The Dave Gerhardt Show (from Exit Five)

#374 | Most B2B marketers think brand means bigger budgets. This episode shows otherwise. Dave sits down with Ryan Narod, VP of Marketing at Rippling, to talk about what it actually takes to build a brand people recognize in B2B. Ryan walks through the real campaigns behind that shift - from scrappy iPhone videos and webinar promos to high-production customer films and their Super Bowl commercial. Ryan breaks down how he built a content flywheel, why injecting real humans into every piece of content matters, and how they measure brand impact without losing accountability to pipeline. It's a practical look at going from growth-only marketing to a brand with real personality, with examples you can steal no matter your budget.
Timestamps

(00:00) - - Today's guest: Ryan Narod, VP of Marketing at Rippling

(02:44) - - What Rippling actually does and why HR, finance, and IT live under one roof

(07:00) - - Why brand building starts with content and story, not billboards and TV ads

(09:00) - - Building a content flywheel out of interviews, written pieces, and video

(13:10) - - Getting the brand story straight across personas and the C-suite

(18:30) - - Marketing plays in action: from scrappy iPhone videos to big-budget customer films

(27:09) - - How to build a brand on a startup budget without Rippling's resources

(29:33) - - Comparing production value head to head: a big-budget campaign vs a lo-fi one

(32:29) - - How Rippling measures brand marketing with mixed media modeling and incrementally testing

(39:49) - - Inside the Super Bowl ad and the reverse timeline it took to pull off

Join 50,0000 people who get Dave's Newsletter here: https://www.exitfive.com/newsletter
Learn more about Exit Five's private marketing community: https://www.exitfive.com/

***

Brought to you by:
Webflow - A website platform built for the agentic web, helping modern marketing teams build fully custom sites—no developer needed—that perform in AI search. Learn more at webflow.com/for/exitfive.
Markup AI - A content quality platform that scans your content against brand voice, preferred terms, messaging standards, and AI-search readiness before it goes live, right inside Google Docs. Learn more at markup.ai.
Optimizely - A no-code AI platform where autonomous agents execute marketing work across webpages, email, SEO, and campaigns. Learn how to deploy agents on your marketing team at Agents in the Mix. Learn more at optimizely.com/exitfive.
Walker Sands - An integrated B2B marketing and growth services agency that helps marketing leaders turn strategy into measurable business impact through their Outcome-based Marketing model. Learn more at walkersands.com/exitfive.

Knak - A no-code, campaign creation platform that lets you go from idea to on-brand email and landing pages in minutes, using AI where it actually matters. Learn more at knak.com/exitfive, or check out the MCP server by clicking this link.

***

Thanks to my friends at hatch.fm for producing this episode and handling all of the Exit Five podcast production.

They give you unlimited podcast editing and strategy for your B2B podcast.
Get unlimited podcast editing and on-demand strategy for one low monthly cost. Just upload your episode, and they take care of the rest.

Visit hatch.fm to learn more

#373 | Dave sits down with Rebecca Busk, CEO and Partner at Kvalifik, to talk about what it actually takes to show up in AI search. Rebecca breaks down the three types of prompts you need to rank for - foundational, core, and must-win - and why most AEO content fails because it's too generic to ever get cited. They get into the technical side of AEO like crawlability and schema markup, why Reddit and community platforms carry more weight than LinkedIn in AI citations, and a ten-point checklist for content quality you can run against your own site today.
Check out Webflow's free AEO assessment here.
Timestamps

(00:00) - - Thank you to Webflow

(01:59) - - Why AI search is quietly rewriting how B2B buyers find vendors

(02:42) - - From agency employee to owner: buying an agency

(05:19) - - How to build marketing expertise without a marketing degree

(09:56) - - What AEO actually means, and a real example of how it narrows buying decisions

(13:38) - - Why you shouldn't write AEO content with AI

(17:04) - - Rethinking content strategy: what buyers actually ask before they buy

(22:05) - - Crawlability, schema markup, and a technical checklist for showing up in AI search

(31:12) - - Ten things to check for content quality right now

(38:18) - - What builds real authority in AI search, and whether PR still matters

