The Dave Gerhardt Show

Episode: From Comms at Zoom to VP of Marketing at Neat, with Priscilla Barolo
Date: November 10, 2025
Guest: Priscilla Barolo, Head of Marketing & Comms at Neat (ex-Zoom, Comms Lead)
Host: Dave Gerhardt

Episode Overview

In this lively B2B marketing conversation, Dave Gerhardt dives deep with Priscilla Barolo, who made the leap from being the 11th employee at Zoom (where she led communications through IPO and COVID hypergrowth) to now running all of marketing at Neat, an Oslo-based company building innovative video conferencing hardware. They explore lessons from scaling Zoom, the unique challenges of marketing a physical product, how communications and PR fit into modern B2B marketing, working with a former CMO as CEO, and building high-caliber marketing teams.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Priscilla’s Background and Path to Neat

[02:23 – 05:37]

• Priscilla started her career in nonprofit fundraising, moved into business school, then landed at Zoom as an intern/early generalist.
• Eventually specialized in communications, drove Zoom’s PR through IPO and COVID, and then consulted before joining Neat as Head of Marketing/Comms.
• Quote:
  “I started as a generalist... I’d Google ‘how to make a data sheet,’ order a trade show pop-up, and then became more focused on communications to take the company through the IPO and hypergrowth.” – Priscilla [04:29]

2. Early-Stage Zoom Lessons and Differentiation

[07:07 – 09:28]

• Zoom initially succeeded due to its freemium model and the product simply being better.
• Messaging was boldly direct:
  “We were video conferencing that doesn’t suck... And that was all we wrote [on billboards].” – Priscilla [07:53]
• Virality among IT/AV was organic and essential; “Just try it” became the call-to-action due to superior user experience.
• The “Doesn’t suck” positioning caught attention despite being a bit crass because it vocalized user frustration.

3. What Translates (and Doesn’t) from Zoom to Neat

[09:28 – 11:11]

• Many Zoom learnings are “embedded in my DNA,” especially customer journey complexity, importance of third-party validation, and the need for brand investment—even when ROI is harder to measure.
• Biggest “humble pie”: selling physical products at Neat is more complex operationally (customs, manufacturing, inventory, channel sales).

4. The Realities of Comms and PR as a Marketing Leader

[12:42 – 15:43]

• A comms/org can be anything from just PR to broad strategic and internal comms, social, and crisis management.
• Metrics are notoriously hard—often self-invented or qualitative.
  “Some PR, you kind of feel like it’s going well or you don’t... We made our own metrics—feature pieces, ‘meaty’ mentions, plain mentions.” – Priscilla [13:00]
• When evaluating PR agency efforts, distinguish organic/inbound PR from agency-generated wins.

5. How and When to Hire a PR Agency

[15:43 – 19:48]

• Priscilla recommends:
  • Assessing executive willingness to engage (interviews, content review).
  • Not being the agency’s smallest client—seek boutique shops with focus in your geography/sector.
  • Always vet who will actually be on your account day-to-day.
  • Be wary of “big idea” upcharges for proprietary research.
  • Ensure internal readiness—PR requires internal investment, not just external effort. Quote:
    “I never want to be someone’s smallest client. If you go to these bigger agencies, you’re not going to get the people who pitched you.” – Priscilla [16:20]

6. The Evolving Media Landscape and What Meaningful PR Looks Like Now

[19:49 – 25:13]

• Traditional media coverage is harder than ever (less outlets, higher competition, consolidation).
• Social channels—especially strong exec/founder presence—are as/more valuable than legacy trade publications.
• It's crucial to set realistic internal expectations:
  “Why isn’t this on CNBC? Because it’s not big news to them…a steady beat in your industry trades and analyst coverage is often more impactful.” – Priscilla [22:56]

7. Building Messaging Frameworks and Talk Tracks

[25:13 – 26:49]

• Priscilla develops a core messaging pyramid:
  • 1 sentence, 3 sentences, pillars, supporting points.
  • Built by talking cross-functionally with product, eng, PMMs, sales.
  • Tailored for execs: some need full coaching, others are “just, tweak these three things and go.”

8. Neat: Company Stage, Team Structure & Leading a Physical Hardware Marketing Org

[28:22 – 31:09]

• Neat is ~400-500 employees, remote-first with Oslo HQ, late-stage pre-IPO, growing fast but still "small enough to get things done."
• Marketing org: 30-40 people (including BDRs), divided by function: field/channel/campaigns, BDRs, subject matter experts (writers, web, ops), with design and PMM cross-functional.
• Priscilla’s approach: Hire excellent leaders for functions she’s less familiar with (e.g., BDRs), ask questions, and trust them.

