Explore every episode of the podcast Lay of the Brand

Continuing our two-part series, last time we talked about getting started with influencer marketing and how to find the right influencers for your campaign goals. Now we're uncovering how to measure, maximize, and maintain an influencer program that actually gives you the results you're looking for.

Once again, our guests are Michelle Schafer, a Merritt Group partner who heads the agency's security practice. Robin Campbell-Burt, the CEO of a Merritt Group's global PR agency partner, Code Red Communications, and John Hammond, principal security researcher at Huntress and content creator and founder of Just Hacking Training, and also one of the top influencers in cybersecurity. 

We'll pick up the conversation from where we left off.

Influencers are having a huge impact on marketing and PR. But if there’s any discipline that runs on trust, it’s cybersecurity. So, working with influencers could create terrific results, but that’s not guaranteed.

It's a strategy that's so big, we've made this discussion a two-part series. And we're talking  with 3 experts in cyber influencer marketing and PR: 

* Michelle Schafer, a Merritt Group partner who heads the agency’s security practice
* Robin Campbell-Burt, the CEO of Merritt Group’s global PR agency partner, Code Red Communications
* John Hammond, Principal Security Researcher at Huntress, and Content Creator & Founder of Just Hacking Training — and also one of the top influencers in cybersecurity

Check out our show notes page at www.LayoftheBrand.com to download the Merritt Group/Code Red survey report.

Today's buyers jump around throughout the decision process, loop in new stakeholders midstream, and often do months of research before ever speaking to sales. So why are so many marketing strategies still built around a linear sales funnel? 

That's why we're talking with Unison's Pat Barrett to unpack the messy reality of the modern buyer journey and uncover how you can navigate the new, fractured customer journey.

In this episode of Lay of the Brand, host Peter Jacobs is joined by Brian Chidester, Head of Global Strategy and Innovation for Public Sector at Adobe and host of The Government Huddle podcast. With government agencies facing mounting pressure to operate more efficiently while staying mission-aligned, they uncover steps B2G companies can take right now to stay relevant. This conversation highlights the urgent need for strategic marketing, proactive positioning, and meaningful engagement to ensure that GovCons remain essential partners in an evolving landscape.

Reaching CISOs has never been easy, but with different channels coming to the forefront and a barrage of AI-powered threats (and solutions) to contend with, how to engage that audience is trickier than ever. 

On this episode, Gianna Whitver, CEO of the Cybersecurity Marketing Society, and Merritt Group's cybersecurity lead Michelle Shafer, spell out where to focus your efforts now and in the year ahead.

In this episode of Lay of the Brand, host Peter Jacobs talks with Nidhi Mehta, the Social and Influencer Lead at Samsung Electronics America, to unravel how influencer marketing is no longer just for B2C brands.

Nidhi shares actionable insights into how B2B brands can use influencer partnerships to tell more compelling stories, create emotional connections, and drive awareness and sales—even in highly technical fields.

Listen to learn how to:

• Choose the right influencers for your B2B campaign
• How to use micro-influencers for better targeting
• Use emotion and storytelling to go beyond product specs and features
• Build effective programs for nurturing leads
• Get ready for what's coming in 2025 for influencer marketing

The end of the federal government's FY gets everyone scrambling to deliver proposals, but marketing still has a lot to do. That's why we asked Mark Amtower, the godfather of federal marketing, for his insights on what to do now -- and what to focus on going forward. Not that he has an opinion.

Over 90% of professionals surveyed say their organizations will use AI more frequently this year than last year.  AI providers need to learn what their target audiences really think about AI, both good and bad, who’s making the buying decisions, and the best ways to reach them.

Merritt Group's just-released B2B survey report answers those questions and more, and MG's Shahed Ahmed and Kelly Finneran are here to share the findings and what they mean for marketers looking to connect with AI buyers.

Download the full report here and check out the Merritt Group blog for more AI insights, tips, and recommendations.

Influencers are everywhere, but this trend goes beyond fashion tips and recipe hacks. Influencer marketing is essential for B2B tech marketers and PR pros, too. 

