B2B Marketers on a Mission

EINBLICK
  • 5.0 (27)
  • MARKETING
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

On this podcast, we’re on a mission – to change and disrupt the way people think about B2B marketing one insightful conversation at a time. Get inspiration from interviews with B2B marketers and industry experts who share their stories, achievements, thoughts on trending topics, and give B2B marketing tips and recommendations. This show is hosted by Christian Klepp, Co-founder of EINBLICK Consulting.

  1. MAY 6

    Ep. 217: How to Increase Your B2B Brand Visibility and Get Outcomes

    How to increase your B2B brand visibility and get outcomes The healthcare and higher education industries are some of the most highly regulated and conservative sectors in the U.S. market. For B2B marketers, it’s a delicate balance to develop creative, high-impact campaigns while maintaining compliance. When traditional marketing tactics feel stale and undifferentiated, how can marketing leaders create better brand visibility and long-term B2B growth? That’s why we’re talking to Mariah Tang (Chief Content Marketing Officer, Stamats), who shares proven strategies on how to increase your B2B brand visibility and get outcomes. During our conversation, Mariah discussed the power of leveraging thought leadership as a trust engine. She also discussed practical steps on how marketers can activate “hidden storytellers” within their organizations to humanize their brands. Mariah shared some of the common pitfalls that marketers should avoid, and encouraged teams to tell authentic, forward-looking stories that feature both leaders and people in critical behind-the-scenes roles. She also encouraged marketing teams to challenge conventional thinking with “why” questions to co-create better strategies. Mariah also disclosed her 90-day plan to generate results using subject matter expert (SME)-led content strategy and asset remixing. Topics discussed in episode: [02:35] Building Trust: How getting subject matter experts and researchers in front of the audience dramatically increases earned media. [05:31] Unlocking Hidden Stories: Practical tips for coaxing insights out of highly technical subject matter experts. [09:36] Selling Solutions: Why B2B marketing must focus on solving human challenges rather than promoting institutional features. [14:40] Future-Facing Storytelling: Moving past dry press releases by focusing on the future-facing impact of your work. [20:45] Justifying Value to the Board: Addressing “vanity metric” pushback with a combination of hard data, analytics, and agile experimentation. [25:47] Balancing Creativity and Compliance: How to involve high-level stakeholders early on to secure creative leeway and approvals. [29:24] The 90-Day Playbook: How to convert a single high-level interview into a cross-channel content engine. Companies and links mentioned: Mariah Tang on LinkedIn Stamats

    38 min

  2. APR 29

    Ep. 216: Proven Strategies for CMOs in the Canadian Retail Sector

    Proven Strategies for CMOs in the Canadian Retail Sector With the rise of AI, shifting consumer expectations, new market entrants, and increasing overhead costs, the Canadian retail landscape is under intense pressure. To survive and outpace the competition, retailers must adapt to rapidly evolving market dynamics, lead with courage, and be uniquely positioned in an ecosystem that’s becoming increasingly crowded. So, what can Canadian CMOs and retailer leaders do to embrace change and make strategic decisions that will lead to true differentiation and sustainable, long-term growth? In this solo episode, Christian Klepp (Host of the B2B Marketers on a Mission Podcast) shares his exclusive takeaways from the DX3: Retail Reinvented Conference in Toronto. He explained how AI is disrupting the shopping experience, what authentic Canadian content looks like, and why brand stewardship is everyone’s responsibility. Christian also talked about the leadership mindset required to successfully navigate a retail brand through turbulent times, and the importance of adapting even when the path isn’t clear. He also highlighted the new shopper reality in Canada, the five key shifts in the modern shopping journey, and discussed what Canadian CMOs and retail leaders can do to stay ahead of the curve. This episode was sponsored by the Economic Club of Canada. https://youtu.be/E6-1X9PFRy8 Topics discussed in episode: [00:00] The Crossroads: Why the current economic and technological climate is a “make or break” moment for Canadian retail.