Seven Steps to Marketing and Sales Alignment

Have you ever presented a killer campaign only to have management reject it because they didn’t like it? Or worse, did you get pressured to move forward with creative elements you knew wouldn’t resonate with your buyer? Or maybe what you’re getting back from design is not hitting the mark and you can’t figure out why? The disconnect between our buyers and those who approve campaigns is often large and painful to cross. Yet bridging the gap between the art and science of marketing is a job we can’t afford not to optimize.

In this session, we’ll explore proven methods for using buyer insights to not only enable creative processes to thrive but to appeal to the measurement obsessed approvers at the company.

Like all living, breathing things, a successful marketing program needs the right backbone to keep everything functioning and running smoothly. In the case of a marketing team, this means they need the right technologies, processes and data inputs in place and running together to ensure programs are driving impact in the right places with the right people. Learn how best of the best, like Box, Commvault and Hitachi, have set up their tech stacks for success.

The marketing plan is obsolete. A nimble marketing strategy and a team with the ability to manage changing priorities and better collaborate - with project visibility across the entire department - is the holy grail for marketing leaders. But the million dollar question is, what’s the best way to implement an agile marketing process and what tools do you need to make it all work? In this session, learn how to identify roadblocks, accelerate delivery of campaigns, and focus on 10x projects -- not the 10% ones.

The converging roles of social media and content marketing in B2B are creating rapid demand for new strategies, skills and expectations. As earned and owned media intertwine, B2B marketers who fast track their ability to adapt and evolve will gain a competitive advantage over the competition. In this presentation, you’ll learn about the top challenges B2B marketers are facing in the world of content (zombies are involved!) plus tested and proven models, strategies and tactics for content marketing based on an integrated and cooperative approach. Some of the key learnings include:

- Modern B2B content marketing and what it really means for earned, owned and shared media.
- How democratized content co-creation enables quality content at scale.
- Redefining what influence is and what working with B2B influencers means for content marketing.
- Key opportunities to integrate UGC, employee advocacy and influencer marketing for meaningful content that delivers impact.

Content marketers have made great strides in recent years, but connecting effectively with senior executives remains one of the toughest challenges. C-suite and other top executives at our customers and prospects are absolutely interested in new ideas, new ways of doing business, and innovative solutions… so long as they are truly relevant, credible, and timely. Executive standards are really high and breaking through the competitive noise is no simple task.

Join ITSMA’s Rob Leavitt and Julie Schwartz to review new research on executive preferences for content and engagement, and five guidelines to orient content marketing to what really works to connect with the executives that matter most.

Marketing today plays a central role in driving growth as businesses look to win the most important real estate in the world – a piece of your heart and mind. As our world rapidly evolves with the physical and virtual blending, consumers are increasingly engaged in digital self-nurture, complemented by analog immersive experiences that strengthen our bonds.

CMOs are expected to be business leaders and change agents with “THINK BIG” strategies. We are expected to define brand purpose – have the vision and “why narrative” and to keep the company aligned to its NorthStar. We are expected to tackle big market trends with the magic of storytelling that’s supported by data, analytics, and digital platforms – combined with human-centric understanding – to drive revenue and deliver exceptional customer experiences.

The CMO’s role has never been more exciting or more relevant, and in this talk we will explore what 2019 holds for us and what trends, disruptions and priorities we need to flawlessly address in order to win hearts, minds and $.

Join this webcam panel and hear the latest insights from our panel of experts.

Dan Lamorena, Chief Marketing Officer, FireMon
Sean Regan, Head of Product Marketing & GTM, Atlassian

Now more than ever, companies need to invest time, money & resources into building their thought leadership.
In this webinar, we will discuss how executive bylines (op-eds / opinion pieces), industry conferences & webinars can help companies establish credibility and influence in their markets.
Key learning & takeaways:
- Present a problem and solution instead of promoting your specific product or service.
- Develop a cost effective and time efficient strategy to produce quality thought leadership content on a regular basis
- Learn how to get featured in leading industry publications

Subject Areas:
Public Relations, Content Marketing, B2B Sales & Marketing, Media Relations

David Wamsley
After several decades as a serial entrepreneur (raising more than $100 million in venture funding), David founded Rosebud Communications, a strategic PR firm that works with high-growth technology companies across a variety of B2B verticals. He & his work have been featured in The New York Times, The Economist, WSJ, Fortune, Forbes, & The Washington Post.

