Leader Generation

As B2B marketers, it’s important to understand what businesses in service and trade industries need from us. What marketing support could help operators, contractors, dealers, brokers and owners better sell our products? 
Mark Wilson—Marketing Manager at Fire & Ice Heating and Air Conditioning—shares his insights. He talks about the importance of products with brand equity, support that fuels his company’s marketing efforts, local activations from manufacturers, and more.
About our guest, Mark Wilson: 
Mark Wilson is the Marketing Manager at FIRE & ICE Heating and Air Conditioning. He’s a marketing communications professional with 12+ years of experience in the field. Mark has a wide array of project experience in team management, inbound marketing, lead generation and more. This experience is complemented by a robust technical skillset. Mark enjoys utilizing his skills to maximize the potential of those he works for and supervises.
About our host, Tessa Burg, CTO, Modop
Tessa Burg is Chief Technology Officer at ModOp. She’s been leading data-driven marketing and technology teams for 15+ years. Tessa has deep skills in many areas, including digital marketing, user experience, technology strategy and application architecture. 
Tessa believes in taking a tech-agnostic approach to marketing development. It maximizes a client’s existing technology investment. Plus, empowers clients to easily use, manage, measure and scale their platforms on their own.

In-person sales and marketing events are a great way to connect with potential customers and build relationships. They also provide a unique opportunity to meet new contacts, network with other professionals and create community.
But what does it take to build a tight-knit community? And how do you drive traffic to in-person events post-pandemic? 
Tessa Burg catches up with Cathy McPhillips during MAICON (Marketing AI Conference). Cathy discusses what it’s like to host an in-person event in 2022 as well as lessons she learned along the way.
About Cathy McPhillips: 
Cathy McPhillips is the Chief Growth Officer at the Marketing Artificial Intelligence Institute, overseeing product growth, marketing, sales and customer experience. 
McPhillips was VP of Marketing at the Content Marketing Institute and their flagship event, Content Marketing World, for almost a decade. She owned her own strategic marketing consultancy focusing on nonprofit and service sector marketing and media and was media supervisor at Wyse Advertising in Cleveland. She was part of Ohio University’s Jerry L. Sloan Visiting Professionals in Public Relations program, and regularly guest lectures at area colleges and universities. 
 
McPhillips was named a Folio: Top Women in Media, a MarTechExec 50 Women You Need to Know in Martech, and currently sits on Ohio University’s College of Business Marketing Advisory Board.
 

US inflation skyrocketed to a 40-year high. Today’s consumers face price hikes on everything from clothing to groceries—and all the categories in between.
Can well-known brands maintain customer loyalty? Can they prevent buyers from trading down and purchasing products based on price?
Kevin Krekeler and Tessa Burg discuss the importance of brand loyalty and how marketers can cultivate it to build customer retention. Hear all about it on this episode of Lead(er) Generation.
About Kevin Krekeler: 
Kevin Krekeler is the Director of Client Engagement at Mod Op. In his role, Kevin connects the agency with new clients. Plus, develops strategies to help existing clients connect with their customers. 
With his broad experience in B2B and consumer markets, Kevin understands the business challenges that clients face. He also provides the expertise to help them achieve the results they expect. 
 

Account-based marketing is one of the most effective ways for B2B companies to reach decision-makers of right-fit accounts.
In our live ABM Panel Discussion, marketing and sales leaders explained why account-based marketing is so beneficial for B2B.
On this episode, we continue the conversation and dive into ABM execution. Katie St. Peter answers questions about resources, technology, tools, marketing channels, measurement, and more.
Follow along for tips on how to kickstart your ABM strategy.
About Katie St. Peter: 
Katie St. Peter is a marketing professional with specialties in account-based marketing, digital transformation, demand generation, sales enablement, SEO/SEM, experiential marketing, content writing, website design, and PPC.
She’s currently the Digital Campaigns Manager at the threat intelligence company, Cybersixgill. Previous employers include Rockwell Automation, where Katie gained her passion for account-based marketing. Plus, Nordson Corporation, where Katie introduced account-based marketing programs to drive revenue.

Marketing and sales are both important parts of any business. However, if they don't work together, then there is no way to succeed. How do you show the value of marketing to sales, especially in B2B industries like manufacturing? 
Long-time manufacturing marketer, Monica Gasbarre, talks about how to align marketing to organizational sales goals. Plus, how to build strong relationships on a foundation of communication and collaboration so marketing and sales act as one team. 
Listen to this episode to learn how to bridge the gap.
 
About Monica Gasbarre: 
An experienced marketing leader, Monica is the Director of Marketing & Sales Operations at Spartronics. She has a strong reputation for developing strategic marketing plans that she oversees from initiation to final execution. Monica supports and achieves corporate objectives by successfully managing programs dedicated to customer retention, lead generation, demand generation and sales enablement.
 

