The CMO’s Most Unexpected Growth Strategy
Stephanie Bunnell, SVP of Marketing at Aki Technologies, emphasizes the role of employee morale in shaping brand perception and customer experience. She highlights how employees act as powerful brand ambassadors. Stephanie also shares strategies for fostering internal culture and authentic customer advocacy.
EPISODE 103 The CMO’s Most Unexpected HOST: Growth Strategy Steve MacDonald A Conversation with SVP of Marketing at Aki Technologies, Stephanie Bunnell
Table of Contents • [0:56] Introduction to Stephanie Bunnell • [27:38] Full Podcast Episode • [1:22] The Impact of Business Practices on Brand Perception and Growth • [2:27] The Employee-Customer Connection: Key to Business Success • [2:45] The Hackathon: Uniting Employees and Clients for Innovation • [2:33] Celebrating Holidays in July: Building Stronger Connections • [2:28] Building Familial Connections Through Positive Company Culture • [2:42] Leveraging Client Advice for Successful Expansion Strategies • [4:03] Enhancing ICP Understanding Through Real-Time Customer Feedback • [1:03] Team Power: The Driving Force Behind Revolutionary Products • [2:06] The Essential Role of Alignment Between Marketers and Leadership • [0:53] Beyond the Message: Understanding Brand Perception • [0:54] Short - Enhancing ICP Understanding Through Real-Time Customer Feedback
ABOUT Stephanie Bunnell Stephanie Bunnell, SVP of Marketing at Aki Technologies, emphasizes the role of employee morale in shaping brand perception and customer experience. She highlights how employees act as powerful brand ambassadors. Stephanie also shares strategies for fostering internal culture and authentic customer advocacy.
FULL EPISODE "Leaders should make sure their goal setting system leaves room for people to be inspired and to exceed your expectations." – Stephanie Bunnell
Full Episode:Topics Covered The Importance of Employee Engagement in Business Growth Transforming Internal Events into Client Engagement Opportunities Listening to Customers for Continuous Innovation
[1:22] The Impact of Business Practices on Brand Perception and Growth "Best marketers know that a brand is not what they tell people it is; it’s what people tell each other it is." – Stephanie Bunnell
[2:27] The Employee-Customer Connection: Key to Business Success “Recognizing your employees makes them feel appreciated. When people feel appreciated, they show up and do better work. I think it’s something that becomes greater than the sum of its parts and has a bit of a snowball effect on customer interactions, whether that is in customer service or outside of it.” – Stephanie Bunnell
[2:45] The Hackathon: Uniting Employees and Clients for Innovation “This model of involving clients early and literally bringing them into one of our most successful cultural events proved to be exceptional for this new announcement and for the business.” – Stephanie Bunnell
[2:33] Celebrating Holidays in July: Building Stronger Connections “Coincidentally, we are now top of mind for holiday planning during this key buying period. It certainly influences Q4 revenue to have that top-of-mind awareness but this was inspired by a positive culture experience.” – Stephanie Bunnell
[2:28] Building Familial Connections Through Positive Company Culture “Because we have expanded our efforts and invested in our clients' careers through this council, this client was included in the event which was something that would historically just be a team event. It was a very familial send-off event, and she was a part of it.” – Stephanie Bunnell
[2:42] Leveraging Client Advice for Successful Expansion Strategies “If you ask for money, you get advice. If you ask for advice, you get money.” – Stephanie Bunnell
[4:03] Enhancing ICP Understanding Through Real-Time Customer Feedback “I’m a big advocate for scaling opportunities and sharing direct customer testimonials across a broader organization. Sales feedback isn’t enough; we need to hear directly from our customers early and often.” – Stephanie Bunnell
[1:03] Team Power: The Driving Force Behind Revolutionary Products "All of the things we were able to bring to market first for a client, or the innovations that revolutionized future media products, make me proud. However, it’s my people that I’m most proud of. I take pride in what we achieve as a team in this spirit of innovation.” – Stephanie Bunnell
[2:06] The Essential Role of Alignment Between Marketers and Leadership "The leadership team should ensure that incentives are aligned with the objectives of the business and structured to support a culture of marketing success." – Stephanie Bunnell
[0:53] Beyond the Message: Understanding Brand Perception “Marketing isn’t just a Super Bowl spot; this is the reframe we need to scale our impact as marketers and achieve the competitive advantage we’ve been talking about.” – Stephanie Bunnell
YOUTUBE SHORT: “I’m a big advocate for scaling opportunities and sharing direct customer testimonials across a broader organization. Sales feedback isn’t enough; we need to hear directly from our customers early and often.” – Stephanie Bunnell
Watch us on your favorite platform
