The Changemakers – Details, episodes & analysis

Vincent Sacco is a brand leader who has been in the trenches and, having built brands from the ground up at multiple fast-growing tech companies, has wisdom to impart in absolute spades. 

He currently leads the creative team at Fivetran, a data management platform that has seen explosive growth, expanding from around 400 to over 1100 employees during Vincent's 3.5 year tenure. Previously, he built the brand at fintech startup Blend as they underwent rapid scaling. Vincent’s unique background also includes branding San Francisco's pioneering food trucks in the early days of the food truck movement. 

In this episode, Vincent shares his hard-earned wisdom on building a brand amidst hyper-growth. Some key topics covered:

• How Vincent transitioned from branding bars and food trucks to tech startups
• The challenges of establishing a brand when a company has found product-market fit and is scaling rapidly
• Key first steps to take when you need to build a brand fast
• How to get buy-in across the company and turn everyone into "brand cheerleaders"
• Partnering with product marketing to align brand and product
• Engaging engineers and developers who are typically harder to reach with brand
• Collaborating cross-functionally and getting the C-suite aligned with the brand vision
• Adapting the Fivetran brand for the enterprise market while retaining its distinctiveness
• The importance of brand flexibility and rolling with unexpected sources of brand affinity
• What's next for the Fivetran brand as the company continues its rapid ascent

Timestamps:

00:00 - Introduction and Vincent's background 

03:51 - Joining Blend and Fivetran amidst hyper-growth
06:12 - First steps to building the brand foundation 

09:22 - Getting company-wide brand buy-in 

14:18 - Aligning brand with product marketing 

17:34 - Engaging technical audiences with brand 

21:35 - Cross-functional collaboration on brand 

25:28 - Tailoring brand for enterprise without losing soul 

30:44 - Leveraging organic sources of brand affinity 

33:49 - The future of the Fivetran brand 

35:36 - Conclusion

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Here's the second of our new Byte-Size episodes! These are little natters between our team at Shaped By, on...well, anything really. Mostly related to creativity in B2B, But maybe the odd one about cake or something.

In this one, hosts Nick Farrar, Founder and CEO, and Alex Waite, Marketing Director at Shaped By, dissect key insights from the Bring Your Own Bold (BYOB) Virtual Summit. Themes include the importance of authentic and bold branding in the B2B sector, strategies to stand out in competitive markets, and the resurgence of brand investment. They also discuss the pivotal role of AI in business, touching on both the opportunities and challenges it presents. 

00:00 Introduction to the podcast
00:14 Reflecting on the BYOB Virtual Summit
01:37 Defining and Embracing Boldness
03:13 The Importance of Authenticity and Differentiation
07:18 Key Themes from the Summit
09:22 The Renaissance of Brand Focus
13:43 Aligning Brand with Audience Values
15:13 Unexpected Insights from CMOs and CFOs
16:46 Bridging the Gap: Marketing and Finance Collaboration
19:57 AI in Business: Opportunities and Challenges
22:27 The Future of AI: Navigating Rapid Changes
24:41 The Strategic Importance of Brand
26:35 Female Leadership in a Male-Dominated World
28:32 Conclusion and Where to Watch More

Check out all the sessions from Bring Your Own Bold here: https://shaped-by.com/byob-event/

Send us a message if you enjoyed this episode

If you enjoy the chats then there are more ways to quench your thirst for creative inspiration in the world of B2B tech.

👉 Watch episodes on YouTube
👉 Follow us on LinkedIn for regular snippets in your feed
👉 Visit our website for more in-depth thinking on topics
👉 Subscribe to Beyond our monthly collection of insight, opinion and inspiration

And finally please rate our podcast on Apple if you enjoyed it!

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Ari Yablok is the Head of Brand at Island, the Enterprise Browser. If that sounds like a pretty simple description of what Island does, then there’s a very deliberate reason for that. And it’s a reason that has seen Dave fall completely in love with the brand strategy, identity, narrative and messaging that Ari has created for this Israeli startup that is going global pretty rapidly.

Everything about Island exudes simplicity. The idea behind the product. The product itself. The experience of using it. The problem it solves. It’s easy, clear and stress-free. And this is all reflected perfectly in the simple, clean, zen-like brand experience that it’s all wrapped up in, and which entices you with its beautifully uncomplicated and supremely confident attitude.

