If pivot was the word that defined marketing in 2020, revelation is looking like it will be the name of the game for tech marketing in 2021. As we all apply what we learned from last year’s challenges to this year’s successes, we sat down with three tech marketers to hear their stories, share our battle scars and discuss what’s ahead.
In 2020, marketer optimism plummeted, down to 50.9% from its pre-COVID measure of 62.7, a low not seen since the 2008 recession, according to The CMO Survey. But our webinar guests gave us good reason to look forward to what’s ahead. Read on for a sneak peek at some of the key themes they discussed.
Finding ways to give back
The three tech brands we spoke with, ParkMobile, Quickbase and Updox, are very different in mission, but each found a way to contribute to the greater community during the pandemic that was authentic to their individual brands.
“As a company, we took that [spirit of giving back] to heart and tried to think about how we could collectively make a difference. It was beyond just marketing. Broadly, as a company, we took it as a rallying cry to action for our team. We refocused our business to think about how we could help.”
- Melissa Chandler, senior director, corporate marketing and brand, Quickbase
Learning what you are really capable of
Doing more, with less, in less time, became the new norm for tech marketers – almost overnight. But our panelists didn’t let this challenge stop them, instead, they and their teams, pushed their limits and truly learned what they could achieve.
“One of my big lessons from the COVID experiment is that you realize you can essentially do a lot less than you’re doing. You can be successful with less budget. You can be successful with fewer people.”
-Jeff Perkins, CMO and head of product, ParkMobile
Pulling together in a time of need
The ability to give back and push our capabilities wouldn’t have been possible without each other. Despite the doom and gloom that often filled 2020, the connections people made with their teams, clients and customers were definitely one of the highlights of the year.
“It really put emotion behind what we do, and that will forever change us, far past even 2021. We saw the value in what we can do and the difference we can make.”
-Ash Babbit, director of communications, Updox
To hear more from these tech brands, listen to the full webinar here as our panelists share specific examples of how they pivoted, what they learned and where they are heading next.