B2B Marketing Leaders Podcast

ABM in B2B: insights from NetApp, Octave and Acronis

Subscribe to our Newsletter: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/social-selling-for-b2b-7250113707765067776/ In this episode of B2B Marketing Leaders, Olga Bondareva [https://www.linkedin.com/in/olgabond/] - Founder of ModumUp [https://modumup.com/?utm_source=youtube&utm_campaign=episode7] Agency - talks about account-based marketing with experts from enterprise companies: • Irina Chernova [https://www.linkedin.com/in/irina-chernova-16677523/], Demand Marketing Manager EMEA&LATAM at NetApp  • Viviane Ross [https://www.linkedin.com/in/vivianeross/], Senior Marketing Campaign Manager at Octave  • Elena Simkina [https://www.linkedin.com/in/elena-simkina/], Sr. Digital Marketing Director at Acronis  Key themes discussed: • How enterprise teams implement ABM in practice: one-to-one, one-to-few, one-to-many, and hybrid approaches across different company sizes • Real ABM case studies - from winning a Middle East oil and gas account through an AI-focused strategy during COVID, to VIP event programs and public sector vertical campaigns • Why early ABM programs often fail: misaligned sales and marketing expectations, and the shift from "hot leads" to working together on a specific account list • ABM as a customer experience, not a marketing tactic - and why sales commitment matters as much as running the campaigns • How to prioritize accounts and choose the right ABM tier: intent signals, ICP fit, wallet size, competitive position, and scorecard-based segmentation • Balancing personalization with scalability: role-based messaging vs. hyper-personalization, and when deep personalization becomes too much • Account research in ABM: intent data tools, CRM, AI, LinkedIn, sales insights, and internal sources like professional services teams • Measuring ABM success: buying committee coverage, engagement scores, sourced pipeline, influenced pipeline, and interim KPIs along the funnel • How AI is used in ABM today - content creation, campaign analysis, localization - and why marketers still coordinate the work with a human in the loop • Getting sales and other teams on board: setting expectations upfront, choosing the right sales partners, and translating marketing language for sales teams A grounded conversation about how B2B marketing leaders at NetApp, Octave, and Acronis run ABM programs - from strategic one-to-one plays to scalable one-to-many campaigns. With honest lessons on what goes wrong, how to track results, and why sales alignment has to come first. Timestamps: 00:58 - Introduction of speakers 04:21 - ABM success stories and case studies 11:40 - When ABM initiatives don't go as planned 16:25 - Prioritization and selecting the right ABM approach 20:49 - Balancing personalization and scalability in ABM 26:51 - Account research, tools, and the human side of ABM 32:40 - Measuring ABM efficiency and key metrics 37:25 - Using AI in ABM workflows 39:14 - Cross-functional alignment with sales and other teams

Marketing planning in B2B: insights from experts at BESTMIX Software, Trystar, Kibo Commerce, and Digital Science | B2B Marketing Leaders Podcast

Subscribe to our Newsletter [https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/social-selling-for-b2b-7250113707765067776/ ] In this episode of B2B Marketing Leaders, Olga Bondareva [https://www.linkedin.com/in/olgabond/] - Founder of ModumUp Agency [https://modumup.com/?utm_source=mave&utm_campaign=episode6] [https://modumup.com/?utm_source=youtube&utm_campaign=episode6] - talks about marketing planning in B2B with experts from enterprise companies: • Natalija Pavic [https://www.linkedin.com/in/natpavic/ ], Sr. Director of Product Marketing at Kibo Commerce  • https://Olga Bakanova [https://www.linkedin.com/in/olga-bakanova-72559246/], Head of Marketing at BESTMIX Software  • Rahul Agarwal [https://www.linkedin.com/in/rahul2793/], Strategic Marketing Manager at Trystar • Doug Kimball [https://www.linkedin.com/in/dougkimball/], Sr. Director Product Marketing at Digital Science Key themes discussed: • How company size and structure shape the planning process: from complex multi-segment organizations to lean, goal-driven teams • Annual, half-year, and quarterly planning cadences, and when to rebuild the plan from scratch mid-year • Why one metric is never enough: full-funnel measurement, the close rate trap, and the case for tracking multiple KPIs • Brand awareness vs. lead generation: how one company puts 60% of its budget into brand and why it outperforms direct lead gen • How AI is changing the speed and depth of competitive intelligence and campaign planning • What it takes to get leadership buy-in: what executives actually care about • How to allocate budget for experiments when results are not guaranteed • What to do when external factors force an overnight pivot • Bottom-up budgeting: building from this year's goals, not last year's numbers A grounded conversation about how B2B marketing teams at different company sizes approach planning, set goals, allocate budget, and adapt when reality changes. With real examples of AI-powered planning, disruption recovery, and the case for flexibility over rigid annual plans. Timestamps: 00:31 - Introduction of speakers 02:47 - Marketing planning process in the company 07:01 - Planning time horizons in B2B marketing 11:23 - Goal setting in B2B marketing 16:47 - Balancing brand awareness and lead generation 25:12 - Making marketing plans transparent for leadership 29:26 - Budgeting and validating experimental initiatives 34:40 - Using AI in B2B marketing planning 41:06 - Handling disruptions and external factors in planning 48:32 - Advice for marketers building planning from scratch