But don’t think for a second that the process of developing it was simple. It took a serious investment of strategic work, along with a heavy dose of boldness from Island’s founders to choose a path so unlike any other company in their space.

Dave has been a long-time fan and admirer, both of Island and of Ari’s approach to crafting strategic narratives, end-to-end messaging and brand identities for tech companies in general - which he did for 50+ firms during his previous role at the B2B agency Atreo.

So join us for another episode of fanboying as he chats with Ari on:

• the story of Island’s brand development, from first conversation to now
• the thinking behind its distinctive ethos and visual identity
• how he and the Island team bring it to life in a differentiated way at live events
• the challenge of evolving the brand as the company evolves
• the role of Island’s founders in the whole process

This is more than a story about an interesting brand. It’s an inspirational journey into the magic that happens when visionary founders and brand experts team up before a company has even launched, and build the brand alongside the product.

Find out more about Island here, and follow Ari’s work on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/ariyablok.

Send us a message if you enjoyed this episode

If you enjoy the chats then there are more ways to quench your thirst for creative inspiration in the world of B2B tech.

👉 Watch episodes on YouTube
👉 Follow us on LinkedIn for regular snippets in your feed
👉 Visit our website for more in-depth thinking on topics
👉 Subscribe to Beyond our monthly collection of insight, opinion and inspiration

And finally please rate our podcast on Apple if you enjoyed it!

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Following staggering revenue growth of 46,000% between 2018 and 2021, cybersecurity asset management Axonius was unsurprisingly named as the fastest-growing cybersecurity company in America by Deloitte in 2022.

That’s pretty damn awesome. But it also presented a very familiar problem that high-growth companies tend to face. They scale so quickly, with such a focus on perfecting the product and the platform, that the task of also building a cohesive brand message and narrative takes a bit of a back seat.

It’s understandable. But there comes a point where it’s a major issue. And when Kaite Rosa joined the business as Senior Director of Brand in 2020, she immediately identified that it was becoming one.

So alongside CMO Nathan Burke, she set about fixing the problem. And the way they went about it makes for quite a story.
Join Dave and Kaite as they discuss:

• how Kaite and her team crafted a simple, human, relatable brand message
• how they landed gymnastics icon Simone Biles as a brand partner to help spread that message
• why Simone and Axonius’ other athlete partners embody the spirit of Axonius’ brand
• how those collaborations, plus the close collaborative spirit of Kaite and Nathan’s team, drive long-term success for Axonius
• why it’s so important to build such distinct brand narratives in crowded markets like cybersecurity

This is a conversation that will inspire any brand or marketing leaders out there who are struggling to make their brand stand out in cluttered markets.

So dive in and enjoy. And go follow Kaite on LinkedIn to keep up with the latest from Axonius’ remarkable brand journey - which is certainly not slowing down any time soon.

Send us a message if you enjoyed this episode

If you enjoy the chats then there are more ways to quench your thirst for creative inspiration in the world of B2B tech.

👉 Watch episodes on YouTube
👉 Follow us on LinkedIn for regular snippets in your feed
👉 Visit our website for more in-depth thinking on topics
👉 Subscribe to Beyond our monthly collection of insight, opinion and inspiration

And finally please rate our podcast on Apple if you enjoyed it!

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It’s time for another chat with one of our fellow agency buddies - and in the hotseat this week is the wonderful Kirsty Jarvis, founder and CEO of tech-specialist communications firm Luminous PR.

We’ve recently been getting to know the Luminous team through our shared love of working with game-changing technology businesses. Their approach to building B2B brands and driving growth through tailored communications strategies is pretty impressive. So we were delighted when Kirsty agreed to take time out of her busy schedule to take us behind the scenes of how they do it.

Join Dave and Kirsty as they sit down to discuss:

• why PR is so important to early-stage startups
• how Luminous’ approach differs for more established firms versus startups
• the key trends and developments in the world of PR right now
• why it pays to be creative when devising a comms strategy that cuts through the clutter
• how PR strategies are changing for tech firms in the current climate of profitability and sustainability, versus the last couple of years of free capital and growth at all costs

…and plenty more! If you like the sound of Luminous and what they do (and why wouldn’t you, they’re seriously good PR experts) follow Kirsty on LinkedIn here, and find out more about the agency on their website.

Send us a message if you enjoyed this episode

If you enjoy the chats then there are more ways to quench your thirst for creative inspiration in the world of B2B tech.

