Suzi McNicholas, Director of Marketing for Residential & Light Commercial HVAC at Johnson Controls, discusses her career in B2B technology marketing. She talks about how marketing in the industrial sector has changed, the challenges of getting stakeholders to understand what marketing really is, and what B2B companies can learn from consumer marketing.

About Johnson Controls

Johnson Controls transforms the environments where people live, work, learn and play. As a global leader in smart, healthy and sustainable buildings, Johnson Controls’ mission is to reimagine the performance of buildings to serve people, places and the planet.

Building on a history of nearly 140 years of innovation, Johnson Controls deliver the blueprint of the future for industries such as healthcare, schools, data centers, airports, stadiums, manufacturing and beyond through OpenBlue, a comprehensive digital offering.

About Suzi McNicholas

Suzi McNicholas is Director of Marketing for Residential & Light Commercial HVAC at Johnson Controls. She leads the marketing team to support new product introductions and integrated marketing campaigns.

She has a 25+ year career in progressive B2B marketing roles including digital marketing campaigns, lead generation, branding, public relations, new product introductions, content creation, events, communications, and budget management. Prior to joining Johnson Controls, McNicholas built an integrated marketing team at Honeywell in the Industrial Safety Products division.

McNicholas holds a Bachelor of Arts in English from Presbyterian College in Clinton, SC and a Post-Graduate degree in English and American Literature from the University of Hull in England. She currently resides in Charlotte, NC.

Time Stamps

[00:47.5] – Suzi discusses her 25+ year career in marketing.

[05:32.7] – What are the differences to marketing to a channel partner versus an end user?

[08:55.3] – How do you manage short term and long term goals? Suzi discusses.

[13:28.2] – Suzi discusses how audiences reliance on sales is shifting.

[15:31:9] – Suzi talks about what she sees being the biggest changes in marketing over the next five years.

[18:50.8] – Suzi shares some advice to those looking to get into marketing.

[19:58.8] – Suzi’s contact details.

Quotes

“Don’t get emotionally attached to the outcome because your budget’s going to get cut… maybe your campaign isn’t going the way you’d want it to… that’s ok, you’re going to learn from what’s happening… you’re going to spend a whole lot of time frustrated and upset if you’re emotionally attached to these outcomes.” Suzi McNicholas, Director of Marketing for Residential & Light Commercial HVAC at Johnson Controls.

“People aren’t going to buy until they’re ready, and that 70% of the time that they’re spending before reaching out is research.” Suzi McNicholas, Director of Marketing for Residential & Light Commercial HVAC at Johnson Controls.

Follow Suzi:

Suzi McNicholas on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/suzimcnicholas/

Johnson Controls website: https://www.johnsoncontrols.com/

Johnson Controls on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/johnson-controls/

Follow Mike:

Mike Maynard on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikemaynard/

Napier website: https://www.napierb2b.com/

Napier LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/napier-partnership-limited/

If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe to our podcast for more discussions about the latest in Marketing B2B Tech and connect with us on social media to stay updated on upcoming episodes. We'd also appreciate it if you could leave us a review on your favourite podcast platform.

Want more? Check out Napier’s other podcast - The Marketing Automation Moment: https://podcasts.apple.com/ua/podcast/the-marketing-automation-moment-podcast/id1659211547

Thomas Lewis, an experienced semiconductor marketing leader, explores the challenges of building integrated marketing campaigns in technical industries and shares his advice on building strong working relationships with engineers.

Thomas also explores the industry's current focus on sustainability and the potential pitfalls of greenwashing, what B2B and B2C marketers can learn from each other, and offers his insights on the changing role of CMOs.

About Thomas Lewis

Thomas Lewis is a seasoned marketing leader with over 28 years working in the semiconductor industry. He has a unique background which has afforded him first-hand experience in sales, business unit leadership, and marketing. Thomas believes in the power of data-directed marketing with a proven track record to support his “ALL IN” approach to creating, developing, and sustaining highly successful campaigns and teams.

His background includes impactful roles at Texas Instruments and Analog Devices and career opportunities such as launching a global pricing process, living abroad as an expatriate, leading engineering teams and directing multi-channel marketing campaigns.

Time Stamps

[00:45:2] – Thomas discusses his career in the semiconductor industry and why he chose that specialism.

[02:50:3] – How can not being an engineer actually be a benefit in technical roles?

[04:41:0] – Advice for building better integrated campaigns.

[09:22:8] – How can data break down silos between different teams?

[15:02:3] – Does B2B marketing lag behind B2C? How can we fix this?

