How to Thrive in the New Era of Marketing

Refine Labs’ Stacking Growth roundtable, hosted by Matt Sciannella with guest Ky Shaw of DemandOS, dives deep into performance marketing plays that generate real pipeline fast. The discussion covers tactical frameworks for aligning with sales, running direct-response ads, and launching actionable campaigns that drive measurable results in B2B environments.Topics Covered-How to build pipeline through performance marketing plays that actually work-Aligning marketing with sales via pipeline activation projects-Structuring high-intent offers for low-brand-recognition companies-Best practices for direct-response advertising and manual bidding on LinkedIn-Frameworks for upstream problem-solving and content offer creation-Designing tools, calculators, and incentivized demos that convert-Evaluating signal strength and intent from leads-Examples of competitive and industry-specific campaign executionQuestions This Video Helps Answer -How can marketing and sales collaborate effectively to activate pipeline quickly?-What performance marketing plays are working best in B2B right now?-How can you design content offers that signal strong buying intent?-What’s the right way to use incentivized demos without attracting low-quality leads?-How can marketers tailor campaigns for competitive versus novel markets?

Megan Bowen was featured on the most recent episode of Tech Impact, hosted by Evan Kirstel. We're excited today to release the full interview, including extra questions that weren't aired in the TV segment. She touches on the new era of buying behavior, our Brand, Demand, Expand strategy, and how AI has impacted the marketing agency landscape. Want to learn how to thrive in this new era of marketing? Listen in!

Called to Action is back with Sidney Waterfall to walk us through her journey as a marketer blending qualitative data with quantitative insights, and how that can help bridge the attribution gap.Sydney shares her journey and emphasizes the power of qualitative data, like self-reported attribution, and how it complements quantitative analytics to foster business growth. Her unique approach lies in blending both data sets to inform strategic decisions and improve marketing functions. Sydney discusses significant career transitions, emphasizing pivotal moments that shaped her marketing philosophy. Furthermore, she'll share the role of intuition in making strategic marketing decisions and how qualitative feedback can validate gut feelings effectively. Throughout the episode, Sydney illustrates the importance of adapting to changes in marketing paradigms, such as the integration of AI and the growing importance of voice-of-customer data.Episode topics: #marketing, #leadgen, #demandgeneration, #sales, #B2BSaaS, #digitalmarketing #measurement #metrics #sales #marketingalignment #data #attribution______Subscribe to Stacking Growth on Spotify and YouTubeLearn More About Refine LabsSign Up For Our NewsletterConnect with the guest:Sidney WaterfallConnect with the hosts:Evan HughesSteph Crugnola

Our CEO Megan Bowen was a guest on Charles Gaudet's Predictable Profits podcast to talk about the outdated funnel and how to market in the AI era. From Predictable Profits: "If you’re still trying to grow your business with traditional funnels and wondering why your capture, create, convert demand strategy isn’t working, you’re about to discover why those old-school tactics are completely dead. In this episode, I sit down with one of the very few people who actually gets it – Megan Bowen – and we dive deep into the evolution of buyer behavior from the analog buying era all the way through to where we are now in the AI era. We explore why 96% of the buying process now happens before prospects ever talk to your sales team, and Megan breaks down her game-changing framework that’s helping B2B companies completely rethink how they approach demand generation. Trust me, you’re going to want to have a pen and paper handy for this one because we’re going beyond the surface-level funnel nonsense that everyone else is teaching.My guest today is Megan Bowen, CEO of Refine Labs, and she’s someone I have tremendous respect for because she actually eats her own pudding. With over 20 years of experience building and scaling go-to-market teams across B2B industries – including companies that achieved IPOs and acquisitions – Megan co-founded Refine Labs in 2020 with a mission to completely change how B2B companies approach their go-to-market strategies. What I love about Megan is that her leadership philosophy isn’t some theoretical framework from a business book – it’s rooted in real-world experience as an individual contributor, people manager, and executive leader. She understands that without customers, you don’t have a business, and she’s laser-focused on creating the conditions for long-term relationships and meaningful results.KEY TAKEAWAYS:Volume-based funnel marketing fails because high-intent leads convert at 25% while low-intent leads convert at less than 1%Use “split the funnel analysis” to show the dramatic difference between lead quality and stop wasting budget on low-intent leadsBy 2030, nearly 100% of buying decisions happen before sales calls, making self-service information criticalPut pricing, social proof, and competitive advantages directly on your website to eliminate buyer frictionBrand marketing gets you into buyers’ “day one consideration set” before they start searching for solutionsDark social is the invisible 6-12 month buying cycle where prospects research before visiting your websiteCreate content that actually solves buyer problems rather than just promoting your servicesTalk to your customers regularly to understand their evolving needs and grow beyond seven figures Growing your business is hard, but it doesn’t have to be. In this podcast, we will be discussing top level strategies for both growing and expanding your business beyond seven figures.The show will feature a mix of pure content and expert interviews to present key concepts and fundamental topics in a variety of different formats. We believe that this format will enable our listeners to learn the most from the show, implement more in their businesses, and get real value out of the podcast. Enjoy the show.Please remember to rate, review and subscribe to the podcast so you don’t miss any future episodes. Your support and reviews are important and help us to grow and improve the show."

