How to Elevate B2B Marketing in 2023 with Apollo | Podcast 17

The domain of B2B marketing is perpetually in flux, adapting to emerging trends and technologies. According to Statista, the expenditure in B2B advertising and marketing in the US is expected to reach $37.7 billion in 2024 and confirm its continuous growth. 

At the heart of this growth lies Apollo.io, a trailblazing entity providing a robust GTM solution for sales and marketing teams. With an impressive 9x ARR growth since 2021, Apollo.io is a testament to the potent amalgam of ingenious software and a profound understanding of the B2B marketing realm. Serving over 500,000 companies and three million GTM professionals globally, Apollo.io's footprint is broad and impactful.

DesignRush spoke with the man steering the marketing helm at Apollo.io, David Malpass. Having joined the company a year ago, David brings a wealth of experience from his illustrious journey through tech giants such as Autodesk and Meta's Redkix.

Who is David Malpass?

David is the SVP of Marketing at Apollo.io, the leading go-to-market solution for sales and marketing teams. David joined Apollo.io in October 2022 and leads a global team of over 30 seasoned marketers responsible for driving subscriber growth, engagement, and retention. He also directs Apollo.io's brand, product marketing, and demand generation strategies. He is a strategic marketing leader with over 15 years of experience building B2B marketing teams.

Vianca: Before joining Apollo.io, were there specific strategies that guided your marketing ethos? Have you had to recalibrate that approach since you came on board with Apollo.io?

David: My learning has always been hands-on. Early in my career, I was fortunate to join a budding startup called Prezi when it had just three individuals in the US office. That experience allowed me to delve into the performance-based aspect of marketing, building our demand generation from scratch, which was a thrilling learning curve. We soared to around 100 million users, but due to some technological hurdles, I had to transition to InVision.

At InVision, my previously successful tactics didn't quite hit the mark. It was a realization that led me to pivot from a solely performance-based approach to a brand-centric strategy. Despite the technology being rudimentary, focusing on building a strong brand and community propelled us to about a hundred million in ARR.

As I moved on to another company, I amalgamated the essence of both performance-based marketing and brand-centric strategies, which yielded positive results. What this journey underscored for me is that marketing isn't a one-size-fits-all domain. Every venture brought forth a unique market, product, and challenge that enriched my understanding and approach.

I've carried two central principles along:

• The importance of brand focus alongside a metrics-driven approach
• The integration of brand, demand, and product marketing

In rapidly growing companies like those I've been part of, the pace leaves no room for micromanaging. Hence, smart hiring is crucial. Bringing in adept individuals and ensuring a cross-functional, integrated approach among the demand, brand, and product marketing teams has been the linchpin to navigating the marketing sphere successfully.

At Apollo.io, these experiences have been invaluable. The emphasis is on harmonizing brand and demand generation while fostering a collaborative environment across teams to drive success in a dynamic market landscape.

Having been involved with Autodesk and Meta's Redkix, how would you say the marketing playbook changes post-acquisition?

I often liken a startup to a fighter jet—it's fast, makes a lot of noise, burns a lot of fuel, and the journey is exhilarating. If fortunate, you don't run out of fuel or face a catastrophe, but instead, land on an aircraft carrier, symbolizing an acquisition. The aircraft carrier, albeit more powerful and stable, requires a collective effort to maneuver, reflecting a shift from the agile nature of a startup to a more structured, larger entity.

Specifically speaking about Autodesk, it's a remarkable firm that transitioned from an archaic license model to a thriving SaaS brand. When they acquired us alongside a few other companies, it was a strategy to venture into construction tech. Initially, the assurances of autonomy post-acquisition are abundant, although the reality often strays from that promise. However, Autodesk did provide a level of autonomy, albeit within its operational framework. This transition introduced us to new tools and processes, undergoing various training, and having access to a legal team.

One notable advantage post-acquisition was the financial bolstering. At Building Connected, we had three distinct products, which expanded to eight or nine under Autodesk's umbrella without a substantial increase in team size. This infusion of capital allowed us to maintain startup-like efficiencies while benefiting from the resources of a larger organization.

Of course, being part of a large company brought a semblance of stability, something often elusive in the startup realm. It's not uncommon to see individuals serving in large corporations for decades, a contrast to the transient nature of startup tenure. However, this stability also comes with more political nuances, an aspect I hadn't navigated much before.

Even if there's a promise of autonomy, complete independence is rare post-acquisition. There's an inevitable level of integration that occurs, posing its set of challenges. Yet, with the right people and company culture, a degree of autonomy can still be retained. The interaction also exposes you to individuals with diverse career trajectories, contrasting from the typical startup journey, enriching the collective knowledge and strategies as you continue in the marketing realm within a more established setup.

Could you provide a snapshot of Apollo.io's mission and the business conundrums it's striving to solve currently?

Apollo.io was conceived from a fundamental necessity—enabling sales, marketing, and startups to grow their business and generate revenue, which is especially crucial in the current market scenario. The challenge kicks in when you're tasked with setting up a go-to-market strategy for a startup aiming to hit 10 million ARR.

The inception stage involves identifying the right audience, crafting effective messaging, and testing your Ideal Customer Profile (ICP). During my tenure at Meta's Redkix, we experimented across various market segments, from small businesses to enterprises, and scrutinized different market entry strategies.

I often compare devising a GTM strategy to constructing a self-driving electric car. You could either embark on a painstaking journey of acquiring knowledge, procuring parts from disparate vendors, and spending an exorbitant amount of time and resources trying to assemble it. Or, you could opt for a ready-made solution like a Tesla or a Rivian, and be on the road almost instantly.

Similarly, Apollo.io aims to be that ready-made solution in the GTM realm. Instead of investing in multiple tools for data, intelligence, and engagement, and hiring a sizable RevOps team to orchestrate it all, you could leverage Apollo.io's integrated platform. The conventional approach not only demands a hefty investment but is also feasible for a minuscule fraction of companies who can afford it.

Apollo.io aims to get companies up and running with their GTM strategy within a week. We have instances where chief revenue officers, upon joining new firms, were able to initiate sales calls within seven days, thanks to a swiftly established outbound motion via Apollo.io. Our mission, in a nutshell, is to democratize world-class GTM strategies, which have been traditionally accessible only to the top 1% of companies, making them attainable for all.