Episode 1

Hi and welcome back to another episode of Tech Talk by Cied, a go-to resource for tech news, market insights, and expert opinions. I'm your host, Siruchi, Cied CMO, and joining us on this episode is Julie Novikova. Julie is a mentor and an executive coach with over 16 years of experience leading B2B marketing and is highly skilled in a multitude of marketing activities such as GTM, demand gen, ABM, pipeline creation, You name it, and I bet she knows how to ace it. It's great to have you here with us today, and I'm really excited to unpack modern marketing with you today on this episode.

Thank you, Sruthi. I appreciate the invitation, and I'm truly excited to share my insights and experience on your podcast here. So let's dive in. Let's get in.

You know, just to kick things off, you led the marketing at VM for almost 12 and a half years. How did you see your team responsibilities and the landscape shifting over this career stint?

Yeah, I've witnessed a fascinating evolution in my role and the marketing landscape too over these 12 years. Starting from the early days of email communication, my journey led me through the dynamic landscape of digital marketing into diving into demand center. Actually, the pivotal point, though, was when I took on the challenge of leading an EMEA marketing organization, the field team. And alongside of that personal shift, I've observed a broader industry trend towards more integrated marketing campaigns. So now it's no longer just about sending emails or running ads. It's about crafting cohesive strategies that span across digital channels, events, and to join efforts with the partners and alliances. Talking more about the shift overall, I should admit that pandemic— the pandemic undeniably was a seismic force. Reshaping marketing strategies. It actually accelerated the adoption of digital strategies, and this period was pretty transformative for my team as well, as we had to fully go virtual, and it actually emphasized the importance of agility and adaptability in strategies. Ever since the physical event, level of attendance stays pretty low. So it is something that we still work on to stay innovative, to connect with audience in ways that never were used previously. And finalizing on the points that I see shaping the marketing industry, I guess we cannot ignore AI. From the data analytics to personalized customer experience, AI has allowed us to understand our audience, to automate and optimize our ABM campaigns, and to get way greater impact of our activities overall.

It's head-spinning how much the marketing leadership role has shifted over the last couple of years. You know, we need to be Customer behavior experts, we need to keep a pulse on the megatrends shaping this industry, and we must align with sales to drive growth. So, you know, it needs a whole repertoire of skill sets now.

Yeah, you name it. So true.

Since customer mindsets have adapted to the digital age, GTM needs a hard reset. Could you talk about creating highly targeted segments and the best routes to market?

Yeah, absolutely. In my journey through the digital age, I've actually observed the transformation in traditional go-to-market strategies, and that, as I have mentioned earlier, just steers away from one-size-fits-all approach. And I have found success by basically immersing ourselves in our audience's behaviors and preferences we observed and the specific pain points they are looking to address. I have mentioned the account-based marketing already, so that has truly been a game changer for us by channeling our efforts into individual accounts and tailoring our approach to the distinct needs of those enterprises, ABM has actually enhanced our game and upped it. In a way, it goes beyond the broader audience, reaching just it, but it helps establish the connections that resonate and to address the specific pain points of each account. ultimately driving more impactful results. And as you have mentioned, it is truly about working hands in hands with the sales team now more than ever. When it comes to selecting the best routes to market though, I've learned that multichannel strategy works wonders. It's not just about having a presence on social media or running a robust email campaign. The key is the seamless integration. It's about creating a cohesive customer journey and selecting the right content for each channel. So this might involve promoting webinars through social media for initial engagement, then offering a white paper via email for nurturing, and then ensuring a trial download on a well-optimized website. For the final conversion. So that truly holistic approach, this is what actually makes it and helps not just focus the minds, but I guess it's important also to think about the hearts of the potential audience, of the customers. For instance, through building a community and engaging with it offline, Whether through the vibes of some event parties or some customer-led activities in a bar.

Amazing. I love the point you made about holistic marketing because we really need an integrated approach. Everybody wants to be on all the channels and, you know, if it's not integrated, it's really not gonna work. And just to quickly add a new point, I feel If creating a product value matrix can really do wonders here because, you know, it makes the USP super clear and that's the only way to build a compelling value prop because in the end, GTM success is about messaging that best resonates with your audience.

Yeah, absolutely. Branding is pretty important here and that's something that you You hardly can fully measure, but still it does lay a foundation that helps for all the downstream marketing activities after that.

You talked about the changing landscape. So with numerous spots to purchase, different devices, and multiple channels to conduct their research, modern customer journeys are now highly interconnected. How can marketers capture the full spectrum of lead activity and interest in this customer-led marketplace?

