The Dave Gerhardt Show

Episode: Influencer Marketing, Podcasting Strategy, and Brand Driving Demand with Jess Cook (VP Marketing, Vector)

Date: January 15, 2026
Host: Dave Gerhardt (Exit Five)
Guest: Jess Cook (VP Marketing, Vector)

Episode Overview

This episode features a deep-dive conversation between Dave Gerhardt and Jess Cook, VP of Marketing at Vector. The discussion focuses on tactical, real-world B2B marketing strategies that Jess has executed at an early-stage SaaS company, including influencer marketing campaigns, podcasting as a brand engine, and building distinct brand identity. The episode offers practical tips, candid insights, and engaging banter around what actually works—and what doesn’t—in modern B2B marketing.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Vector in a Nutshell

• About the company: Vector helps marketers build ad audiences from website visitors, ad clickers who don’t convert, and people researching competitors—by name and title.
• Stage & team: ~20-person company, pre-Series A, seed round, only two in the marketing team.
• Jess’s background: Content and brand specialist; landed the VP role partly by being visible in the community and on LinkedIn.

“Vector lets you build ad audiences from the people who visit your website, who click your ads but don't convert, and who are researching your competitors or relevant topics by name.” (B – 04:51)

2. B2B Influencer Marketing: From Skepticism to Results

Why Try Influencer Marketing?

• Jess lacked a demand gen marketer and was hesitant to “throw money out the window” with typical ads.
• Needed broad, trustworthy content distribution beyond standard LinkedIn posts from the team.

“I needed another way to get into people's brains and eyeballs and hearts and minds. So influencers felt right because it was… a really easy way to increase distribution in a trustworthy way.” (B – 09:06)

How the Campaign Worked

• Budget: $12,000.
• Influencers: 7 micro-influencers (avg. 12k followers), some were customers, others respected marketers Jess already knew.
• Structure: 3-month pilot, aligning messaging with launches or survey data; gave content creators flexibility and loose direction.
• Measurement: Light tracking—used call recording software (Fathom) and CRM “How did you hear about us?” fields.

“I look back and we had, over three months, 45 demos that we could track back to this program, over 80% of which were ICP… that represents 1.1 million in pipeline.” (B – 14:55)

Results & Takeaways

• Impact: 45 demos, $1.1M in pipeline, 80%+ ideal customers.
• No hard CTA: Content was informational/friendly, not ‘book a demo now’.
• Tracking: Skipped UTMs to keep the process simple, relied on direct signals in conversations.

Scaling & Process Tips

• Long-term partnerships are better than one-offs.
• For discovery: leverage existing relationships if marketing to marketers; in other industries, consider influencer tools or rely on SMEs for referrals.
• Typical B2B cycles mean layered, repeated exposure is more effective.

“Long-term partnerships and the long-term relationships really do well.” (B – 22:35)

3. Podcasting as a Brand Magnet

The Show: “This Meeting Could Have Been a Podcast”

• Format: Jess and CEO Josh record their internal one-on-ones as episodes—building in public about real decisions.
• Chemistry & Prep: Heavy upfront planning, batch recording in person (Jess flies from Michigan to Florida), but unscripted conversations.
• Content: Each episode covers a real business challenge, decision, or debate (“Jess wants to run ads,” etc.).
• Engagement: Double the downloads in season two vs. season one; steady social follower growth.

“We just wanted to take building in public to the extreme. Each episode covers one decision we had to make together.” (B – 26:26)

Value Delivered

• Awareness “magnet”: Pulls prospects in without being product-focused.
• Personalities at work: Real talk—listeners hear candid conversations you don’t usually get to be a part of.
• Intangible returns: Not strictly trackable to pipeline, but “we feel it”—in social, in fan engagement, LinkedIn DMs, and live event registrations.

“One of the marketing team's goals for 2026 is to be your marketing team's favorite marketing team. And… the podcast is a really good example of that.” (B – 36:30)

4. LinkedIn & Brand: Standing Out in B2B

Jess’s Approach to Content

• Growth: From 0 to 37,000+ followers in ~4 years.
• Philosophy: “What would help someone not want to cry at their job today?”—practical, empathetic tips for content marketers and career advancers.
• Origin: Background in B2C—McDonald’s, Rice Krispies, CPG brands—switched to B2B SaaS in 2019.

