Marketing Today with Alan Hart

Melton Littlepage is a seasoned marketing executive with over two decades of experience driving innovation, creating new categories, and accelerating growth in the technology sector. Currently the Chief Marketing Officer at 1Password, Melton previously held the same role at Outreach, where he led comprehensive global marketing teams to enhance brand presence and revenue generation. His prior leadership roles include transformative contributions at Tenable in cybersecurity, New Relic in software analytics, Schoology in edtech, and Concur, a multi-billion dollar global B2B SaaS leader. His expertise spans strategic communications, brand management, demand generation, and customer engagement across diverse domains.1Password offers identity security and access management solutions built for the way people work and live today. Trusted by over 150,000 businesses and millions of consumers worldwide, the company’s enterprise password manager helps individuals and businesses store, manage, and use passwords and other sensitive information safely, and features strong password generation, secure storage, encrypted data protection, and cross-platform accessibility. Ideal for personal and enterprise use, 1Password supports secure credential sharing, password hygiene monitoring, and integration with business tools, offering a user-friendly solution for enhancing digital security. In 2024, 1Password became a multi-product security company with the debut of its 1Password Extended Access Management platform, enabling businesses to secure every sign in to every app from every device.On today’s show, Alan and Melton discuss 1Password and its role in the cybersecurity space, exploring how Melton differentiates the brand. They explore 1Password’s strategic move into the golf industry through the Presidents Cup and the potential power of sports marketing. Melton shares his approach to crafting marketing strategies for both B2B and B2C audiences. They end by examining how trends like Formula 1’s resurgence and the popularity of longform podcasts are shifting the way we should think about marketing.In this episode, you'll learn:The strategy behind a bold marketing move Insight on how to successfully pitch a new strategyHow Formula 1 and longform podcasts are reshaping the way we approach marketingKey Highlights:[01:11] Personal story: Fear of heights[04:05] Career path to 1Password[11:42] What is going on in the cybersecurity industry[13:56] How 1Password is approaching security[16:33] Differentiating within industry[19:19] Recent sports marketing move with golf [24:12] The pitch [27:04] An experience from your past that defines you[29:08] Advice to your younger self[30:32] A topic that marketers need to learn more about: Mapping your buyers journey[33:04] Trends or subcultures others should follow: Formula 1 movement[36:00] Largest opportunity or threat to marketers today: Longform podcastLooking for more?Visit our website for the full show notes, links to resources mentioned in this episode, and ways to connect with the guest!

Jacqueline Woods is the Chief Marketing Officer for Teradata, the cloud analytics and data platform for AI, headquartered in San Diego, California. Jacqueline joined Teradata from NielsenIQ, where she was a member of the executive leadership team and Global Chief Marketing and Communications Officer. She also spent nearly 10 years as CMO of the IBM Global Partner Ecosystem Division, where she focused on building cloud, data, AI, and SaaS strategies. Before that, she was Global Head of Customer Segmentation & Customer Experience at General Electric and also held roles of increasing responsibility at Oracle for 10 years, as well as leadership roles at Ameritech and GTE, now Verizon. Thankfully, Jacqueline has always loved math, because, as she points out, marketing today is based mostly on data. However, she also emphasizes the importance of empathy and notes that it is essential in creating a space where people can be authentic and drive innovation, productivity, and product design. In this episode, Alan and Jacqueline talk about where trust fits into the AI conversation, what leaders need to know before launching an AI initiative, and how AI can boost efficiency and productivity. Jacqueline also tells us why underrepresented people, like black female business leaders, need to be involved in AI as it evolves.  While AI has been around for a while, it became all the rage at the end of 2022 with public access to tools like ChatGPT. AI is based on patterns, some factual and some non-factual. So that poses the question: how do we trust AI?  That's where Teradata comes in. By having responsible people create the models, take responsibility, and think critically about the training, governance, and outcomes, Teradata is focused on building the trust required to use artificial intelligence, generative artificial intelligence, and large language models for their “global 10,000” clientele, like American Airlines and United Healthcare. These companies rely on Teradata for their cloud data and analytics workloads. Teradata has been stewards of trusted information and data since they were founded about 40 years ago, and they believe people thrive when empowered with better and entrusted information. In this episode, you'll learn about: Why is empathy important for marketers? The importance of clean data  Why do underrepresented people have to participate in the evolution of AI? Key Highlights: [02:10] What is empathy? [03:45] Why marketers need empathy  [07:00] How a love of math led her to marketing  [10:30] Her path to Teradata [13:15] Teradata’s focus and mission for mankind [14:20] Teradata’s clients, services, and use cases  [19:00] How can business leaders ensure AI can be trusted? [21:50] What do leaders need to do before launching an AI initiative? [26:45] Remaining authentic while using AI [30:20] Creative AI use cases as workforce multipliers and how that may change work in the US [33:00] Why underrepresented groups need to participate in AI  [36:20] What we can all learn from Moe [40:55] Advice to her younger self [41:45] “Of course it’s Ai!” [42:10] Watching the shifting nature of work [44:40] Can you explain what marketing does and why it’s important? Looking for more?Visit our website for the full show notes, links to resources mentioned in this episode, and ways to connect with the guest!