[00:45] DX3 Trends: A front-row look at the core trends shaping the future of the industry.[01:40] The Tech Tsunami: How to build a resilient infrastructure that can handle the next wave of AI and machine learning.[03:30] Authenticity & Values: The intersection of influencers, local content, and core Canadian values.[04:40] Leading Through Turbulence: Why brand is everyone’s responsibility and how to maintain leadership courage when the path is unclear.[06:45] The Human Behind the Screen: Understanding the “new shopper reality” and moving beyond data to find the person.[07:10] The Five Shifts: A breakdown of the modern shopping journey and final strategic advice for CMOs. Companies and links mentioned: Christian Klepp on LinkedIn  Economic Club of Canada DX3: Retail Reinvented Conference Transcript Christian Klepp Christian Klepp  00:00 The business environment around us is changing quickly, and the retail sector is no exception. Canadian businesses continue to face significant challenges, from rising costs and evolving consumer expectations to rapid technological advances in AI intense global competition. So how can Canadian CMOs and retail professionals thrive despite these challenges, welcome to this episode of the B2B Marketers in a Mission Podcast, and I’m your host, Christian Klepp, today I’ll discuss what I’ve learned from a recent retail conference I attended and provide some key takeaways. I also wanted you to know that this episode is sponsored by the Economic Club of Canada. Okay, let’s dive in. So at the end of February, I attended a DX3 retail reinvented conference in downtown Toronto. It was an event where leaders, marketers and executives congregated to discuss challenges and opportunities that shape the future of retail in Canada. And today, I wanted to take you through my key learnings from that event to help you better position your teams for success. The DX3 conference covered a broad spectrum of topics essential for any CMO or retail professional today. So they cover the following topics, emerging market trends and the new shopper, reality, social commerce and the power of authentic content, retail media and its growing influence, Canadian identity branding in a globalized world, and also strategic leveraging of AI on the channels and sustainability to remain competitive so and as a B2B Marketer, I think it was really eye opening, you know, to hear how colleagues in the broader retail and B2B marketing ecosystem are managing these shifts and getting up to speed with new technologies also to help them thrive, right? One of the most prominent topics was, unsurprisingly, artificial intelligence, or AI. So there was the opening presenter, who was Adam Froman of Delvina, who set a powerful tone by stating, The next Tech tsunami isn’t coming. It’s already here. So some of the critical takeaways from Adam’s session on leveraging AI as a silent Copilot were as follows. So one was about closing the gap, right? So AI collapses that divide between knowing something and acting upon it, right? So it allows us to analyze customer insights, but it also helps us to optimize things like pricing, to create tailored experiences that competitors can’t easily replicate. Then there was that second topic that he talked about, with regards to operational intelligence and how you can use or leverage AI for inventory forecasting, task prioritization and also staff optimization. So it’s time to ditch those manual SOPs (Standard Operating Procedure) to reduce volatility and eliminate inefficiencies. The third one was a human element, so I think that almost goes without saying, right? So he’s not saying not to use AI, but he’s saying, while we should be embracing AI to stay ahead, we shouldn’t lose sight of our brand values, right? So as marketers, we need to inject the human element to ensure the customer trust is still there and it remains intact and isn’t jeopardized by faceless technology, right? So that was the first presentation. There was another one, which was a really interesting panel, and it was moderated by Jason Hunt of Merged Media that featured guests, Adrian Fuoco from Pizza pizza, and Tanya Kreinin from the University of Toronto. So they focused on the biggest threats and opportunities for Canadian retail, CMOs. So they had really practical but also hard hitting advice. And what do I mean by that, right? So they they talked about things like authentic content, right? So they suggested like for marketers in their campaigns to leverage micro and nano influencers. And why? Because authentic moment...

