The launch of our FINITE Ambassadors marks a celebration of the FINITE community member-wide. In championing our talented cohort of experienced B2B tech and SaaS marketing leaders, we can offer more support, value and opportunities to the community.
That’s why we want to introduce you to Siddharth Asokan, CMO at Softwire and expert in B2B tech and SaaS branding. Siddharth has been an active FINITE member and speaker, appearing at FINITE Fest 2022 at our panel session on ‘Breaking through the boring of B2B tech branding.’
To learn more about Siddharth, his background in B2B tech marketing and his opinions on branding, keep scrolling for a short interview.
Hey Siddharth, we’re so happy to have you as a FINITE Ambassador! Our community would love to get to know you a bit better. Could you please share your background in marketing and your current role?
I’ve spent the past 15 years working at various tech consulting firms in a variety of commercial roles across sales/research/strategy. I fell into marketing accidentally and was never really something I had thought about until I landed my first proper marketing gig in 2014.
Since then I’ve gone on to build and lead B2B tech marketing teams across the globe. I’ve worked in India, Singapore, Finland and the UK.
I’m currently CMO at a technology consultancy in London called Softwire where I’m responsible for marketing overall. I lead a small team that spans brand, demand gen, content and operations.
So many B2B tech marketers fall into it, and then in love with it! What’s your favourite area of B2B tech marketing currently and why?
I’d probably say “Brand” is a very interesting area for me right now. I think the brand vs performance marketing narrative is totally unnecessary and leading a lot of marketers and companies down the wrong path. I’m really focussed on thinking about this much more holistically for my company right now. Within brand, I’m very interested in “Employer Brand” right now given the talent crunch in the tech industry.
The tech talent crunch is a frequent point of conversation within FINITE for sure! Branding is a great way to combat this and we can’t wait to hear more details. What are the most common challenges you see B2B tech marketers facing in this area at the moment?
The biggest challenge is to help people understand what brand actually means and how it can impact your company’s performance. There is no straight forward answer to this question. Brands don’t get created overnight – it takes time and patience but we all want results instantly and that, to me, is the fundamental disconnect.
It’s about playing the long game… Where do you see B2B tech brand marketing headed next?
I think we’re just starting to see the possibilities within B2B tech branding. I expect to see brands leverage emerging tech such as VR/AR/AI in their own marketing efforts and become more creative in telling their unique stories to help drive demand and customer acquisition.
As more people realise the importance of long term brand building and the impact it can have on the business, we will see a renewed focus in this area. The next few years are going to be very exciting for anyone working in this space.
Exciting is an understatement! And quickly, what’s your favourite tool at the moment?
I’m on a bit of a “tool detox” at the moment. I’ve sat through too many pitches from different vendors in the past few months. My evergreen favourite is HubSpot though.
Fair enough! Maybe we can talk about that soon too. Finally, tell us a fun fact about you…
Not sure this is a fun fact but it’s the only one I’ve got 🙂
I have an undergrad degree in Marine Engineering and I sailed in the merchant navy for about a year. I didn’t see land for almost 3 months when I was on a gas carrier.