Carter Hostelly, CEO of LeadTail, joins us to explain how you can build relationships with the people your audience trusts —and how to become an influencer yourself.

What's next for the B2B tech media world -- and how should PR pros and marketing leaders prepare for the big changes ahead? Sam Whitmore of Sam Whitmore's Media Survey (mediasurvey.com) joins host Peter Jacobs to tackle what's coming in 2024.

For more tech marketing and PR insights, visit layofthebrand.com

Marketing to the government is very different from a B2B approach. A lot of government-focused companies have strategies in place to crack this code, and have even engaged marketing and PR agencies to help them do it right. 

Even so, it’s too easy to make avoidable errors that can derail your program — and your ability to engage government buyers.

To find out how to avoid 5 of the biggest mistakes that government marketers and their agencies can make, we’re talking with Matt Donovan, a Merritt Group partner who leads the team focused on government marketing and PR.

For healthcare technology marketers, knowing where to focus your efforts and your resources starts with understanding what CIOs really want from you — and what they don’t. What’s the best way to reach this elusive group, what are they reading and watching, and how can you avoid being the one who misses the mark?

To find out, we're talking with Amanda Bury, Chief Commercial Officer at healthcare platform creator, Infermedica.  She'll give us her real-world insights, along with her take on Merritt Group's survey of healthcare CIOs, that spells out how to connect with that valuable market.

For tech marketers and PR pros, 2023 could be a wild ride, with an uncertain economy and new possibilities to engage with customers, the media, and influencers. Still, as we've seen in the 25 years since Merritt Group's founding, some things are evergreen. 

So, what's still working in marketing and PR? And how can we prepare for more changes, big and small? To find out, we're talking with Alisa Whyte, CEO of Merritt Group, who's been here since the beginning. We're also joined by Tonya Klause, Marketing and Communications Director at Microsoft Federal.

As PR and marketing professionals, we’re consumed by the brand reputation of the clients and organizations we represent, but often fail to build our own personal brand. Carol Blymire, founder and CEO of Neon Strategies and professor at Georgetown University, joins us on Lay of the Brand to show us  how cultivating your personal brand can be critical to how you market your company -- and how you grow your career.

Is the metaverse just the next "next big thing?" Or is it a totally new way of looking at interactivity and engagement? And what can marketers be doing now to make sure they aren’t left behind? Listen in for insights from Yashar Behzadi, CEO and founder of  Synthesis AI.

In the final episode of our three-part series, we're looking at how to put the data you've gathered and the content you've created to work. What channels do you choose and what should you measure to see if you're actually hitting the mark? To find out, we're talking with Kate Tong, senior director, US public sector marketing at enterprise search provider, Elastic and Aaron Heffron, executive vice president of government market research firm, Market Connections. 

In part two of our three part series on federal account based marketing (ABM), we’re looking at creating powerful messaging and content strategies. How does research inform content, and how can you adapt to focus on the people and messages that can make all the difference to your win rate? To find out, we’re joined by Courtney Hastings, Senior Marketing Manager, Public Sector, of data integration and analytics provider, Qlik, and Aaron Heffron, Executive Vice President of government market research firm, Market Connections.

With school districts across the country again embracing classroom learning, we're taking a look at how the marketing of educational technology (EdTech) has changed in recent times — and where EdTech marketers can find new opportunities. To give us insights and next steps for this new era, we talk with Laura Sullivan, Vice President of Marketing and Communications for PresenceLearning.  Prefer to read all about it? Click here for a transcript!

For ABM to succeed in B2G markets, you need research to back up your strategy. On this episode of Lay of the Brand, we talk with Aaron Heffron of government-focused research firm Market Connections to learn what to look for... and how to use it to build a smarter, more effective ABM program.

Account-based marketing (ABM) and deal-based marketing (DBM) are hot topics—especially for government-focused tech firms, where raising awareness and building relationships are essential to gaining trust and winning contracts. 