    11 min

  3. APR 15

    Ep. 215: Stop Losing Leads: How to Fix Your B2B Startup Positioning Architecture

    Stop Losing Leads: How to Fix Your B2B Startup Positioning Architecture Most B2B tech startups hit a ceiling when founder-led sales and marketing stalls growth. When they assess why their pipeline has stalled, they almost always assume they have a demand generation problem. However, a deeper analysis usually uncovers that the actual pain point is a fractured positioning and go-to-market (GTM) architecture. So, how can B2B tech startups diagnose and fix their positioning architecture to ignite more robust, predictable , and sustainable growth? That’s why we’re talking to return guest Adrijana Daragon (Founder, GTM Advantage), who shares her expertise and insights on how to fix your B2B startup positioning architecture. During our conversation, Adrijana shared some of the common pitfalls B2B that cause tech startups to fail, specifically focusing on the disconnect between product features and market needs. She stressed the critical importance of early market validation and understanding customer needs instead of obsessing over the technology and features. Adrijana also explained why founders must narrow their focus to specific ideal customer segments to ensure their messaging truly resonates with potential buyers. She concluded by highlighting the value of continuous iteration and learning from pilot projects to refine GTM strategies and attain scalable, predictable growth. https://youtu.be/mO99oSKyYGE Topics discussed in episode: [02:56] Why startups often mistake a positioning and go-to-market architecture problem for a lack of market demand [04:30] The reason targeting the right ICP fails if the customer lacks a sense of urgency or purchasing intent [05:17] How to identify when a founder becomes a growth bottleneck during the transition to a delegated team model [10:49] The danger of “fake validation” from startup ecosystems versus getting reality checks from actual buyers [21:30] Why increasing marketing budgets is ineffective if your messaging fails to connect with the customer’s problem [30:51] How narrowing your focus to a single industry enables faster iteration and more scalable traction [39:36] Using a growth mindset to define success criteria, turning pilot projects into long-term client relationships Companies and links mentioned: Adrijana Daragon on LinkedIn  GTM Advantage Transcript Adrijana Daragon, Christian Klepp Adrijana Daragon  00:00 Founders think about the go to market as a post, post activity, versus doing it early on, so meaning they are really of over focus on technology alone and thinking when the talk technology will be the product will be launched, that’s when the customers will come, especially like if the founders are engineers or coming from the medical background, this is the domain. This is where the this is the comfort zone. So they are really focusing on the technology. And that’s true, this is like bigger competitive advantage, but the commercial part, getting really early on understanding who are the market, what’s the feedback, even integrating that into a building technology so important. Christian Klepp  00:43 Most B2B tech startups hit a wall when founder-led marketing stalls growth. When they analyze where they went wrong, they almost always assume they have a demand problem. But when you look deeper, you realize that their real pain point lies in their positioning and go to market architecture. So how can B2B startups fix their positioning architecture problem to ignite more robust and sustainable growth? Welcome to this episode of the B2B Marketers on a Mission podcast, and I’m your host, Christian Klepp, today, I’ll be talking to Adrijana Daragon, who will be answering this question. She’s the founder at Go To Market (GTM) Advantage, who helps turn go to market into a predictable pipeline and revenue for B2B tech startups. Let’s dive right in. Okay, and off we go. I’m gonna say, Adrijana Daragon, welcome to the show. Adrijana Daragon  01:30 Hello. Thank you. Thank you for having me, Christian. Christian Klepp  01:33 Great to be connected again, Adrijana. And I’m gonna say thank you to Anna Wondany from Hey CMO, for connecting us. And I’m really looking forward to this conversation, because we’re going to talk about something that, on the surface doesn’t seem like it’s extremely important, but we’re going to start unpacking that, and then we’ll realize like, oh, wow, we really should be paying attention to this. Take some notes, learn and be inspired no? Adrijana Daragon  01:58 Yes, true. I’m really excited about it, and I can see really quite some founders can benefit from this knowledge. Christian Klepp  02:05 Absolutely, absolutely. So if you don’t mind, we’ll, we’ll just jump straight in, and I’ll ask you the first question. So you’re, I’m going to say, on a mission to help B2B Tech scale ups, grow and increase their inbound leads. But for this conversation, I’d like to focus on this following topic, and then we can unpack it from there. So the topic is how B2B startups can fix their positioning architecture problem. Now that sounds like a really fancy marketing term, but we’re going to unpack it now and then everybody will realize, like, how crucial this actually is. So I’m going to kick off this conversation with the following question. So Adrijana, in our previous conversation, you mentioned that most B2B startups think they have a demand problem, but in reality, when you dig deeper, what they actually have is a positioning and go to market architecture problem. So can you please explain that? Adrijana Daragon  02:56 Sure. So it’s highly depends on the stage the startup scale up is it’s different challenges. There are different challenges at the beginning, when there is early stage. Startup is about just doing different tests, trying the founders, typically the one that driving the sales and marketing efforts and connecting, getting the early feedback, validating it afterwards, when it starts to be already, you gain traction. You know, you had a successful especially in deep tech. It’s a lot about the pilot, securing both successful pilots, moving from the pilots to for to the ongoing client relationships. That’s when the it’s becomes much more about challenge of not only trying, testing different activities, but really seeing how what really makes sense, because there are a lot of challenges when you have a lot of activities, but we don’t bring the results, we don’t bring the revenue You want, and that’s especially when I work with startups. When we have both convers...