“I started writing on LinkedIn because I was like, man, I really wish I would have had somebody to just, like, throw me a tip of the day, help me feel like I wasn't drowning.” (B – 42:01)

The Power of Brand

• The Ghost Mascot: Vector uses a ghost character depicted everywhere (website, swag, events), which makes the brand memorable and differentiated.
• Brand as a habit: “People tell me now that when they see a ghost, they think of Vector, not Snapchat.” (B – 47:04)
• Non-negotiable: In a sea of AI content homogeneity, standing out with brand is critical.

“Find you a C-suite leader who believes in brand so much they create their own mascot.” (B – 47:23)

Other Brand Mascot Winners

• Fibbler: Lion mascot in meme ads.
• Mutiny: Raccoon (but Jess advises: use mascots even more!)

5. Leadership: From Content Specialist to VP

Biggest Transitions

• Metrics & Reporting: From “feeling” whether something works to rigorous measurement/dashboards.
• Managing a team: From creative director of writers to leading a cross-functional marketing team.
• Work-life boundaries: Explicit about giving 50 hours a week and maintaining family priorities.

“I want to get really good this year at knowing what's working and actually doing some sort of reporting and, like, building some dashboards… So that's one big thing.” (B – 53:59)

Leadership & Life

• Outsource what you can (groceries, cleaning) to make remote-work life work.
• Find leaders who understand or empathize with your life stage for flexibility.

6. Notable Quotes & Memorable Banter

• “I want to make the podcast I want to listen to.” (A – 02:36)
• “Influencers felt right because it was… a really trustworthy way [for distribution].” (B – 09:06)
• “Feedback is a gift. If you can internalize it the right way.” (B – 33:23)
• “No is a full sentence.” (A – 34:05)
• “How would they ever buy from you if they don't know who you are? And do they like you?” (B – 37:21)
• “The point of LinkedIn is to never have to apply for a job.” (B – 41:07)
• “What can I outsource? Very much like I would here at Vector.” (B – 56:28)
• “When they see a ghost they think of Vector, they don't think of Snapchat.” (B – 47:10)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Vector’s Value Proposition – 04:51
• Choice & Execution of Influencer Campaign – 08:53
• Influencer Tracking and Results – 14:55
• Thought Leader Ads and Value of Influencer UGC – 10:07–11:52
• Sourcing B2B Influencers – 19:23–21:00
• Podcast Format, Prep, and Results – 26:11–36:11
• Content Strategy and LinkedIn Philosophy – 40:23–43:43
• Mascots & Brand Differentiation – 47:04–48:58
• Transition to VP: Metrics, Team, and Balance – 53:59–56:28

Tone & Character

The conversation is direct, candid, energetic, and full of practical wisdom with relatable humor. Both Dave and Jess keep things casual but insightful (“delete the UTMs!”], peppering industry knowledge with war stories, failures, tips, and life advice for marketers who want to grow their impact and careers.

Actionable Insights for Listeners

• Try B2B influencer campaigns with trusted voices, even on small budgets. Focus on relevance and relationship over reach; long-term beats one-off campaigns.
• Leverage podcasting as a top-of-funnel awareness engine. Make it personality-driven and transparent—let listeners sit in on real conversations.
• Double down on brand assets—don’t be afraid to get quirky or bold (mascots/characters included).
• Leadership in marketing means learning to measure, manage, and balance with real life. Don’t neglect reporting, but don’t let it override craft, team fit, and creativity.
• If you’re earlier in career: Build your presence, lean into LinkedIn, and seek out the leaders who “get it.”

End of Summary

For more:

• Follow Jess Cook on LinkedIn
• Check out the “This Meeting Could Have Been a Podcast” show by Vector
• Join the Exit Five community at exitfive.com

Feedback is a gift! If you found this summary helpful, let Dave and Jess know.