch with them. I was able to kind of just characterize it as, no, I placed the make money marketing leaders, not the make it pretty ones. So I primarily work with B2B SaaS companies that are in some kind of scale up mode. So…Maybe a $50 million company wants to become 100 million, maybe 100 million wants to become 200 million, could be 20 million wants to become 50 million, whatever. There's always these like, we're here and we want to get there. And I either am placing the CMO at a smaller company or I'm helping a CMO at a company of some size build their team.Kerry (01:57.203)That's great. And so expand a bit more on your, the make money versus make pretty kind of philosophy.Erica Seidel (02:04.622)Yeah. Well, I, right. So like I said, when I started it, it was a little bit like kind of jumbled the way I talked about it. But I was always pulled towards more roles that are like marketing analytics, marketing technology, marketing data, and felt more comfortable with those roles and less about the more fuzzier side of marketing. And I also thought it was important for B2B because, you know, B2C and B2B are different. In B2C, you have marketers who are more likely to have a background as kind of like a general manager. That's not always the case in B2B.Kerry (02:36.467)Hmm.Erica Seidel (02:52.718)Historically and again in B2B SaaS, now it can be, but usually you have people coming from product marketing or demand generation or corporate marketing. And so it was helpful for me to kind of characterize that.Kerry (02:52.915)Mm-hmm.Erica Seidel (03:08.75)Now, I will say that even if somebody is on the brand experience or corporate marketing side, I have seen plenty of those people being very much a

Welcome to Revenue Boost: A Marketing Podcast, the ultimate resource for business leaders eager to skyrocket their company's growth! I'm your host, Kerry Curran, and this episode is, “Colors, Logos, and Loyalty: The Essentials of Effective Branding for Business Growth” with special guest Jess O’Brien, Creative Director at Overdrive Interactive.In this episode, we'll discuss the power of colors, logos, and the emotional connections they forge with your audience. Learn why consistent branding is crucial for building customer loyalty and why a well-crafted brand can be your greatest asset. Get ready for an insightful discussion filled with real-world examples and actionable advice. Whether you're a startup looking to make your mark or an established brand seeking a refresh, this episode will provide the tools and inspiration you need to elevate your business to new heights. Tune in and discover how to transform your branding strategy into a powerful driver of business growth.Podcast Guest: Jess O’BrienHost: Kerry CurranTitle: Colors, Logos, and Loyalty: The Essentials of Effective Branding for Business GrowthWelcome to Revenue Boost: A Marketing Podcast, the ultimate resource for business leaders eager to skyrocket their company's growth! I'm your host, Kerry Curran, and this episode is, “Colors, Logos, and Loyalty: The Essentials of Effective Branding for Business Growth” With special guest Jess O’Brien Creative Director at Overdrive InteractiveIn this episode, we'll discuss the power of colors, logos, and the emotional connections they forge with your audience. Learn why consistent branding is crucial for building customer loyalty and why a well-crafted brand can be your greatest asset.Get ready for an insightful discussion filled with real-world examples and actionable advice. Whether you're a startup looking to make your mark or an established brand seeking a refresh, this episode will provide the tools and inspiration you need to elevate your business to new heights.Kerry Curran, RBMA (00:02.818)Great. And so welcome Jess, tell us a bit about yourself and your experience and background.Jess O'Brien (00:09.764)Yes, okay. So I have a bit of a storied background. I've kind of explored all the different facets of the creative world and the world of marketing. I started, my God, 100 years ago now, in school for video editing and had the pleasure of having some really unique video editing internships. I worked for a documentary filmmaker who was making films about sex trafficking in Tel Aviv. I worked… very early in social media marketing when it was just sort of like the wild, wild west of social. So I had the distinct pleasure of working on the VH1 Top 20 Twitter account back when it was still Twitter and back when they were kind of trying to see what the impact of social [media] would be. So now social [media] is not really around that interns work in primarily, but I did get to have that instant impact right when social was hitting the ground. So I got to get clued into seeing how fantastic this new frontier of marketing was straight away. From there, I continued into the video production world working for a firm that partnered with agencies to produce commercials. And that's how I really got into the world of advertising. It wasn't something that I had studied or had really been aware of, other than my own personal interest and love of commercials and copywriting. So I moved over into an agency that primarily did branding for startups. And I got to experience this whole new world. Startups in Boston are just, it's permeating the scene, right? You look at