B2B Marketing Shepherd

Crafting Global B2B Brands | B2B Marketing Shepherd Rajesh Kumar | EP 09

Most B2B founders obsess over performance marketing and pipeline. Brand? That can “wait”. In this episode of Decoding B2B Marketing, host Rajesh Kumar (https://www.linkedin.com/in/rajeshkjindal/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/rajeshkjindal/]) – marketer, Fractional CMO, Board Advisor and author of the upcoming book Decoding B2B Marketing – sits down again with Praval Singh (https://www.linkedin.com/in/praval/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/praval/]) of Zoho, to unpack what B2B branding really means — beyond logos, colors and taglines. Praval has been with Zoho for over 14 years and is currently the VP of Marketing and Customer Experience. He and his team drive all brand-led initiatives at Zoho, across brand marketing, PR, event experiences, etc.  They explore how Zoho, a product-led, engineering-heavy company, has evolved its brand over the last decade while building 50+ products and serving millions of users worldwide. In this conversation, Rajesh & Praval dive into: * Why brand matters deeply in B2B — especially when products look similar * How Zoho thinks about company brand vs product brands * When startups should start thinking about brand strategy * Brand as a monetizable asset: trust, talent, referrals & recall * Internal narratives like Humans of Zoho, The Long Game & Zoho Schools of Learning * How to operationalize brand: guidelines, voice, campaigns, consistency * The role of founder brand and “inside-out” storytelling * Practical advice for B2B startups building from India for the world If you’re a founder, CMO or marketer trying to build a B2B brand that actually means something — not just looks good — this one is packed with real, lived experience. Listen here: Apple Podcasts: https://tinyurl.com/38pe8ccb Amazon Music: https://tinyurl.com/htve26md Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/2j4zybrx JioSaavn: https://tinyurl.com/4pv9jpxb Gaana: https://tinyurl.com/39d6cfe5 CHAPTERS  00:00 – Introduction 02:20 – Why Brand Matters in B2B 07:44 – How To Go About Building a B2B Brand? 11:52 – B2B Company as a Brand vs Product Branding 16:20 – Brand Works For All Stakeholders 19:33 – Process of Brand Creation 24:25 – Managing Brand Consistency at Scale 27:11 – Global B2B Brands That Stand Out 31:53 – A True Brand Promise has to be LIved 33:24 – Advice, Tips & Hacks

Sports Sponsorship in B2B | B2B Marketing Shepherd Rajesh Kumar | EP 08

UntitledThere’s a reason the world’s most prestigious brands bet big on sports, music, and celebrities even in B2B. In this episode of Decoding B2B Marketing, host Rajesh Kumar (https://www.linkedin.com/in/rajeshkjindal/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/rajeshkjindal/]) – marketer, Fractional CMO, Board Advisor and author of the upcoming book Decoding B2B Marketing – sits down with Sujatha V Kumar (https://www.linkedin.com/in/sujatha-v-kumar-8319585/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/sujatha-v-kumar-8319585/]), CMO, Ex Visa, Coca-Cola and P&G, to unpack how sponsorships, celebrity endorsements and influencers can work powerfully for B2B brands. Sujatha brings a rare mix of B2C and B2B experience — from Procter & Gamble, Coca-Cola and RBS, to leading marketing for Visa in India & South Asia. She has  worked with iconic global properties like FIFA World Cup, the Olympics, and with stars like P.V. Sindhu and Neeraj Chopra among others. Together, they explore how to: * Make high-cost sponsorships pay back in B2B context * Turn sports & music partnerships into a lever for business-building * Choose celebrities and influencers that truly fit your brand * Use sponsorships across the full lifecycle — from brand to demand * Think beyond spray-and-pray to sharp, measurable, strategic marketing Along the way, Sujatha also shares her journey from from being an earnest psychology student to leading some of India’s most loved brands * How she navigated the shift from B2C → B2B/B2B2C * Her passion for music, bands and theatre * How she mentors young women to  grow in their career, as a champion for women in leadership If you’re a B2B marketer, founder or leader wondering whether sponsorships, celebrities or influencers are “worth it” — this episode gives you a practical, no-fluff playbook on how to use them smartly. CHAPTERS 00:00 – Introduction 02:15 – Journey into B2B Marketing 07:02 – For the Love of Music 08:59 – On Women in Leadership 11:08 – Transition from B2C to B2B 16:08 – Unpacking Sponsorship for B2B Brands 20:18 – Integrating Brand with Sponsorship 26:24 – Delivering Experiences Money Can't Buy 28:19 – Using Influencer Marketing in B2B 30:33 – Choosing the Right Celebrity/Influencer 32:07 – Making a Business Case 33:46 – Warm Human Side of Celebrities, Paying It  Forward 39:10 – Advice, Tips & Hacks #DecodingB2BMarketing #B2BMarketing #B2BBranding #Sponsorships #CelebrityEndorsement #InfluencerMarketing #VisaIndia #WomenInLeadership #MarketingLeadership #BrandBuilding #SportsMarketing #ExperientialMarketing #MarketingPodcast #RajeshKumar #SujataVKumar