9. Lessons on Leadership, Imposter Syndrome & Team Building

[31:36 – 33:43]

• “Your job as a marketing leader is to know how to find the right people…not to be the solo expert on everything.”
• “Marketing is a really broad discipline—every CMO has their gaps… Focus on building a great team, then dive in and facilitate, even if you’re not the functional expert.”

10. Remote Team Meetings, Rhythms, and Internal Comms

[34:05 – 38:33]

• Priscilla runs a weekly leadership meeting (including key cross-functional leaders), a monthly org-wide meeting, and 1:1s with variable cadences based on role/seniority.
• Most updates done asynchronously (shared docs, Slack, PowerPoints).
• Prefers group meetings and documented async over back-to-back status 1:1s.
  • “If my calendar was filled with 1:1s I'd get nothing else done.”

11. Internal Marketing Updates and Sharing Success

[38:49 – 41:06]

• Strong dynamics with the CRO—marketing regularly speaks at revenue org kickoffs.
• Priscilla puts “a ton of work” into internal presentations:
  “There’s this feeling of, I just want to do the work…But the trust-building and internal education is the work.” – Priscilla [39:17]
• Asynchronous comms—sharing news, resources, and PR wins in chat, always with a CTA for engagement/sharing.

12. What’s Different About Marketing Hardware vs. Software

[41:06 – 43:00]

• Heavy investment in in-person events, trade shows, and physical channel marketing; prospects want to touch and try the product.
• “You build the strongest brand one person at a time in this business…People need to get there and touch the product.”
• Metrics and payback on event/channel budget are critical due to higher costs.

13. Working for a CMO-Turned-CEO

[43:41 – 44:51]

• Neat’s CEO, Janine, was formerly CMO at Zoom—a huge advantage.
• “When you take a big swing…to have it be in partnership with your CEO and not something you’re betting your career on, it’s a real difference.” – Priscilla [43:57]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Zoom’s early messaging:
  “We were video conferencing that doesn’t suck… That got attention, and it resonated because people’s experience sucked before.” – Priscilla [07:53]

• On agency selection:
  “I never want to be someone's smallest client.” – Priscilla [16:20]
  “When you’re coming to me with a pitch, I want to hear specific names of journalists and publications.” – Priscilla [24:45]

• On PR agency success:
  “They need care and feeding to be successful. It’s a two-way street.” – Priscilla [19:16]

• On being a marketing leader:
  “Your job as a marketing leader is to know how to find the right people. You’re not meant to be the expert in everything.” – Dave [31:36]

• On internal comms:
  “Once I leaned into it—that is the work, that is the job, this trust-building—I became more successful at it.” – Priscilla [39:17]

• On events in hardware marketing:
  “You build that strongest brand one person at a time. People need to get there and touch the product.” – Priscilla [41:21]

• On working for a marketer CEO:
  “You’ve got to be bold, or you’re not going to stand out. But if you’re bold, you’re betting your career… [With Janine as CEO] I have a partnership and mentorship. I wouldn’t want it any other way.” – Priscilla [43:57]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [02:23] Priscilla intro and background
• [07:07] Early marketing strategy at Zoom; differentiation lessons
• [12:42] What does a Head of Comms actually own? How did Zoom do PR/comms?
• [15:43] How and when to hire a PR agency; what to look for
• [19:49] Changing PR landscape—social media vs. traditional outlets
• [25:13] Messaging frameworks and executive talk tracks
• [28:22] Neat company stage, org structure, and team-building philosophy
• [34:05] Team communication rhythms and working remote-first
• [38:49] Internal comms: sharing marketing success, cross-functional updates
• [41:06] Why hardware marketing is so event-heavy
• [43:41] Leadership: working for a former CMO as CEO

Conclusion

Priscilla Barolo shares a unique journey from non-profit, to comms lead at Zoom, to B2B tech marketing chief at Neat, offering rich insight on how marketing strategies evolve with company stage, why PR is still people-driven, and what it really takes to build and lead a modern marketing organization. If you're a current or aspiring marketing leader—or wondering how PR and comms really fit into the marketing mix—this episode is bursting with pragmatic tips, “learned the hard way” wisdom, and lively stories from the frontlines.

For more from Priscilla: [Follow on LinkedIn]
Learn about Neat: [Neat.no]
Connect with Dave: [ExitFive.com]