Mike Maples is the co-founding partner at Floodgate, a venture capital firm that focuses on early stage investments in technology companies. He has been featured on the Forbes Midas List eight times in the past decade, recognized as a “Rising Star” by FORTUNE, and profiled by Harvard Business School for his enduring contributions to entrepreneurship. As a founder and operating executive, Mike played pivotal roles in two successful IPOs: Tivoli Systems (later acquired by IBM) and Motive (acquired by Alcatel-Lucent). Mike’s career as a seed investor has solidified his legendary status in Silicon Valley. Some of his notable investments include Twitter, Twitch.tv, Clover Health, Okta, Outreach, Chegg, Demandforce, and Applied Intuition. Together with Stanford Professor Peter Ziebelman, Mike developed insights on identifying "Pattern Breaking" concepts, referred to as "Inflections." These ideas form the foundation of his book, Pattern Breakers, which explores over 15 years of investment experience to reveal the sources of breakthrough potential in startups. The book is a National Bestseller and ranks as the #1 Venture Capital book on Amazon.On today’s show, Alan and Mike dive into Mike’s latest book, Pattern Breakers, exploring what pattern breakers are, their key components, and how they drive transformational change. They examine the concept of inflection points, pivotal moments that define the trajectory of a startup. Mike explains the importance of being radically different and the necessity of building a movement around your business and products to stand out in competitive markets. They also explore what truly makes a company radically different and how these elements come together to fuel extraordinary success.In this episode, you'll learn:Why being radically different is essential for startups and how to achieve itStrategies to identify and connect with your ideal customer base early Key startup principles that even large companies can adopt, plus actionable tips for collaborating with startupsKey Highlights:[02:17] Being a professional calligrapher  [03:32] Career path to Floodgate[05:50] Why is now the right time for the book, Pattern Breakers[08:53] Why startups need to be radically different[14:00] Is getting competition good or bad[15:58] How to find the customer base early on[18:59] How the principles of a startup can apply to large companies[22:28] Tips for large companies working with startups[23:46] Risk profiles and mindsets [26:16] Inflections [30:05] Different categories of growth[32:05] Inflections, pattern breakers, creating movements relating to marking[34:04] Does radically different only matter if its a commercial success[37:50] An experience from your past that defines you[41:35] Advice to your younger self- personal monopoly [43:50] A topic that you and other marketers need to learn more about - AI [50:12] Trends or subcultures others should follow[50:51] Largest opportunity or threat to marketers todayLooking for more?Visit our website for the full show notes, links to resources mentioned in this episode, and ways to connect with the guest!

