The Agile Brand with Greg Kihlström®: Expert Mode Marketing Technology, AI, & CX

Episode #770: Constant Contact CEO Frank Vella on how B2B marketers and SMBs can partner for success
Date: November 19, 2025
Guest: Frank Vella, CEO at Constant Contact
Host: Greg Kihlström

Overview

This episode delves into the unique challenges facing small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) as they navigate a rapidly evolving marketing landscape. Host Greg Kihlström and guest Frank Vella, CEO of Constant Contact, discuss the widening confidence gap, effective use of marketing tools, the practical adoption of AI, and the vital role B2B marketers play as partners rather than just providers. The conversation is rooted in empathy for resource-constrained SMBs and highlights actionable ways technology providers can drive meaningful, accessible change.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Confidence Gap Among SMBs ([03:19])

• Research from Constant Contact reveals only 18% of small businesses feel very confident in their marketing effectiveness, a significant drop from the previous year.
• Main Contributors to the Gap:
  • Increased market headwinds: cost pressures, supply challenges
  • Overwhelming number of tools but lack of resources to deploy them effectively
  • Difficulty measuring marketing ROI
  • "As a small business owner, you have at your disposal almost everything a large business does as well, but you don't have the team to deploy it." – Frank Vella (03:46)

2. The Role of B2B Marketers: Simplification and Partnership ([05:14])

• Essence of Support:

  • Understand SMBs aren’t marketers by trade.
  • Move from just providing tools to actively doing more “for them,” leveraging tech to simplify complexity.
  • Focus on integrated tools – avoid overwhelming SMBs with choices and platforms.

• Vella's Perspective:

  • "If you're a marketer that helps the small business, really evolving from doing it with them to doing it for them... that's what they tell us they're looking for." – Frank Vella (06:12)

3. Making Marketing Tools Accessible ([06:53])

• SMBs' Needs in Practice:

  • SMBs rarely request AI by name. They want tools that simply make them more effective.
  • Most can spend only about "an hour a week on marketing" – their time is precious.
  • Effective tech solutions should embed AI and automation invisibly, streamlining creation/distribution (e.g., crafting a message once, using it across email, social, SMS).

• Quote:

  • "They can't think of the idea. They are not the marketers. It's a tool that embraces the technology to put the latest and greatest in front of them and then leverage all avenues." – Frank Vella (07:05)

4. Campaign Reuse and Automation: “Do More With Less” ([08:30])

• Practical Example:

  • Coffee shop uses AI-driven tool to create content (fun post about a seasonal drink).
  • Repurpose for email, video clip for social, SMS blast – one core idea, many channels.
  • Teaches SMBs that marketing is a campaign, not a “one and done” event.

• Quote:

  • "Taking that one piece of content and harnessing different audiences... means they're meeting their customers where they are." – Frank Vella (09:16)

5. True Agility for SMBs ([13:04])

• Agility means continual adaptation with limited means.

  • SMBs are historically resilient, running lean by necessity.
  • Leveraging new tech and resources smartly while focusing on core customer relationships.
  • Use trusted tools and integrate new ones in targeted, manageable ways.

• Vella’s Perspective:

  • "Agility for a small business just means making smart, fast adjustments with the resources you have and then leveraging, whether it's community, industry resources, tools that help you, or agencies that are focused on helping you succeed." – Frank Vella (14:15)

6. The Power and Necessity of Simplicity ([15:09])

• Simplicity is key: SMBs crave an “easy button” for marketing.

• B2B marketers must bridge gaps through:

  • Easy-to-use, integrated platforms
  • Context-aware tech (e.g., tools that connect to industry-specific systems)
  • Hands-off, automated solutions where possible

• Memorable Analogy:

  • "If the technology is there to teleport me to be in person with you... then I want to leverage that technology. And that's what a small business wants. Teleport me to success, do more for me, and do it in a way that is simple," – Frank Vella (15:24)

7. Core Advice for B2B Marketers Serving SMBs ([16:17])

• Responsibility falls on service providers:

  • Unlock and deploy new tech (AI, video, automation) in tools so SMBs don’t need deep tech knowledge.
  • Don't ignore basic, reliable channels (email, SMS); complement them with new tactics.
  • Support SMBs' varied goals (leads, donations, more customers) with intuitive, effective technology.

