The Marketing Share

How Great CMOs Lead Through Change with Lauren Esposito (Ep 65)

The Marketing Share with Alec Chung and Barb VanSommeren Episode 65

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0:00 | 48:43

Sooner or later, every marketing leader will have to guide their organization through a major change.

Whether it's repositioning a brand, launching a new product, or helping a company navigate growth, those moments require much more than a solid marketing strategy. They demand alignment, trust, and the ability to bring the entire organization along for the journey.

In this episode of The Marketing Share, Alec Cheung and Barb VanSomeren are joined by Lauren Esposito, CMO at Asymbl and former marketing leader at Salesforce, to explore what it really takes to lead marketing during periods of transformation.

Lauren has an incredible track record of leading product and brand initiatives at one of the world's most recognizable technology companies. From that experience, she shares how successful CMOs balance long-term brand building with business outcomes, communicate change internally, and help customers understand why change matters in the first place.

Throughout the conversation, Lauren also covers other important topics to keep in mind: 

  • The importance of customer centricity
  • Cross-functional leadership
  • Building trust across the organization

If you're a CMO, VP of Marketing, or an aspiring marketing executive leading a company through growth or transformation, this episode is a must-listen.

Timestamps: 

00:00 Introduction
02:15 Meet Lauren Esposito and her journey from Salesforce to Asymbl
06:40 Why brand transformation is never just a marketing project
11:20 Leading brand changes inside large organizations
16:45 Building alignment across marketing, product, sales, and leadership
21:35 Keeping customers at the center during periods of change
26:50 Balancing long term brand building with short term business goals
31:40 How marketing leaders earn credibility inside the executive team
36:55 Lessons Lauren brought from Salesforce into her CMO role
42:10 Advice for marketers preparing for executive leadership

Loved this episode? 

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Want to be a guest on The Marketing Share Podcast?  Send us your bio and proposed interview topic to marketingsharepodcast@gmail.com, and our Podcast Manager will get back to you. 

Want to connect with Alec and Barb to talk all things marketing and how they can help you leverage the marketing wing of your organization?

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Cheers.