Denise Brosseau
Denise works with executives to accelerate their journeys from leader to thought leader. She is a lecturer on thought leadership at Stanford Business School & a guest author for Salesforce.com, Inc.com, Fast Company, Entrepreneur & Forbes. Denise graduated with a Stanford MBA, and has spoken at major tech companies including Roche, Microsoft & Google.

Geoffrey Colon
Geoffrey is a compelling voice at the intersection of marketing, tech, media & popular culture. He is Head of Brand Studio at Microsoft Advertising, where he develops innovative concepts as a form of business development & collaboration with partners. Prior to joining Microsoft in 2013, Geoffrey was vice president of digital strategy at Ogilvy & Mather in New York City. Colon has done work with several influential brands including Spotify, Netflix, American Express, Coca-Cola, IBM, The Economist, USA Network, WWE, History & Red Bull.

Driving valuable and authentic engagement with your prospects is increasingly difficult. There’s so much digital noise, bright-and-shiny social media objects and boring, “been-there, done-that, got-the-tee-shirt” marketing programs that even some marketers appear to have stopped caring about their messages. You need to break out of the mold and do something different to standout and be heard. And, the best thing about the approaches in this presentation, you don’t have to say anything. Leave the storytelling to your customers and partners. In this session we will detail real-world examples and actionable advice you can implement today to start driving more qualified engagements and in new and exciting ways that are fun to implement.

Walk away from this session with examples that have worked, a view into the results you can expect and a formula for implementing these powerful storytelling programs for your company.

We will show you how to get started the right way. Join Arthur Germain, Principal & Chief Brandteller, Communication Strategy Group and Lisa Dreher, CEO & Head Brand Strategist, GuideForce, for a lively look at 3 Ways to Tell Your Most Powerful Brand Story.

Traditional customer retention strategy relied on “buying” loyalty with rewards and discounts which is cost to company and it also means company losing focus on relevance for customers.

In this talk, you will learn about how latest marketing trends and how data driven marketing is bringing customer relevance into focus.

Presenters:
Arun Trivedi, Partner, Wipro Technologies
Rahul Bansal, Digital Partner, Wipro Technologies

Money is pouring into esports. There are more players, more games, more viewers, and bigger prize pools — and companies are taking note. Investment is coming from all angles, and everyone is looking for a piece of the pie. But many of the existing monetization models of esports only seek to follow the tried and true formats from traditional sports.

There is a lot for the video game industry to learn from the legacy sports broadcast model; but there’s a catch: The video games industry uses some of the world’s most advanced interactive technology to create some of the world’s most compelling entertainment experiences.

So why would we just do it the same way as before? The answer? We probably won’t. Not for long at least.

In this special session, our panel of experts will unpack the old and the new of esports, and explore where genuine innovation may come from in the future. We’ll discuss how to get the most out of traditional methods, and how some companies are experimenting with new approaches to engaging with audiences and driving revenue.

Register now to join us for free.

Attend this webinar and learn:
* How the current esports model stacks up against traditional sports, and where the money is coming from now
* The new technologies that will change the existing business model
* The difference between formal esports and personalized broadcasting — and what those differences mean for your bottom line

Speakers
* Jonathan Singer, Industry Strategist, Akamai
* Robb Chiarini, Director esports, NCSA at Ubisoft
* Dean Takahashi, Lead Writer, Gamesbeat
* Kent Wakeford, Co-founder and COO, Gen.G

Sponsored by Akamai

Knowing that customer experience is often the differentiator driving customer loyalty and advocacy, it’s top of mind in nearly every B2B organization. However, some companies fail to understand that the customer experience begins before the purchase, not afterwards. Companies that seize the opportunity to differentiate with a pre-purchase experience that stands apart will reap the rewards. Quite simply, optimizing and improving the customer experience early in the buyer’s journey can dramatically impact revenues.


In this webinar you will learn:
• How your messaging needs to change as your buyer moves through the funnel
• Why the customer experience matters, even before they actually become customers
• Keys to understanding your buyer’s journey
• How to better match the medium to the message


ANNUITAS VP of Strategic Content Jason Stewart will share how your messaging needs to adapt to the needs of the buyer. Content, engagement and process need to be driven by a strategy that focuses on the buyer, and that has a goal of improving and optimizing their experience all the way through the funnel. Move away static, one-size-fits-all messaging focused on product or services and improve the customer experience before the sale.

For years, you’ve been hearing about the importance of storytelling in your marketing efforts. But where do you find great stories to tell? How do you take what’s happening with your business or industry and make it fascinating? In this session, you’ll learn how to rattle the cages of creativity to come up with great story ideas that will attract readers. You’ll then learn how to leverage these stories in your content marketing programs to interest and influence buyers along their journey.