#372 | Dave sits down with Jay Schwedelson, founder of subjectline.com and Guru Media Hub, one of the sharpest tactical minds in email, webinars, and live content. Jay explains why so many B2B marketers get live content wrong from the very first step, and how small shifts in packaging can completely change who shows up and who doesn't. They dig into the psychology behind when people actually open and engage with email, why shorter almost always wins, and the habits that quietly keep you out of the spam folder. Jay also shares the specific email and send-day habits he swears by, a few of his go-to tricks for getting people to actually reply, and how he thinks about testing your way to what works for your own audience.
Timestamps

(00:00) - – Why "webinar" might be costing you registrations

(01:12) - – Meet Jay Schwedelson and the virtual event he built to 30,000 people

(06:26) - – A simple trick to get more people to actually show up live

(08:44) - – Why giving everything away on-demand might be a mistake

(10:23) - – The case for live, human connection in an AI-saturated world

(13:00) - – The send times most B2B marketers are sleeping on

(15:18) - – How to package and name your content so people actually want it

(22:02) - – The newsletter habit that makes people stick around

(26:09) - – Small email tweaks that quietly boost open rates and deliverability

Join 50,0000 people who get Dave's Newsletter here: https://www.exitfive.com/newsletter
Learn more about Exit Five's private marketing community: https://www.exitfive.com/

***

Brought to you by:
Webflow - A website platform built for the agentic web, helping modern marketing teams build fully custom sites—no developer needed—that perform in AI search. Learn more at webflow.com/for/exitfive.
Markup AI - A content quality platform that scans your content against brand voice, preferred terms, messaging standards, and AI-search readiness before it goes live, right inside Google Docs. Learn more at markup.ai.
Optimizely - A no-code AI platform where autonomous agents execute marketing work across webpages, email, SEO, and campaigns. Learn how to deploy agents on your marketing team at Agents in the Mix. Learn more at optimizely.com/exitfive.
Walker Sands - An integrated B2B marketing and growth services agency that helps marketing leaders turn strategy into measurable business impact through their Outcome-based Marketing model. Learn more at walkersands.com/exitfive.

Knak - A no-code, campaign creation platform that lets you go from idea to on-brand email and landing pages in minutes, using AI where it actually matters. Learn more at knak.com/exitfive, or check out the MCP server by clicking this link.

***

Thanks to my friends at hatch.fm for producing this episode and handling all of the Exit Five podcast production.

They give you unlimited podcast editing and strategy for your B2B podcast.
Get unlimited podcast editing and on-demand strategy for one low monthly cost. Just upload your episode, and they take care of the rest.

Visit hatch.fm to learn more

#371 | Most B2B companies gate everything and hide their pricing. Funnel Leasing does neither, and grew from $3 million to $50 million in revenue anyway. Dave sits down with Alex Howe, SVP of Marketing and Growth at Funnel Leasing, to talk about how he built that growth engine with no marketing background, no paid ads, and no sales team pressure. They get into why his whole philosophy is built around being different rather than better, why ungating everything (including pricing) builds more trust than gating ever could, and how to prove marketing is working without hard metrics like a two-week sales cycle. Plus: how a background in political PR shaped his approach to getting attention, the event marketing stunts that actually got prospects talking, and why messaging should keep evolving without ever losing its core story.
Timestamps

(00:00) - - Introduction

(05:32) - - Be Different, Not Just Better

(09:13) - - Why You Should Ungate Everything, Including Pricing

(13:34) - - How to Prove Marketing Is Working Without Hard Metrics

(18:38) - - A Great Product Makes Marketing Easier

(24:54) - - Build a Point of View by Staying Close to Your Customers

(27:10) - - Creative Event Marketing Beats a Boring Booth

(31:00) - - What a PR Background Teaches You About Getting Attention

(35:59) - - Hire Specialists and Give Them Ownership

(39:00) - - Why Differentiation Matters More Than Ever in the AI Era

Join 50,0000 people who get Dave's Newsletter here: https://www.exitfive.com/newsletter
Learn more about Exit Five's private marketing community: https://www.exitfive.com/