all these different skyscrapers.And you don't know that there are these startup hubs in all of these different skyscrapers. And you get to be in these incubators and learn about all these new products that are coming on scene and really get to experience brand building in its very nascent stages because it's a new product, new company, new brand. It's super exciting. And from there, that agency was actually absorbed by the agency I'm at right now, which is a digital ROI. Focused lead driven conversion type digital marketing agency who still does branding work, but we usually work with more mature companies that are looking to bring in leads and nurture and grow.Kerry Curran, RBMA (02:46.434)Great, so thank you. I know you have tons of background. It makes your experience even more robust, especially when it comes to building out brands. And it's not a simple process. And so talk to us about why it is important to use branding?Jess O'Brien (03:11.044)So branding is an un-intangible concept, right? It's what lives in your audience's mind. It's the story that forms. It's the bridge from your product, whatever you're selling. It's the bridge from that to your audience. It's the package that's being delivered to them. And it's incredibly important because you want that package to match whatever you're selling to your audience. You wouldn't… put a paper bag arou

Welcome to Revenue Boost: A Marketing Podcast, the ultimate resource for business leaders eager to skyrocket their company's growth! I'm your host, Kerry Curran, and this episode is, “Unveil the Hidden Power of B2B Branding: Decoding Your Brand's DNA for Explosive Business Growth” with special guest Joe Lovett, Fractional CMO and Founder of Proving Ground.In this episode, we'll discuss why B2B companies often overlook the importance of branding, the critical steps to build a purposeful brand strategy, and how aligning your brand with your business goals can shorten sales cycles and drive revenue. We'll also delve into Joe's robust and defined framework for creating a brand that stands out, resonates with your audience, and ultimately leads to sustained growth.Tune in to discover the secrets of B2B branding and how to decode your brand’s DNA for explosive business growth. Whether you’re looking to refine your brand strategy or seeking ways to accelerate your revenue, this episode is packed with actionable insights and expert advice. Don’t miss out on unlocking the hidden power of your brand!Podcast Guest: Joe LovettHost: Kerry CurranTopic: Unveil the Hidden Power of B2B Branding: Decoding Your Brand's DNA for Explosive Business GrowthWelcome to Revenue Boost: A Marketing Podcast, the ultimate resource for business leaders eager to skyrocket their company's growth! I'm your host, Kerry Curran, and this episode is, “ Unveil the Hidden Power of B2B Branding: Decoding Your Brand's DNA for Explosive Business Growth” With special guest Joe Lovett, Fractional CMO and Founder of Proving Ground In this episode, we'll discuss why B2B companies often overlook the importance of branding, the critical steps to build a purposeful brand strategy, and how aligning your brand with your business goals can shorten sales cycles and drive revenue. We'll also delve into Joe's robust and defined framework for creating a brand that stands out, resonates with your audience, and ultimately leads to sustained growth.Kerry Curran, RBMA (00:00.76)Welcome Joe. Joe would love for you to introduce yourself and share a bit about your consultancy.Joe Lovett (00:08.864)Yeah, thank you, Kerry. Appreciate you having me on today. My name is Joe Lovett, and I am a fractional CMO for a company called Proving Ground. Just a little bit about me, Kerry and I actually worked together many years ago in the search engine marketing space. We were saying on the… we were talking on the prep for this podcast that really still think that that helps shape my perspective because in search you really have to think through who is the target audience, what do they care about, what are they looking for, where are they in the journey, all these constant things that you have to think about.But from there, I went to a couple different agencies, bounced around a couple different agencies. Last place I was the strategic, the head of intelligence and head of strategy at a local agency here in Boston, and then struck out on my own and been doing this for about four years. I typically work with small to medium startups in the technology space mostly.Kerry Curran, RBMA (01:18.04)Awesome. Thanks Joe. Yes. Joe said we worked together a long time ago back when the brand differentiator was people are processed in our technology. So hopefully if you get anything from the conversation today, it will be to be a little bit more specific in your brand strategy and messaging. But yeah, the first, the original, the first. Yeah.Joe Lovett (01:37.408)That's right. Yeah. Or the first. You forgot about the first. The original, the first, you know, all those great differentiators.Kerry Curran, RBMA (01:46.904)And we were, it was a good time. But yeah, so Joe, I know you've worked with a number of brands and brand challenges over the years. So kind of, especially when you're talking to your newer clients or prospects, like what do brands ask you? What are they asking you for?Joe