[18:56:9] – The dangers of greenwashing.

[22:43.3] – The changing role of the CMO

[27:13.6] – Thomas shares some marketing advice.

[31:35.6] - Andrus's contact details.

Quotes

“Keep an open mind, ask more questions than you make statements. That's great advice for dealing with engineers.” Mike Maynard, Managing Director at Napier

“Data can really be used to drive our marketing decisions. It's not just gut feel of what could work. You can do something, you can measure it and you can adapt to the situation.” Thomas Lewis, Semiconductor Marketing Leader

“So, I do believe that adjectives have become the enemy of a really good marketer in the B2B space. To get precise in what you’re talking about has become incredibly important.” Thomas Lewis, Semiconductor Marketing Leader

Follow Thomas:

Thomas Lewis on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-lewis-nhpoe/

Follow Mike:

Mike Maynard on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikemaynard/

Napier website: https://www.napierb2b.com/

Napier LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/napier-partnership-limited/

If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe to our podcast for more discussions about the latest in Marketing B2B Tech and connect with us on social media to stay updated on upcoming episodes. We'd also appreciate it if you could leave us a review on your favourite podcast platform.

Want more? Check out Napier’s other podcast - The Marketing Automation Moment: https://podcasts.apple.com/ua/podcast/the-marketing-automation-moment-podcast/id1659211547

Masha Petrova, CEO of Nullspace, a simulation software company joins the latest episode of the Marketing B2B Technology podcast to share her journey from aspiring astronaut to engineering expert and marketing leader.

She delves into the importance of effective marketing when targeting technical audiences and discusses the challenges of mergers and acquisitions in the engineering software industry. The conversation also explores current engineering tools, the role of AI in accelerating technological advancements, and the need for efficient simulation software.

About Nullspace

Nullspace is a deep tech software company that develops products and solutions for RF and quantum computing applications across defense, aerospace, and automotive industries.

About Masha Petrova

Dr. Petrova is an experienced executive with a passion for leading multi-disciplinary global teams toward successful results by focusing on operations and creating a unified vision. After receiving her PhD in aerospace engineering, Dr. Petrova spent 15+ years in the engineering simulation and design software industry, including holding global marketing executive roles at Ansys, Altium, LLC, and MSC Software (during acquisition by Hexagon MI) as well as 3 simulation software start-ups all acquired by Ansys, Inc. in the last 10 years.

Time Stamps

[00:46:2] – Masha provides some background to her career and what led her to become CEO of Nullspace.

[01:50.2] - Masha discusses EDA and simulation tools.

[03:22:0] – Masha explains the impact of acquisitions on marketers and CMOs.

[09:42:2] – Masha talks about how to balance the demands of wanting to get leads and drive sales quickly with the longer term goal of building a strong brand.

[18:34:9] – Masha discusses how she deals with the issue of sustainability.

[24:52:3] – Masha gives her best advice to those entering a career in marketing.

[26:24:1] – Masha’s contact details.

Quotes

“Because of AI, there is a lot of acceleration in technology itself that's happening… but the tools that the engineers use are still kind of stuck in the past. These are still conservative tools that's been tested and validated for over 40, 30 years. So, it's like using a hammer to build a car.” Masha Petrova, CEO of Nullspace.

"Measuring brand effectiveness is really hard. It's not like lead generation, where you can track from inception to a sales deal. With brand, it's much subtler, so we tracked our spend versus views, comments, and social media engagement to demonstrate interest in our content." Masha Petrova, CEO of Nullspace.

Follow Masha:

Masha Petrova on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mashavpetrova/

Nullspace website: https://www.nullspaceinc.com/

Nullspace on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/nullspace-inc/

Follow Mike:

Mike Maynard on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikemaynard/

Napier website: https://www.napierb2b.com/

Napier LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/napier-partnership-limited/

If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe to our podcast for more discussions about the latest in Marketing B2B Tech and connect with us on social media to stay updated on upcoming episodes. We'd also appreciate it if you could leave us a review on your favourite podcast platform.

Want more? Check out Napier’s other podcast - The Marketing Automation Moment: https://podcasts.apple.com/ua/podcast/the-marketing-automation-moment-podcast/id1659211547

Xenia Muntean, Co-Founder and CEO of Planable, a content collaboration platform, shares some great tips for repurposing content on social media to extend its lifetime, ensuring it remains evergreen and continues to engage audiences after its initial release.

She also discusses the challenges of achieving executive buy-in, how to navigate internal approval processes, and explores the potential impact of AI on social media marketing teams.

