In Marketing Trends podcast Episode 24, hosts Ian and Lauren sat down in the studio with Nate Skinner to discuss creating memorable marketing experiences that truly resonate with customers.
Set course for marketing success by staying on-message.
Nate got his start in marketing at Salesforce ten years ago when he was hired by a friend and past colleague. Throughout his career in marketing at Salesforce, he has proven his willingness to learn and his natural aptitude for the field, and became Vice President of Product Marketing for Pardot in early 2017.
In his time at Salesforce, Nate has learned that while you shouldn’t focus too much on your competitors, you should always keep tabs on what they’re doing. Also, in his opinion, it’s best to compete upwards, with a focus on surpassing the leaders in your industry.
Keep things simple and speak directly to your target audience.
Nate’s marketing philosophy hinges on simplicity. If you can’t describe exactly what your product does and who your product is for in ten words or less, you need to go back to the drawing board. After all, if you don’t have a clear and concise understanding of what you offer, how can you ever expect your customers to remember it? When you do this right and keep things simple, it’s so much easier for your creative teams to promote your product offering in compelling ways.
In Nate’s view, controversy in advertising can actually help you narrow down your audience and speak to the customers you really want. It doesn’t matter if other demographic segments dislike your messaging. It only matters that you’re reaching your target market with memorable messaging that they can really relate to. He also feels that many marketers worry too much about audiences becoming fatigued by their advertising. In his experience, “the moment you think your customers are tired of your message is probably [the moment] when it finally starts working!”
Create memorable experiences for your customers.
When asked about his favorite marketing campaigns in recent memory, Nate shared that he’s always loved Carvana’s advertising, starting with their introductory car vending machine commercial from 2015. Carvana is a fairly new, fully online used car-buying service — but they do have some physical retail locations, all of which feature real car ‘vending machines.’
Nate himself purchased his last car through Carvana, and he said that the whole process took about 15 minutes. The company has completely revolutionized the entire car-buying experience and transformed it into something as simple as buying a Coke from a vending machine. Because the experience was so different from traditional car-buying, it was also memorable. B2B marketers need to think of innovative ways to infuse these types of customer experiences into their marketing mix in order to reach new customers and build loyalty.
To get more expert advice on creating memorable customer experiences from Nate Skinner, check out Episode 24 of the Marketing Trends podcast, brought to you by Salesforce Pardot.