McClurg Marketing

𝗛𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝘁𝗵:  If you’re not delivering real customer value, your vision, mission, and purpose don’t matter. You can spend hours crafting the perfect mission statement, but guess what? Customers don’t care. They want to know one thing: 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁’𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗶𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗺𝗲? 💎 𝗖𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗿 𝘃𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗲 is your survival metric. It’s what earns trust, builds loyalty, and drives revenue. Everything else? Just noise. Yet too many companies: ❌ Waste time wordsmithing vision and mission statements no one remembers. ❌ Confuse internal cheerleading with external relevance. ❌ Focus on “purpose” before proving their value. Your vision? That’s for investors. Your mission and purpose? Internal alignment. Your company values? A culture guide. Read more about why customer value comes first—and how to get it right in this month's #MarketingMatters newsletter.

𝗧𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗳𝗳𝘀, 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗱𝗲 & 𝗧𝗲𝗰𝗵: 𝗔 𝗪𝗮𝗸𝗲-𝗨𝗽 𝗖𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗖𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗮𝗻 𝗕𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘀 Canadian businesses feel betrayed. For decades, Canada and the U.S. have been more than just trade partners—they’ve been neighbours and friends. With the proposed 25% tariffs (currently under a temporary 30-day reprieve), that relationship is in question. Companies that relied on stable cross-border trade are scrambling. I was at Communitech’s 𝗧𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗳𝗳 𝗧𝗮𝗹𝗸: 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁’𝘀 𝗡𝗲𝘅𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗧𝗲𝗰𝗵 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀? this morning, where experts from Gowling WLG (Chris Andree and Hunter Fox) and EY (Tim Rollins) broke down the fallout. Here’s the reality check: ➤ Expect at least 15-18 months of uncertainty—even if this gets sorted in the short term, unpredictability isn’t going away. ➤ If you sell digital services, software or intellectual property licenses, you’re safe (for now). If you sell goods that cross the border, buckle up. ➤ Repricing strategies could backfire. If you try to shift value to software or services while dropping prices on physical goods, you may be flagged for tariff avoidance. Regulators can go back four years to reassess your intent. 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗡𝗼𝘄? ✅ Seek advice. Gowlings has published advice on understanding and assessing risks, supply chain management strategies, and other actions. I’ll share the link in the comments—it’s worth a read. ✅ Understand your contracts. Many companies haven’t paid much attention to Incoterms, but now they matter. Know who’s responsible for the additional fees before they become a surprise problem. ✅ Revisit your go-to-market and marketing strategies. I covered a re-evaluation of your positioning strategy in the latest newsletter. https://lnkd.in/g7dZ7DjD ✅ Align internally. Sales, marketing, and customer success need a clear message for prospects and customers. 𝗟𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗿 𝗧𝗲𝗿𝗺? ✅ Stop relying so much on the U.S.  Canadian businesses have had this warning before (2018-19 trade war). It’s time to diversify. Canada has two major trade agreements that cover Europe (CETA) and the Trans-Pacific region (CPTPP). ✅ Fix interprovincial trade. If tariffs finally push Canada to remove trade barriers within its own borders, that’s a win. Tell your elected officials that this needs to happen. ✅ Add value to our raw materials. Countries need what we have. Smart investment in value-added processing makes sense for economic resilience and growth. This opens up major innovation opportunities. This situation sucks—but the worst move is standing still. What’s your next move? #Tariffs #Trade #GTM

𝗛𝗶𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮 𝗳𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗖𝗠𝗢 𝗶𝘀 𝗮 𝘀𝗺𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗺𝗼𝘃𝗲—𝘂𝗻𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗱𝗼 𝗶𝘁 𝘄𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗴. If you’re expecting them to magically fix your marketing while keeping them at arm’s length, don’t waste your money. The ROI of a fractional CMO isn’t just about their expertise and experience—it’s about more than that. It’s about how well they’re integrated into the business. When done right, they can: ➤ Align marketing with business objectives ➤ Drive measurable growth and revenue ➤ Provide high-level strategy and execution oversight without full-time overhead ➤ Build marketing systems that don’t collapse when they leave But companies also 𝘄𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘆 on fractional CMOs when they: ➤ Lack clear goals ➤ Don't embrace them as part of the leadership team ➤ Hire them for execution instead of strategy. Their real value lies in setting the direction—while helping bring in the right resources to execute.  ➤ Resist change or micromanage them into irrelevance A fractional CMO should be an investment, not an expense. The real difference? Whether you empower them to lead—or just expect marketing magic. #FractionalCMO #B2BMarketing #MarketingStrategy