About Planable

Planable is the content collaboration platform that makes marketing teamwork a breeze. It’s the spot where you can create, plan, review, approve, and analyse all your markeing content for social media, blogs, newsletters, press releases. Experience a faster, smoother workflow that helps your team work together like never before.

Started in 2016, Planable is trusted by over 5000 marketing teams behind iconic brands such as Hyundai, Christian Louboutin, Royal Canin, KFC, and SMEG.

About Xenia Muntean

Xenia is the CEO and Co-Founder of Planable, a content review and marketing collaboration platform used by over 10,000 creators behind iconic brands such as Hyundai, Christian Louboutin, Viber, and United Nations. Prior to launching Planable, at 20 years old she built a digital marketing agency and led social for clients such as Coca-Cola.

Xenia Muntean is a Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree, Techstars alumna, and Webby Awards judge. She’s also a frequent speaker, startup mentor, and avid runner.

Time Stamps

[00:50:6] – Xenia provides some background to her career and why she founded planable.

[02:06.6] - Xenia discusses the benefits of being based in Europe versus the United States.

[04:33:1] – What does Plannable do? Xenia explains what makes the platform so loved amongst users.

[09:53:6] – Xenia offers some tips on achieving executive buy-in.

[12:03:0] – How to reuse content to extend its lifetime.

[15:18:7] – What role can AI play in content generation?

[21:45:2] – Xenia’s contact details.

Quotes

“When you build a software as a service product, it's all about the people… building a team that you can resonate with and have less cultural barriers with I think is really important.” Xenia Muntean, Co-Founder and CEO at Planable.

“I think for content it's all about the distribution, right? So, it's really important to have really good, really meaningful content, but also to not forget about the second part. How do you get the most out of that content?” Xenia Muntean, Co-Founder and CEO at Planable.

Follow Xenia:

Xenia Muntean on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/xeniamuntean/

Planable website: https://planable.io/

Planable on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/planable/

Follow Mike:

Mike Maynard on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikemaynard/

Napier website: https://www.napierb2b.com/

Napier LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/napier-partnership-limited/

If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe to our podcast for more discussions about the latest in Marketing B2B Tech and connect with us on social media to stay updated on upcoming episodes. We'd also appreciate it if you could leave us a review on your favourite podcast platform.

Want more? Check out Napier’s other podcast - The Marketing Automation Moment: https://podcasts.apple.com/ua/podcast/the-marketing-automation-moment-podcast/id1659211547

Andrus Purde, Co-Founder and CEO of Outfunnel, an integration platform, discusses the importance of sharing data between marketing and sales teams and the challenges businesses face when their tools don't communicate effectively.

About Outfunnel

Outfunnel is an integration platform that makes it easy to connect sales and marketing tools, keep customer data in sync across the MarTech stack, and record all marketing engagement in the CRM.

About Andrus Purde

Andrus Purde is Co-Founder, CEO and ‘recovering marketer’ at Outfunnel. Andrus founded the integration platform in 2017 following a career in marketing, including positions at Pipedrive and Skype.

Time Stamps

[00:01:0] - Andrus introduces himself and talks about his marketing career before starting Outfunnel.

[00:03:2] - Andrus discusses Estonia as a great place for startups and the benefits of being based there.

[00:06:0] - Importance of Two-Way Data Sync: Andrus explains the significance of syncing data both ways between CRM and marketing tools.

[00:10:3] - Andrus talks about the popular integrations and connections made using Outfunnel.

[00:14:0] - Andrus discusses the strategies used to promote Outfunnel.

[00:18:3] - Andrus shares the best marketing advice he has received.

[00:21:4] - Andrus's contact details.

Quotes

“Some companies operate years, or forever, with data in isolation… marketers and salespeople who are doing the work... they shouldn't worry about how the tools have been sourced in their company. They should just have access to the data.” Andrus Purde, Co-Founder and CEO at Outfunnel

Follow Andrus:

Andrus Purde on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andruspurde/

Outfunnel website: https://outfunnel.com/

Outfunnel on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/outfunnel/

Follow Mike:

Mike Maynard on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikemaynard/

Napier website: https://www.napierb2b.com/

Napier LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/napier-partnership-limited/

If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe to our podcast for more discussions about the latest in Marketing B2B Tech and connect with us on social media to stay updated on upcoming episodes. We'd also appreciate it if you could leave us a review on your favourite podcast platform.

