MarTech360 Interview With Matt Roberts, CEO, Demand Spring

“A lot of innovation has come from marketing automation platforms (MAPs) in the past. But we are now seeing more aggressive innovation coming from the martech tools that surround MAPs.”

Hi, Matt, could you tell us about your journey in Tech?

I have always been interested in tech, particularly the digital space. Early in my career I got into web development and quickly realized it was the web experience that I was more interested in than the code development and project management side. Once I found my way to a position where I was responsible for web strategy, I started to expand from there, moving into SEO, SEM, and paid advertising, and later getting into MAPs and the larger martech infrastructure.

As I moved into leadership roles I really found my passion in aligning technology with company marketing strategy. I went from working in-house at organizations to consulting – delivering large martech transformation work. I ended up at Demand Spring, where I ran the martech consulting side for a number of years before moving into the role of CEO.

How has the COVID-19 pandemic reshaped your view of the business environment that your business operates in?

For the first few months of the pandemic we saw B2B marketers pause campaigns, keeping a low profile and trying not to be out there selling during a pandemic. After a couple of months we saw this shift to, “Ok now it’s on you marketing to deliver revenue!”. The amount of pressure that was put on marketing to grow the business was immense. That pressure has not let up, and will not let up anytime soon. As we move into a new set of uncertain economic conditions, we see increased pressure on marketing to grow rather than conserve budgets. There is no room for B2B marketers to cater to sales, or to simply focus on brand. The expectation on B2B marketers is to grow the business. This means marketers have had to get much closer to the short and long term revenue goals of the company.

What sets Demand Spring apart from the competition?

The fact that the Demand Spring team is so strong in both technology and strategy really sets us apart from the rest. We bring a seasoned team to the table who help to ensure that our clients have the right strategy in place that is aligned with both short and long term revenue goals, and we deliver the martech solutions that enable that strategy. Many of us have come from the client side so we know the importance of taking a pragmatic approach that gets results.

Also Read: MarTech360 Interview With Mark Smith, Vice President, Digital Engagement Solutions, CSG

What direction do you envisage Martech taking in the years to come?

A lot of innovation has come from marketing automation platforms (MAPs) in the past. But we are now seeing more aggressive innovation coming from the martech tools that surround MAPs. I think we will see tools like 6sense and PathFactory taking over orchestrating the journey as we move from static preplanned campaigns to more fluid on-demand experiences that are driven by AI. I also believe that CMO’s who are struggling to retain and attract talent will start to turn to more sophisticated AI driven martech to drive efficiency and relieve the pressure for talent.

As a Business Leader, what is the one piece of advice you would give to those who aspire to the C-suite?

Marketers have been told for years to align themselves with sales. While this is important, successful CMO’s – and any executives really – need to align themselves with the short-term and long-term business goals of their firm. By doing this they will be aligned with the entire executive, the business itself, and all the initiatives that will drive the business forward.

Your top pick for a book on marketing that everyone should read?

Driving Demand: Transforming B2B Marketing to Meet the Needs of the Modern Buyer by Carlos Hidalgo

 Could you name one other marketer (or more) that you would like to see featured here?

Derek Boshkov, Director of Marketing Technology at Demand Spring

Elle Woulfe, Advisor with Leap by Demand Spring

The top 3 marketing events that you have attended in the last decade and what made them so memorable?

• Nine years ago I attended INBOUND, and beyond the great speakers at the event, it really felt like there was a sense of community building amongst the B2B revenue marketing professionals in attendance.
• The Marketo conference back in 2016 – I really enjoyed seeing Sanjay Dholakia on stage trying to wrangle Will Smith!
• The Adobe conference in 2019 – Demand Spring hosted an amazing customer dinner with our clients. It was the first time I had met many of them, and I could really feel how much they loved Demand Spring.

What are the key ingredients that make a successful marketer?

• Understand the short and long-term business goals of the organization
• Align all your activities to these goals
• Understand how talent and technology enable these goals
• Move away from being self-promotional and shift to being accountable
• Develop a talent strategy based on building, borrowing, and buying
• Keep the team focused and support them

Thanks, Matt!