    43 min

  4. APR 8

    Ep. 214: From Bland to Brilliant: How to Strategically Pivot Your B2B Brand

    From Bland to Brilliant: How to Strategically Pivot Your B2B Brand In an environment defined by market instability, rapid AI adoption, and more competitors entering the ecosystem all the time, it has become increasingly challenging for B2B companies to truly differentiate themselves. Unfortunately, many companies fall into the trap of deploying “play it safe” marketing tactics, ultimately drowning in the sea of sameness. So, how can B2B marketing leaders strategically rise above the noise to transform a generic market presence into a successful, category-leading brand? That’s why we’re talking to return guest Pete Fairburn (Director and Co-Founder, Morphsites), who shares his expertise and proven strategies on how to strategically pivot your B2B brand. During our conversation, Pete highlighted the challenges B2B marketers face in differentiating their brands in a competitive market. He emphasized the value of understanding customer pain points, and how brands can create true value beyond just the product. Pete also discussed common pitfalls to avoid, such as mistaking activity for progress, and why deep thinking and customer research are paramount. He advised against “random acts of marketing” and recommended starting with small, achievable pilots. Pete also stressed the value of focusing on critical metrics such as customer acquisition cost (CAC), lifetime value (LTV), and conversion quality. He underscored the need to align marketing efforts with broader business goals to avoid competing solely on price. https://youtu.be/SEgt1i2UuVQ Topics discussed in episode: [03:06] Why copying competitors kills true differentiation. [04:54] How short-term metrics create a risk-averse leadership mindset. [06:06] The danger of mistaking marketing activity for actual business progress [12:06] Using customer research to uncover pain points and speak their language. [18:21] Elevate commodity products by removing friction outside your core offer. [24:41] How to pitch new ideas to the C-Suite (Hint: stop using the word “innovation”). [36:11] Why great marketing can never fix a weak or undifferentiated offer. Companies and links mentioned: Pete Fairburn on LinkedIn  Morphsites Transcript Christian Klepp, Pete Fairburn Pete Fairburn  00:00 No human being really likes to admit they don’t know something, even if you’re a naturally quite humble person, it takes, it takes something to say, I don’t know what that is, or I don’t know how to go about that, particularly if you’re a business owner or a stakeholder, that can often be seen as a sign of weakness, to say, I don’t know something. And yet, actually, when you have the courage to say that you can, you can uncover some real things, and at the end of the day, particularly if you’re employing marketing professionals or an agency to help you, the whole reason you’re doing that is because you’ve kind of already admitted you don’t really know how to do this. Pete Fairburn  00:32 Nice to be back, Christian. Thanks for having me again. Christian Klepp  00:32 Great to be with you. You know we’ve been talking about this second interview for quite a while on I’m glad that we’re finally getting to pull it off, right? Pete Fairburn  00:32 It’s definitely, it’s been a while. It’s been a whole world. Christian Klepp  00:32 Indeed, indeed. So let’s just dive in. Because, you know, this is Pete, as I said before I hit record, this is a topic that’s near and dear to me, and I think it’s something that we contend with on a daily basis. I think there’s still a lot of clients out there and potential clients that don’t quite see the value in doing this yet, and hopefully, after this conversation, perhaps we’ll, we’ll change their we’ll win them over, right, like hearts and minds, as they say, right? Pete Fairburn  00:32 That’s the hope. Christian Klepp  00:32 In a, B2B environment fraught with unstable markets, AI and more competitors entering the ecosystem all the time, it has become increasingly challenging for B2B companies to stand up. Unfortunately, companies in this segment have a reputation for deploying play it safe tactics when it comes to their marketing. So how can B2B marketers help their brands rise above the noise and go from bland to brilliant? Welcome to this episode of the B2B Marketers in a Mission podcast, and I’m your host, Christian Klepp, today I’ll be talking to Pete Fairburn, who will be answering this question. He’s the director and co founder of Morphsites, a company with a proven track record in helping businesses grow online by maximizing revenue potential and improving efficiency. Tune in to find out more about what this B2B Marketers Mission is. Okay, and here we are. I’m going to say, Mr. Pete Fairburn, welcome back to the show. Christian Klepp  01:15 All right. So we’ll start with the first question, where I’m going to say that you’re on a mission to work with high growth brands that truly want to innovate and think beyond the ordinary. And I want to, like just under underline that part think beyond the ordinary, because I hope that we can talk about this at length today, right? Because for this conversation, I’d want to focus on the following topic, which is how B2B Marketers can help their brands go from bland to brilliant, right? So B2B open to interpretation, right? But let’s kick off the Let’s kick off the interview with two questions, and I’m happy to repeat them, right? So first question Pete is, why do you think many companies in the B2B space struggle to differentiate themselves from their competitors? And the follow up question is, why do you think this causes this risk averse mindset in most B2B verticals? Pete Fairburn  03:06 Yes, it’s good couple of questions there. And I think most, most B2B companies that identify with this problem probably don’t have a marketing problem, or if they do have a marketing problem, it’s because the the issues started long before marketing even begins, and the they default. So they go, Okay, we’ve got similar products or similar services to these brands over here, and there’s nothing wrong with using coach brands to help you, but they’ll they may look at some in the same space as them and go, Well, that’s what they’re doing. So let’s do the same messaging, the same channels as them, because that must work, right? It must work because they’re doing it. But they’ve never really answered the question, Well, why would someone choose us over any of these competito...

    38 min

  5. MAR 25

    Ep. 213: How Rethinking Paid Media Can Drive More Efficient, Sustainable B2B Growth

