Canva CMO Zach Kitschke on Achieving Big Marketing Goals and Sparking Virality

In this episode of Marketing Voices and Perspectives, hosted by Joshua Espanier and co-hosted by Bethany Poole, Zach Kitschke, the Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) at Canva, shares his insights on achieving significant marketing objectives and fostering virality. With over a decade at Canva, Zach offers a deep dive into the company’s mission, growth, marketing strategies, and adaptation to evolving technologies.

1. Introduction to Canva and Zach Kitschke

Joshua Espanier introduces the episode, highlighting his role at Think with Google and setting the stage for an enlightening conversation with Zach Kitschke.

[00:51] Zach Kitschke shares his journey with Canva: “I lead marketing here at Canva. I've been with the company now for just over 11 years… now 5,000 people all around the world… more than 180 million people using the platform each and every month.”

2. Canva’s Mission and Growth

Zach outlines Canva’s mission to “empower the world to design,” emphasizing the platform’s goal to make visual communication accessible to everyone, from students to Fortune 500 employees.

[01:36] Zach Kitschke: “We launched Canva to bridge the gap between that world of productivity and that world of creativity and put visual communication into the hands of everyone.”

Since its launch in 2013, Canva has expanded from a small team to a global presence, now serving over 180 million monthly users across 190 countries and supporting over 100 languages.

3. Global Reach and Cultural Influence

Canva’s user base is truly global, with significant growth in markets like the US, Brazil, India, Japan, and Indonesia. Zach reflects on the diversity of Canva’s usage across different cultures and regions.

[03:18] Zach Kitschke: “It’s very global… markets like Brazil, India, Japan, Indonesia, you know, also some of our biggest markets.”

4. Australian Roots and Company Culture

Canva’s commitment to remaining headquartered in Australia is a core aspect of its identity. Despite investor pressures to relocate to Silicon Valley, the founders chose to build the company from Sydney, fostering a unique Australian culture within Canva.

[04:09] Zach Kitschke: “We are fortunate… to find a community of investors and supporters that believed in us. And we’ve really proven that you can build a tech company from anywhere these days.”

5. Canva’s Digital Transformation

Over the past decade, Canva has undergone significant digital transformations, both in product development and internal technology usage.

a. Product Evolution

Canva has continually adapted its product offerings to align with shifts in digital content creation. From social media graphics to presentations and video editing, Canva has expanded its toolkit to meet diverse user needs.

[05:42] Zach Kitschke: “We’ve seen so many shifts over the last decade… It was only relatively recently… platforms like TikTok came along.”

b. Internal Technology and AI Integration

Embracing artificial intelligence (AI) has been pivotal for Canva. Features like Magic Studio, background removal, design generation from prompts, and video functionality with audio enhancement demonstrate Canva’s commitment to integrating AI thoughtfully into user workflows.

[07:34] Zach Kitschke: “AI as sort of another member of the team… It’s really, really fantastic…”

6. Creatives’ Reception of AI

Bethany Poole inquires about the creatives' reception to AI integration, addressing both excitement and concerns.

[07:57] Zach Kitschke: “Sentiment’s shifted a lot in the last 12 months… AI as sort of another member of the team… helps refine your work.”

Canva has focused on educating its teams and users to leverage AI as a collaborative tool, enhancing creativity rather than replacing it.

7. Marketing Canva: B2B vs. B2C Strategies

Canva initially launched as a consumer product targeting individuals but has increasingly focused on organizational empowerment, balancing B2C and B2B marketing strategies.

a. Evolving Audience Focus

Transitioning from individual users to organizations, Canva has adapted its product and marketing to cater to diverse business needs.

[09:17] Zach Kitschke: “We’ve really turned our attention to being the kind of collaborative visual communications platform… empowering every organization.”

b. Marketing Messaging

Crafting clear, resonant messages that appeal to varied audiences—from small business owners to corporate executives—is crucial for Canva’s marketing strategy.

[10:39] Zach Kitschke: “Making sure we're crisp at the macro level and then being a little bit more targeted… directly with different cohorts.”

c. Product as a Marketing Tool

Canva leverages its product excellence as the primary marketing tool, creating delightful user experiences that naturally drive virality.

[10:59] Zach Kitschke: “The product is our best marketing… Like they say Canva as their secret weapon… sparks virality.”

d. Sparking Virality

Exclusive product features and community-driven experiences, such as early access launches, encourage users to share their Canva experiences on social platforms, amplifying reach organically.

[11:57] Zach Kitschke: “People were filming that they were sharing their experience on social… spark virality.”

8. Modern Marketing Practices at Canva

Canva adopts an "always-on" marketing approach, balancing continuous community engagement with strategic, high-impact campaigns.

a. Always-On vs. Campaign-Focused

Operating on dual speeds, Canva maintains ongoing engagement while also dedicating resources to major initiatives like Canva Create.

[12:50] Zach Kitschke: “We are set up to juggle both of those things… Always on component… rallying to put the spotlight on a particular moment.”

b. Community Engagement

Building and nurturing a community is integral to Canva’s marketing, fostering user loyalty and advocacy through events, watch parties, and interactive content.

[13:34] Zach Kitschke: “Our community team hosted all these kind of watch parties around the world.”

c. User Lifecycle Management

Focusing on the user journey from the first interaction to long-term engagement, Canva ensures a seamless experience that drives retention and monetization.

[14:21] Zach Kitschke: “Those first few days that someone has with the product… shaping retention, monetization, engagement.”

9. Effective Marketing Channels: Undervalued and Overvalued

Zach shares his perspective on the most effective marketing channels, highlighting the importance of social media, community, and public relations (PR).

[16:44] Zach Kitschke: “Social and community and PR and comms… have been so critical to our success.”

Conversely, he notes that while many companies focus heavily on digital creative capacity and performance marketing, maintaining a deep, intuitive understanding of these channels is essential for effectiveness.

[16:44] Zach Kitschke: “Building capacity for things like creative for digital and performance for Lifecycle in house… important for effectiveness.”

10. Conclusion & Key Takeaways

Zach Kitschke’s insights reveal that Canva’s success is rooted in its clear mission, adaptive product evolution, strategic marketing, and robust community engagement. By leveraging AI thoughtfully, maintaining an "always-on" marketing approach, and valuing underutilized channels like social media and PR, Canva continues to empower millions globally to create and communicate visually.

Notable Quotes:

• Zach Kitschke on mission: “[Canva’s mission is] to empower the world to design.” [01:36]
• On AI as a collaborator: “AI as sort of another member of the team… really fantastic.” [07:57]
• On product-driven virality: “The product is our best marketing… sparks virality.” [10:59]
• On effective channels: “Social and community and PR and comms… critical to our success.” [16:44]

This episode offers valuable lessons for modern marketers aiming to achieve big goals and foster organic growth through product excellence and strategic community engagement.