Lovett (02:06.304)Yeah, you know, I don't. I mean, there's I think on the B2C side typically work with B2B and on the B2C side, I think having a brand is a pretty well known thing. On the B2B side, it's a little bit. I don't know if they're about getting their product in the hands, showing the impact on the business.Kerry Curran, RBMA (02:19.48)Mm-hmm.Joe Lovett (02:29.536)Things like that, they don't really recognize that a brand is necessarily needed. I think that's probably something that they look at not being a priority. So I always, I probably have to do a little bit of the heavier lifting when it comes to selling and saying, hey, you actually need a brand. There was actually a study a number of years ago that, …Kerry Curran, RBMA (02:35.928)Mm -hmm.Joe Lovett (02:53.92)… people actually felt a tighter connection with a B2B brand than they do a B2C brand. So for instance, companies like Cisco or IBM or things like that, their customers actually had a tighter connection with that brand than they do say, you kn

Welcome to Revenue Boost: A Marketing Podcast, the ultimate resource for business leaders eager to skyrocket their company's growth! I'm your host, Kerry Curran, and this episode is, “How Smart CMOs Integrate Marketing into Business Growth Strategy” with special guest Collin Colburn, Senior Account Executive at Forrester.In this episode, we delve into the critical role of marketing in shaping business strategy and driving value. We discuss how smart marketers can position themselves as key players in strategic business discussions, emphasizing the importance of aligning marketing with the overall corporate vision and goals. Whether it's enhancing customer retention, fostering new business growth, or navigating the ever-evolving landscape of sales and marketing alignment, Collin shares practical advice and real-world examples to help you elevate your marketing game and ensure your organization thrives in today's competitive environment. Tune in to discover how to leverage marketing for sustainable business growth.Podcast Guest: Collin ColburnHost: Kerry CurranTopic: How Smart CMOs Integrate Marketing into Business Growth StrategyWelcome to Revenue Boost: A Marketing Podcast, the ultimate resource for business leaders eager to skyrocket their company's growth! I'm your host, Kerry Curran, and this episode is, “How Smart CMOs Integrate Marketing into Business Growth Strategy” With special guest Collin Colburn, Senior Account Executive at Forrester.In this episode, we delve into the critical role of marketing in shaping business strategy and driving value. We discuss how smart marketers can position themselves as key players in strategic business discussions, emphasizing the importance of aligning marketing with the overall corporate vision and goals. Whether it's enhancing customer retention, fostering new business growth, or navigating the ever-evolving landscape of sales and marketing alignment, We discuss practical advice and real-world examples to help you elevate your marketing game and ensure your organization thrives in today's competitive environment.Kerry Curran, RBMA (00:02.726)Welcome Colin, why don't you take a minute and introduce yourself.Collin Colburn (01:21.429)Thank you, Kerry. So excited to be here. Colin Colburn over at Forrester was an analyst here for six years and now on the commercial side of our business working with lots of Fortune 500 organizations across marketing, IT, and customer experience. So very, very excited to be here and excited for our discussion.Kerry Curran, RBMA (01:42.79)Great, awesome, thanks Colin and thank you for joining and I know you have a lot of experience in this space looking at marketing and how it affects business strategy and the overall corporate planning. So talk a bit about how you're seeing the role of marketing in relation to business strategy.Collin Colburn (02:06.933)Yeah, it's a great question and one that's very top of mind for a lot of the CMOs that I meet with today because many of them are trying to figure out how they can include themselves in these conversations around business strategy. And so much of it is around how marketing can be the center function that delivers value.Kerry Curran, RBMA (02:24.998)Mm -hmm.Collin Colburn (02:35.573)For the business, so that's really the, I think the wedge that a lot of smart marketers that I work with are trying to drive is that marketing is the value delivery orchestrator within the company. So that's, I think, how they're trying to wedge their way into being more involved in those strategic business conversations about growth, about go-to market, about everything.Kerry Curran, RBMA (02:48.966)Mm -hmm.Collin Colburn (03:03.573)Kind of across the traditional four P's, if you will, product, price, placement, promotion, promotion kind of being the one that marketing always is thought of being included in or owning. But many of these marketers are trying to be included in all four of those facets.Kerry Curran, RBMA (03:20.262)Yeah, yeah, definitely. And I know over the years we've had a lot of conversations in regards to mission, vision, values, and kind of how that represents your brand identity, your company positioning, and what ultimately, from my perspective, that kind of comes into play as the company's North Star, so that, as we were talking about before, if everyone understands what the company represents, where...Where are we trying to be in three years? Who are we as a brand as we're communicating to our customers, our prospects out in the industry? And that, you know, for me, my perspective really marketing needs to have a strong role in developing that. And I think that's often when I'm talking to people, it's not always the case, you know, that should come from the CEO or someone, but it should really be. The brand and marketing, but what's your take on that?Collin Colburn (04:24.629)Yeah, absolutely. I mean, marketing really is the function that manages the business ecosystem and the relation