    How Rethinking Paid Media Can Drive More Efficient, Sustainable B2B Growth In this competitive environment, the fundamentals of effective B2B marketing are more crucial than ever, yet many brands are losing sight of them. As platforms become more inundated with noise, organizations are increasingly over-investing in paid media while under-investing in the strategic groundwork that makes paid campaigns perform. This imbalance leads to wasted spend, mixed messages, and weaker results, just as B2B audiences are becoming more selective. So, how can marketing leaders leverage paid media to drive more efficient, sustainable B2B growth? That’s why we’re talking to Andrea Ness (Head of Media, ddm marketing + communications), who shares her expertise on how rethinking paid media can drive more efficient, sustainable B2B growth. During our conversation, Andrea emphasized the importance of integrating paid media with owned and earned media to creative a holistic customer journey. She stressed that B2B paid media should amplify strong messaging rather than being the sole focus of a marketing campaign. With sales cycles often lasting 6-18 months, Andrea highlighted the need for consistent messaging across all channels and the importance of building long-term trust. She also underscored the significance of long-lasting assets such as website and thought leadership for sustainable ROI. Andrea advocated for a strategic approach to measurement, leveraging full-funnel metrics that go beyond immediate conversions to capture the true impact of a brand’s digital presence. https://youtu.be/HdpEGsfjxuI Topics discussed in episode: [00:00] Why a weak narrative just means broadcasting confusion at scale  [02:44] Why teams skip to conversions and why it backfires in 6–18 month buying cycles  [05:45] The problem found when sales, PR, web, and leadership aren’t saying the same thing  [09:19] How B2B buyer behavior has changed, and why sales calls are the last resort  [13:24] How to reframe brand investment in language leadership buys into  [17:09] The three paid media pitfalls every B2B marketer must avoid [21:59] Why foundational messaging lifts every channel, and how to evolve it  [24:59] Demystifying owned, earned, and paid media [32:11] Long-lasting assets vs. short-term ads: SEO, thought leadership, and repurposed content that compound  [34:48] Brand lift studies, return visitors, time on site, and the metrics that prove full-funnel progress  [37:56] Why you must build the house before you turn on the amplifier Companies and links mentioned: Andrea Ness on LinkedIn  ddm marketing + communications   Transcript Andrea Ness, Christian Klepp Andrea Ness  00:00 People usually don’t convert on the first ad exposure that they see. So you really, really do want to make sure that there are so many other ways that they can get to that information. Advertising helps. But you know, like, like, if you look at you know what your journey is. And really, it’s a great exercise if you don’t have a customer journey, like, laid out on paper and really, and looking at that, not just for paid media channels, but also, you know, like, here’s what we’re doing, foundational like that owned media, you know. And then here’s what you know earned media is doing that they’re really pushing out. And here’s their focus. Christian Klepp  00:31 The fundamentals of effective B2B Marketing have not changed, but in 2026 many brands are losing sight of them as platforms become more crowded and ad costs continue to rise, organizations are increasingly over investing in paid media while under investing in the strategic groundwork that makes paid campaigns perform. This imbalance leads to wasted spend mixed messages and weaker results, just as audiences are becoming more selective. So how can B2B Marketers leverage paid media to drive more efficient, sustainable growth? Welcome to this episode of the B2B Marketers in the Mission podcast, and I’m your host, Christian Klepp, today, I’ll be talking to Andrea Ness, who will be answering this question. She’s the head of media at DDM Marketing and Communications, where she helps drive digital marketing initiatives for B2B organizations, tune in to find out more about what this B2B Marketers Mission is. Andrea Ness, welcome to the show. Andrea Ness  01:29 Very good to be here. Christian Klepp  01:30 Really good to have you on. I mean, you know, we’ve, we’ve had such a great free interview conversation where we, we laughed so much about all these random topics, and that was already, like, very telling of, like, what’s to come. But I’m, I’m really looking forward to this conversation. It’s, it’s a very pertinent one. I think it’s something that B2B marketing teams really need to be paying attention to as they move forward. At the time of this recording, at the beginning of 2026 All right, so let’s, let’s jump right in and start the interview. So, Andrea, like for you’re on a mission, I would say, to help B2B companies deliver high impact marketing campaigns that drive measurable results. For this conversation, I’d like to zero in on the topic of how rethinking the role of paid media can drive more efficient, sustainable growth. So I’d like to kick off the conversation with two questions, and I’m happy to repeat them, right? So question number one, why do you think paid media should function as an extension of brand trust, rather than the centerpiece of a marketing strategy? And the follow up question is, where do you see many B2B Marketing Teams struggle. Andrea Ness  02:44 All right, I will start with round one, but with the first one, usually, when someone hears media campaign, they go straight to, like the media teams and like going to tactics where, like, where we really want to back up and just say, you know, paid media works as it to amplify the message that you’re trying to put out there, not to create the message. So if you don’t have that, those strong messaging and those components in place, or what we like to say at your house in order, you know, like we’re not going to be the best at creating the message, but only taking really resonating messaging and putting it out to the world. So it we call paid media more like a distribution engine. And it’s not the message itself, you know, and it’s also, you know, to really, really underline brand narrative is, if their your brand narrative isn’t strong, your paid media just amplifies people to get confused. One of the things that we like to talk about with clients is that audiences see 1000s of messages every day, you ...