Unwrapping Account Based Marketing | B2B Marketing Shepherd Rajesh Kumar | EP 07

What if your biggest deals aren’t won by marketing to many—but by marketing to ONE? In this episode of Decoding B2B Marketing, host Rajesh Kumar (https://www.linkedin.com/in/rajeshkjindal/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/rajeshkjindal/]) sits down with Sanjay Chaudhary, Head of Enterprise Marketing at SAP India (linkedin.com/in/sanjay-k-chaudhary [https://www.linkedin.com/in/sanjay-k-chaudhary]) , to unpack the art and science of Account Based Marketing (ABM)—one of the most powerful, less understood, and underutilized strategies in B2B. Sanjay brings two decades of B2B experience across ABM, Enterprise & industry marketing, Sales Strategy & Operations, Communications & PR, . He breaks down how ABM can drive outsized impact when targeting a focused set of high-value accounts, when it works, when it doesn’t, and how to actually implement it end-to-end. From account selection and deep analytics to personalization, AI-powered scaling, sales alignment, executive engagement, and customer advocacy—this episode is a masterclass for any B2B marketer, founder or sales leader looking to win big with the right accounts. Along the way, Sanjay shares powerful real-world stories—from building challenger reports to land entry meetings, to co-creating strategic plans with clients, to running advocacy programs that turn customers into long-term partners. If you want to understand ABM—not the buzzword, but the practice—this conversation is your blueprint. WHAT YOU’LL LEARN * What ABM really is (and isn’t) * When ABM works—and when it doesn’t * How to select the right accounts * How to build deep buyer and industry insights * Why sales and executive alignment is a  non-negotiable * Using AI to scale personalization and intent intelligence * Measuring ABM success with execution, engagement & impact metrics * How customer advocacy becomes your long-term moat * The mindset needed to run marathon-like ABM programs CHAPTERS  00:00 – Introduction 02:14 – Journey into B2B Marketing 08:08 – What is Account Based Marketing (ABM)? 09:21 – When is ABM the Right Strategy ? 12:19 – Identifying Accounts for ABM 14:05 – Can SaaS Companies Benefit from ABM? 15:30 – AI in ABM 20:04 – Measuring Success 23:26 – Making Business Case & Assembling the Team 25:41 – Sharing Real-life Examples 30:00 – Does ABM Work across Industries ? 34:11 – Advice, Tips & Hacks 36:08 – ABM for Legacy Businesses 37:04 – Making ABM Work

Turning Partnerships into Superpower | Sandeep Nagpal | B2B Marketing Shepherd Rajesh Kumar | EP 06