Welcome to Revenue Boost: A Marketing Podcast, the ultimate resource for business leaders eager to skyrocket their company's growth! I'm your host, Kerry Curran, and this episode is “Playboy's Modern Evolution: Iconic Brand Growth Through Influential Partnerships and Creator-Led Content” with special guests Amanda Solomon, VP of Creator and Social Growth, and Shayna Macklin, Director of Brand Strategy, Social, and Original Content.In this episode, we'll explore how Playboy is redefining itself through innovative partnerships and creator-led content. Amanda and Shayna share insights on leveraging authenticity and modern storytelling to captivate new audiences. They'll discuss the impact of influencer marketing and the evolution of brand perception, revealing Playboy's secrets to staying relevant in a crowded market. Whether you're a marketer seeking to boost your brand's visibility or a business owner aiming to increase revenue, this episode offers actionable advice and inspiring stories. Tune in to learn how to navigate today's digital landscape and create a lasting impression with your target audience.Podcast Guests: Amanda Solomon and Shayna MacklinHost: Kerry CurranTitle: Playboy's Modern Evolution: Iconic Brand Growth Through Influential Partnerships and Creator-Led ContentWelcome to Revenue Boost: A Marketing Podcast, the ultimate resource for business leaders eager to skyrocket their company's growth! I'm your host, Kerry Curran, and this episode is “Playboy's Modern Evolution: Iconic Brand Growth Through Influential Partnerships and Creator-Led Content” with special guests Amanda Solomon, VP of Creator and Social Growth, and Shayna Macklin, Director of Brand Strategy, Social, and Original ContentIn this episode, we'll explore how Playboy is redefining itself through innovative partnerships and creator-led content. Amanda and Shayna share insights on leveraging authenticity and modern storytelling to captivate new audiences. They'll discuss the impact of influencer marketing and the evolution of brand perception, revealing Playboy's secrets to staying relevant in a crowded market.Whether you're a marketer seeking to boost your brand's visibility or a business owner aiming to increase revenue, this episode offers actionable advice and inspiring stories. Tune in to learn how to navigate today's digital landscape and create a lasting impression with your target audience.Kerry Curran, RBMA (00:01.858)Welcome, Shayna and Amanda. We're psyched to have you here today. We'd love to have you introduce yourselves.Amanda Solomon (00:23.352)Sure, yeah, I'll jump in first. I'm Amanda Solomon.I'm currently the VP of Creator and Social Growth over at Playboy. My career really got a start on the talent agency and representation side. I've built and sold several talent agencies over the years and it really set me up to have a very unique position now on the brand side being at Playboy as to how creators work, what makes them tick and how to really successfully work with them. And that of course ties in very closely to social.Shayna Macklin (00:55.314)And then I'm so excited to be here. I'm Shayna Macklin. I am the director of Brand Strategy, Social and Original Content Series. And, you know, similar to Amanda, I have worked in several different varieties across marketing, everything from paid media to influencer to content to organic, which is really making its way back right now. So really excited to jump into this conversation.Kerry Curran, RBMA (01:25.026)Excellent, great. Now, I met Shayna and Amanda at the CMO Alliance and learned so much from your fireside chat. So thank you so much for taking the time to join us. So I know you've both worked with a number of really fabulous brands, well-known name brands, and you have a lot of experience in brand awareness, growth, strategy. How do you think we should help brands with kind of… pushing through that crowded landscape today.Amanda Solomon (01:57.816)Absolutely, well, I think the buzzword for this is probably authenticity. And I think we truly mean it when we say it. I think you're really not seeing these like highly produced ads anymore. We still see them, right? We see Super Bowl commercials. It's still out there, but that's not what's happening on social [media]. I remember one of my creators I used to represent, this was three or four years ago, did a twisted T-spot on his Twitter. And it was like an ad and it performed so well three or four years ago. But what we're seeing now is a more, is a split between let's call it like UGC content. So kind of like the average person being able to kind of be like, I love this product. And then a bit more highly curated, but not highly produced creator series. And I'm seeing a lot of brands do this. I did this when I was over at Sports Illustrated, Parade Magazine and Men's Journal and really am taking that same approach here with Shayna, obviously at the helm of that, to really bring together like, what does Playboy mean

