Ryan Carlson (ex-Wiz, Okta): Company Values = Marketing Message

Okta’s CMO for 5+ years, Ryan Carlson, says marketing’s guiding light should be the company mission and values. Marketing’s job is to tell the story of the company, not to merely promote the product or drive leads into the top of a funnel. Authentic marketing is rooted in the BIG questions. Why does this company exist? Who should care about that and why?Today’s episode will help you:

• Understand this strategic approach to marketing
• See the impact strategic marketing has on your audience
• How to hire mission/values-aligned marketers
• Leverage Ryan’s playbook for company storytelling by working directly with customers

Key Takeaways:

• [00:19 - 03:37] Introduction to Ryan Carlson, and thoughts on company culture in the world of marketing
• [03:44 - 06:53] What should define culture is the mission, values, and vision
• [06:54 - 10:00] Imparting importance, and showing why culture mattered at Okta
• [10:02 - 13:32] Authenticity, avoiding hyperbole and marketing BS
• [13:43 - 16:10] Who do you hire to marketing leadership to operate more authentically?
• [16:13 - 18:18] Hiring true believers, and avoiding a "customer's wrong" mentality with product market fit
• [19:26 - 22:45] Understanding why people like the product and the people behind it
• [22:48 - 25:40] Combining pen to paper with mission, values, and vision
• [25:42 - 28:27] Storytelling and presentations, how they impact retention
• [28:30 - 32:26] Story and history of your company is different
• [32:32 - 35:37] Figuring out if a company operates by its values as a candidate

Mentioned in this episode:

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Ryan Carlson, Chief Marketing and Strategy Officer at Wiz

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Podcast produced by OpenView.

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