Presented by:
Margaret Harrist, Senior Content Strategist, Oracle
Lynne Sampson, Product Marketing Director, Oracle

Discover the key findings and insight from the 2018 edition of our benchmark email marketing report. We’ll explore winning tactics practiced by leading ecommerce brands and learn from those common pitfalls you’ll do best to avoid.

We’ll advise serious marketers like you with unmissable tip and tricks – proven to revive your customer experience and give your email programs a boost.

Presented by:
Gavin Laugenie
Digital Strategist
dotmailer

We are giving you a second chance to catch one of our favorite sessions! The addition of Bots, voice-enabled interfaces, and Artificial Intelligence means we must change the way we structure content. We are moving from a broadcast style of communication – publish and hope for the best – to a more conversational style of communication. More question and answer.

This imposes requirements on the content models you need to create if you want to talk to the Bots. We must be more granular in our models. We need to implement Microcontent.

Join our special guest host, Val Swisher, and Steve Manning In Part II of this series, where Steve will go a little deeper. He will discuss the language of bots/AI: intents, attributes, and assets. Then he’ll relate that to how the granularity you design into your models, the semantic labels you apply to elements, and the taxonomy you capture in creation can make or break your ability to publish DITA content to the new technologies. The session will include real-world scenarios that rely on a microcontent strategy.

Where are your target customers going, and how are they spending their time and, more importantly, their dollars? Location data and intelligence – not just on how consumers are interacting with your brand but also with your competitors – is key to crafting a killer consumer experience and reaching them when and where their hearts and minds (and wallets) are ready to be captured.

From foot traffic patterns and location visits to frequency analysis, custom venue visit analysis offers powerful, actionable insights to companies looking for a competitive edge in a crowded field. Learn how to capture new customer interest, keep older customers coming back, and boost your market share when you join this VB Live event!

Register for free now!

During this webinar you’ll learn how to:
* Boost engagement with location-based consumer insights and competitive intelligence
* Gain insight into the behavioral patterns of customers and prospects
* Apply the best use of location data for your business

Speakers:
* David Bairstow, SVP Product Management, Skyhook
* Sheryl Jacobson, Principal Consulting Strategy and Analytics, Deloitte Consulting LLP
* Stewart Rogers, Analyst at Large, VentureBeat (Moderator)

Sponsored by Skyhook

If you're like two out of three marketers, you recognize that personalizing content is critical; but you also know that it's damn hard to do. Aligning the buyer's journey to customers' growing appetite for personalized experiences is easier said than done--or is it?

Join Uberflip CMO Randy Frisch as he presents an actionable framework for persuading prospects through the power of personalized content in acquisition, sales enablement, and ABM.

In this webinar, you will learn:
- How content fuels personalization and how to approach developing and organizing it at scale
- To deliver truly relevant content to customers and prospects across different channels, formats, and touch points
- Tips on using customer and prospect scores to trigger personalized ads and landing pages—and how to distribute specific content across channels

As they look to build out their communities to appeal to a wide range of members, companies must rethink the types and formats they use for delivering relevant content. Webinars, videos and buying guides that directly cover products and services are always in play, but to stay relevant and sticky, companies must also offer value-added information, including peer reviews and independent analysis from industry experts, case studies that
show exactly how new products have worked for other
businesses, and best-practices advice on professional development and wider market trends.

Marketers should also encourage collaboration among the members of their communities and enable information sharing as much as possible. It’s clear that buyers rely heavily upon these peer reviews before making a decision.

Finally, marketers must work with analysts and other non-biased third parties to get their input on the market overall, and their business specifically, to help prospective customers make well-informed decisions.

Account-Based Marketing (ABM) is the strategy that just about every B2B marketer is either trying to ramp or at least trying to understand in 2018. ABM content is a critical piece of the puzzle. How do you create effective content that works with ABM tactics but is also scalable? We’re excited to interview one of the foremost ABM thought leaders, Sangram Vajre, Chief Evangelist and Co-Founder of Terminus, about this very topic.

BrightTALK marketer interviews Terminus Cofounder Sangram Vajre on Account Based Marketing strategies using Uberflip.

In this lively interview, Sangram will dive into:
What ABM content is and why it’s different
How to tackle the right amount of customization and personalization for the right tier of accounts
Great examples of how marketing teams have been successful with their ABM content approach