Authentic Brand Blog - Marketing Insights for Growing Businesses

Shocking But True: The Marketing Automation Disconnect

I'll never forget the day I realized just how huge the gap could be between expectation and reality, relative to marketing automation. I had recently taken a new job, after 13 years in sales and marketing for a fast-growth technology consulting start-up; a firm that specialized in CRM and marketing automation. My new organization was a contrast to my start-up experience in every way (more…)

The Hard Truth About Marketing Automation

It's one of the greatest misnomers of modern marketing: Marketing Automation. It's not a new term or technology. In fact, the pioneers in this space entered the market as early as 1999. And yet, despite its strong adoption and incredible growth (300 solutions added in just the past year - see graphic below), businesses large and small still struggle with what marketing automation actually means, and the level of commitment and resources required to manage an effective program. (more…)

Brace Yourself: It’s Marketing Conference Season

It seems that every 18 months or so, the conversations around B2B marketing shift. The most obvious way to observe this evolution is through the themes and titles of marketing conference keynotes and breakout sessions. A few years ago, all the conferences were focused on social and mobile. More recently, inbound and content marketing have dominated the topic lists. Today, everyone's talking ABM, predictive analytics, and lifecycle marketing. And rumblings are picking up around artificial intelligence, machine learning, and virtual / augmented reality. (more…)

The Problem with Modern Marketing

If you're in B2B marketing, you probably feel it. Something's not quite right. I felt it, too. In previous roles as a corporate B2B marketing leader, I spent nearly two decades building marketing programs and teams, sensing along the way that - though we were constantly innovating, producing great content, and growing our engagement numbers - we were missing the mark somewhere. (more…)

My Goal: Grace

This post is not about B2B marketing, brand, content, data, or digital. This is just about me, being authentic with you. Because that's my brand, after all. And I'd like for you to know me. And my journey toward embracing grace. While I was still working as a corporate marketing leader, earlier this year, a younger female colleague approached me with a sincere question: "What are your big personal goals this year? What is driving you?" (more…)

B2B Marketing: The more things change, the more they stay the same.

Take it from someone who’s been there, done that in B2B marketing: The more things change, the more they stay the same. This idea is one of the reasons I’ve set out to build my business, Authentic Brand, to help B2B leaders and marketers guide their brands and teams - consistently, intelligently, and authentically - through whatever comes their way. Because, though change is fast and constant, one thing remains true: it’s always been about the customer relationship. (more…)