👉 Watch episodes on YouTube
👉 Follow us on LinkedIn for regular snippets in your feed
👉 Visit our website for more in-depth thinking on topics
👉 Subscribe to Beyond our monthly collection of insight, opinion and inspiration

And finally please rate our podcast on Apple if you enjoyed it!

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Aaron Poe is a man who knows a thing or two about brand design. During his time in the agency world, he gave the Beats by Dre brand the distinctive identity that helped it get acquired by Apple. He led the 2018 rebrand of fintech giant Checkout.com, and the more recent evolution of the Square brand identity.

Now, as head of Zapier’s brand studio, his esteemed talents are being put to great use in leading the roll-out of the rapidly-growing automation firm’s new visual identity.

It’s a fun job for a creative leader who loves pushing boundaries and expanding concepts into new realms. But it’s also a big job. Alongside the guidelines and principles Aaron and his team are building out around type, colour, motion and brand architecture, the company is in the process of launching a steady stream of new products - all of which must fit creatively into these newly crafted systems.

So how’s that process going? What inspired Aaron to step away from his previous role and take this on as a challenge? And crucially, as Zapier is becoming an increasingly AI-driven company, how is Aaron harnessing the latest AI tools to make that big job a little less big?

Join Dave and Aaron to find out all that and much more, including Aaron’s opinion on the future of AI-driven creative development, and where someone as experienced as he is goes to find their creative inspiration.

It’s a cracking conversation. If you agree, let us know over on our LinkedIn page. And go follow Aaron on LinkedIn for the latest out of the super-talented Zapier brand studio.

Send us a message if you enjoyed this episode

If you enjoy the chats then there are more ways to quench your thirst for creative inspiration in the world of B2B tech.

👉 Watch episodes on YouTube
👉 Follow us on LinkedIn for regular snippets in your feed
👉 Visit our website for more in-depth thinking on topics
👉 Subscribe to Beyond our monthly collection of insight, opinion and inspiration

And finally please rate our podcast on Apple if you enjoyed it!

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Some people are quite happy to simply coast along, and see where the wind takes them. And others constantly push themselves, always looking to grow and develop through experiences that test their existing skills and help them to create new ones.

Matt Price falls into the latter camp. Each step in his career as a creative, whether to a boutique agency or the pristine corridors of Apple HQ, has been chosen deliberately to give him a new perspective on the craft of commercial creativity.

Now, deep into his first stint in B2B-land with fintech giants Checkout.com, Matt joins Dave to discuss how the sum of those experiences is an innate understanding of exactly what it takes to be a successful in-house creative leader.

The two of them also chat about:

• how to be a collaborator rather than a blocker
• how to uncover opportunities to elevate the power of creativity internally
• the importance of educating audiences about your category as well as your brand and product
• why creatives should look to the world of fashion, art and design for genuine inspiration

Be sure to give Matt a follow on LinkedIn. And if you enjoy the episode, why not take an extra minute out of your day and give us a lovely review?

Send us a message if you enjoyed this episode

If you enjoy the chats then there are more ways to quench your thirst for creative inspiration in the world of B2B tech.

👉 Watch episodes on YouTube
👉 Follow us on LinkedIn for regular snippets in your feed
👉 Visit our website for more in-depth thinking on topics
👉 Subscribe to Beyond our monthly collection of insight, opinion and inspiration

And finally please rate our podcast on Apple if you enjoyed it!

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This is the first of two episodes in which we’ll be stepping away from our typical guest profile of in-house marketers, creatives and brand leaders, and getting to know some of Shaped By’s fellow agency buddies.

And what a buddy to get to know. Kerry Guard is CEO and founder of MKG Marketing, a digital marketing agency that works with cybersecurity, data management and other fast-scaling tech firms to drive impactful growth.
So what are the most pressing digital marketing challenges that tech firms are grappling with now? And what should marketers be doing to solve them?

Join Kerry and Dave to find out, and also discover:

• why truly effective digital marketing is ultimately a long game
• how to optimize your strategy to deliver consistent results over time
• what “intentional” digital marketing means, and why it’s so important
• why moving away from lead gen and towards demand gen makes sense in today’s world
• how effective digital marketing relies on a splash of creativity to succeed

You can find MKG Marketing on the interweb here, and go follow Kerry on LinkedIn too. Also be sure to check out her podcast, Tea Time With Tech Marketing Leaders, which Dave will be featuring on very soon!