Brian Goldfarb is the Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer at SolarWinds. After earning his A.B. in Computer Science and Economics from Duke University, Brian initially explored a career on Wall Street but soon transitioned to product management at Microsoft, marking the start of his two-decade journey in the tech industry. At Google, Brian played a key role in launching the Cloud Platform. He later led platform marketing at Salesforce, and before joining SolarWinds, he served as CMO at both Splunk and Tenable. Now, after nearly a year with SolarWinds, Brian oversees the company’s global marketing strategy, covering its industry-leading observability, database, and service management solutions.SolarWinds is a leading IT management software provider that helps businesses monitor and manage their IT infrastructure, applications, and networks. Known for its user-friendly and scalable solutions, SolarWinds serves a broad range of industries, focusing on identifying and resolving IT challenges. SolarWinds continues to deliver solutions that empower IT professionals to maintain reliable and secure environments.In today’s show, Alan and Brian dive into cybersecurity, discussing SolarWinds and the solutions they offer. They examine the major cybersecurity incident that impacted both the company and the industry and how SolarWinds successfully recovered from it. Additionally, they explore what marketing looks like at SolarWinds, how the role of CMO has evolved, and what we should consider about the future of this role.In this episode, you'll learn:Insights for successfully recovering from a massive cyberattackTips for creating a strong marketing structureThe profile of the modern CMO and how it has evolvedKey Highlights:[01:15] Brush with fame on a game show[03:08] Career path to CMO at SolarWinds[05:29] Story behind Kubernetes [07:23] Scope of SolarWinds[10:39] Recovering from a massive cyberattack[14:25] How marketing is structured at SolarWinds[15:52] What CMO role should be focused on[17:56] How the CMO role interacts with the rest of the team [21:20] “Lack of novelty is not a bad thing”[27:30] An experience from your past that defines you[30:24] Advice to your younger self[31:36] A topic that you and other marketers need to learn more about[33:11] Trends or subcultures others should follow[36:30] OOH Advertising’s impact internally [37:30] Largest opportunity or threat to marketers todayLooking for more?Visit our website for the full show notes, links to resources mentioned in this episode, and ways to connect with the guest!

Anna Bager is the President and CEO of the Out of Home Advertising Association of America (OAAA). Before joining OAAA, Anna spent 15 years in the telecom industry, beginning with the global research firm IDC. She then moved to the client side at Ericsson Multimedia, where she led mobile advertising initiatives in Sweden as the Head of Research and Business Intelligence. After relocating to the U.S., she served as Executive Vice President of Industry Initiatives at the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB). Five years ago, Anna became the CEO of OAAA, and her industry contributions have earned her numerous accolades. She has been recognized as one of the "Most Powerful Women in Mobile Advertising" by Business Insider and as one of the "Top Women in Media" by Folio Magazine and Cynopsis Media. Most recently, Anna was honored as one of Campaign’s "Most Inspiring Women of 2024."Out-of-Home Advertising (OOH) is a form of advertising found outside of a consumer’s home. Traditionally, this includes everything from billboards to bus shelters, benches, etc. The Out-of-Home Advertising Association of America (OAAA) is the leading trade association representing the out-of-home (OOH) advertising industry. OAAA's membership includes over 850 media companies, advertisers, agencies, ad tech providers, and suppliers. Since its founding in 1891, OAAA has advocated for the responsible growth of OOH advertising.On today’s show, Alan and Anna discuss her unique perspective on the advertising industry and the changes she anticipates. They explore the role of out-of-home (OOH) advertising within the broader marketing mix, recent innovations in the OOH industry, and how the upcoming election is influencing — and being influenced by — OOH. Additionally, they examine how OOH fits into the landscape with the rise of retail media networks.In this episode, you'll learn:How the election is impacting Out-of-Home advertising—and how OOH is impacting the electionEmerging shifts in advertising and where OOH plays a pivotal roleHow Out-of-Home integrates into the growing landscape of retail mediaKey Highlights:[01:18] Experience as a backgammon master[02:34] Career path to OAAA[05:02] How do you see advertising today changing[08:17] How does Out of Home fit in the broader marketing mix[10:08] What is new in the Out of Home industry[13:55] How Out of Home and the election impact each other [18:00] What is the role of Out of Home in retail media [20:40] An experience from your past that defines you[21:42] Advice to your younger self[22:15] A topic that you and other marketers need to learn more about[24:00] Trends or subcultures others should follow[24:45] Largest opportunity or threat to marketers todayLooking for more?Visit our website for the full show notes, links to resources mentioned in this episode, and ways to connect with the guest!

