Renegade Thinkers Unite: Marketing Tips From Cmos And Expert Marketers

Synthetic research is rewriting the rules—and Jon Lombardo is here to explain how. In this Huddles Quick Take, the Evidenza co-founder breaks down the three biggest misconceptions marketers have about AI-generated research, from assumptions about accuracy to the myth of average insights.  You’ll hear how synthetic research can help you test messaging, uncover clear audience insights, and even rewrite jargon so sales and buyers actually understand it—all without waiting months or spending a fortune.  What You’ll Learn:  3 misconceptions marketers have about synthetic research  Why AI can surface insights that are better than traditional methods  How synthetic research unlocks deeper audience understanding at scale  When to use synthetic over human research (and how they work together)  For the rest of the conversation with Jon—including B2B use cases, segmentation examples, and a deeper dive into category entry points—visit our YouTube channel (CMO Huddles Hub) or click here: [h

Penguins spend 75% of their lives in the water, actively positioning themselves exactly where they need to be to hunt and survive. It’s intentional placement. Strong brands do the same. They know where they belong and commit. Too many don’t. They drift, hoping the market finds them. You’ve got to stake your spot and give your marketing something to stand on. In this episode, Drew brings in Marni Puente (SAIC) and Sara Larsen (Wolters Kluwer Health), two marketers who’ve learned that positioning only works when it’s clear, repeated often, and owned beyond marketing. They get into how to break the cycle of repositioning, earn internal trust, and lay the groundwork for durable growth.  In this episode:  Marni shares how a tight positioning strategy anchored SAIC’s rebrand and became a decision filter across the org  Sara explains how to drive clarity in a matrixed enterprise, aligning stakeholders without watering down the message  Both guests reflect on the power of internal alignment as the

You can’t game the Gartner system. You can’t fast-track a Forrester mention. But you can show up prepared, relevant, and consistent. Analyst Relations is the slowest move on the board and the one that defines how your company is positioned on calls, in rooms, and across the category.   To trace the full arc of this relationship, Drew is joined by Dan Lowden (Blackbird.AI), Lorie Coulombe (Equity Shift), and Lynn Tornabene (Anteriad). These are marketing leaders who’ve built analyst trust from scratch, played the long game, and seen the ripple effects hit pipeline, brand, and board-level confidence. They’ve turned AR into an amplifier, and they’re here to show you how to do the same.   In this episode:  Dan on building analyst trust without budget through clear positioning and repeat engagement  Lorie on prepping spokespeople and leading briefings with relevance over polish  Lynn on aligning teams and delivering consistent, high-value analyst touchpoints  Plus:  What analysts want fr

Joelle Kaufman has been both a CRO and a CMO—and she’s here to tell you: if sales and marketing aren’t on the same page, you’re leaving revenue on the table.  In this Huddles Quick Take, Joelle outlines the three most common mistakes CMOs make when trying to align with sales—and how to avoid them. From pipeline goals to budget tension to attribution battles, Joelle shares how CMOs can build better partnerships that actually drive revenue.  What You’ll Learn:  3 alignment mistakes that keep marketing and sales at odds  Why obsessing over MQLs sends the wrong signal  How shared pipeline goals help unify teams  The real problem with attribution finger-pointing    For the rest of the conversation with Joelle, visit our YouTube channel (CMO Huddles Hub) or click here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=64XHb_E7UT4.  Get more insights like these by joining our free Starter program at cmohuddles.com.   For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegademarketing.com/podcasts/

ABM falls apart fast when teams jump in before locking down who they’re chasing, why it matters, and how it’s all supposed to run. Sales pushes one list, marketing builds another, and no one agrees on who actually matters. No shared ICP? No clean data? Well, no chance. You need a strategy. Guest host Jon Russo (B2B Fusion) corrals Heidi Bullock (Tealium), Patti Newcomer (Centerbase), and Bindu Chellappan (Corpay) for a breakdown of how they’re keeping their ABM engines running clean. Think pods with purpose, seller-first workflows, and data that matters. In this episode:  Heidi on running pods that bring marketing, sales, and CS into one motion  Patti on aligning across the funnel and why ABM needs ownership  Bindu on activating firmographic and intent data with shared definitions  Plus:  Where alignment really starts  Why trust beats tech every time  How AI is speeding up the grunt work without losing the signal  The metrics that actually tell you it’s working

Let's face it, most marketing metrics don't travel well to the CFO's office. Pricing power is different. It's measurable, margin-backed, and proof that your brand is strong enough to charge more without losing volume. To help make sense of it all, Drew brings in Chris Burggraeve, Founder of Vicomte and author of books on marketing and business strategy. Together, they discuss what pricing power means, how to measure it, and why it's the most powerful way to communicate marketing value to your CFO and C-suite. In this episode: What pricing power means and how to measure it  Why brand strength drives profit, not just visibility  How CMOs can align with CFOs through finance fluency  The tools and mindset needed to link marketing to valuation  How pricing power bridges marketing metrics with financial outcomes   Tune in for a clearer way to connect brand, margin, and market strength.  For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegademarketing.com/podcasts/ To le