Send us a message if you enjoyed this episode

If you enjoy the chats then there are more ways to quench your thirst for creative inspiration in the world of B2B tech.

👉 Watch episodes on YouTube
👉 Follow us on LinkedIn for regular snippets in your feed
👉 Visit our website for more in-depth thinking on topics
👉 Subscribe to Beyond our monthly collection of insight, opinion and inspiration

And finally please rate our podcast on Apple if you enjoyed it!

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Until generative AI came along and took over every single conversation, one way to instantly ignite a ferocious debate in B2B marketing was to ask this question: “Should B2B companies be thinking like media companies when it comes to content marketing?”

ZoomInfo certainly believes so. And when the go-to-market software, data, and intelligence company’s CEO Henry Schuck decided to turn his content marketing operation into an editorial media machine, he hired Meghan Barr to lead it.

As an award-winning journalist with two decades of experience, Meghan’s editorial and storytelling skills were a perfect fit to bring Henry’s vision of building an internal newsroom at ZoomInfo to life.

So we were thrilled when Meghan agreed to sit down with Dave to discuss her experiences of moving into the B2B tech world, and how that move has signalled a shift in the way ZoomInfo builds its audience through content marketing.
Dave and Meghan also discuss:

• how to tell brand and product stories across multiple channels
• why it’s so important to create an ownable narrative that draws audiences in
• how thinking like a media company helps to build consistency and community
• how her editorial skillset adds value to teams and projects right across the marketing function

The debate will rage on, no doubt. But whatever side you’re on, if you want an objective, honest and fascinating insight into what goes on inside a company that’s very much in this transition, then this one is most definitely for you.

Send us a message if you enjoyed this episode

If you enjoy the chats then there are more ways to quench your thirst for creative inspiration in the world of B2B tech.

👉 Watch episodes on YouTube
👉 Follow us on LinkedIn for regular snippets in your feed
👉 Visit our website for more in-depth thinking on topics
👉 Subscribe to Beyond our monthly collection of insight, opinion and inspiration

And finally please rate our podcast on Apple if you enjoyed it!

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It’s not every day that you get chatting with someone who, in the first five minutes, casually drops into the conversation that they “ran a couple of SWAT teams”.

But this is an episode with a difference. And if you’re involved in anything to do with cybersecurity marketing or thought leadership, then it’s one for you.

There ain’t no cybersecurity expert with more expertise than Steve Stone. From managing nuclear security and running counter-espionage operations for the US Air Force to then moving into counter-terrorism as a federal agent (including over 1200 interrogations of high-level terrorists), the early part of Steve’s career was action-packed, to say the least.

And it hasn’t slowed down since. After moving into cybersecurity as a case agent for several nation-state cyber intrusions into the US government, Steve left the military and joined the US intelligence community where he spent five years as a cyber intelligence expert, before moving into the private sector to help firms like IBM and Mandiant to convince C-suites and executive boards of the mission-critical threats that cybersecurity poses.

Today, Steve heads up Rubrik Zero Labs, the data threat research unit he helped to create inside the data security firm Rubrik (and Shaped By client). We’ve had the pleasure of working with Steve on the creative aspects of RZL, so Dave was stoked to get the chance to interrogate him about:

• what led him from dusty interrogation rooms to the clean, bright corridors of a Silicon Valley tech firm
• why Zero Labs is such an important resource for Rubrik’s clients and security leaders everywhere
• how to engage busy CISOs and CIOs with thought leadership content
• how committed thought leadership like RZL builds genuine trust and credibility
• the role that storytelling plays in the RZL experience

Thought leadership in B2B is so often a badging exercise, consisting of a few hastily-trotted-out reports with a foreword from the company’s CEO. So if you want a bagful of tips on how to build a true thought leadership platform, get your ears around this episode.

Send us a message if you enjoyed this episode

If you enjoy the chats then there are more ways to quench your thirst for creative inspiration in the world of B2B tech.

👉 Watch episodes on YouTube
👉 Follow us on LinkedIn for regular snippets in your feed
👉 Visit our website for more in-depth thinking on topics
👉 Subscribe to Beyond our monthly collection of insight, opinion and inspiration

And finally please rate our podcast on Apple if you enjoyed it!

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