Andrew Bennett is the CMO at Conga, a revenue lifecycle management company. After graduating from Dartmouth College with a bachelor's degree in computer science, he began his career in tech at Onyx Software, where he led professional services for nine years. He later pursued his entrepreneurial aspirations by running a successful fly-fishing lodge business for almost a decade. Returning to the tech sector, Andrew joined Smartsheet, where he built the company’s digital marketing and demand generation capabilities, led commercial sales, and ultimately served as CMO for his last three years, during which Smartsheet achieved over $1 billion in ARR. Six months ago, he joined Conga, where he now focuses on enhancing the company’s global brand and driving demand for its offerings.Conga is a revenue lifecycle management company offering solutions across three main pillars: contract lifecycle management, document automation, and configure, price, and quote (CPQ). What sets Conga apart is its unified platform, where all these products seamlessly integrate to support customers’ needs.In today’s show, Alan and Andrew discuss Andrew’s role at Conga and his efforts to drive alignment between sales and marketing. They delve into MarTech stacks, exploring how to prioritize and optimize these investments, along with strategies for measuring the real financial impact of marketing efforts.In this episode, you'll learn:Strategies to align marketing and salesHow to prioritize and rationalize MarTech stacksSteps to meaningfully measure the impact of your marketingKey Highlights:[01:27] Merging fly-fishing and MarTech[04:50] Career path to CMO of Conga[07:52] What is Conga[10:15] How to bring marketing and sales together and get them aligned[15:40] Rationalizing and maximizing MarTech stacks[18:40] Approaching impact measurement[23:30] Net dollar retention rate[24:34] Leveraging partnerships for brand and results[29:50] An experience from your past that defines you[31:02] Advice to your younger self[33:22] A topic that you and other marketers need to learn more about[35:02] Trends or subcultures others should follow[37:34] Largest opportunity or threat to marketers todayLooking for more?Visit our website for the full show notes, links to resources mentioned in this episode, and ways to connect with the guest!

Brian Cooley is the Chief Marketing Officer at PlayVS, a leading scholastic esports platform in North America, where he brings over 25 years of experience in marketing. His marketing career began in the automotive industry with Land Rover North America, where he spent three years focusing on customer relationship marketing and retail operations. Brian then transitioned to the tech industry, spending six years with IBM. He continued his tech-focused trajectory at Blackboard, where he served as Senior Director of Global Marketing Services before advancing to Vice President of Global Demand Generation. Brian spent the next nine years as CMO at EverFi, deepening his role in edtech by leading the company’s marketing strategy. Now, in his first year as CMO of PlayVS, he leverages his rich background in edtech and marketing to drive growth and expand the platform’s reach in the competitive scholastic esports market.PlayVS was founded in 2018 and is now a leading esports platform in North America, partnering with the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) to provide and host organized competitive gaming in high schools across all 50 U.S. states and Canada. As of November 2023, PlayVS expanded access by removing enrollment fees for its state and regional leagues, making participation free for high schools. This initiative has likely increased the number of participating schools, which was around 4,000 as of late 2023.In today’s show, Alan and Brian dive into the booming market for collegiate and scholastic esports, exploring how partnerships with professional sports leagues are creating new opportunities for access and growth. They also discuss PlayVS’s collaboration with the Special Olympics to increase accessibility for students and why esports and gaming are essential areas for marketers to watch closely.In this episode, you'll learn:How marketing to the new generations changes the gameWhy marketers should pay attention to esports and gamingWhat to consider when partnering with an influencerKey Highlights:[01:37] How growing up in many different countries has influenced you[03:03] The most interesting meal from your travels[04:52] Career path to PlayVS[08:33] What is PlayVS[10:35] How PlayVS got started[15:17] The esports that PlayVS focuses on[17:42] Partnerships with pro sports[20:35] Partnership with the Special Olympics[22:17] Why marketers should care about esports and gaming[26:02] Experience from your past that defines you[28:10] Advice to your younger self[30:12] A topic that you and other marketers need to learn more about[32:29] Trends or subcultures others should follow[34:45] Largest opportunity or threat to marketers todayLooking for more?Visit our website for the full show notes, links to resources mentioned in this episode, and ways to connect with the guest!