Be honest, when you think “CMO,” do you picture campaigns, brand work, or the de facto unifier of a siloed C-suite? In this episode, guest host Narine Galstian (SADA) leads a conversation with Katie McAdams (Basis Technologies) and Julia Goebel (Komodo Health) on how the CMOs role has grown into a key driver of org-wide alignment. It’s part diplomat, part coach, translating strategy across departments and turning zigzags at the top into coordinated momentum.  In this episode:  Katie shares how early signals from marketing and sales can shape product strategy before it hits the roadmap  Julia explains why cohesive brand messaging only happens when product, marketing, and sales move as one  Narine explores how marketing becomes the connective tissue that keeps cross-functional teams in sync   Plus:  Why fragile alignment breaks when you skip the relationship-building  How “agree and commit” clears the clutter when teams clash  The case for marketers to stop owning just ca

Nothing scrambles a CMOs brain faster than parsing pipeline math with sales.  Alignment starts with one number, owned together, and a shared path from first touch to closed won. Miss that, and both sides will be pulling their hair out debating what happened to the pipeline. In this episode, Drew Neisser is joined by Lisa Cole (2X), Dave Bornmann (Higher Logic), and Marshall Poindexter (yorCMO) to tackle the GTM strategy that frays the most nerves: sales and marketing alignment. In this episode: Lisa shares how GTM teams build trust through shared goals, clean data, and dashboards that leave no room for spin Dave explains how strong sales relationships gave marketing influence across the full funnel Marshall shows how marketers earn trust by speaking sales’ language and showing they’re in it for the same win  Plus: Why sales questions your pipeline numbers and how to rebuild trust How shared dashboards and definitions keep teams honest How to speak sales without losing your marke

The career mistake that haunts CMOs most? Waiting until they're out of a job to build their personal brand. In this Huddles Quick Take, reputation management expert Marc Reichel from Qnary reveals the three critical mistakes B2B executives make when building their online presence. Plus, he shares practical advice on creating meaningful engagement that enhances both your personal brand AND your company's visibility.  What You'll Learn: How to identify and focus on the right target audience The optimal content strategy (4 blended posts per week) Why 70-80% of your content should be thought leadership, not company promotion How to build your reputation while supporting your organization For the full conversation covering the right way to tag people in posts, how to get named a LinkedIn “Top Voice,” and recommendations for platforms beyond LinkedIn, visit our YouTube channel (CMO Huddles Hub) or click here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9T9Rfcs-2CY Get more insights like these by joinin

Drew worked on the team that launched the Panasonic Toughbook by driving a Hummer over it on live TV!  That stunt turned heads, sure, but it also drilled the product’s promise into buyers’ brains: tough enough to survive anything. The best launches find that one thing that matters, makes it unforgettable, and builds everything else around it. In this episode, Drew Neisser is joined by Guy Yalif (Webflow), Chris Pieper (ADP), and Ali McCarthy (Amplify Your Voice Studio) to talk about why great launches start with one magical thing: the product’s essence.  In this episode: Guy shares how Webflow’s multi-product expansion demanded a rethink of what buyers really needed and why one-size-fits-all launches rarely succeed  Chris explains why the launch of ADP’s Lyric platform meant wrangling hundreds of voices into one clear story without losing focus on what matters  Ali breaks down why putting the customer’s pain first is key and why clarity always beats complexity Plus:  Why unders

B2B CMOs know positioning matters—but too often, it vanishes when sales starts talking.   In this episode, positioning guru April Dunford pulls back the curtain on the disconnect between marketing and sales and shares exactly how to build a sales pitch that wins. Drawing from her book Sales Pitch and decades of experience, April shares a battle-tested framework for building pitches that set the context, overcome indecision, and spotlight your unique value—without overwhelming buyers or falling into feature hell.  Key Mistakes:  Mistake #1: Treating positioning as marketing-only  Mistake #2: Assuming sales will “get it” if you hand them positioning docs  Mistake #3: Building sales pitches without a clear, compelling structure In this episode: Why positioning is the starting point for every winning pitch  How marketing can frame the problem so sales doesn’t chase the wrong story  Why leading with your company history stalls momentum  What smart pitch sequenci

Is your GenAI stack bloated, scattered, or underused? You're not alone.  In this Huddles Quick Take, GenAI advisor Nicole Leffer delivers a fast-paced, practical deep dive into what marketers are still getting wrong with GenAI—and how to fix it. You’ll also learn why Deep Research may be the most powerful feature you're not using.  Plus, Nicole shares how ChatGPT helped her build a full keynote deck (including visuals!) and how to stay on top of hallucination risks in strategic work.  What You’ll Learn  3 common GenAI mistakes marketers make—plus one just for CMOs  Why most teams only need one core tool (and which Nicole ranks highest)  How to use Deep Research to analyze competitors, build strategy, and repurpose content  Why great prompting starts with generous context and a clear goal  Want more? Catch the rest of the conversation on the CMO Huddles Hub YouTube channel or click here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XbdXnseUK-U     For full show notes and transcripts, visit

