Next week, I’ll be heading to one of the first conferences for B2B marketers to focus exclusively on measurement and revenue optimization. Circulate 2017, taking place Sept. 14-15at the W San Francisco, will bring together thought leaders and practitioners from different roles — all with the common interest in measuring and optimizing marketing and sales performance.
I’m excited to be leading a panel at the event, titled The Chief Revenue Officer, The New Suite Spot, which will highlight some real-world perspectives on how this emerging role has become central to driving growth, and to finally unite sales and marketing teams around common goals and metrics. The panel will feature:
- Cari Baldwin, CRO at Square2Marketing;
- Steven Wastie, CRO at Origami Logic; and
- John Donlon, Senior Director at SiriusDecisions.
In addition to joining our panel, Donlon will present a separate session at Circulate on what it actually means for organizations to be “data-driven.” Donlon plans to share a process framework for developing data-driven marketing, as well as models for operationalizing and turning data into insights from the CMO down to individual contributors.
I had a chance to catch up with Donlon heading into the event and he pointed out that marketers are realizing it’s time to get beyond the hype when it comes to measurement and insights. “The idea of being ‘data-driven’ is a big buzzword, but not a lot of organizations are adept at putting action behind the headline, so we’re hoping to bring some of that to light,” Donlon said. “Too often we see reams and reams of reports being generated but little direction in terms of the information that matters. It’s a journey to be sure, but the faster organizations can climb the learning curve of knowing how to ask meaningful questions, the faster their time to value.”
Other highlights from the agenda at next week’s event include:
- Jim Sinai, VP of Product Marketing, Salesforce Einstein, on Scaling AI Through AI and Machine Learning;
- Thomas Seclow, Partner, Spencer Stuart, on What CEO’s Look for in a CMO; and
- Tom Fishburne, The Marketoonist, on Adopting a Mindset for the Modern Digital World.
The Circulate event will feature specific tracks on executive leadership, marketing & sales analytics, and applying marketing and sales metrics, so there is something for every role in the revenue ecosystem.
If you are based in the Bay Area or will be in the area next week, I encourage you to take part in the unique networking and learning opportunity. Measurement is clearly a hot topic these days and this opportunity to access best practices from thought leaders, as well as take part in hands-on sessions, is likely going to be the first of many events like this.
As Donlon from SiriusDecisions suggested, measurement and revenue optimization could likely emerge as the next major competitive differentiator among B2B organizations. “Marketing continues to evolve at a rapid pace, and it’s always helpful to understand what your peers are doing,” he said. “That’s not to say that you should constantly be in copycat mode — there will always be some that are on the bleeding edge of innovation and some that lag in adoption of new approaches. But knowing what’s out there helps you determine which practices may be a good fit for where your organization is today.”