Yeah, I couldn't agree more here, in fact. But let's try and dive into the technical side of things first. So we rely on tools like Google Analytics, Salesforce, Sixth Sense for ABM strategies. However, having all these tools is just the beginning. Ensuring they work seamlessly together is where CRM systems come into play and keeping our operations synchronized. So you can picture that as a GPS for the buyer's journey. Understanding which channels are effective at different stages helps us accurately score leads and guide them down the appropriate path, whether it involves nurturing or a swift transition to the sales team. And we can take an example of Marketo, the trusted marketing automation tool. So it efficiently blends the customer activities on landing pages with email nurturing and facilitates scoring for the leads. Thus, it ensures a cohesive and targeted approach. So you can see how it all blends together. Though, to be truly honest, I must admit that there's a challenge, particularly in indirect selling model. So achieving transparency can be pretty complex when a partner and leads are involved. Uh, and it's, it's basically a blind spot, and I haven't seen the right solution to that so far. In today's customer-led landscape, um, I also think that community building is instrumental. So platforms like Reddit, LinkedIn groups, and industry forums, so they serve as valuable spaces for conversations, and participating in these discussions is similar to being on a virtual roundtable. It involves receiving multiple insights from customers on their concerns and on strategies you run. So combination of all of that, that spans from the analytics automation and that is combined with a multichannel approach and community engagement that helps to create this customer journey And capture the broader spectrum of all the lead activities, both online and offline.

Brilliant, you put that so well. I mean, you know, there's so much data from an ever-expanding list of tools and channels. What really makes a difference is knowing what kind of information is worth capturing because we all have A fire hose of data that's just not useful at the moment. So brilliant answer, love that.

Thank you. Yeah, sometimes too much of data that is way too difficult to measure, to truly comprehend, and then to use in an efficient way. So yeah, that's a challenge.

The way brands compete evolves over time, and that also shifts where the real competitive advantage lies. How can marketing leaders create the right mix of upstream and downstream marketing activities?

Yeah, we touched it slightly earlier. So when we dive into creating the right mix of upstream and downstream marketing activities, I would say there are 2 key perspectives to consider. Budget planning or overall marketing media planning on one hand, and the dynamic interplay between corporate and field marketing teams within an organization on the other hand. So let's start with the budget planning or overarching marketing strategy. Here, this is where the groundwork is laid. Research takes center stage here, and we define or adjust a strategy for the upcoming year. Process aligns with company goals, and it involves collaboration with multiple departments, including the sales one, establishing the foundation for downstream efforts. Now, when we talk about the collaboration between corporate and field marketing teams, the corporate team engages in extensive planning and research on a global scale, taking responsibility responsibility for positioning.

Yeah.

Meanwhile, the field team leverages this groundwork, using it as a foundation and executing campaigns at the local level, constantly gathering feedback from the front lines and, uh, proceeding that back to the global team. So the real magic happens when the upstream and downstream efforts seamlessly intertwine. That is when the positioning strategy, the branding, and upstream overall becomes the guiding force for the downstream activities like advertising and social media campaigns. So that's basically about ensuring that the big picture vision aligns with the hands-on execution. And I believe that absolutely. What's absolutely crucial here is agility. So market conditions are ever-shifting. Marketers must be ready to tweak the mix based on evolving trends and customer preferences. So this adaptability ensures that the overall strategy remains not just effective but also fine-tuned to those dynamic nature changes within the overall environment.

Spot on. I couldn't agree more because, you know, it all comes down to what more we can do for our people. The core of the business today is the customer, and you put it so well that the markets are driven by customer preferences more than product improvement. So we must listen to what customers have to say and act on it. This is amazing. I'm feeling so good you're on the podcast and you're putting all these brilliant ideas in my head. No, That's true.

Even when I brought this B2B approach and the indirect selling model, you have partners always to consider, but customers still come first. That's the foundation for a successful business to my mind.

That's true. So we've finally entered the era where proving the ROI of a tech stack is more crucial than just onboarding new tech. The whole jumping on the bandwagon thing needs to stop now. Modern marketers onboard new tech strategically. When building a tech stack, how do you decide which tools deserve a spot and ensure these technologies are well integrated and work in unison to get around underutilization?

Well, it's not an easy question. Essentially, there are tools that are a must-have for any company, and CRM is a prime example here. Then there are tools crucial for marketers like email and landing page automation. These come first along with the analytical applications like Google Analytics. Business intelligence tools and advanced solutions like ABM and AI might come in later depending on the overall strategy. Yet when it comes to integrating these tools, I would think of CRM systems as the glue that ties everything together, and then marketers can rely on it for a lead scoring system as an example, That's a great point. Yeah, yeah, it's when you can see it all working all together and it ensures smooth flow of information across the tech stack based on the customer interactions. And as you can imagine, integration is just crucial here. One of my consulting clients, for instance, has a CRM, but the marketing data is analyzed separately. That creates a disconnect from important outcomes like revenue. So we recently implemented an MBO system to enhance performance, and now we are tackling KPI implementation. However, it's proving challenging now because we can't establish ROI metrics without fully reconfiguring how the CRM operates. So thus, creating a well-integrated tech stack is a gradual process. It involves research and testing stages that can feel like a marathon, and not every tool that seems good at first makes it to the final line. There are challenges, especially when testing involves valuable time from the sales teams, Time is precious, and I recall rejecting some AI solutions and organizational planning tools because not every tool ends up being a good fit. Each tool needs to prove its value by boosting efficiency and delivering tangible results.

Oh, what a point! Because if it's difficult to justify the ROI, It's not the right investment, period.

