Elissa was CMO at Tableau from $5M to $1B ARR. 😱
When she talks, I listen.
She says that "every demand touch is a brand touch."
This simple but powerful insight changed how I think about marketing. She settled the "brand vs demand" debate that plagues so many marketing leaders, explaining the false choice.
Elissa was my guest for episode 1 of the PeerSignal podcast.
What you'll learn in our conversation:
Why "pipeline is permission" for marketing leaders.
The "3 Types of Fires" framework for marketing problems (Trash Can 🗑️ > Dumpster 🔥 > House Fire 🏠).
How to preserve brand integrity through hypergrowth.
What separates great CMOs from the rest.
How to communicate effectively with your board.
My take-aways from our talk:
1️⃣ "Marketing is not IF, THEN, ELSE"
The B2B buyer journey isn't linear. It's messy and unpredictable. Your prospect might see an airport ad, hear about you at dinner, then get retargeted online. Not everything can be attributed. If you only invest in perfectly trackable channels, you miss all the leverage.
2️⃣ Make your customer the hero, not your product
"Don't ask your customer to do you a favor. It's not their job to sell your software." Instead, promote THEIR success and make THEM the hero. The reflection on your brand will be 10x more powerful than trying to make their story about your product.
3️⃣ B2B brands should evoke FEELINGS
Yes, even in B2B tech! Elissa insists that great brands provoke emotional responses. The data backs this up too - their community-led approach at Tableau created evangelists, not just customers.
4️⃣ Every touchpoint matters
At all times, you're communicating your brand from the customer's POV. Is it consistent? Is it how you want to show up? The webinar, the outbound email, the lead nurture flow - they all leave a mark.
This episode kicks off my new PeerSignal podcast series where I'm interviewing go-to-market leaders on what works and the principles behind them.
Full Interview: https://www.peersignal.org/podcast
Would love to hear from you!
What did you think of this episode? Who do you want to learn from? What else do you want us to dive deep on?
Reply to this email, I read every one :)
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