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗻𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁 𝘀𝘂𝗱𝗱𝗲𝗻𝗹𝘆 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝟮𝟱% 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁? That’s what Canadian and Mexican companies exporting to the U.S. may soon face with new tariffs looming. But here’s the thing—this isn’t just a pricing issue. It’s a 𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗺. ⚠️ If your price increases, customers will start considering alternatives they previously ignored. Your differentiated value may no longer hold up. Your best-fit customers might shift. And it’s not just about tariffs. Market shifts, economic downturns, new competitors—these are all triggers that require a fresh look at your positioning. ❓ How do you know when it’s time to rethink your positioning? ❓ What happens if you ignore it? ❓ How do you adjust without creating chaos? I break it all down in this month’s MARKETing Matters newsletter. #MarketingMatters #Positioning #TradeTariffs

What is marketing? That might sound like a silly question, but you’d be gobsmacked by the wildly different answers you’d get. I’m not here to throw academic definitions from Philip Kotler or Peter Drucker your way, nor will I subject you to the hot takes from proclaimed gurus like Gary Vee. That would quite probably invoke another ‘v’ word… as in vomit. At its core, marketing is simple. It’s about helping the 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘀 understand how your product or service can 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 or 𝘀𝗼𝗹𝘃𝗲 𝗮 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗺 that’s keeping them up at night. In B2B, it boils down to three things: 1️⃣ 𝗨𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗰𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗿𝘀 Knowing the businesses and the people involved in the purchase decision. What do they care about? What challenges are they navigating? 2️⃣ 𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝘀𝘁 Why should they believe you? How do you show you’re credible and worth their time and money? 3️⃣ 𝗛𝗲𝗹𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺 𝗱𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗱𝗲 Can you make it easy for them to choose you by giving them the clarity and confidence they need? It’s not just “sales support.” And it’s not just “communications and promotions.” It’s about real, meaningful conversations—showing how you’re different and why your solution is better. It’s about defining positioning and differentiation, identifying market opportunities based on customer insights, and building thought leadership and long-term brand affinity. Great marketing doesn’t feel like marketing. It feels like helping. #B2BMarketing #GrowthStrategy #MarketingMatters

Scaling your B2B marketing in 2025? Let’s talk priorities. Many companies waste time chasing too many tactics, focusing only on acquiring new customers or treating AI like magic. It’s time to rethink the playbook. Here are three key areas to focus on: 1️⃣ Do less, but do it better. Insight Partners’ research shows 93% of B2B SaaS companies use email marketing, yet it’s one of the least effective pipeline generators. On the other hand, channels like SEO, paid search, and tradeshows and conferences consistently deliver results. Focus your resources on what makes sense for your business. Action step: Audit your marketing efforts. What’s actually driving pipeline? Cut the noise and double down on what works. 2️⃣ Focus on expansion. Acquiring new customers costs 5x more than retaining and growing existing ones. Expansion bookings (revenue from current customers) now make up 55% of revenue for many scaling SaaS companies. Action step: Partner with sales and customer success to create cross-sell and upsell campaigns. Build resources to help customers get the most from your products or services—it’ll drive trust and advocacy. 3️⃣ Experiment with AI (but keep humans in the loop). AI is great for helping with content creation and automating repetitive tasks. Insight Partners’ research found that companies heavily using AI in sales and marketing aren’t cutting headcount. Why? Humans are an essential part of connecting the dots, building relationships, and adding context to strategic thinking. They’re using AI to empower their teams, making them more efficient and effective. Action step: Use AI to handle repetitive work and free your team to focus on what really matters—building relationships and driving growth. Scaling is hard, but your marketing doesn’t have to be chaotic. Less is more in 2025. Focus on what works, focus on existing customers, and grow smarter. Where will you focus your efforts this year? #ScalingB2B #MarketingTips #B2BMarketing #CustomerGrowth

2025: The year AI changes everything… again? I've pulled together 𝟱 𝗯𝗼𝗹𝗱 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗔𝗜 in 2025 (made by a human). Some legit. Some... less so. From overhyped “solutions” and rebranded AI to climate impacts and shifting search behaviours, there’s plenty to consider (and a bonus prediction that keeps me awake at night). Highlights include:  ► Agentic AI is set to dominate the conversation.  ► Job disruption accelerates as AI gets better at repetitive tasks.  ► Marketers, take note: search as we know it is shifting fast. Check out the full predictions in the carousel ⬇️ What’s your take? Drop your thoughts in the comments—I’d love to hear your predictions.