Want more? Check out Napier’s other podcast - The Marketing Automation Moment: https://podcasts.apple.com/ua/podcast/the-marketing-automation-moment-podcast/id1659211547

In this episode of Marketing B2B Technology, Mike chats with Mark Donnigan, a virtual CMO who works with tech companies. Mark shares insights into his career journey, discusses his approach to building long-term client relationships, and emphasises the importance of understanding the market and customers.

Mark also shares his advice on marketing tactics, highlights the value of focusing on go-to-market strategy, and talks about the importance of getting into the field to understand customers.

About Mark Donnigan

Mark Donnigan designs and executes marketing programs and go-to-market strategies to establish and grow markets for disruptive startup companies. As a transformative B2B marketing and business leader, Mark understands what’s required to succeed in today’s winner-takes-all market.

Well-versed in SaaS, software licensing, enterprise technology, and platform business models, Mark helps companies build efficient marketing teams that routinely outperform larger marketing departments.

Time Stamps

[00:44.0] - Mark shares his career journey and explains his role as Virtual CMO.

[12:57.0] - The benefits of hiring a Virtual CMO versus full-time CMO.

[14:45.0] - Mark talks about his approach to building marketing plans.

[18:42.0] - Overrated marketing channels and tactics

[23:26.0] - Challenges with fixed KPIs in marketing

[24:37.0] - Mark offers some marketing advice

[25:52.0] - Mark's contact details

Quotes

“Get into the field. Know the market. Know the customers. Know how they think. Know what they care about. Know how they make decisions.” Mark Donnigan, Virtual CMO.

Follow Mark:

Mark Donnigan on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markdonnigan/

Growth Stage Marketing website: https://growthstage.marketing/

Follow Mike:

Mike Maynard on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikemaynard/

Napier website: https://www.napierb2b.com/

Napier LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/napier-partnership-limited/

If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe to our

podcast for more discussions about the latest in Marketing B2B Tech and connect with us on social media to stay updated on upcoming episodes. We'd also appreciate it if you could leave us a review on your favourite podcast platform.

Want more? Check out Napier’s other podcast - The Marketing Automation Moment: https://podcasts.apple.com/ua/podcast/the-marketing-automation-moment-podcast/id1659211547

Molly Bruckman, Head of Growth Marketing at Mutiny, a website personalisation platform, shares some top tips on how marketers can effectively leverage personalisation to enhance engagement and drive results. She also explains the potential pitfalls of over-personalisation and how it can negatively impact marketing efforts.

About Mutiny

Most Marketing teams can’t play a meaningful role in breaking through to target accounts because the 1:1 marketing strategies that work don’t scale, and what scales doesn’t work. Mutiny helps B2B companies generate pipeline and revenue from their target accounts through AI-powered personalised experiences, 1:1 microsites, and account intelligence. Backed by Sequoia Capital, YCombinator, and CMOs from leading tech companies, Mutiny is rewriting the Go-To-Market playbook.

About Molly

Molly Bruckman is a customer-obsessed marketing and CX leader. With 10+ years of experience building personalization, CRO and ABM teams and programs, Molly thrives on developing creative solutions that propel marketers to new heights. Her journey spans diverse landscapes, from nimble B2B startups to dynamic B2C enterprises, orchestrating growth programs across various channels such as web, email, community and events - always with an eye for innovative strategies.

Time Stamps

[00:44.9] – Molly discusses her career journey from mathematician to marketer

[05:44.4] – Molly explains what Mutiny does.

[06:32.0] – Molly discusses the best data points to base personalisation on.

[12:03.5] – Molly explains how over-personalising can impact marketing efforts.

[17:41.0] – Who can benefit from Mutiny?

[18:55.1] – How does Mutiny effectively promote itself?

[29:19.1] – Molly shares the advice she would give to someone starting their career.

[27:41.7] – Molly's contact details

Quotes

“Marketing strategies that work don’t scale and the tactics that scale don’t work." Molly Bruckman, Head of Growth Marketing at Mutiny.

Follow Molly:

Molly Bruckman on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mollybruckman/

Mutiny website: https://www.mutinyhq.com/

Mutiny on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mutinyhq/

Follow Mike:

Mike Maynard on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikemaynard/

Napier website: https://www.napierb2b.com/

Napier LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/napier-partnership-limited/

If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe to our podcast for more discussions about the latest in Marketing B2B Tech and connect with us on social media to stay updated on upcoming episodes. We'd also appreciate it if you could leave us a review on your favourite podcast platform.

Want more? Check out Napier’s other podcast - The Marketing Automation Moment: https://podcasts.apple.com/ua/podcast/the-marketing-automation-moment-podcast/id1659211547