Author: Gordon Benzie

Gordon Benzie is a B2B marketing and analyst relations leader with over 25 years of experience helping technology companies increase visibility, strengthen market positioning, and accelerate revenue growth. In his current fractional roles, he works with enterprise software, SaaS, and hardware organizations to craft differentiated messaging, optimize analyst relations programs, elevate brand awareness, and leverage third-party validation to build credibility, drive engagement, and support business growth.

Here is Why Investing in Marketing During Economic Uncertainty Makes Sense

Economic cycles are an inherent part of business. Growth, contraction, and recovery occur in predictable patterns. During times of economic uncertainty or contraction, companies must focus on core competencies and eliminate redundancies, inefficiencies, and non-essential operations. This reflection helps businesses remain viable and profitable. Strategic cuts can strengthen a company’s long-term success. However, not all cost-cutting decisions are beneficial.

A Compelling Case to Invest in Quality Marketing Assets

Creating genuinely interesting and relevant content has always been difficult. In today’s AI world, it just got tougher. AI-generated content is easy to generate so some marketers are doubling down and producing even more documents and blog posts to capture attention and engagement. In this environment, quality marketing assets are essential. These types of assets significantly impact your marketing performance and budget. Are they worth it?

Many See Themselves As a Marketing Expert – Few Really Are

There are many who believe they are a marketing expert. People have opinions on commercials, slogans, and logos. They think they know what works. A finance executive might suggest a rebranding strategy based on their favorite color. A product manager may insist a new feature deserves a full advertising campaign. The CEO’s brother thinks the website needs to be changed, including the color palette (btw, this is a true story)!

Marketing opinions are everywhere. The reality is that few really understand all the repercussions and requirements needed for a cohesive, effective marketing strategy. Those who truly are marketing experts are few and far between. I have met a few and aspire to learn as much as I can from them! This reality makes managing a marketing function both exciting and challenging.

Now Is a Great Time for a Marketing Strategy Shift From Paid to Earned

Marketing has a long history of change. There are many reasons why. Sometimes it is a new technology. Buyer criteria could change. Or there was just a need for something new. Today we are witnessing another major transformation. Today’s marketing strategy shift has been building over the past few years. Artificial Intelligence or AI has amplified the disruption.

One repercussion – and an opportunity – is to adapt what I’ll define as a marketing strategy shift from “paid” to “earned” programs (borrowing from PR jargon). Those taking advantage of this shift can boost the attention, engagement, and trust of target audiences. This includes customers and prospects, partners, and employees.

Building a Community of Trust is Critical – Now More Than Ever!

Last week, I attended the virtual HSE Summit on AI-Led Growth. This event aimed to guide those supporting Go-To-Market (GTM) initiatives in technology companies. The speakers and moderators structured the discussions into easy-to-follow topics. My favorite session was the Fireside Chat with Jon Miller: B2B Marketing’s Future in the Age of AI. I learned several key takeaways from this 60-minute discussion. Marketers in enterprise software must adapt, as the current GTM strategy needs a refresh. Those aiming to improve GTM performance must shift focus and budget toward building a community of trust. This shift is essential to staying relevant and expanding market share.

Unconscious Branding – Is This The Future of Marketing?

I recently had the opportunity to hear Leslie Zane, an award-winning Fortune 500 brand consultant, give a presentation. The event was a virtual conference hosted by the American Marketing Association on January 23, 2025. Her presentation, “The Future of Marketing,” shared several interesting insights based on her book, The Power of Insight. My key takeaway is that branding plays a much bigger role in the buyer’s journey than previously considered. A concept I’ll refer to as unconscious branding should be incorporated with greater focus as part of your overall marketing and analyst relations strategy.

Leslie’s theme was that many buyer decisions are based on subconscious rather than conscious thinking. This concept is enlightening and has major implications for marketing strategies. Marketers must rethink how they approach the buyer’s journey and decision-making process. Here are a few concepts that came to mind as I processed the findings of her presentation.

Looking To Ignite Industry Analyst Engagement? Here Are 3 Tips

Industry analysts, such as those at Gartner or IDC, can significantly impact your brand’s reputation and market visibility. This is particularly the case for enterprise software or technology companies. Ideally, your goal should be to build relationships with the analysts who regularly speak with your customers and prospects. This way messaging and product positioning will be regularly communicated with greater alignment and accuracy. Issues can be resolved faster with open communications and can be achieved with industry analyst engagement.

Industry analysts not only shape market perceptions, but they can also help software companies by providing insights on product strategy and competitive positioning. Igniting industry analyst engagement requires a deliberate, consistent approach. Here are three strategies I have found effective in strengthening these critical relationships.

Understanding Industry Analyst Relations: Definition, History, and Impact

Industry analyst relations (AR) is a specialized practice that involves engaging with influential industry analysts. Analysts can provide insights, research, and opinions that shape perceptions of technology vendors in specific markets. These analysts influence buyer decisions and validate the credibility of technology solutions.

This article explains the concept of AR, its evolution, and five key benefits it offers to organizations – provided the relationship is managed appropriately. Not all analyst relations programs are successful in achieving each of these benefits. This shortfall can be based on several factors that I’ll explore deeper in a future article. View this article as a starting point with key objectives that should be factored as part of your initial analyst relations program and strategy.

It’s Time to Break Down the Data Silos of Marketing!

New research suggests that Marketing organizations need to do a better job at breaking down the internal “silos” that separate functions and data. One of the reasons why this issue has emerged is that people like to keep a tight control their slice of the data “pie.” I thought it might be helpful to share some suggestions on what can be done to overcome this challenge to help unlock greater efficiency and performance with how Marketing teams operate – a win-win for all!

Data silos can be found in many places. Within a digital campaign, it might include contact information, such as name, title, employer, email address, and phone number. Event sponsorships might include a list of attendees; website visitors represent another source of contact information.

Over time, it can be difficult to keep track of all this information. And, to ensure the data is accessible and current. Further, with the changing data privacy laws and the fact that these records include Personally Identifiable Information (PII), it is now increasingly critical to know exactly where all this data resides.

3 Ways Public Relations Can Boost Event Return on Investment

Technology has come a long way in mainstreaming remote working. Yet, despite all of these advances, it is still important to meet with people in person at events and conferences. As important relationships are best maintained in this way, events should be part of your marketing mix. The challenge is that it can often be difficult to quantify or justify the Return on Investment (ROI). And, picking the right events to attend can sometimes be difficult. Combining PR with your event strategy is a great way to boost event return on investment. This approach will increase overall marketing effectiveness and drive greater engagement with your audience.

Read this article to see how the role of PR and marketing is now merging, “The Future of Public Relations.”

The Role of PR at an Event

Given the large investment of attending an event, anything that can be done to help ROI is a good thing! The costs can be substantial. Examples include sponsorship fees, booth design, graphics, and labor set-up fees (paying union wages). Then, you need to travel to get there. This can include airfare and lodging costs. Add to this the collateral or swag given away, and the total cost is significant! Anything you can do to amplify the benefits and reap future dividends will go a long way to justifying attendance.