Welcome to Revenue Boost: A Marketing Podcast, the ultimate resource for business leaders eager to skyrocket their company's growth! I'm your host, Kerry Curran, and this episode is "Unlocking Growth: Strategic Marketing in a Budget-Constrained World," with special guest Tom Shapiro, founder and CEO of Stratabeat.In this episode, we dive deep into achieving remarkable growth on a limited budget. Tom Shapiro shares his expertise on maximizing efficiency, driving revenue, and crafting standout brand strategies. From SEO to conversion rate optimization, Tom’s insights are tailored to help you thrive in today’s challenging economic landscape. Whether you’re a CMO under pressure or a business leader seeking innovative revenue-boosting strategies, this episode is packed with actionable advice. Tune in and discover how to turn budget constraints into opportunities for growth. Let’s unlock the secrets to strategic marketing success!Podcast Guest: Tom ShapiroHost: Kerry CurranTitle: Unlocking Growth: Strategic Marketing in a Budget-Constrained WorldWelcome to Revenue Boost: A Marketing Podcast, the ultimate resource for business leaders eager to skyrocket their company's growth! I'm your host, Kerry Curran, and this episode is "Unlocking Growth: Strategic Marketing in a Budget-Constrained World," with special guest Tom Shapiro, founder and CEO of StratabeatIn this episode, we'll uncover how to achieve remarkable growth on a limited budget. Tom will share his insights and practical advice on maximizing efficiency, driving revenue, and creating a standout brand strategy. Whether you're a CMO under pressure or a business leader seeking innovative revenue-boosting strategies, this episode is packed with actionable insights. Let's dive in and unlock the secrets to strategic marketing success. Kerry Curran, RBMA (00:02.094)So welcome, Tom. Tell us a bit about yourself and your experience. I know you're very passionate about marketing and lead generation.Tom Shapiro (00:11.894)Yeah, yeah, thanks, Kerry. So I'm the founder and CEO of Stratabeat, which is a B2B organic growth agency for technology and SaaS companies. And yeah, so I've been in the marketing space forever. Actually, the first website that I developed was in 1994, so several years before even Google existed. And I've been deeply embedded in the digital space ever since.And yeah, I'm very passionate about SEO and content and websites and web design, conversion rate optimization, all that good stuff.Kerry Curran, RBMA (00:52.27)Awesome, and you're the author of a book.Tom Shapiro (00:56.438)Yes. So I wrote Rethink Lead Generation because I was seeing a lot of B2B businesses that were mostly copying the competition or very timid about any type of innovation, really just sticking to what they were comfortable with, what they've done in the past. And if there was any changes to be made to their marketing programs, it was really just slight tweaks, like tweaking around the edges rather than pushing their chips into the center of the table, having a backbone and really taking bold moves. And so, I wrote the book explaining and walking through many different case studies and examples of how to unleash growth, how to unleash leads growth, whether we're talking about websites, whether we're talking about SEO content, referrals, ABM, all of this organic type of marketing where… you're not just copying the competition. You're not just tweaking around the edges, but you're having a bigger impact.Kerry Curran, RBMA (02:01.87)Awesome, thanks. I know I'm glad you are able to join us today because you have so much experience and so many good recommendations to share. And I know a lot of people are lucky to see you speak at conferences and you're really talking directly to a lot of marketing leads, whether it's your own clients or prospects or people asking you questions as the thought leader at these conferences and the subject matter experts. I'm so curious, what are you hearing the most as you're talking to people? Like, what are they asking you when people are calling you and saying they think they want to hire you or at conferences? What are some of the trends?Tom Shapiro (02:45.046)Yes, one of the biggest trends right now is a lot of B2B technology companies are facing budget constraints, budget reductions, and CEOs who are demanding results today, immediately, now. And so essentially, even Gartner came out with a report recently validating or pointing to this that CMOs are being asked to do more with less right now. And so it is a big topic in B2B marketing.Kerry Curran, RBMA (03:00.27)Yeah.Tom Shapiro (03:15.094)To make sure that you're able to be more efficient than perhaps you might have been in years past, that you're able to actually take a lower budget and achieve equal results. So the CEOs are not looking for reduced results from the reduced budgets, they're looking for the same or even greater results from the reduced budgets. So it really is a case of trying to d