About Joao Felix
Joao Felix holds the position of Vice President of Marketing and Communications at V-Nova. In this role, he is in charge of overseeing the company's marketing strategies and initiatives, as well as managing all aspects of public relations. His responsibilities include the development and execution of marketing plans that aim to enhance V-Nova’s brand presence and communication efforts.
How has the shift towards account-based marketing influenced the way marketing is measured at V-Nova, and what changes have you observed in the industry?
At V-Nova, we have definitely embraced the shift towards account-based marketing, and I see this trend gaining momentum across the industry. It's a topic that frequently comes up in discussions with my peers, and more and more companies are recognising the value of this approach.
The evolution of purchasing processes has been a significant driver of this change. In the past, purchasing decisions often fell to a single individual or a small group. However, we now see a more comprehensive stakeholder process, involving a diverse range of individuals with varying needs and priorities. Account-based marketing allows us to effectively navigate this complexity and tailor our approach to each unique customer situation.
By adopting an account-based strategy, we can better align our marketing efforts with the specific needs and challenges of each account. This targeted approach enables us to build stronger relationships, deliver more relevant solutions, and ultimately drive better results for both our customers and our own organisation.
"By adopting an account-based strategy, we can better align our marketing efforts with the specific needs and challenges of each account."
What are the top three key performance indicators that marketing is currently measured on in your organisation?
At V-Nova, the top three key performance indicators we use to measure marketing performance are:
1. Sales revenue: There is a direct connection between our marketing efforts and sales outcomes.
2. Engagements that lead to trials: We focus on engagements that progress towards trials or implementations, as they serve as a crucial indicator of the effectiveness of our marketing in driving qualified leads.
3. Engagements that sales teams consider valid for generating sales: It's not just about conversations; it involves moving towards actions that contribute to sales generation.
Drawing from your experience in FMCG and software, how has the integration of sales and marketing evolved, and what future changes do you anticipate?
Having spent most of my career in the FMCG sector, I found the traditional MQL procedures quite fitting for that environment. However, in my current role at V-Nova, where the product often requires customisation with the prospective customer, the integration of sales and marketing should be much closer—from the beginning to the very end of the process.
This is a significant shift from more standardised industries where roles are distinctly segmented, and products are defined at a certain stage without further development. In the future, I envision companies increasingly adopting a model similar to ours, where the sales and marketing functions need to be far more integrated than they currently are. This change is essential, especially as industries move away from standardised practices to more tailored, dynamic solutions.
At V-Nova we face a variety of stakeholders, each with distinct agendas and sensitivities, at different stages of their journey. This requires us to tailor our approach, customise our messages, and manage projects more effectively by aligning closely with their specific stages.
Despite the differences between B2C and B2B, some core marketing insights have remained critical across both sectors. Customer insights are essential—they should be the starting and ending point of our marketing efforts. At the end of the marketing journey, when you've crafted messaging that genuinely resonates, it impacts the person on the other side, touching them on a human level despite the rationality of the sales or buying process.
"Customer insights are essential—they should be the starting and ending point of our marketing efforts."
As a CEO, what metrics would you put in place to measure marketing's contribution to new business revenue generation, and what would be your rationale?
I would focus on measuring both efficacy and efficiency. First, I would evaluate the marketing team on whether they are reaching the right people, assessing the value we deliver to our target accounts and the value they represent for our business.
Then, I would assess the efficiency of our marketing initiatives, analysing factors such as the time it takes to progress from initial engagement to closed deals, the resources and budget allocated to each campaign, and the overall return on investment. By continuously monitoring and optimising these metrics, we can identify areas for improvement, streamline our processes, and ensure that we are achieving our goals in the most cost-effective manner possible.
What advice would you offer to those just starting to explore account-based marketing strategies, particularly in effectively engaging stakeholders?
A universal truth applicable across any organisation is that transitioning to account-based strategies results in greater efficiency, effectiveness, and ultimately, higher revenues - goals that everyone in a company should strive towards. If someone is not receptive to this message, perhaps they are not well-suited to their role.
From my experience, this argument has been compelling in unifying our sales team. Every salesperson wants to close sales more quickly and boost their yearly sales figures. This common goal has been a key factor in gaining their buy-in.
However, accommodating the unique characteristics, or let's say, the idiosyncrasies of the sales function is necessary. Traditionally, sales teams operate more opaquely than other departments, such as marketing, which tends to be one of the most transparent areas in any company. While marketing is accustomed to this openness, sales may not be, and it's important to respect these differences without insisting on complete reciprocation.
"Transitioning to account-based strategies results in greater efficiency, effectiveness, and ultimately, higher revenues - goals that everyone in a company should strive towards."
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About V-Nova
V-Nova is an innovative technology company that revolutionises digital experiences through advanced data compression solutions. Leveraging AI and parallel processing, V-Nova's patented technologies optimise data, video, imaging, and point-cloud compression, earning recognition from international standards organisations. With an extensive patent portfolio and cutting-edge software products like V-Nova LCEVC and V-Nova VC-6, the company continues to push the boundaries of compression technology.
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?