Yeah, and sometimes it's just impossible. You see, it takes multiple weeks to just take a look at the tool and check it out. And then you see, if that will be months educating the rest of the team how to utilize it, does it really worth the effort? So it's not just about the efficiency of tools. Sometimes it's also about how simple it is to implement it and to ensure that everyone works together to the greater benefit of it.

Yeah, that's a good point because I think it's also important to identify the talent gap because you can onboard a tool, but if you do not have probably the right resources, to utilize the whole breadth of those tech capabilities, it doesn't make sense.

No, no, no, it just— and sometimes it's just becoming way too much. Like, you have one tool for that and another one for this, and especially if you have to go to a separate interface each time using different logins, etc. Like, the team, especially when the sales team is involved, It's just, it won't work. So that's sometimes the key to a solution. It must be simple.

Love that. So, you know, I am a big fan of ABM. It's a smart way to acquire and nurture high-value accounts. Do you think it is an absolute necessity for pipeline acceleration and building meaningful connections with the audience.

Yeah, especially when the companies are engaging with major enterprises. So in such a case, account-based marketing basically takes center stage as a vital strategy. And it's more than just a playbook. It demands tailor-made marketing strategies that resonate with specific accounts and involves lots of personalization, basically. The true power of ABM unfolds in collaboration between sales and marketing, and I learned it through some very painful experience when first marketing team wanted to make that work and invested into the education and the solution, etc., without properly engaging the sales team, and it was just a waste of resources. Without this close partnership, pipeline growth remains elusive. The synergy between these teams is essential, aligning the approach with the strategic goals of enterprise accounts, and the sales teams or the enterprise account managers are the ones who hold the key to that. It's a fine art that not only elevates the marketing effort but also turbocharges this collaboration between sales and marketing and ensures that every step is in harmony. And this collaboration translates into tangible results eventually. It can be measured in thousands, even millions of dollars within a year or 2, contingent on the sales cycle. And this magic that happens when marketing and sales work hand in hand, driving not just individual efforts but the overall success of the business, it's incredible. I think it's something that can be a truly wonderful experience to unite the teams and to see revenue grow through this joint effort.

I'm with you on that, you know, because ABM, I feel it's the union of marketing funnel and sales pipeline. And then, you know, it kind of works in a way that it shortens the sales cycle without having to increase the marketing budgets. You know where to focus, what to prioritize, and the level of intent. And if that doesn't set the revenue teams up for success, I don't know what will.

Yeah, and we have observed that even conversion rates tend to be higher when you apply this ABM approach. It can be a way to save the budget. Still, it's not a free marketing approach, but it's not free of charge, obviously, especially at the early stages of implementation. But the ROI can be sky-high.

Sure, that's good thinking. We've reached We're at the end of this interview and I have one closing question. What would be your one piece of advice on measuring marketing success and gauging what's working and what's not?

Yeah, in, in this dynamic realm of marketing, my one steadfast piece of advice on measuring success is this: focus on the metrics that truly align with your business objectives. It's not about drowning in a sea of data, but rather sticking to the KPIs that directly reflect progress towards your goals. So whether it's conversion rates, customer acquisition costs, or engagement metrics, it's necessary to choose indicators that resonate with the unique business landscape. And moreover, It's necessary to ensure these metrics are linked to the sales and revenue outcomes. Celebrating marketing success independently could lead to a disconnection from the broader business health. We once experienced this firsthand, and that taught us the importance of aligning marketing metrics. We rushed into the early KPI stats and implemented the KPI system that was not truly linked to the targets the sales team had. And one quarter, one of our local teams, they had the all-green results in their marketing KPI scoreboard when the sales team was underperforming. And this experience isn't a fun one, I should admit. So the importance of aligning marketing metrics to overarching business success is just critical. And one additional tip would be here that if a company measures success by product line or customer segment, that should be adopted the same way by the marketing team too. However, on one point here on measuring success overall, It's crucial to acknowledge that not everything can be measured. That's not an excuse, but a reminder to avoid analysis paralysis. Some aspects of marketing impact the business in a way that cannot be quantified, and we must embrace a balance between measurable metrics and qualitative insights. And that can help us understand fully the marketing impact This strategic approach not only helps us measure it well, but it also can provide a clear roadmap for what's working and what's not. One person I highly respect, my mentor Daniel Fried, who led the sales organization at Veeam, told us that you can do anything with the stats, but it's about your notion, about your experience, about your understanding of business. This is what works wonders and that can empower you and then help you adopt and optimize all the stats and analytics in a way that essentially in the marketing landscape will help optimize strategies and run them effectively.

Amazing. What a splendid conversation. I loved having you here with us today. And, you know, I just want to quickly add, and, you know, I, I talked about this the last time we spoke, but you're, you're making a real difference being, being the mom of a 1-year-old and then, you know, having this whole consulting business running full speed. It's so amazing. And, you know, the way you're balancing both the things. It's inspiring a lot of people out there.

Thank you, Surochi. And yeah, it's a wonderful experience, and I think it also helps us to develop personally as we evolve, as we move on with our lives. And I'm so grateful to you for this opportunity to share what I know, for this great chance to talk to you. Um, thank you so much. That, that's been quite inspirational for me personally.

It was my pleasure. Thank you.

Thank you.