Episode 136: “We Turned Lead Gen Off”: Inside Cognism’s Demand Gen Shift with Liam Bartholomew

We’re joined by Liam Bartholomew, VP of Brand & Customer Marketing at Cognism, to break down one of the biggest shifts happening in B2B marketing right now: the move from traditional lead generation to true demand generation.Cognism didn’t just tweak their funnel. They fundamentally rethought how marketing drives growth. In this episode, Liam shares the real story behind that transition: what triggered it, how they proved it internally, and what had to change across content, paid media, and sales alignment to make it work.We talk about:• Why cheap leads and high volume were holding growth back• The data that exposed the flaws in a lead-gen-first model• What actually happens when you ungate content• How demand gen changes the role of content, video, and distribution• How to keep sales onside while reducing “leads”• Why intent matters more than engagement• The fear, risk, and internal pushback no one talks aboutLiam also shares practical advice for marketers who believe in demand gen, but are stuck in lead-driven organisations, including how to start building momentum before making the big switch.Learn more about Cognism's Demand Gen playbook course hereFollow Liam on LinkedIn

We're back with Chief Advisor at PRCEPTION, Dennis Bylov Dalgaard, to unpack one of the most misunderstood parts of modern leadership: how founders and executives should communicate publicly - without blowing themselves up in the process.From technical founders who hate being on camera, to charismatic CEOs who say the wrong thing at the worst possible time, to the PR disasters that happen when “authenticity” goes unfiltered - this episode goes deep into the real dynamics of executive visibility.We explore:• Founder vs. brand: who should actually be the spokesperson?• Why charisma is an asset… until it isn’t• The difference between “authentic” and “unfiltered”• How to build a leadership persona that feels natural, not fake• Why journalists want raw honesty but brands need guardrails• How social media fits into modern executive communication (X vs. LinkedIn vs. everything else)• Why the best founders are exceptional simplifiersDennis also shares his #1 communication skill every founder should learn... Tune in to hear it!This episode is a masterclass in leadership communication, stakeholder management, and the art of showing up as your “authentic self”… without self-sabotage.

In this episode, we sit down with Chief Advisor at PRCEPTION, Dennis Dalgaard, to talk about how AI is changing PR.We dig into:- Why traditional earned media still matters (and what even is it?)- What “AI relations” means for your comms strategy- How LLMs are reshaping how stories spread online- Why most startups get PR wrong and how to fix itIf you’re still thinking of PR as nothing more than press releases and media lists, this one’s for you!Connect with Dennis on LinkedInFind out more about PRCEPTION

So relevant it bears repeatingEvery marketer knows the drill:Someone pitches a “fun idea,” everyone smiles… and none of it actually moves the business forward.In this episode, we talk about why great marketing leadership sometimes means being the Fun Police 👮 - the one who says,“Cool idea, but absolutely not.”We dig into:• How to spot the difference between fun work and impactful work• Why prioritization is a discipline, not a group brainstorm• ICE vs. BRASS: the models we actually use to keep teams focused• How to push back on stakeholder pet projects without setting the building on fire• Why saying “no” is often the most strategic thing a marketer can doIf you’ve ever felt like you’re running a daycare for rogue ideas, this one’s for you.Available wherever you listen to podcasts.

We're back in the vault this week to discuss creativity at work:Most teams say they want creativity.Very few create the conditions for it.In this episode, we break down why creative thinking dies inside fast-moving companies — and how to actually keep it alive. We get into:• Why creativity comes from consistency, not once-a-year Post-it workshops• The real (and usually unspoken) reasons good ideas never make it past the meeting• How the HiPPO quietly suffocates innovation — and how to push back without starting a war• Small structural shifts that make creativity a weekly, repeatable habit• A handful of exercises that look odd on paper but genuinely unlock better thinkingIf you’re tired of treating creativity like a “special event” instead of a core operating skill, this is your reset.Available wherever you get your podcasts 🎧