    41 min

  6. MAR 18

    Ep. 212: How to Leverage Brand Differentiation for Massive B2B Growth

    How to Leverage Brand Differentiation for Massive B2B Growth In the increasingly competitive and saturated world of B2B SaaS and tech, clear brand differentiation and strategic positioning are the most overlooked levers for sustainable growth. While often dismissed, these are critical components in helping companies directly shorten sales cycles and lower their customer acquisition costs (CAC). When done the right way, they can transform everything from strategic alignment across teams to campaign effectiveness and sales velocity. So how can B2B marketing teams develop clear brand differentiation strategy that drives measurable revenue? That’s why we’re talking to Chantelle Little (Founder and CEO, Tiller Digital), who shares her expertise on how to leverage brand differentiation for massive B2B growth. During our conversation, Chantelle discussed why clear brand differentiation and positioning are underrated growth levers for SaaS and tech companies, especially regarding shorten sales cycles and lowering CAC. She also highlighted the importance of strategic alignment and effective positioning, particularly in the face of increasing competition and the market’s maturity. Chantelle discussed why understanding customer pain points is crucial, and how to leverage AI for audience insights. She provided advice on conducting competitor analyses, gathering customer feedback, and leveraging metrics like unaided recall and CAC to quantify brand performance. Chantelle also underscored the necessity of aligning product marketing and sales teams for impactful branding and scaling. https://youtu.be/IF4TaI0QAfU Topics discussed in episode: [00:00] Why brand differentiation is a non-negotiable now in the world of SaaS [02:36] Why AI is a double-edged sword: great for starting positioning work, but dangerous if human judgment isn’t layered in [08:40] The pushback founders give (“it’s too early”) and why those that invest early remove friction from fundraising, hiring, and conversion  [11:49] Key pitfalls to avoid regarding brand differentiation (and branding in general) [20:14] How to make brand ROI tangible: work backward from customer lifetime value (CLV), target a specific CAC reduction, and show the revenue math in founder language  [28:34] The 4-step positioning framework:  1) Define your market and competitive alternatives,  2) Gather customer interviews, surveys and competitor audits,  3) Mine for real differentiation beyond table stakes,  4) Operationalize across the website, sales decks and outbound  [39:31] Metrics for proving brand’s impact: unaided recall, branded search growth, direct traffic, CAC trends, conversion rates, sales cycle length, and inbound lead quality Companies and links mentioned: Chantelle Little on LinkedIn  Tiller Digital G2 Transcript Christian Klepp, Chantelle Little Chantelle Little  00:00 One key pitfall I see is just treating brand as a cosmetic exercise, right? So it’s really, especially when people are, you know, not super familiar with brand, not super familiar with marketing. It can be really easy to, you know, associate logo with brand, and it’s, it’s a lot more comprehensive than that. Christian Klepp  00:19 It’s something that tends to get overlooked in the world of B2B SaaS and tech, yet it’s a crucial component in helping companies to shorten sales cycles and lower Customer Acquisition Costs (CAC) I’m talking about clear brand differentiation and positioning. When done the right way, it can transform everything from strategic alignment across teams to campaign effectiveness and sales velocity. So how can B2B Marketing Teams develop clear brand differentiation for growth? Welcome to this episode of the B2B Marketers in the Mission podcast, and I’m your host, Christian Klepp, today I’ll be talking to Chantelle Little, who will be answering this question. She’s the founder and CEO of Tiller Digital that helps B2B, SaaS and tech companies scale through strategic customer centric marketing. Tune in to find out more about what the speed to be Marketers Mission is okay, and away we go. Chantelle Little, welcome to the show. Chantelle Little  01:13 Thanks for having me, Christian. I appreciate it. Christian Klepp  01:15 Great to have you on the show. You know, we had such a great pre interview conversation, and I’m really looking forward to this discussion because, man, this is something that’s so important. And I’m not saying this because I also do branding, but it’s just something that I think is really important. I personally feel from my own experience, it’s something that tends to get overlooked a lot, especially in in the world that you operate in, which is in B2B, SaaS and tech, all right, so I’m going to keep the audience in suspense a little while longer, while I go through the first question. Chantelle Little  01:48 Okay, sounds good. Christian Klepp  01:49 So you’re on a mission to help B2B SaaS teams clarify their story, sharpen positioning, and build websites that drive pipeline. And who doesn’t want that? I think is the better question. But for this conversation, I’d like to narrow it down to the topic of how clear brand differentiation and positioning shorten sales cycles and lower CAC. So for those that don’t know what CAC is, it’s Customer Acquisition Cost. So let’s kick off the conversation with two questions, and I’m happy to repeat them. So question number one, why do you believe that brand differentiation is the most underrated growth lever in B2B? And question number two, as a follow up, where do you see many B2B SaaS companies struggle? Chantelle Little  02:36 Yeah, well, maybe I can kick off with the differentiation and positioning pieces. I think one thought that comes to mind is that differentiation from a branding perspective, perspective has always mattered. But the market has changed a lot in in the last decade, but even in the last 18 months, last two years, it has shifted a lot. One of the things that has changed so much is that the SaaS market in particular has matured a lot over the last number of years. And I love to follow all the stats on what’s happening in the market. And if you just consider that, we’re like mid 2020s, and it’s like the SaaS market is roughly 300, 400 billion. And a lot of you know data out there suggesting that that market could double between now and 2030 so in the next four years, kind of thing, we might see that market reach closer to 700 billion. So I share that, because a decade ago, when people were entering the SaaS market, there were fewer that. There was less competition. There were fewer people to actually compete with. By nature, there were fewer buyers as well, because less companies have shifted a lot in terms of their use of SaaS products in operating their businesses, but the market has shifted so it’s more mature, there’s more competition, there’s higher expectations that come with that as well. And then the other thing you know, in addition to saturation in the market, is that the barriers to entry have dr...