But it isn’t just the job of marketing or sales to introduce and maintain these programs. The most successful firms know it’s a joint effort, where each team plays to their strengths. That isn’t always easy, so to look at how to make that alignment between sales and marketing work, we spoke with Anamika Gupta, Director and Head of Customer Marketing and Robert Lai, Vice President and Head of Public Sector at Fujitsu Americas. 

Much of an ABM program's success is dependent on knowing who the decision makers, contributors and influencers are. How can marketing and capture teams identify and categorize the right targets? And once you’ve found them, how do you apply that knowledge to a campaign cycle that can last up to 2 years? Mark Amtower of Amtower & Company joins us to provide insights and next steps that B2G marketers can put into action immediately.

Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) are in the forefront of a national conversation. For B2B and B2G tech marketers and PR pros, DE&I poses questions that drive decisions about messaging, outreach, and whether or not to take a public stand on issues.  Carrie Drake, Director of Government Marketing for Maxar and the former president and a current board member of Women in Technology joins us for an in-depth look at ways marketers can help their companies navigate these waters.

“Are you shaping your message for various audiences or are you shaping your message for one?” — Carrie Drake

News distribution has been an essential part of the PR and marketing playbook for decades, but how does it fit in a world where journalism is so fragmented, between traditional news outlets, upstart news providers,  bloggers, social media influencers and independent journalists? Gregg Castano, CEO of News Direct, an upstart staffed by newswire industry veterans, discusses how newswires and content delivery continue to evolve and the ways PR and marketing pros can take advantage of these changes.

Today’s CISOs have an unprecedented amount of work and conflicting priorities on their plates, making it extremely difficult for anyone—let alone a vendor trying to sell them something—to grab their attention. To understand how B2B cybersecurity marketers can reach these elusive decision makers, we talked with Sujeet Bambawale, CISO of 7-Eleven and Marci McCarthy, CEO and President of Tech Exec Networks (T.E.N.). Listen to learn the data behind what works (and doesn’t) when marketing to CISOs; personal insights from an international brand’s CISO on how to influence security decision makers; and how COVID-19 has changed the dynamics of outreach programs.

Industry events have gone virtual or hybrid, making it harder to land a speaking slot for your CEO or SME. And for the presenters, it’s a totally different experience. Keppler Speakers, which books high-profile speakers at events worldwide, has learned to adapt to this new environment. CEO Warren Jones gives us insights on what’s changed and what speakers, PR pros and marketers need to know to succeed. Listen in for what event organizers look for and how to pitch them; steps for making virtual presentations more memorable; and creating media opportunities at a virtual event for your thought leaders.

Entrepreneurial dreams are alive and strong, but how can they become reality in uncertain times? To land venture dollars you need to outshine the competition and demonstrate your worth. S3 Ventures, the largest VC focused on Texas, provides a pulse on the market and insights into how startups can win over VC decisionmakers. Key topics discussed include: how VC investment strategies are adjusting to market changes; ways startups can get the attention of VCs; and marketing and PR strategies that effectively fuel each stage of growth.

Tech companies are still evolving how they approach marketing in the COVID-19 economy. In part 1 of “CMO Insights: Strategies for Getting Back to Business,” our panel of experts -- Rashmi Vittal of Conversica, Russ Cobb of IronNet Cybersecurity and Matt Selheimer of PAS Global --  shared perspectives on messaging, content and measurement as well as aligning with sales and the C-suite. In part 2, they provide more insights on realigning marketing resources, map out the future of events, but give actionable recommendations you can apply today.

Keeping the economy moving in the COVID-19 environment is driving a lot of change and confusion in how tech companies go to market. In part 1 of “CMO Insights: Strategies for Getting Back to Business,” our panel of experts—Rashmi Vittal of Conversica, Russ Cobb of IronNet Cybersecurity and Matt Selheimer of PAS Global—give insight into how companies can adapt their marketing and sales approaches to keep customer relationships intact and growing while we navigating these difficult and uncertain times.

