90 Seconds with Sapna Kandukuri, Senior ABM Strategy Manager at LSEG (London Stock Exchange Group)

Tell us about your role at LSEG (London Stock Exchange Group).

I am an Account-based Marketing (ABM) strategist at LSEG. My role involves developing and delivering an ABM marketing strategy for select large corporate prospects and clients. It covers all areas of marketing, from developing the ICP (Ideal Customer Profile) to mapping client journeys, monitoring engagement and intent, digital marketing and developing a content strategy to support the needs/ Mission Critical Objectives (MCOs) of our clients.

How did your business adapt and evolve in light of the pandemic and in this new normal world?

On the infrastructure side, LSEG enabled all employees to work from home by providing relevant set-ups and laptops. A lot of emphasis was placed on employees’ mental health, with dedicated helplines etc. Also, all colleagues were encouraged to work from home during the lockdown and regular meetings were placed in the diary to check-in.

What top tips would you give to fellow B2B marketers?

Marketing has changed over the years and will continue to evolve as technology advances. My top tips in order for B2B marketing to succeed are:

• Be passionate about the customer and always focus on adding value to the customer journey /easing pain points for them. Remember, it’s not about you/your company, it’s about the client.

• Keep your mind open to what the job involves and be ready to learn.

• Keep a keen eye out for trends and developments in marketing – latest Martech tools etc.

• Keep upskilling on your own – learn about unique uses of data, AI, and metaverse (you never know when your industry will get sucked into this).

• Be passionate about data and analysis, it’s the new oil/gold – whatever you may choose to call it!

• Be passionate about measurements – every initiative implemented in marketing needs to demonstrate measurement/added value in order for you to get a seat at the table.

What future digital marketing and media opportunities do you think marketers can leverage over the next year to drive business growth?

I think it’s important to focus on the customer, irrespective of whether it’s in the present or future. B2B marketers need to be present where their customers are, which defines the channels the campaign should be exposed to.

Specifically for B2B marketing, Account-based marketing is fast gaining importance. It’s a platform where you identify key accounts you would like to focus on. This includes the buyer groups (as there is no single buyer in a business), identifying the ICP and monitoring intent. Based on market research, customer surveys and competitor research, you develop messaging and various types of content for your buyer group to address their pain points. You then present them with the right content at the right time and at the right place. You work closely with sales demonstrating engagement of MQLs, passing them on for a conversation, hugely enhancing the probability of conversion. 

What are the top 5 Fintech Marketing trends to watch out for in 2022?

• Hyper-personalisation via big data and AI.

• De fi or decentralised finance – an emerging financial technology based on secure distributed ledgers similar to those used by cryptocurrencies.

• Account-based marketing platforms.

• Industry consolidation as inflation bites, funding dries up and smaller players find it hard to carry on.

• The era of super apps with all services for businesses as part of a single app.

Sapna Kandukuri, Senior ABM Strategy Manager

at

LSEG (London Stock Exchange Group) – www.lseg.com