UntitledIn this episode of Decoding B2B Marketing, host Rajesh Kumar [https://www.linkedin.com/in/rajeshkjindal/] (https://www.linkedin.com/in/rajeshkjindal/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/rajeshkjindal/]) speaks with Sandeep Nagpal (https://www.linkedin.com/in/nagpalsandeep/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/nagpalsandeep/]), SVP & Head of Global Marketing at Cvent India — a seasoned B2B leader who has built partner ecosystems across Microsoft, SAP, and other global enterprises. Sandeep shares his remarkable journey from manufacturing to marketing, revealing how partnerships, alliances, and ecosystems can become a marketer’s ultimate growth multiplier. From navigating the evolution of B2B channels to creating joint go-to-market programs, Sandeep and Rajesh break down the “To, Through, and With Partner Marketing” framework — showing how to build trust, scale efficiently, and drive revenue in the AI-driven marketing era. Tune in for deep insights on: * How to attract, enable, and empower partners * Partner marketing structures that scale * Real-world case studies like SAP’s Ambition Express * AI’s role in reshaping partner enablement * Skills and tools every channel marketer must master ️Hosted by B2B Marketing Shepherd Rajesh Kumar, Decoding B2B Marketing series features unfiltered conversations with marketing leaders who are redefining how brands collaborate, communicate, and grow in the B2B landscape. CHAPTERS 00:00 Introduction 04:08 Journey into B2B Marketing 08:02 Why Channel ? 10.04 Do SaaS Startups need partners ? 13.31 Partners Categories & their value 18:40 What gets Partners to work with you 21:23 Truth bout Partner Programs 25:23 Helping Partners Succeed 28:30 Stories from the trenches’ 30:48 Software on a Bus to Customer doorstep 34:54 Who pays for Partner Marketing ? 36:52 Making Rebates and incentives work 38:15 Measuring Success 44:16 AI in Channel Marketing 47:01 Advice, Tips & Hacks #B2BMarketing #PartnerMarketing #ChannelMarketing #ToThroughWithMarketing #EcosystemGrowth #MarketingLeadership #DecodingB2BMarketing #SaaSMarketing #B2BStrategy #BrandBuilding

Rules of Branding in B2B | Pritish Asthana | B2B Marketing Shepherd Rajesh Kumar | EP 05

In this episode of Decoding B2B Marketing, Rajesh Kumar (https://www.linkedin.com/in/rajeshkjindal/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/rajeshkjindal/]) speaks with Pritish Asthana, VP – Marketing at Lentra, (https://www.linkedin.com/in/pritish-asthana/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/pritish-asthana/]) to explore what truly defines a brand in the B2B world — beyond logos, taglines, and visuals. With over two decades of marketing experience spanning GE Capital, IBM, HP, Microsoft, Oracle, Lentra, Pritish combines creative instinct with data-driven discipline. Together, they unpack how brand building in B2B is about delivering on a promise — to customers, partners, and employees — and how that promise translates into trust, differentiation, and long-term growth. He’s known for crafting campaigns that build trust in complex categories and for turning abstract ideas into compelling, scalable stories. Whether launching new platforms or reimagining legacy brands, his approach is rooted in clarity, curiosity, and a deep respect for audience intelligence. Outside the boardroom, Pritish is a keen observer of emerging tech, a fan of strategic storytelling, and someone who believes marketing is as much about listening as it is about leading. He is an ardent rider, traveller, artist and chef- a diverse range of creative passions that he brings to his persona as a creative brand strategist. Pritish shares his journey from business roles to brand marketing, his philosophy on creativity and focus, and his hands-on experience refreshing Lentra’s brand identity. He also discusses the growing importance of India’s digital evolution, AI in marketing, and the art of staying authentic in a crowded marketplace. Tune in for actionable insights on creating brands that endure — from visual identity and storytelling to measurement, team building, and leadership alignment. Watch on Youtube: https://youtu.be/s2vro2zim-A