Podcast Summary: How to Lead B2B Marketing for the First Time: Strategy, Budget, Team, and Content with Jess Cook

The Exit Five CMO Podcast hosted by Dave Gerhardt features insightful conversations with top marketing leaders. In the July 21, 2025 episode titled "How to Lead B2B Marketing for the First Time: Strategy, Budget, Team, and Content with Jess Cook," host Matt interviews Jess Cook, the Head of Marketing at Vector. This episode delves into Jess's journey from a content leader in B2C brands to leading a B2B marketing team, offering valuable lessons for first-time marketing leaders.

1. Jess Cook’s Journey: From B2C Copywriting to B2B Marketing Leadership

Jess Cook shares her unconventional career path, starting as a copywriter for prominent B2C brands like McDonald's, Kellogg's, and Kimberly Clark. She highlights her early roles:

"I started out as a copywriter on B2C brands... wrote headlines for McDonald's billboards... Cottonelle toilet paper campaign that had millions of views." ([04:51])

In 2019, Jess transitioned to B2B marketing, bringing her storytelling and content creation skills to the SaaS sector. She explains her move to Vector, a contact-based marketing tool company, emphasizing the excitement of building a new category in the market:

"We're building a category, which is really exciting... seeing the person-level intent and information to target the right people." ([06:04])

2. Transitioning from Head of Content to Head of Marketing

Jess discusses her decision to move from head of content to head of marketing, driven by a desire for broader strategic influence:

"I felt a sense of frustration that was as far as my purview could go... I wanted to be the one to call the shots." ([06:20])

Her husband encouraged her to aim for head of marketing roles, leading to her current position at Vector through a referral from Dan Murphy at Exit Five.

Matt probes whether her content background influences her new role:

"There is no marketing strategy without a content marketing strategy... content marketers are usually the best at connecting those dots." ([08:58])

Jess acknowledges her content expertise informs her approach but recognizes the need to balance it with other marketing functions, leading her to hire a dedicated product marketer.

3. Building the Marketing Team: Hiring Top Talent

Jess highlights the importance of complementing her strengths with specialized roles. Her first hire at Vector was Alex Verdon, a seasoned product marketer:

"I think it's important to do what you know and what you're good at... know where your capabilities end and fill in those gaps." ([10:48])

She emphasizes hiring top-tier talent to ensure comprehensive marketing coverage:

"I was looking for top 1% marketers... We've absolutely found that in her and spades." ([17:59])

4. Crafting a Compelling Marketing Budget

Creating the first comprehensive marketing budget posed a significant challenge for Jess. Initially struggling with where to start, she sought advice from her advisor, Dan Murphy:

"You need the story around this. Don't just put a spreadsheet in front of them." ([22:14])

Jess transformed her budget presentation into a narrative-driven deck, likening the team's efforts to a "Rocky training montage" and introducing her phased plan with engaging metaphors:

"We have the vision... We're Rocky in the montage and we're moving into Ninja Kick." ([27:07])

This approach not only secured the necessary funding but also showcased her strategic thinking and storytelling prowess.

5. Developing a Robust Content Strategy

Jess outlines her comprehensive content strategy at Vector, focusing on both foundational content to build the category and engaging media to foster brand affinity.

a. Building the Category: Collaborating with Aircule, an organic content systems agency, Jess focuses on educating the market about contact-based marketing. An early success was an article titled "What is Contact Based Marketing?" which became the top Google search result and powered AI-generated answers.

"We want to educate and excite... We cannot be boring." ([29:04])

b. Embracing Video-First Content: Jess launched a podcast, "This Meeting Could Have Been a Podcast," aiming to provide practical insights without overt product promotion. Additionally, she is investing heavily in YouTube to leverage its potential for B2B engagement:

"We're going to be YouTube stars... excited to learn and become a YouTuber." ([39:43])

She shares impressive early metrics, with significant views driven by YouTube Shorts:

"In the first 48 hours, we had 1,400 views on podcast content." ([43:46])

6. Overcoming Challenges as a First-Time Head of Marketing

Jess discusses balancing long-term strategy with short-term wins, a common challenge for new marketing leaders:

"You have to show you're here for the long haul... but also produce actionable results." ([47:03])

Her first impactful action was adding a prominent free trial button to Vector's homepage, which quadrupled sign-ups:

"Added a button to the homepage that quadrupled free trial signups." ([49:19])

This initiative demonstrated her ability to drive immediate results while aligning with long-term goals.

7. Cultivating a Collaborative and Transparent Team Culture

Creating a vision and fostering trust within the team are pivotal aspects of Jess's leadership. She emphasizes transparent communication through regular all-hands meetings and honest discussions about successes and failures:

"We're encouraged to talk about things that aren't working... build that trust." ([53:00])

By leading by example and encouraging team members to share their insights and challenges, Jess ensures a cohesive and motivated marketing department.

8. Lessons Learned and Key Takeaways

Jess offers valuable advice for first-time marketing leaders:

• Balance Strategy and Execution: Ensure long-term plans are supported by actionable short-term initiatives.
• Leverage Storytelling: Use narratives to communicate budgets and strategies effectively.
• Hire Complementary Talent: Build a team that covers diverse marketing functions.
• Embrace Multichannel Content: Diversify content strategies to include both foundational and engaging media.
• Foster Transparency: Create a culture where team members feel comfortable discussing challenges and learning from them.

Conclusion

Jess Cook's transition from a B2C content leader to a B2B marketing head at Vector provides a roadmap for first-time marketing leaders. Her emphasis on storytelling, strategic hiring, balanced budgeting, and fostering a transparent team culture underscores the multifaceted nature of effective marketing leadership. This episode is a must-listen for marketers aspiring to lead their teams with confidence and creativity.

Notable Quotes:

• "I never want to play it safe... you have to be this day and age to not be boring." – Jess Cook ([12:44])
• "People can be a raving fan of yours by watching a 60-second clip." – Jess Cook ([44:59])
• "We're building the number one private community for B2B marketers." – Dave Gerhardt ([56:15])