Marketing and sales alignment: insights from experts at Palo Alto Networks, Cabro SpA and Digital Science

Subscribe to our Newsletter [https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/social-selling-for-b2b-7250113707765067776/] In this episode of B2B Marketing Leaders, Olga Bondareva [https://], founder of ModumUp Agency [https://modumup.com/?utm_source=mave&utm_campaign=episode5], discusses the alignment between marketing and sales in B2B with experts from enterprise companies: • Doug Kimball [https://], Senior Director of Product Marketing at Digital Science • Hitendar Sethi [https://], Principal Product Marketing Manager - AI Cybersecurity at Palo Alto Networks • Yulia Kotarskaya [https://], Marketing Manager at Cabro SpA Key themes discussed: • The challenges of aligning marketing and sales and the importance of bridging the gap between different worldviews • Practical examples of successful collaboration and lessons learned from mistakes • How effective messaging frameworks can improve sales and marketing cooperation • Speed of execution and its impact on marketing and sales collaboration • How to establish a foundation for marketing and sales alignment from scratch A comprehensive exploration of how marketing and sales can work together, despite their different priorities, to create meaningful, revenue-driving results. Learn the strategies that help turn potential conflicts into powerful collaborations in B2B companies.

AI in B2B marketing: insights from experts at AWS, Amazon, Cast AI and ModMed

Subscribe to our Newsletter [https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/social-selling-for-b2b-7250113707765067776/ ] In this episode of B2B Marketing Leaders, Olga Bondareva [https://www.linkedin.com/in/olgabond/] - founder of ModumUp Agency [https://modumup.com/?utm_source=mave&utm_campaign=episode4] - talks about AI in B2B marketing with experts from enterprise companies: • Sabari Sawant [https://www.linkedin.com/in/sabarisawant/] - Product Marketing Manager Kubernetes at Amazon Web Services (AWS) • Parth Raichur [https://] - Performance Marketing Manager at Amazon • Alexey Leybov [https://www.linkedin.com/in/aleybov/] - Director of Demand Generation at Cast AI • Madison Fujii [https://www.linkedin.com/in/madifuj/] - Digital Marketing Specialist II at ModMed Key themes discussed: • A realistic approach to AI adoption, with focus on privacy, compliance, hallucination risks, and clear boundaries for human judgment • The role of secure internal AI tools in protecting sensitive data • The time impact of AI, including automation of drafts, research, data analysis, and repetitive marketing tasks • When AI should not be used, such as pricing, customer case studies, and compliance-critical content • Why authenticity becomes a competitive advantage in a market saturated with AI-generated content • The shift from traditional SEO to Answer Engine Optimization as buyers increasingly turn to tools like ChatGPT • Training teams to use AI effectively while maintaining clear governance and quality standards A grounded conversation on how B2B teams can adopt AI responsibly, balancing efficiency gains with trust, governance, and the need for human insight in an increasingly AI-driven market.

Leads in B2B marketing: insights from experts at Thomson Reuters, Trystar and Palo Alto Networks

Subscribe to our Newsletter [https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/social-selling-for-b2b-7250113707765067776/ ] In this episode of B2B Marketing Leaders, Olga Bondareva [https://www.linkedin.com/in/olgabond/] - founder of ModumUp Agency [https://modumup.com/?utm_source=mave&utm_campaign=episode3] - talks about leads in B2B marketing with experts from enterprise companies: • Ralff Tozatti [https://www.linkedin.com/in/ralff-tozatti/], Sr Director of Marketing Strategy - Analytics and Opps Americas at Thomson Reuters • Rahul Agarwal [https://www.linkedin.com/in/rahul2793/], Strategic Marketing Manager at Trystar • Hitendar Sethi [https://www.linkedin.com/in/hitensethi/], Principal Product Marketing Manager - AI Cybersecurity at Palo Alto Networks  Key themes discussed: • Why lead remains the default metric: familiar, simple, and easy to count • Quality vs. volume tension: sales targets rise, forcing both at once • Moving from MQL counts to pipeline value and conversion through stages • The need for shared definitions across teams, tools, and acquired business units • Buying groups and account-level intent signals for complex B2B decisions • Data hygiene as the prerequisite for AI: enrichment, validation, normalization • AI in practice: faster content production and scalable cohort personalization A practical discussion on why B2B teams still disagree on “good leads,” and how the path forward looks: align on one language and funnel, prioritize pipeline outcomes, adopt buying-group signals where it fits, and use AI only after fixing data foundations.