When it comes to B2B sales and marketing, account-based marketing (ABM) is a hot topic. That’s because a buying group is typically made up of 6-10 people who must collaborate to make final enterprise decisions.
How can you use ABM to target the decision-makers on specific accounts? Can you leverage digital marketing tools for ABM? Does AMB increase the quality or quantity of leads?
In this episode, we interview ABM leader, Ryan Elmiger. He answers common questions, shares his knowledge, and talks about the relationship between ABM and lead generation. 
 
About Ryan Elmiger: 
Ryan Elmiger has 20+ years of marketing experience in B2B and B2C. He is Account-Based Marketing (ABM) Certified by ITSMA and currently holds the position of ABM Government Cluster Lead at ServiceNow.
Ryan works alongside the sales team to develop ABM strategies for high-value accounts. He ensures all marketing activities target the right account stakeholders. Plus, drives the strategy for hyper-personalized content that speaks to specific account needs and imperatives.

 
The restaurant industry has been hit the hardest during the pandemic. According to the National Restaurant Association, 110,000+ food and beverage establishments in the U.S. temporarily or permanently closed for business. 
How did local restaurants stay afloat? What creative pivots did they embrace? Were the changes temporary or here to stay? 
If you’re a marketer or salesperson in the restaurant industry, you need to know how independent operators tick. Listen to this conversation with the co-owner of a local Vietnamese restaurant to better understand the needs and challenges independents face.
 
About Chris Nguyen 
Chris Nguyen is the co-owner of Superior Pho Vietnamese Restaurant. Under his leadership, the small, ethnic, mom-and-pop restaurant has become a local household name. In fact, Superior Pho has received accolades and recognition from national media outlets such as Food Network Magazine, The Travel Channel, Esquire Magazine, Buzzfeed and more.
Chris is dedicated to serving under-resourced and underrepresented communities. He’s used his position at Superior Pho to employ and empower a variety of underrepresented people from various communities and teach leadership through service. 

 
Independent restaurant owners face many challenges that are unique to those of large chains. If you work in sales or marketing for the food service industry, you must understand these differences to successfully communicate with Independents. 
The best way to learn? Hear the struggles and needs of restaurant owners first-hand. Listen to industry veteran, Laurie Torres, share the ups and downs of restaurant ownership on this episode of the Lead(er) Generation podcast.
 
About Laurie Torres:
Laurie Torres is the Owner of Mallorca, a fine-dining experience in Cleveland, Ohio. She manages the operational and strategic vision of the restaurant, which has been serving Spanish and Portuguese cuisine for 20+ years. 
Laurie is instrumental in identifying emerging trends in the food industry. She serves as the President of Cleveland Independents. Plus, she’s won multiple industry accolades, including the 2021 Rising Star Award by the Ohio Restaurant Association.

 
Independent restaurants offer unique dining experiences, such as farm-to-table meals or craft cocktails. But they also face unique challenges that are far different than those of large restaurant chains.
Offering solutions to the difficulties that independents face, may mean the difference between a win or loss for both sales and marketers in the food service industry.
What are the biggest challenges of independent restaurant operators? How has the pandemic changed their business? How can suppliers, sales and marketers deliver better support? 
Hear the answers to these questions—and more—from Jess Edmonds, Catering Director & Partner at Spice Hospitality Group, on this episode of Lead(er) Generation.
 
About Jess Edmonds:
Jess Edmonds is the Catering Director & Partner at Spice Hospitality Group. She has nearly two decades of experience in the food and beverage industry. Jess honed her service talents in high-traffic Cleveland hot spots before joining Spice Catering Co. in 2008. 
In 2015 she moved into the Catering Director role and manages an incredible team of Event Planners that create exceptional dining experiences all over town. Jess also lends her hand to general operations of The Spice Companies, planning the annual Plated Landscape Calendar and fostering business relationships throughout Cleveland, OH. 

 
Market research helps marketers gain insights into consumer behavior, attitudes, opinions, and preferences.
But how important is it in B2B lead generation and marketing communication? Can market research help you develop more effective strategies and campaigns?
Explore this topic with expert market researcher, Lauren Schmidt from the full-service marketing research and consulting company NSRC.
 
About Lauren Schmidt:
Lauren Schmidt is the Senior Director of Client Services & Strategy at NSRC. She has 20+ years of quantitative research experience with clients in a wide range of industries. While Lauren has an extensive skill set, she’s most passionate about B2B and Voice of Customer (VoC) research as well as driving ROI. Lauren’s philosophy is that market research is a necessity—not a luxury.