    47 min

  7. MAR 11

    Ep. 211: How to Achieve Outsized Outcomes with a Small B2B Marketing Team

    How to Achieve Outsized Outcomes with a Small B2B Marketing Team With the rapid advancement of AI, machine learning, shifting market dynamics, and more competition entering the ecosystem all the time, B2B marketers are confronted with more challenges than ever before. Teams are constantly facing the challenges of tightened budgets and even tighter deadlines. With this in mind, how can small B2B marketing teams achieve more with less and still deliver exceptional outcomes? That’s why we’re talking to Jordan Buning (Principal and Senior Account Executive, ddm marketing + communications), who shares insights and practical strategies on how to achieve outsized outcomes with a small B2B marketing team. During our conversation, Jordan discussed how teams can navigate market uncertainty and how AI has impacted efficiency. He emphasized the importance of revenue and pipeline metrics to demonstrate the financial contribution that marketing makes to the bottom line. Jordan also stressed the need for small B2B marketing teams to optimize campaigns, avoiding pitfalls like chasing immediate results at the expense of long-term success, and maintain continuous alignment with sales. He advocated for a platform approach over fragmented campaigns, regular metrics evaluation, and a focus on precision over volume. https://youtu.be/31Qts7vadLI Topics discussed in episode: [03:15] Why leadership often views marketing as an expendable variable rather than a core driver of the bottom line. [14:36] Jordan explains how to avoid “strategy whiplash” and over-reliance on performance tactics. [21:20] Discover why right-place, right-time messaging is non-negotiable, especially when it comes to appealing to the buying committee. [28:08] Instead of quarterly campaigns, build a core messaging “soundboard” that provides consistency and longevity. [33:36] Jordan walks through a 3-phase (90-day roadmap) approach consisting of diagnosing, activating, and doubling down to show ROI within one business quarter. [37:14] Why you must lead with pipeline contribution and opportunity creation rate when presenting to the board. [41:32] Why marketing belongs in every part of the organization, from customer experience and billing to employee engagement, not just lead generation. Companies and links mentioned: Jordan Buning on LinkedIn  ddm marketing + communications  Transcript Christian Klepp, Jordan Buning Jordan Buning  00:00 I think you know, the things that probably made this conversation happen in the first place are probably the first metrics you got to have. So it’s probably has something to do with revenue, and probably secondly, has to do with how quality they think the pipeline is filled with opportunities. Your initial metrics that would say this is working or not working. Really have to start there. And it may be two or three steps removed from some of the, you know, inside marketing measurements that that might be there, but at the end of the day, that’s what will kind of matter to them. And so what is, you know, the pipeline contribution looking like? What kind of opportunity creation rate is happening, revenue influence, those, those kinds of things, I think are components that that matter when we talk about revenue and pipeline is, are we actually contributing to the financial success of the organization. Christian Klepp  00:57 With the rapid advancement of AI (Artificial Intelligence) machine learning, changing market dynamics, market uncertainty and more competition entering the ecosystem all the time. B2B Marketers are confronted with more challenges than ever before. Another one of those challenges includes tightened budgets and even tighter deadlines. With this in mind, how can B2B Marketing teams achieve more with less and still deliver exceptional outcomes. Welcome to this episode of the B2B Marketers on the mission podcast, and I’m your host, Christian Klepp, today I’ll be talking to Jordan Buning, who will be answering this question. He’s the principal and Senior Account Executive at DDM Marketing and Communications who’s committed to doing great things with incredible people inside and outside the company. Tune in to find out more about what this B2B Marketers Mission is. Okay? Mr. Jordan Buning, welcome to the show, sir. Jordan Buning  01:48 Thank you. Appreciate you having me. Christian Klepp  01:50 Really looking for this conversation, Jordan. Not like man, I should have recorded the last couple of conversations that we had that, in itself, should have been the episode already, right? But I’m, I’m really looking forward to this conversation. You know, I had a great chat with your colleague, Joanne. And you know, we’re going to talk about a topic today that you and I both know it. It keeps coming up, and you ask 50 people out there, and they’ll give you 50 different answers to this question, right? So let’s, let’s just dive right in. I’m going to say you’re on a mission to help B2B companies deliver high impact marketing campaigns that drive measurable results. But I’d like to focus on this following topic for today’s conversation, and we’ve got plenty to unpack from this one, how small marketing teams can optimize campaigns to reduce waste and achieve outsized outcomes, probably I should highlight bold italic, underline that outsized outcomes, because that one’s going to be the interesting one. Let’s kick off the conversation with the following question, so I’m happy to repeat so why do you think many B2B organizations are spending less on their marketing efforts and shortening the timelines in which teams need to deliver results? And based on those constraints in your experience, where have you seen many marketing teams struggle? Jordan Buning  03:15 But you’re right. There’s a there’s a lot there, and trying to consolidate all of my thoughts down is a unique challenge. But, you know, I think part of it is not that marketing is losing importance sometimes in various circumstances, be it budgetary otherwise, but it’s more about the pressure of reshaping how it gets evaluated. There is a lag, I think in terms of how a lot of individuals perceive the importance in the in the contribution that marketing makes to the organization’s goals and ultimately to its bottom line. So if it’s disconnected, it becomes a variable, and a variable that, while maybe nobody is really wishing for, it sometimes becomes minimized or expendable, and therefore it’s really kind of a big push. And there’s certainly a variety of things that may be driving that. It could be their own, economic uncertainties, their market has changed. Therefore they’re making their adjustments. They’re managing risk. When they’re doing some of those kinds of things they may not necessarily see again that relationship between what they’re attributing to the bottom line. They may have measurements that are not aligned to show performance and not that it isn’t but they don’t have the data that’s that’s doing that and or they may even have a lag. They may have a lot of information, but it’s historical data, and present realities may be slightly different, and they don’t really have a way to connect to it. And then y...