Some stories are so wild, they deserve a reboot. We’re bringing back an episode that didn't get the attention it deserved:Rippling vs Deel — the alleged corporate espionage saga.Inside, we break down:• The employee who allegedly flipped sides and fed intel• The Slack searches that were anything but discreet• A bathroom confrontation that would be hilarious if it weren’t real• And what does Russia have to do with all this?Then we step back and tackle the bigger questions:• Is this just one rogue case or the start of “SaaSpionage”?• How can scaleups protect themselves from insider threats?• What happens when growth pressure pushes companies past ethical lines?If your instinct is “This would never happen to us,” this episode might change your mind.Available wherever you get your podcasts.The case is ongoing: https://www.forbes.com/sites/mattdurot/2025/10/20/deels-billionaire-cofounders-just-got-500-million-richer-but-theyre-still-poorer-than-bitter-rival-ripplings-parker-conrad/

Following on from Growthforia, Jennifer and Casper tackle one of the most frustrating challenges for marketers: random acts of marketing.You’ll hear why:Ad hoc campaigns with no clear business link waste time and credibilityThe HiPPO is the most dangerous thing to your teamCelebrating vanity metrics is dangerous when the business is underperformingThey share their own war stories, from Queen of England tribute posts to failed pizza giveaways, and why early-career marketers often fall into these traps without realizing it.But more importantly, they get into the how:Why strategy is your best weapon for saying “no”How to map marketing efforts to real business objectivesUsing the bowtie model (aka full customer journey) to think beyond acquisitionHow cross-functional task forces can break silos and improve outcomesAnd what to do if YOU are the HiPPO in the roomThis is a must-listen for marketers ready to move from chaotic campaigns to systems that actually drive business value.Key takeaway:Busy ≠ effective. If your marketing isn’t tied to strategy and outcomes, you’re just making noise.

After a month “off” (read: juggling work, travel, and kids home thanks to the fall break), we’re back with a bang: Why is your LinkedIn reach suddenly tanking?In this episode, Jennifer and Casper jump into the LinkedIn mess to break down what’s really going on with the organic algorithm, and why more followers no longer means more reach.We dig into:Looking under the hood to see what's of the LinkedIn algorithm has changedWhy likes are out, and signals like comments, saves, and DMs now matter moreHow timing, dwell time, and even profile visits are shaping reachWhy comments might be the most powerful content you createThe formats (and emojis) that are hurting your posts’ reachAs a bonus, Casper shares his personal hack for systematizing engagement (without sounding like a robot)If LinkedIn is part of your marketing mix, this is the episode you need to make sense of what’s working, what's not, and how to adapt.

In this episode, Jennifer and Casper dive into how the mindset around demand generation on platforms like LinkedIn is shifting — and what that means for marketers.Key topics covered:Why frequency matters more than volume at the top of the funnelHow video and single-image formats play different roles in the content stackThe new role of engagement objectives in retargeting layersHow to spot meaningful leading indicators when direct attribution breaks downWhy most marketers still underestimate the power of content sequencing and storytellingYou’ll also hear:Why measuring success purely by form fills is misleadingHow shifting to platform-native metrics can surface higher-quality opportunitiesA real-world case where changing campaign structure led to 15% more meetings and a 76% increase in pipelineThis episode challenges the “lead gen first” mindset and pushes you to rethink how you approach content, measurement, and retargeting in 2025.

AI is everywhere in B2B right now; search, sales, customer success, RevOps.But here’s the uncomfortable truth: 95% of AI pilots deliver zero revenue impact.In this week’s Marketing Corner, Jen and Casper cut through the noise to look at what’s actually working (and not working) with AI in go-to-market.From the 13 new AI tools launched every single day to the rise of zero-click search, they unpack why most companies are still just slapping “AI” on top of bad processes and why that’s a recipe for chaos, not growth.The conversation dives into:⚡ Why “plus AI” thinking keeps failing (and what “AI plus” really means)⚡ How bad data is 10x’ing chaos instead of results⚡ Why AI isn’t replacing humans anytime soon (hello, Klarna & Duolingo)⚡ The new playbook for discoverability in AI-driven searchIf you’re feeling overwhelmed by the hype cycle and want a grounded take on how to actually use AI in your GTM motion, this episode’s for you.