Megan Bowen hosts ChampionHQ’s CEO Gianna Scorsone to cover Refine Labs’ Brand, Demand, Expand strategy. They discuss how combining brand strength, creating demand, and expanding existing customer relationships can combat current market challenges, especially in the AI era. The conversation demystifies these pillars and offers practical, actionable insights into efficiently integrating them into a comprehensive marketing plan.Listeners are introduced to advanced concepts such as leveraging customer advocacy to enrich demand-generation efforts and using AI to enhance matchmaking between prospects and existing clients. With insights from real-world applications, Megan and Gianna elucidate why businesses must align sales and marketing strategies and adopt a proactive stance on expanding through advocacy. The duo also addresses the significance of correct budgeting, emphasizing that while demand often receives adequate funding, both brand and expand need stronger financial backing to foster long-term profitability and growth.Episode topics: #marketing, #leadgen, #demandgeneration, #sales, #B2BSaaS, #digitalmarketing #ads #paidads #googleads #paidsearch #paidsocial #ctv #connectedtv______Subscribe to Stacking Growth on Spotify and YouTubeLearn More About Refine LabsSign Up For Our NewsletterConnect with the guests:Gianna ScorsoneConnect with the host:Megan Bowen

Called to Action is back with Liam Moroney of Storybook marketing to walk us through his journey as a marketer focused on brand and storytelling. He gives his history, philosophy, and advice on how to change your leadership's mindset. Liam draws from his extensive background in B2B marketing to share his experiences in navigating various industries, emphasizing the importance of moving from a 'growth at all costs' mindset to a more sustainable, brand-centric strategy. The conversation highlights key challenges faced by marketers in tech, especially in convincing stakeholders about the value of storytelling and brand awareness. Liam discusses how understanding the fundamentals of marketing and human behavior fosters better brand development and market reach. Stressing the significance of storytelling as a tool to improve brand recall and customer connection, Liam shares strategies for changing leadership mindsets resistant to traditional perceptions. This episode is rich with insights for marketers, challenging existing paradigms and encouraging more proactive approaches in achieving effective growth.Episode topics: #marketing, #leadgen, #demandgeneration, #sales, #B2BSaaS, #digitalmarketing #measurement #metrics #sales #marketingalignment #storytelling #brandmarketing______Subscribe to Stacking Growth on Spotify and YouTubeLearn More About Refine LabsSign Up For Our NewsletterConnect with the guest:Liam MoroneyConnect with the hosts:Evan HughesSteph Crugnola

Matt Sciannella hosts Dale Harrison in a three part summer event series to cover the intricacies of Brand and Performance marketing. This is the full recording, including previously unreleased Q&A from the live audience, of the final summer event. Dale presents a compelling case for revolutionizing how marketing investments are understood, measured, and communicated. This episode transforms complex financial details into digestible insights, revealing why relying solely on current period revenue versus cost fails to capture the true impact of marketing efforts.Within this conversation, critical topics emerge around the technicalities of accurately quantifying the "R" (Revenue) and "I" (Investment) in marketing ROI. Dale dissects how traditional methods often overlook time lags between marketing initiatives and realized revenue, especially in B2B environments where extended sales cycles are norm. Through detailed examples, the episode guides listeners on associating past marketing efforts with current revenue, emphasizing the significance of contribution margin and proper attribution of marketing expenses. The discourse further unveils the misconception that brand marketing takes time to produce results, illustrating its immediate and lasting impact, and how historical brand efforts inflate future ROIs.Episode topics: #marketing, #demandgeneration, #brand, #B2BSaaS, #digitalmarketing #ads #brandmarketing #performancemarketing ______Subscribe to Stacking Growth on Spotify and YouTubeLearn More About Refine LabsSign Up For Our NewsletterConnect with the hosts:Matt SciannellaDale Harrison

