On Strategy Showcase: Canva’s Strategic Expansion into B2B
Episode Title: Canva's Campaign is Driving Its Expansion into B2B
Host: Fergus O’Carroll
Release Date: June 1, 2025
Introduction
In this episode of On Strategy Showcase, host Fergus O’Carroll delves into Canva's strategic pivot from a primarily B2C platform to embracing the B2B sector. Fergus is joined by Christine Segrest, Canva’s Global Head of Consumer Marketing based in San Francisco, and Kat Vanderwerff, the Executive Creative Director for Canva in Sydney, Australia. Together, they explore the motivations, strategies, and creative processes behind Canva’s latest campaign aimed at enterprise expansion.
Canva’s Remarkable Growth and Origins
Fergus O’Carroll sets the stage by highlighting Canva’s impressive journey:
“Canva was started in Perth, Australia in 2013 and has grown to have today 220 million monthly active users with revenue of $2.7 billion.”
[00:00]
Christine Segrest provides a deeper insight into Canva's foundational vision:
“It’s essentially this simple one page interface where you can create anything you set your mind to... Our founder Melanie had this vision to make design dead simple and intuitive for folks so people could just open the platform and start designing right away.”
[04:05]
The platform’s ease of use democratized design, enabling not just professional designers but also the "99%,” as Christine describes, to bring their ideas to life effortlessly.
Transitioning to B2B: Motivations and Strategic Shifts
The conversation shifts to Canva's strategic decision to expand into the B2B market. Kat Vanderwerff explains the company’s structured approach to growth:
“Our mission is to empower the world to design and that literally means the entire world. So our focus for the next decade is like moving up to that empowering enterprises space.”
[11:15]
Christine Segrest elaborates on the organic use of Canva within large organizations:
“We observe that in 95% of the Fortune 500 companies, people were using Canva... creating presentations, lighting up your social media, making videos.”
[10:02]
Recognizing the widespread organic adoption, Canva identified a significant opportunity to formalize its presence in enterprise settings by addressing the unique needs of large organizations, such as compliance, security, and brand governance.
Creative Strategy Behind the B2B Campaign
The heart of the episode delves into the creative strategy of Canva’s new B2B campaign. Kat Vanderwerff outlines the creative development process:
“We started with a writer's room because we really wanted to focus on the storytelling approach... how do we create something that people actually love to watch?”
[20:40]
Employing the "how to method," Kat and her team broke down broad challenges into micro-challenges to foster innovative ideas. This method ensured that the campaign was not only relevant but also resonated deeply with the target audience.
The Campaign: A Closer Look
The flagship piece of the campaign is a film featuring Lorraine Bracco, renowned for her role in The Sopranos. Kat Vanderwerff describes the film's narrative:
“We start with a couple in therapy, but then realize they're actually colleagues... the entire office is there because they’re all using Canva and rooting for the last one to switch.”
[22:46]
This creative misdirection highlights Canva's role in transforming workplace dynamics by providing intuitive and efficient design tools, positioning the platform as the catalyst for positive change within organizations.
Deployment and Multi-Channel Strategy
Christine Segrest outlines the multifaceted deployment strategy for the campaign:
“We’re deploying across mass channels like March Madness, contextual environments like the New York Times, and highly targeted platforms like LinkedIn and thought leadership pieces.”
[26:50]
Canva leverages a combination of mass media and highly targeted channels to ensure broad visibility while also engaging specific decision-makers within enterprises. This comprehensive approach ensures the campaign reaches both the general user base and key stakeholders in large organizations.
Insights and Lessons Learned
The team shares valuable insights from developing and launching the B2B campaign. Kat Vanderwerff mentions the unexpected embrace of humor in their creative approach:
“We haven’t pushed this much into humor before... tapping into that sense of joy helps people love their work and feel in the flow.”
[29:37]
Christine Segrest emphasizes the importance of understanding the multifaceted nature of B2B buyers:
“There are very few actual human beings you'll meet who are a B2B human being or B2C human being... understanding who you're hoping to connect with is crucial.”
[30:20]
This highlights the necessity for marketers to adopt a nuanced approach, recognizing the diverse roles and motivations of enterprise buyers.
Recommendations for B2B Marketers
Drawing from their experience, Christine offers advice to B2B marketers:
“Taking the broader context into mind and truly understanding who you're aiming to influence will help you be more successful.”
[30:46]
This underscores the importance of comprehensive audience analysis and tailored messaging in effective B2B marketing strategies.
Conclusion
Fergus wraps up the episode by acknowledging the collaborative efforts of Christine Segrest and Kat Vanderwerff in driving Canva’s successful expansion into the B2B market. The episode provides a comprehensive look into how Canva leverages its user-friendly design platform to meet the complex needs of large enterprises, supported by a thoughtfully crafted and multi-channel marketing campaign.
Key Takeaways:
- Canva’s Evolution: From a user-friendly B2C platform to a strategic B2B solution provider.
- Creative Campaign Development: Emphasis on storytelling, humor, and relatable scenarios to engage enterprise users.
- Multi-Channel Deployment: Combining mass media with targeted channels to reach diverse audiences within organizations.
- Strategic Insights: Understanding the multifaceted nature of B2B buyers and the importance of tailored marketing approaches.
Thank you to Christine Segrest and Kat Vanderwerff for sharing their insights on Canva’s strategic journey. Tune in to future episodes of On Strategy Showcase for more in-depth discussions on successful marketing strategies.