***

Brought to you by:
Webflow - A website platform built for the agentic web, helping modern marketing teams build fully custom sites—no developer needed—that perform in AI search. Learn more at webflow.com/for/exitfive.
Markup AI - A content quality platform that scans your content against brand voice, preferred terms, messaging standards, and AI-search readiness before it goes live, right inside Google Docs. Learn more at markup.ai.
Optimizely - A no-code AI platform where autonomous agents execute marketing work across webpages, email, SEO, and campaigns. Learn how to deploy agents on your marketing team at Agents in the Mix. Learn more at optimizely.com/exitfive.
Walker Sands - An integrated B2B marketing and growth services agency that helps marketing leaders turn strategy into measurable business impact through their Outcome-based Marketing model. Learn more at walkersands.com/exitfive.

Knak - A no-code, campaign creation platform that lets you go from idea to on-brand email and landing pages in minutes, using AI where it actually matters. Learn more at knak.com/exitfive, or check out the MCP server by clicking this link.

***

Thanks to my friends at hatch.fm for producing this episode and handling all of the Exit Five podcast production.

They give you unlimited podcast editing and strategy for your B2B podcast.
Get unlimited podcast editing and on-demand strategy for one low monthly cost. Just upload your episode, and they take care of the rest.

Visit hatch.fm to learn more

#370 | Most B2B marketers have no idea you can run TV ads for $50 a day. Dave sits down with TV advertising veteran Amit Sharan, SVP of Marketing at Tatari, to talk about this, and how to think about CTV as a B2B channel. They get into the difference between linear and streaming, why programmatic buying only reaches 15% of total TV inventory, and the case for retargeting your website visitors on TV instead of just running more ads on LinkedIn. They also get into what makes TV creative actually work, where AI fits into that process, how to measure performance without relying on last-click, and why it's worth testing a channel you've never touched before.
Timestamps

(00:00) - - Why B2B marketers are sleeping on TV ads

(01:17) - - Getting into ad tech: video advertising, Facebook, and a $450M acquisition

(07:03) - - How to cold-apply your way into a company you want to join

(09:05) - - What scale looks like for a modern TV ad platform

(11:02) - - The three buckets of marketing: demand gen, product, and corporate

(13:59) - - How to actually measure whether your brand is working

(16:12) - - Why marketers respect good marketing more than any celebrity spokesperson

(20:04) - - CTV 101: linear vs streaming, and why programmatic only touches 15% of inventory

(25:03) - - The $50-a-day move: retargeting website visitors on CTV

(28:07) - - What actually makes TV creative work

(33:42) - - Should you use AI-generated video for your ads?

(37:21) - - Measuring TV without relying on last-click

(38:19) - - Testing new channels: the case for trying something you've never done

Join 50,0000 people who get Dave's Newsletter here: https://www.exitfive.com/newsletter
Learn more about Exit Five's private marketing community: https://www.exitfive.com/

***

Brought to you by:
Webflow - A website platform built for the agentic web, helping modern marketing teams build fully custom sites—no developer needed—that perform in AI search. Learn more at webflow.com/for/exitfive.
Markup AI - A content quality platform that scans your content against brand voice, preferred terms, messaging standards, and AI-search readiness before it goes live, right inside Google Docs. Learn more at markup.ai.
Optimizely - A no-code AI platform where autonomous agents execute marketing work across webpages, email, SEO, and campaigns. Learn how to deploy agents on your marketing team at Agents in the Mix. Learn more at optimizely.com/exitfive.
Walker Sands - An integrated B2B marketing and growth services agency that helps marketing leaders turn strategy into measurable business impact through their Outcome-based Marketing model. Learn more at walkersands.com/exitfive.

Knak - A no-code, campaign creation platform that lets you go from idea to on-brand email and landing pages in minutes, using AI where it actually matters. Learn more at knak.com/exitfive, or check out the MCP server by clicking this link.

***

Thanks to my friends at hatch.fm for producing this episode and handling all of the Exit Five podcast production.

They give you unlimited podcast editing and strategy for your B2B podcast.
Get unlimited podcast editing and on-demand strategy for one low monthly cost. Just upload your episode, and they take care of the rest.

Visit hatch.fm to learn more