    45 min

  8. MAR 5

    Ep. 210: Why Authority Now Matters More Than Visibility in B2B Content

    Why Authority Now Matters More Than Visibility in B2B Content With AI making it easier than ever to create content, B2B buyers are drowning in a sea of digital noise. To rise about the generic, “AI-slop”, the new differentiator is no longer only visibility, but the ability to convey authentic brand authority. More often than not, it is the perceived credibility and depth of a brand’s messaging that decides whether B2B companies are shortlisted or ignored by well-informed decision makers. So how can B2B companies build a solid thought leadership strategy that creates trust and sets them apart from competitors? That’s why we’re talking to Jamie Thomson (Copywriter and Founder, Brand New Copy), who shares his expertise and insights on why authority now matters more than visibility in B2B content. During our conversation, Jamie emphasized that true authority is built through consistent communication and unique insights rather than controversial stances. He criticized the over-reliance on AI for content ideation and encouraged businesses to focus on their unique selling points and authentic company culture. Jamie stressed the need for documented brand positioning and strategic messaging to build credibility across all channels. He also underscored the value of thought leadership and social proof in signalling authority, and suggested that businesses should invest in understanding and documenting their positioning for success in the long run. https://youtu.be/k4H-0M5ZL7g Topics discussed in episode: [02:47] The end of easy visibility: Why AI overviews and shifting algorithms mean you can no longer control traffic through traditional SEO alone. [07:09] Redefining authority: Authority isn’t about being controversial or loud; it is built through the consistency of your message and brand voice. [13:31] Chasing the right metrics: Why “visibility for visibility’s sake” is a vanity metric, and how to tie your content strategy to actual business outcomes.  [19:39] The credibility anchor: How being consistent with your own unique data and statistics keeps your brand from becoming an “average” forgettable competitor.  [21:42] Messaging for committees: A simple 3-step formula to establish messaging that resonates with human decision-makers, even in complex B2B environments. [27:35] Signaling authority: Practical ways to use “social proof” and unique data to back up your claims in proposals and on your website.  [31:18] Future-proofing your brand: Why documenting your positioning today is the only way to maintain longevity over the next decade. Companies and links mentioned: Jamie Thomson on LinkedIn  Brand New Copy  Copywriting Course at Brand New Copy Transcript Jamie Thomson, Christian Klepp Jamie Thomson  00:00 You know, maybe it’s a personality thing, but like, I’m not particularly controversial in my marketing and I do think people take that stance, like we are the young upstarts, or we are going to make a point of disagreeing with this company so that we can get engagement, whether they believe what their sort of stance are taking or not. It’s, it’s almost that sort of strategy of, there’s no such thing as bad press, and it’s probably effective short term and that’s why people are doing it. But if you’re looking to build a sort of a future proof business, comes back to that idea of authority being a bit consistency, unless your whole strategy is to be controversial, it’s more of a short term gain tactic. I think strategy is even a strong word. I think it’s a tactic. Christian Klepp  00:48 With AI making it easier than ever to create content, B2B, buyers are drowning in a sea of digital noise. To rise above this noise, the new differentiator needs to be delivered through authority. More often than not, it’s the credibility of a brand’s messaging that decides whether they’re shortlisted or ignored. So how can B2B companies leverage this and build their credibility? Welcome to this episode of the B2B Marketers on the Mission podcast, and I’m your host, Christian Klepp, today, I’ll be talking to Jamie Thomson, who will be answering this question. He’s an award winning copywriter and founder of Brand New Copy who puts strategy at the center of the process to define what the copy should achieve. Tune in to find out more about what this B2B Marketers Mission is. Okay, and off we go. Mr. Jamie Thomson, welcome to the show, sir. Jamie Thomson  01:34 Hi, Christian. It’s good to speak to you again. Thanks for having me on. Christian Klepp  01:38 Great to have you here. I mean, we had such a dynamite conversation. Like, a few weeks ago, I should have, like, hit record on that conversation too, right? Like, yeah, absolutely, Jamie, I’m really looking forward to this conversation because, you know, one of the things that you’re going to talk about today is, like, near and dear to me as somebody that also dabbles in the world of copywriting for B2B, but um, so here we go, right? So Jamie, you’re on a mission. I’m going to say, to help B2B companies to define their messaging, strengthen their positioning and communicate with authority across every channel. So this is really serious stuff here. Okay, so for this conversation, I’d like to focus on the topic of why authority now matters more than visibility and B2B, right? So I’d like to kick off the conversation with two questions, right? And I’m happy to repeat them. First question is, why do you believe authority is important, especially in an age where AI is creeping into B2B content and everything else. And where do you see a lot of B2B brands falling flat with the authority piece? Jamie Thomson  02:47 Yeah, so I think, I think authority is more important now than ever has been because, like you said, because there’s a lot of like, LLMs (Large Language Models) now kind of doing a lot of the marketing work that was maybe, you know, handled by humans before. I think that you know, sort of the sort of background context to this is that, you know, as Marketers, we don’t have as much control over the visibility of our content as we used to like Google, for example. You now have AI (Artificial Intelligence) overviews. So even if you get to like position one in Google, you’re still at the bottom of the page. Because you’ve got your AI overviews, you have sponsored results, and then there’s the organic listings underneath. And even if you’re position one, you’re still at the bottom of the page earlier. As a result, website traffic has reduced, and people aren’t getting the same kind of like traffic numbers that they used to on LinkedIn as well, like the way that the algorithms are sort of working nowadays. There doesn’t really seem to be any regular reason as to which posts perform well, it seems to be the sort of casual, off the cuff posts that seem to seem to get a lot of attention. There is a genuinely useful, you know, thought leadership stuff has kind of been pushed to the back burner a little bit. So I think authority is important because we don’t have as much control over visibility as we used to, and I think it’s ...

    38 min
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About

On this podcast, we’re on a mission – to change and disrupt the way people think about B2B marketing one insightful conversation at a time. Get inspiration from interviews with B2B marketers and industry experts who share their stories, achievements, thoughts on trending topics, and give B2B marketing tips and recommendations. This show is hosted by Christian Klepp, Co-founder of EINBLICK Consulting.

Information

  • Creator
    EINBLICK
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2026
  • Episodes
    217
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    ©2020-2026 EINBLICK Consulting Inc.
  • Show Website
    B2B Marketers on a Mission