• Quote:

  • "The onus is on us to figure out the technology... The onus is on us to sort that out and deploy it in our tools so that a small business can leverage AI without knowing anything about AI..." – Frank Vella (16:17)
  • "Email and SMS are still the most reliable forms of marketing, whether you're a large enterprise or a small one." – Frank Vella (17:07)

8. Future Opportunities: Integration, Ecosystems, Partnerships ([18:02])

• SMBs need all the tools of big enterprises—without the resources.
• B2B marketers should:
  • Define and deliver simplicity for each industry/use-case.
  • Seamlessly connect with existing tools/systems (e.g., CRM, vertical-specific apps).
  • Foster collaborative, not transactional, customer relationships.
  • “I have a marketing tool. I leverage the technologies so you don’t have to. And I connect to what’s important in your world through integrations...” – Frank Vella (19:51)

9. Staying Agile as a Leader ([20:42])

• Personal Practice:
  • Simplify the complex for team and customer, making technology, marketing, and integrations approachable.
  • "Our North Star is: keep it simple for our customer. And part of achieving that is keeping it simple for ourselves." – Frank Vella (21:09)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

| Timestamp | Speaker | Quote | |-----------|--------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 03:46 | Frank Vella | "As a small business owner, you have at your disposal almost everything a large business does as well, but you don't have the team to deploy it." | | 05:14 | Frank Vella | "If you're a marketer that helps the small business, really evolving from doing it with them to doing it for them... that's what they tell us they're looking for." | | 07:05 | Frank Vella | "They can't think of the idea. They are not the marketers. It's a tool that embraces the technology to put the latest and greatest in front of them and then leverage all avenues." | | 09:16 | Frank Vella | "Taking that one piece of content and harnessing different audiences... means they're meeting their customers where they are." | | 14:15 | Frank Vella | "Agility for a small business just means making smart, fast adjustments with the resources you have and then leveraging... industry resources, tools... or agencies that are focused on helping you." | | 15:24 | Frank Vella | "If the technology is there to teleport me to be in person with you... then I want to leverage that technology. And that's what a small business wants. Teleport me to success, do more for me, simply." | | 16:17 | Frank Vella | "The onus is on us to figure out the technology... The onus is on us to sort that out and deploy it in our tools so that a small business can leverage AI without knowing anything about AI..." | | 17:07 | Frank Vella | "Email and SMS are still the most reliable forms of marketing, whether you're a large enterprise or a small one." | | 19:51 | Frank Vella | "I have a marketing tool. I leverage the technologies so you don't have to. And I connect to what's important in your world through integrations..." | | 21:09 | Frank Vella | "Our North Star is: keep it simple for our customer. And part of achieving that is keeping it simple for ourselves." |

Key Segment Timestamps

• Confidence gap & research findings: 03:19 – 04:36
• Moving to “do it for you” tech: 05:14 – 06:13
• Real world marketing tool use (coffee shop example): 08:30 – 09:57
• Defining agility for SMBs: 13:04 – 14:48
• Simplicity as a core B2B value: 15:09 – 15:59
• Frank's advice to B2B marketers: 16:17 – 17:39
• Ecosystem integration & future opportunities: 18:02 – 20:12
• How Frank stays agile as a leader: 20:42 – 21:37

Final Takeaways

• SMBs are resource-constrained but resilient. They do not want more tools, they want outcomes made possible through simplicity and partnership.
• B2B marketers and tech providers must take the lead, integrating the latest advancements (like AI) invisibly and usefully.
• Simplicity, integration, and empathy are the guiding principles for success—with a persistent focus on enabling SMBs to do more with less, confidently and effectively.