Matt Sciannella hosts Dale Harrison in a three part summer event series to cover the intricacies of Brand and Performance marketing. This is the second part of the final event, and covers all of the specific calculations you need to know to accurately find your Marketing ROI. Dale presents a compelling case for revolutionizing how marketing investments are understood, measured, and communicated. This episode transforms complex financial details into digestible insights, revealing why relying solely on current period revenue versus cost fails to capture the true impact of marketing efforts.Within this conversation, critical topics emerge around the technicalities of accurately quantifying the "R" (Revenue) and "I" (Investment) in marketing ROI. Dale dissects how traditional methods often overlook time lags between marketing initiatives and realized revenue, especially in B2B environments where extended sales cycles are norm. Through detailed examples, the episode guides listeners on associating past marketing efforts with current revenue, emphasizing the significance of contribution margin and proper attribution of marketing expenses. The discourse further unveils the misconception that brand marketing takes time to produce results, illustrating its immediate and lasting impact, and how historical brand efforts inflate future ROIs.Episode topics: #marketing, #demandgeneration, #brand, #B2BSaaS, #digitalmarketing #ads #brandmarketing #performancemarketing ______Subscribe to Stacking Growth on Spotify and YouTubeLearn More About Refine LabsSign Up For Our NewsletterConnect with the hosts:Matt SciannellaDale Harrison

Matt Sciannella hosts Dale Harrison in a three part summer event series to cover the intricacies of Brand and Performance marketing. This is the first part of the final event: covering where Marketing ROI fails, and digging into the problems with measuring Revenue. Dale and Matt get into the conventional approaches to calculating marketing ROI, highlighting their limitations and presenting a more comprehensive framework. The discussion sets the stage for a robust understanding of marketing's true impact on a business's financial health.Throughout the episode, Matt and Dale critique traditional metrics used by major platforms like Facebook, HubSpot, and Salesforce, arguing that these models fail to capture the real contributions of marketing efforts. They stress the importance of focusing on gross margins rather than revenue, and present a compelling argument for using contribution margin as a more accurate representation of marketing's ROI. The conversation also touches on the historical neglect of brand marketing in favor of performance marketing, particularly in the B2B sector, and the repercussions that this shift has had on long-term business value.Episode topics: #marketing, #demandgeneration, #brand, #B2BSaaS, #digitalmarketing #ROI #return #investment______Subscribe to Stacking Growth on Spotify and YouTubeLearn More About Refine LabsSign Up For Our NewsletterConnect with the hosts:Matt SciannellaDale Harrison

Evan Hughes hosts Matt Sciannella, Aaron Weekes, and Kyle Taylor to discuss how to integrate Connected TV (CTV) into paid media strategies, particularly for B2B companies. With digital landscapes evolving, the conversation emphasizes the importance of leveraging CTV's unique opportunities for audience reach and targeted awareness. The experts provide a detailed discussion on how CTV not only complements traditional digital efforts but also stands out with its TV dominance, capturing audiences more effectively through non-skippable ads.Throughout the session, the guests dig into the practical aspects of launching a successful CTV campaign. They address the initial budget allocation, common challenges in creative production, and measurement techniques that align with long-term brand objectives. As discussions progress, they highlight the unique advantages CTV offers compared to traditional online advertising, particularly through LinkedIn's platform, citing notable cost efficiencies and advanced targeting capabilities. This conversation serves as a comprehensive guide for marketers aiming to harness CTV's potential in enhancing brand visibility and driving engagement within their target market segments.Episode topics: #marketing, #leadgen, #demandgeneration, #sales, #B2BSaaS, #digitalmarketing #ads #paidads #googleads #paidsearch #paidsocial #ctv #connectedtv______Subscribe to Stacking Growth on Spotify and YouTubeLearn More About Refine LabsSign Up For Our NewsletterConnect with the guests:Matt SciannellaAaron WeekesKyle TaylorConnect with the hosts:Evan Hughes