Just about every single marketing leader constantly faces one big problem: doing more with less. Buyer journeys are becoming more complex. Channels, both online and offline, are exploding. Investing in MarTech is a must. And the cost of great marketing talent isn't getting any less expensive. Whether you are a billion-dollar public company, or a startup, you face difficult choices every day about where to best spend your limited marketing dollars. In this roundtable discussion, hear from seasoned marketing leaders from companies large and emerging talk about their struggles with budget allocation and maximizing return on marketing spend. You will learn about strategies and tactics worth investing in (or not) and why; what to consider when prioritizing your marketing budgets; what’s hot now and what’s overhyped in terms of MarTech; and lessons from the marketing frontlines and how you can apply them.

Marketing your products and services to government agencies is not as simple as swapping out the word ‘mission’ for ‘profitability’ on your commercial collateral. If your business is considering selling to the public sector, you need to be prepared to communicate to a unique market that is more mission-driven and has different motivations than the B2B market. On this episode of Lay of the Brand Allan Rubin, Chief Marketing Officer of ORock Technologies, breaks down the basics of how businesses can successfully enter the government market while creating content that captures audiences at the federal, state and local levels. 

In today's digital world, there are thousands, if not millions of marketing tools and approaches to reach your buyer. But knowing the approach to quickly and efficiently reach your audience with a relevant message, content or offer is essential to keeping your marketing program manageable, within budget and effective. On this episode of Lay of the Brand, we ask Merritt Group's very own Senior Director of Digital & Integrated Marketing, Pasha Irshad, about the latest and greatest tools, tips and tricks in the world of performance marketing.

From defining brand names to relaying empathy during times of crisis, businesses know the art of storytelling is paramount to success. So, how do tech companies craft their narratives? How do they take a stance on controversial issues without alienating consumers? In this episode of Lay of the Brand, we continue our discussion with a panel of experts hosted by George Mason's Department of Communications and Career Services including Jack Speer, National NPR Anchor; Tonya Neff Klause, Communications Director at Microsoft; and Shahed Ahmed, Senior Vice President and Partner at Merritt Group.

Enhancing performance marketing through data and analytics is a key ingredient to any organization's marketing strategy. In this episode of Lay of the Brand, Merritt Group speaks with its own Senior Marketing Project Manager, Abigail Bracy, to learn about the latest tools and themes making an impact on performance marketing, and how they are best used to inform strategic brand decisions. 

When it comes to branding, gone are the days where you can just "set it and forget it." In this episode of Lay of the Brand, Merritt Group speaks with award-winning author of the Agile Brand and host of the Agile World Podcast, Greg Kihlström, to learn about how organizations can apply agile methodology to create a continually evolving brand that stays true to its values and keeps up with customers and competitors in a modern, rapidly-moving world.

Positive brand perception is critical to building customer loyalty and increasing customer confidence in your organization and product. But as seen with tech companies like Facebook, it's easier said than done. On this Lay of the Brand episode, Merritt Group speaks with Serge Samoilenko, a Communications Professor at George Mason University, who will delve into his own research on reputation and brand management – and the strategies the tech industry can't afford to ignore.

Reputation can make or break a brand in an age where information can be instantaneously tweeted and texted. So how do tech-companies maintain their brand integrity in an especially disruptive industry where innovation inevitably raises new questions about privacy, trade and community commitment? In this episode of Lay of the Brand, you'll hear seasoned insights and advice from a panel of experts hosted by George Mason's Department of Communications and Career Services including: Jack Speer, National NPR Anchor; Tonya Neff Klause, Communications Director at Microsoft; and Shahed Ahmed, Senior Vice President and Partner at Merritt Group.

Whether small, medium-sized or part of the big leagues, how do organizations take their public affairs and communications from skittish and reactive to powerful and proactive? On this Lay of the Brand episode, Merritt Group asks Amber Allman, current Vice President of Corporate Communications at Gannett and former head of Global Public Affairs at Yahoo! how organizations can navigate the business to success, even during the most radical industry shifts and disruptions.