’𝗧𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗡𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗕𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗚𝗿𝗼𝘄𝘁𝗵 (For frustrated scaleup leaders) ‘Twas the night before growth, and all through the office, The founders were pacing, quite stressed and quite nauseous. The pipeline was empty, the forecasts were grim, And hopes of scaling up? Looking frightfully slim. The whiteboards were scribbled with “next big ideas,” But execution stalled—just crickets, not cheers. “Why’s marketing broken?” one founder exclaimed, “We’ve burned through the budget—yet growth’s not attained.” When out on the Slack came a message so bright, “Let’s call in some help—let’s get this sh!t right!” With clear-eyed resolve, they picked up the phone, And soon a sharp voice cut straight to the bone: “Your marketing’s broken, but don’t you despair, The leads will return with the right work and care. Your ideal customers unknown, your message unclear, And misaligned teams are costing you dear.” “Now Positioning! Now Focus! Now Customer Insight! Let’s fix lead gen systems and end all this fight. On Sales! On Marketing! Let’s get them aligned! Stop guessing, start scaling, leave ‘random’ behind.” The blueprint was set, the strategy clear, The founders could see their path to next year. And as the advisor stepped into the night, He called back to them, “Let’s scale this thing right!” “To $50M and beyond, your goal is in sight, Merry Growthmas to all, and to all a good night!” #ScalingGrowth #B2BMarketing #FixYourMarketing

𝟯 𝗕𝟮𝗕 𝗕𝘂𝘆𝗲𝗿 𝗕𝗲𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗧𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗱𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗞𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟱 to 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝘆 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗲𝘁𝗶𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 An old Irish fisherman knows that success isn’t just about casting a wide net—it’s about understanding the tides, knowing where the fish are, and adapting to the ever-changing sea. He doesn’t rely on luck; he relies on preparation, insight, and patience. And that’s exactly what navigating the modern B2B buyer journey feels like. The sea has changed. And we need to adapt. What worked a year ago isn’t cutting it anymore—expectations are rising, attention spans are shrinking, and decision-making is more complex. With fresh data from the 2024 B2B Buyer Experience Report (6sense Research), here are three buyer behaviour trends you need to be aware of to navigate the waters of modern B2B marketing: 1️⃣ 𝗦𝗲𝗹𝗳-𝗦𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗿𝗱 Over 80% of buyers now expect to self-educate online before speaking to sales. 💡 Translation: Your website is your best (or worst) salesperson. Does it educate? Is it clear what you do and how you’re different? Or does it still fall short? 👉 Tip: Just like a fisherman needs the right nets, your website must work as your best salesperson. Consider a web audit or buyer journey mapping with an outside expert for an unbiased perspective. 2️⃣ 𝗔𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗧𝗿𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗔𝗿𝗲 𝗡𝗼𝗻-𝗡𝗲𝗴𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 B2B buyers know 3.5 out of the 4.6 vendors (on average) that they evaluate during a purchase decision right from day one. If you’re not already on their radar, you’re invisible. 💡 Reality check: Building awareness and trust takes time, investment, and isn’t easy to measure. Three things the C-Suite and the Board don’t want to hear. 👉 Tip: A fisherman doesn’t cast his net blindly—he works where he knows the fish are. Similarly, building awareness and trust means showing up in the right places with the right message. Consider content marketing, thought leadership, and sponsoring key industry events to get on the radar. 3️⃣ 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗗𝗲𝗰𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻-𝗠𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗨𝗻𝗶𝘁 𝗛𝗮𝘀 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗱 On average, 11 stakeholders are now involved in every buying decision. 💡 The takeaway? Buyers expect vendors to educate. You need to build trust with them, and they want you to simplify the decision-making process. 👉 Tip: The champion—the person who first engages with your website or takes the first call—is your entry point to the buying group. Convince them first. Then equip them with insights, tools, and the confidence they need to sell your solution internally. That’s how you reel in the big catch. Adapt or fade into irrelevance. The wisdom of an Irish fisherman is simple: success is about preparation and patience, not luck. The same holds true for B2B marketing in 2025. You can’t rely on outdated strategies or hope for buyers to find you—you need to know the waters you’re fishing in and adjust accordingly. Ready to navigate 2025? Let’s chart your course.

𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝘆 𝗶𝘀 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗶𝗰𝗲𝘀. What you do. What you don’t do. Who you target. Who you don’t target. How you position in the market against the competition. It always comes with risk. Customers make the decisions, not us. Jaguar has made a bold choice. They’ve now revealed the first of the cars they believe will take them into the future, targeting a new, younger audience. Jaguar’s DNA has always been about building cars that are not for everyone—cars that are distinct, unique, and unapologetically different. And with this reveal, they’ve stayed true to that DNA. It’s bold, but is it beautiful? That’s for the beholder to decide. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗶𝗴 𝗾𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗮𝗶𝗻: Will the production version (to be revealed in a year) inspire, or will it follow the pattern of many concepts-turned-production—uninspiring and boring? 🤔 Will enough customers be willing to pay? 🤷♂️ As I outlined in my article this past weekend, 𝗲𝘅𝗲𝗰𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝘀 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴. Let’s see where this bold move leads Jaguar. What do you think? Did they nail it, or does this feel like a miss?