Growth Marketing Strategy: Tips From Tricia Stinton, Cognizant

Tricia Stinton is a passionate B2B marketer with a proven track record of aligning strategic vision and execution to deliver tangible business outcomes.

She is the CMO, Field Marketing UK & Ireland at Cognizant. Since joining Cognizant, she has transformed the field marketing function from a transactional, event-based marketing with limited metrics, to a team that has a greater focus on ROI and result-driven integrated marketing and ABM.

D.D.: You’re a successful marketer with a proven track record in aligning strategic vision with execution to deliver tangible business outcomes. What advice would you give to someone starting in the industry today?

T.S.: Marketing has become so multi-faceted now that I would advise anyone coming into this area to take time to understand all the possibilities that exist in marketing and identify the area that they feel most passionate about.

I would also encourage all marketers regardless of what aspect of marketing they do to keep the end customer at the centre of what they do. Everything should start with the customer. Additionally, we are now in a world where outcomes are everything so being data-driven and commercially minded is key.

D.D. What are 3 tactics that you find meaningful when it comes to driving a successful field marketing and growth marketing strategy?

T.S.: 

1. A content marketing strategy, including primary research, that educates and positions you as a Thought Leader
2. ABM and retargeting
3. Social Media Marketing

D.D.: What are the lessons you’ve learned about scaling account-based marketing?

T.S.: Ensure strong alignment between sales and marketing and that everyone understands the process, the role they play, and the benefits.

It’s also important to have a clearly outlined structure and approach which can be industrialised and replicated consistently.

Finally, understanding what type of ABM is right for your business at that moment in time. Do you have the people and budget resources to do 1:1 or would 1 to few be more effective for where you are at that moment?

D.D.: What are your tips for driving personalized experiences?

T.S.:

• Know and understand your audience
• Ensure that your content and overall interaction has relevance
• Be agile and be prepared to adapt your approach to reflect changes in the client circumstances or objectives

D.D.: What is a big challenge for organizations in regards to marketing data management?

T.S.: Maintaining data integrity is for me the biggest challenge. People move companies or change roles regularly and being on top of these changes requires commitment, resources, and a clear approach.

Additionally, ensuring seamlessness between internal systems and platforms is a challenge that many organisations face in terms of data management.

D.D.: If you were to predict the next big thing in marketing, what would that be?

T.S.: It is not necessarily the ‘next big thing’ but there is a marked increase in organisations turning to ABM and prioritized investing in account-based marketing. As a result of the pandemic, marketers have been forced to pivot to a digital only strategy but audiences are demanding a more personalised approach and the successful approaches those which are relevant, and which demonstrate an attempt to understand the client needs on a personal level.

D.D.: If you had an extra hour in the day, how would you spend it?

T.S.: I would play tennis. I am a beginner/intermediate level player and it’s a sport that I have loved since I was child. Having spent many years as a spectator I started playing as an adult and I love every moment. It is a great way to exercise, clear your mind and recharge.