1. Tell us about your role at BrightTALK?
I’m the Chief Marketing Officer at BrightTALK. In my role I work closely with our executive team to shape our future in our category, within our competitive landscape, and how we take our products and services to market. I partner closely with our revenue teams to include sales development, sales, marketing, customer success and support. The marketing team’s objectives include customer acquisition, growth, retention and support through the content and marketing programs we produce.
2. Can you tell us about your journey into this market?
I’ve been in the webinar market category for 16 years. It started with WebEx before they were acquired by Cisco. I left WebEx to build a frontend discovery tool that was meant to organize webinars for professional audiences. When Cisco didn’t want to pursue that market, I was left with a failed startup. Shortly thereafter, I heard of a new company, BrightTALK, opening offices in San Francisco to pursue the same idea. I wished them success and the CEO asked to meet. We hit it off and I’ve been at BrightTALK since.
3. How do you think technology is upgrading the marketing sector?
In 2008, I remember the marketing technology landscape being 200 or so companies. Now that’s over 7,000. This breadth of options makes it possible for marketers to find a solution to endless problems. It also creates chaos in sorting through to find the right solutions. In the end, it is making marketers more effective at creating content, driving demand, and measuring their results. I’m just not a believer that marketers or companies need a dozen (or two) tools to reach their goals. Find the tools that are critical, invest in those (vendor) relationships, and get it working well. In most cases, that can be accomplished with less than 10 tools.
4. What do you think is the significance of webinars on reaching new audiences?
Webinars (and videos) have been a proven go-to-market channel and medium for two decades. Audiences react because they can hear, see, and participate in the discussion. While it’s one of the longer content formats, it’s also consistent across technology provider, host, and user experience. That consistency is how it continues to be significant for companies to reach their audiences. And in 2020, that proved even more critical for every company needing to communicate with their audiences.
5. How do videos impact story-telling for businesses’ brand building?
Webinars (and videos) bring the human element of storytelling. It connects with audiences in ways not possible via text. That human element is why webinars and videos have been so successful for marketers.
6. What is the best way of engaging leads?
Consistent and quality content. It’s possible to engage leads sporadically, but to build a tribe of people that trust your leadership, consistency wins
7. How do you think webinars influence the quality of lead gen?
Webinars influence because they provide access to thought leaders; engage eyes and ears and provide quality time for presenters and audience. This provides an authentic and measurable level of engagement that can’t be replicated via other marketing channels. It’s truly unique in that way.
8. What advice would you like to give to the technology Start Ups?
Focus on your addressable market, establish your category, and service customers that will have success with your company. Nothing else matters.
9. What is the Digital innovation in sales technology according to you that will mark 2020?
I’m best to speak to marketing technology.
10. What are the major developments you are planning, in recent time?
Sales-ready products are the avenue for marketers to grow revenue. This includes driving demand through offers that allow prospects and customers to experience your web-based product. It’s not new in B2C, but every forward-thinking B2B company is narrowing the gap.
11. Can you tell us about your team and how it supports you?
I’m lucky to have a fantastic team of marketing professionals. They primarily use webinars and videos in our go-to-market because they understand the value of being best in class via this discipline. It allows us to learn and share our learnings with our current and prospective customers.
12. What movie inspires you the most?
I recently rewatched Moneyball. Growing up in the Bay Area and having a connection with the Oakland A’s, Billy Beane was inspirational for his willingness to think differently. Even through his long history of baseball, he was willing to take a different approach to solving a unique problem. Even when it was not producing early results, he maintained his path and stuck to solving his challenge with data vs. gut.
13. We have heard that you have a very joyful work culture, so can you share with us some of the fun pictures of your workplace?
Yes! You can find @lifeatbrighttalk on Instagram where we share our culture and workplace
14. Can you give us a glance of the applications you use on your phone?
For work, I have a core set of apps I use:
My phone is further cluttered with games my kids like to play
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