Everyone wants to be in a category of one.   But until analysts acknowledge it, customers search for it, and competitors show up, it’s not quite a category—more a call you made before the market did. Creating one means walking a line between leading the story and waiting for the market to catch up. In this episode, Drew Neisser is joined by Bernd Leger of Cornerstone OnDemand, Charles Groome of Biz2Credit, and Jakki Geiger to share their insights into building a category from scratch. In this episode: Bernd shares how Cornerstone moved beyond LMS into “workforce agility,” backed by acquisitions, analyst engagement, and full-team alignment.  Charles explains how Biz2Credit is carving out a new lane in FinTech by naming the problem and using familiar language to build demand.  Jakki outlines what separates true category creation from disruption, and why team-wide clarity is the hidden work that drives both.  Plus:  Why a real customer problem should shape your category narrative 

Marketing org charts may look innocent, but they’re loaded with meaning. Split your team into “revenue” and “corporate” and you’re sending a message, whether you mean to or not. Structure reveals philosophy. And in B2B, that philosophy had better be built for trust, speed, and results. In this episode, Drew Neisser is joined by Kelly Hopping (Demandbase), Lesley Davis (Waggoner Engineering), and Gary Sevounts (Simpplr) to discuss how they’re shaping marketing teams that reflect clearer priorities, move in sync with the business, and operate at the pace growth demands. In this episode: Kelly built her team around one goal: earning sales love. It reshaped her team’s structure, mindset, and KPIs.  Lesley explains how cultural clarity and cross-functional trust helped her team scale fast inside a complex org.  Gary shares how “Treasure Ops” became a full-funnel GTM engine, reviving stalled deals and tying ops directly to pipeline. You’ll also learn:  Why your org structure should fo

You can spend six figures on an event and still walk away with nothing but badge scans and a fuzzy sense of brand presence. But when you treat it as a full-funnel campaign, that’s when the impact starts early and lasts well beyond the event itself.   In this episode, Drew Neisser is joined by Ellina Shinnick (HUB International), Kevin Ruane (Precisely), and Isabelle Papoulias (EliteOps) to explore how teams show up with intention and turn B2B events into focused, cross-functional efforts that build brand, strengthen buyer confidence, and avoid the all-too-common post-event fade. In this episode: Ellina breaks down HUB’s three-part event framework: Sales alignment, rigorous ROI auditing, and one bold theme that ties it all together.  Kevin shares how a shift from demand gen to brand-first events, paired with sideline plays and airport branding, led to unexpected revenue wins.  Isabelle gives the play-by-play on how startups can show up strong with limited budgets and purposeful sequencin

Most companies launch a customer advisory board with good intentions. A few emails go out, a meeting gets booked, and then… not much happens. But when CABs are built with the right structure and support, they can drive some serious value for the business and the customer.  In this episode, Drew Neisser talks with Melanie Marcus (Surescripts), Marca Armstrong (Sensera Systems), and Marina Ilishaev (Boardstream AI) about what separates a one-off event from a CAB that earns ongoing attention, input, and trust. From executive alignment to post-meeting follow-through, this conversation is packed with real examples of CABs done right and lessons from the ones that nearly fell flat. In this episode: How Surescripts turned a CAB into a strategic driver over six years  How Sensera uses CAB insights to steer product and sales direction  Why structure, ownership, and trust matter more than slick agendas Plus:  How to get buy-in from execs, internal teams, and customers  Ways to keep C

Think CMOs don’t belong in the boardroom? Think again. Today’s top marketers are stepping beyond the C-suite, bringing strategic insight, customer obsession, and data-driven decision-making to board-level conversations. But how do you actually make that leap? In this episode of Renegade Marketers Unite, Drew Neisser sits down with three marketing leaders who’ve done just that: Denise Vu Broady (Collibra), Peter Finter (KX), and Katrina Klier (Sage Strategy Group). They share how they earned board seats—and how you can too. In this episode: How Denise mapped her board journey five years in advance  Why Peter leads with risk and strategy to earn trust at the top  What Katrina looks for in a board-ready résumé (hint: it’s not brand metrics) Plus:  Why nonprofit and advisory roles are the best launchpads  When to invest in certifications like NACD and PDA   How to talk board ambitions with your CEO (without raising red flags)  Why CMOs are more board-ready than they

Inbound and outbound aren’t opposing forces—they’re two sides of the same motion.   When marketing owns both, it opens the door for tighter execution, faster learning, and better performance. But that kind of momentum doesn’t come from chasing tactics. It comes from reworking how the work actually gets done. In this episode, Drew Neisser talks with Christina Kyriazi of PhotoShelter about how she rebuilt the company’s go-to-market engine from the inside out. From bringing outbound under marketing, to embedding product marketing early, to using experiments to guide spend, Christina shares how structure and process—not just tactics—made all the difference. What You’ll Learn:  ✔ Why outbound now rolls up to marketing and how that changed execution  ✔ How product marketing helped define segments, use cases, and “wow” moments  ✔ What “speed to lead” actually looks like and why it’s working  ✔ How underperforming tactics became high-converting plays  ✔ Where AI is helping accelerate research, conten