Market View
Beyond MQLs: Reframing success in B2B marketing
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Produced by:
Ana Laura Zain
Head of Marketing at Crealytics
About Ana Laura Zain
Ana Laura Zain is the Head of Marketing at Crealytics. In her role, she leads the marketing strategy and team and guides both the strategic direction and operational execution of marketing efforts within Crealytics. The company, Crealytics, assists retailers in the retail media and measurement spaces, evolving from focusing on performance marketing to including retail media solutions as the industry has developed.
How significant has the shift toward account-based marketing been in the B2B sector from your perspective?
The push towards account-based marketing is quite evident and is gaining traction quickly. More and more companies are adopting this approach, which is a good thing, but it comes with challenges, especially around how we measure success and optimise our efforts. There's a noticeable shift in the metrics we're starting to focus on. We're moving away from just counting everything like clicks and visits to looking at more meaningful metrics that tell us how engaged an account is and how much revenue they are generating. This shift is crucial because it points to a deeper understanding of our marketing impact. We're seeing a shift in the metrics we look at, from the old ways of counting everything to more detailed metrics like how engaged accounts are and how they affect our revenue. However, getting there isn't straightforward—we need better technology to fully capitalise on these metrics.
"We're seeing a shift in the metrics we look at, from the old ways of counting everything to more detailed metrics like how engaged accounts are and how they affect our revenue."
What key performance indicators does your organisation prioritise, and how do you manage the balance between traditional and ABM-focused metrics?
We still heavily track the number of leads generated through our marketing efforts, which remains a primary KPI. But increasingly, we're looking at the influence these leads have under our marketing initiatives. It's a challenging balance because while we aim to implement more ABM-focused metrics, like account engagement, the tools we currently have don't always make it easy. We’re using systems like HubSpot to get a clearer picture of account interactions and are trying to manually bridge the gap where technology falls short. This dual approach helps us maintain a comprehensive view of our marketing effectiveness, blending traditional methods with the new demands of ABM.
What challenges have you encountered in aligning marketing and sales around ABM goals?
Aligning marketing and sales is always a bit tricky, especially with ABM where the approach is so focused and strategic. We're really putting a lot of effort into measuring how marketing initiatives influence sales results, which is key. It's tough getting everyone on the same page. We focus a lot on how marketing affects sales and try to measure it closely. The biggest issue is ensuring that our marketing and sales strategies are not just aligned in theory but also in practice. This means streamlining our processes, sharing goals, and ensuring both teams are using the same measurements to define success. It’s about creating a seamless collaboration that enhances our overall strategy
"It's tough getting everyone on the same page. We focus a lot on how marketing affects sales and try to measure it closely."
Considering a CEO’s perspective, which metrics would you recommend for assessing marketing’s impact on new business revenue?
From the top-down perspective, it’s critical to focus on metrics that show how marketing efforts translate into actual revenue and how deeply our accounts are engaged. These are indicators of how effective our marketing really is. By looking at marketing-influenced revenue and detailed engagement scores, we can get a real sense of contribution beyond basic lead generation. It’s about fostering teamwork between marketing and sales, moving past the competition for leads to see how we can collectively drive revenue. This collaborative approach is key to unlocking our full potential.
What future trends and challenges do you foresee for sales and marketing collaboration?
Looking forward, I see the integration of advanced technologies like AI and improved CRM systems as major trends that will shape how sales and marketing teams work together. These tools offer powerful ways to enhance our marketing strategies and better align with sales efforts. New tech like AI and better CRM systems are going to play a big role. They make it easier to figure out what’s working in marketing. However, with these advancements comes the challenge of managing and making sense of large amounts of data. The real task will be using these technologies not just for their own sake but to genuinely improve how our teams collaborate and engage with customers across all stages of their journey.
"New tech like AI and better CRM systems are going to play a big role. They make it easier to figure out what’s working in marketing."
How is your organisation currently utilising data and technology to refine your ABM strategies?
We're really leaning into using data and technology to shape our ABM tactics. HubSpot is a big part of how we monitor the health of our accounts. We're also exploring the use of AI to create content that resonates with specific customer needs throughout their buying journey. It's a work in progress, particularly in areas like predicting buying behaviour, which is complex. We haven’t perfected it yet, but we're committed to enhancing our strategies using the best tools available.
About Crealytics
The world’s leading retailers use Crealytics retail media and performance marketing solutions to conquer the modern digital advertising landscape. With an approach based on measurement, incrementality, and data activation Crealytics advanced technologies and agency services drive revenue for more than 60 of the world’s largest eCommerce brands, including ASOS, Foot Locker, and Urban Outfitters. Our diverse, inclusive work environment includes over 200 international employees who work remotely and from worldwide offices, including New York, Berlin, London, and Mumbai.
About 6sense
6sense is on a mission to revolutionise the way B2B organisations create revenue by predicting customers most likely to buy and recommending the best course of action to engage anonymous buying teams. 6sense Revenue AI is the only sales and marketing platform to unlock the ability to create, manage and convert high-quality pipeline to revenue. Customers report 2X increases in average contract value, 4X increases in win rate and 20-40% reduction in time to close deals. Know everything, do anything, with 6sense.
6sense are changing the world of marketing, one customer advocacy programme at a time. Ready to transform your business?
