The Engagement Principles

Why Message Matters More Than Channels with Heidi Bullock of Tealium

Marketing isn't about finding the right channels. Most companies already have that figured out. It's digital, email, events, the usual suspects. The real question is whether you have the right message to put in those channels. Heidi Bullock, CMO at Tealium, has spent years proving that great stories are the foundation everything else builds on.  In this episode, Heidi walks through her approach to narrative development, from mining customer insights to making bold portfolio bets that can accelerate growth. She breaks down: * Why she thinks of marketing like managing an investment portfolio * How AI is freeing her team from budget spreadsheets to focus on creativity * Why the 'Heidi test' (would I actually stop and look at this?) is her most reliable filter for creating scroll-stopping content The Human Behind the Magic: Heidi Bullock [https://www.linkedin.com/in/hbullock/] is an experienced marketing executive who has built a 20+ year career working at both global enterprise technology companies and start-ups. She is currently the CMO of Tealium [http://www.tealium.com/], the trusted leader in real-time customer data orchestration. Prior to Tealium, she held leadership roles at Engagio (CMO) and Marketo (GVP, Global Marketing). Heidi was named a The SaaS Report’s Top Women Leaders in SaaS and is a frequent speaker and guest lecturer for B2B marketing. Heidi has contributed to key thought leadership guides including the Clear and Complete Guide to ABM Analytics and the Definitive Guide to Account Based Marketing, Lead Generation, Content, Mobile Marketing, and Engaging Email. The Money Quote:  "It's very rarely that you're using the wrong channel. You're gonna find your optimized mix — it's always gonna be some digital channels, email, events. But do you have the right message that you're putting in those channels? That's the key question to ask." — Heidi  Can’t Miss Moments: 01:17 - Heidi's Journey and Role at Tealium 02:46 - The Importance of a Data-Driven Strategy 03:15 - Crafting a Compelling Brand Narrative 08:03 - Building Trust Through Customer Stories 13:18 - Embracing AI in Marketing 16:52 - Engagement and Audience Understanding 19:58 - Nurturing Creativity Worth Your Click: * Alison’s LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/alisonlangeengel [http://linkedin.com/in/alisonlangeengel] * Heidi’s LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/hbullock/ [http://linkedin.com/in/hbullock/] Learn more about Ceros: ceros.com [http://ceros.com] Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com [https://pcm.adswizz.com] for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Art of Strategic Rebranding with Amanda Malko of Thinkific

What happens when your customers and partners say "Finally, you're showing up the way I see you"? For Amanda Malko, Chief Revenue Officer at Thinkific, it meant their brand story had found its authentic voice. In this episode of The Engagement Principles, Amanda and host Alison Lange Engel explore the creative and strategic foundations behind transformative rebranding: * The art of doubling down on your core identity rather than chasing trends * Building content strategies that speak authentically to different audiences * Creating space for creativity while maintaining strategic discipline From Mailchimp's viral "sweaty finger" moment to Thinkific's customer-validated messaging transformation, Amanda reveals how thoughtful brand storytelling creates genuine connection and the business results naturally follow. The Human Behind the Magic: Amanda Malko [https://www.linkedin.com/in/amandamalko/] is a general manager and C-level revenue leader with significant experience in Marketing, Sales, Customer Experience, and Operations. She thrives when leading cross-functional teams to grow profitable revenue and improve the customer experience. Her career has focused on growing software companies between $50M-$1B, including Mailchimp and G2. Amanda has also helped build Dentsu 360i from early days — one of top marketing software and service companies in the world as named by AdAge and Forbes. She’s been a key revenue leader contributing to the acquisitions of four companies (360i, IgnitionOne, Mailchimp, Massive) with a combined valuation in the billions.  The Money Quote:  "I force us to fit [our messaging] on a page in a reasonably large font. If we can get it down to a page with the most concise articulation of our story or a value proposition, I feel like we can do our jobs pretty well." - Amanda  Can’t Miss Moments: 2:00 - The importance of customer stories  3:00 - Rebranding and messaging strategies 4:50 - Building trust through clear messaging 7:30 - Content strategy and execution  12:40 - Operationalizing content and creativity  22:50 - AI in Marketing and Customer Experience Worth Your Click: * Alison’s LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/alisonlangeengel [http://linkedin.com/in/alisonlangeengel] * Jessica’s LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/amandamalko [http://linkedin.com/in/amandamalko] * Learn more about Ceros: ceros.com [http://ceros.com] Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com [https://pcm.adswizz.com] for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Break Through The Noise With Market Category Creation with Jessica Shapiro of LiveRamp

True engagement is harder to come by than ever. To stop someone mid-scroll means grabbing attention—and keeping it. Enter Jessica Shapiro, CMO at LiveRamp, a master of cutting through the noise. In the first episode of The Engagement Principles, Jessica and host Alison Lange Engel discuss what it takes to get people to actually pay attention:  * Storytelling that challenges established mindsets * The art of creating new market categories * Making bold decisions grounded in deep audience understanding through testing From establishing data collaboration as a category at LiveRamp to launching breakthrough revenue streams across her career, Jessica reveals her playbook for thoughtful, creative marketing that takes engagement from fleeting moments into lasting business impact. The Human Behind the Magic: Jessica Shapiro [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessicamshapiro/] is Chief Marketing Officer at LiveRamp [https://liveramp.com/], where she leads global marketing for the data collaboration platform. With over 20 years of experience spanning both B2B and B2C environments, she's built her expertise across companies like Microsoft, Starbucks, Zulily, and SAP. The Money Quote:  “People don’t connect with a logo. They connect with the humanity.” - Jessica Can’t Miss Moments: *(01:30) - Jessica’s Career Journey and Role at LiveRamp *(03:50) -   The Power of Storytelling in Marketing  *(12:20) -   Building Trust and Customer Relationships *(21:20) - Leveraging AI and Creativity in Marketing  *(26:20) - Marketing Trends Worth Keeping an Eye On Worth Your Click: * Alison’s LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/alisonlangeengel [http://linkedin.com/in/alisonlangeengel] * Jessica’s LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jessicamshapiro [http://linkedin.com/in/jessicamshapiro] * Learn more about Ceros: ceros.com [http://ceros.com] * LiveRamp's "Here's the Deal [https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJfTjmqbFPmV6Ux49d0D6YmgN2Sqdykg8]" series * Check out the Microsoft Teams x Maybelline [https://www.maybelline.com/microsoft-teams-virtual-makeup-look] collab Jessica mentioned Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com [https://pcm.adswizz.com] for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Trailer

We live in a world flooded with content and starved for real connection. Join Alison Lange Engel, CEO of Ceros, on The Engagement Principles—a series about creating with purpose and connecting with impact. Each episode, Alison explores how today’s boldest thinkers build brands that do more than grab attention—they earn trust. She'll unpack what it takes to rise above the noise—through story, strategy, and creative conviction. Because real engagement isn’t a vanity metric. It’s a business driver—built with intention, emotion, and imagination. This is The Engagement Principles. Join us and discover how meaningful connection turns into measurable impact. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com [https://pcm.adswizz.com] for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.