Joe Gaither is the CMO of Feetures, a high-performance sock brand. He joined Feetures in 2009 as a tech rep supporting sales, traveling to 49 states, meeting with thousands of retailers to strengthen Feetures' B2B partnerships and establish it as their preferred sock brand. Joe transitioned into a leadership role, managing the sales force in the Western United States. He later shifted his focus to marketing, where he helped build and grow Feetures' marketing department and expanded its Direct-to-Consumer sales channel. Today, Joe oversees marketing, ecommerce, and customer service, three key components of the customer experience. Under his leadership, direct-to-consumer sales have become the fastest-growing segment of the business.Feetures is a brand known for producing high-performance socks designed for both athletic and everyday wear. The brand emphasizes comfort, durability, and foot health, using targeted compression, anatomical design, and moisture-wicking fabrics to provide superior support. Their seamless construction makes them a favorite among runners, hikers, and other active individuals. Feetures holds the title of America’s #1 running sock brand by market share in the run specialty industry.In today’s show, Alan and Joe discuss the evolution of Feetures, which began as a family business launched by Joe’s father. They explore the brand’s future, including the upcoming launch of their first non-sock product in the U.S., marking their expansion beyond their core category. They also dive into the current state of the running industry, strategies for standing out in a crowded market, and the challenges of navigating the landscape as an omni-channel brand.In this episode, you'll learn: What it takes to stand out in a crowded marketThe mindset behind navigating as a successful omni-channel brandKey considerations when deciding to launch into a new categoryKey Highlights: [01:45] Sibling CMO’s, is marketing in the DNA [03:09] Path to CMO at Feetures[07:33] What is the scope of Feetures[10:05] Family business and a shift of generations[12:08] Current state of the running industry today[15:51] Differentiating in cluttered category[18:45] Expansion with new product [22:03] Being an omni-channel brand [26:17] Experience of your past that defines you[28:24] Advice to younger self[29:17] A topic that you and other marketers need to learn more about[31:11] Trends or subcultures others should follow[32:30] Largest opportunity or threat to marketers todayLooking for more?Visit our website for the full show notes, links to resources mentioned in this episode, and ways to connect with the guest!

Sue Hermann is the Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer at BOK Financial. She holds a bachelor's degree in journalism from the University of Missouri and began her career in public relations. As Director of Corporate Communications and Content, she led a team responsible for internal and executive communications, public relations, and content development. Later, she became the Senior Vice President and Director of Communications at CoBiz Financial Inc. When BOK Financial acquired CoBiz Financial in 2018, Sue joined BOK Financial, where she had served as Director of Communications since 2000 and CMO since 2022.BOK Financial Corporation, headquartered in Tulsa, OK, is a top 25 U.S. bank with $50 billion in assets and a wealth division managing over $107 billion in assets under management and administration. While rooted in the Midwest and Southwest, BOK Financial serves clients nationwide. The corporation operates under various names, including Bank of Oklahoma and Bank of Texas, with a diverse range of services. In addition to commercial and consumer banking, BOK Financial offers brokerage, trading, investment services, mortgage origination and servicing, as well as one of the nation's top 10 electronic funds transfer networks.On today’s show, Alan and Sue discuss her journey to becoming CMO at BOK Financial and the current state of marketing and banking today. They also delve into gender diversity in finance, balancing a career with motherhood/parenthood, and what leaders need to recognize about their teams to foster the right environments and cultures.In this episode, you'll learn: The importance of gender diversity in financeMarketing trends impacting the banking industryInsights and challenges from balancing motherhood and careerKey Highlights: [01:15] Wanting to be a coroner [02:39] Career path to CMO at BOK Financial [05:02] What is BOK Financial [07:00] The current state of marketing today[08:12] The importance of relationships[09:36] Gender diversity [14:12] Approach on blending parenthood and career[20:20] What insight leaders need to take from parenthood[24:34] Experience of your past that defines you[25:40] Advice to younger self[25:56] A topic that you and other marketers need to learn more about, AI[27:45] Trends or subcultures others should follow, Gen Z[29:15] Largest opportunity or threat to marketers today, noise Looking for more?Visit our website for the full show notes, links to resources mentioned in this episode, and ways to connect with the guest!