Kelly Hopping didn’t plan on a career in marketing. An unexpected reorg shifted her from product development into product marketing, and that twist set her on a path from B2C to leading B2B marketing at some of the world’s top tech companies.

In this episode of B2B Marketing Unlocked, Kelly joins host Jony Mansilla to share how she became CMO at Demandbase, how her team drives 90-95% of company wide pipeline, and why events, authentic customer stories, and “performance branding” are at the heart of their strategy. She also breaks down what’s working now for enterprise pipeline, how they’re integrating AI into their workflows, and the career lessons she wishes more marketers learned earlier.

What You’ll Learn:

• How Kelly moved from engineering into a CMO role

• How Demandbase structures marketing and SDRs to drive pipeline

• What’s working now for brand awareness and enterprise demand

• How Kelly balances brand-building with performance marketing

• How Demandbase uses AI to improve efficiency and SDR productivity

Kelly Hopping is the Chief Marketing Officer at Demandbase, where she leads the company’s brand, product marketing, growth programs, and sales development team. Her team drives most of Demandbase’s pipeline by combining account based strategy, smart use of AI, and tight sales-marketing alignment. Kelly brings experience across both B2C and B2B tech, with a focus on clear storytelling, practical demand generation, and developing strong marketing leaders.

This podcast is brought to you by Jony Studios, where we help B2B brands turn conversations into content systems that build trust, generate pipeline, and attract ideal customers. Learn more at jonystudios.com.

Highlights:

• [00:00] Introduction

• [01:01] Kelly’s journey into B2B marketing

• [02:59] Inside the Demandbase marketing team

• [04:54] Target customers and decision-makers

• [06:43] Authentic customer-led conversations

• [08:52] Driving 90–95% of pipeline

• [10:35] Events and webinars that perform

• [12:46] Tracking event impact and data

• [16:50] Balancing brand and performance

• [18:49] Tools and workflows Demandbase relies on

• [21:38] Integrating AI into marketing and sales

• [24:56] Recent campaigns and ABM ecosystem plays

• [27:34] Challenges in today’s marketing landscape

• [30:52] Lessons from experiments and flagship events

• [33:40] Career advice for future marketing leaders

Episode Resources:

• Kelly Hopping on LinkedIn

• Demandbase Website

• Courageous Marketing (book by Udi Ledergor)

• Jony Mansilla on LinkedIn

• Jony Studios Website

Got a question, idea, or marketing challenge you want unlocked on the show? Leave us a voice message at B2B Marketing Unlocked.

We’d love your feedback. Take our 30-second listener questionnaire:

https://forms.gle/j4jKQwkuBzgatLQz5

Your input helps shape future episodes and keeps the show focused on...

Leticia Rodriguez started her career in import-export nearly 19 years ago, never expecting that hands-on work in transportation and supply chain would later strengthen her approach to marketing. Her operations background became a real advantage, helping her communicate value in a crowded logistics market.

In this episode of B2B Marketing Unlocked, Leticia joins host Jony Mansilla to share how she moved from operations into marketing, built a lean team at The ILS Company, and shifted the company’s message from basic shipping to full supply-chain solutions. She also breaks down what’s working today, how her team supports sales on LinkedIn, and why listening to prospects matters more than ever.

What You’ll Learn:

• How operational experience can give marketers an edge

• Why ILS shifted from transactional shipping to full supply chain value

• What is working now for brand awareness and qualified pipeline

• How her team empowers sales on LinkedIn with content

• The importance of listening to prospects in real time to shape messaging

Leticia Rodriguez is the Director of Marketing at The ILS Company, where she leads a lean team focused on brand awareness, lead generation, and sales support. With 19 years of experience in logistics and operations, she understands the full customer journey and knows how to communicate real pain points. Her background helps her position ILS’s supply-chain solutions across warehousing, transportation, VMI, and cross-border operations.

This podcast is brought to you by Jony Studios, where we help B2B brands turn conversations into content systems that build trust, generate pipeline, and attract ideal customers. Learn more at jonystudios.com.

Highlights:

• [00:00] Introduction

• [01:02] Leticia’s career journey

• [03:01] Inside the ILS marketing team

• [04:03] Target customers and value messaging

• [05:40] Communicating full supply chain solutions

• [08:40] What is driving brand awareness today

• [10:43] Supporting sales with LinkedIn content

• [12:41] Tools and workflows the team relies on

• [13:34] Market challenges in logistics

• [15:05] Creative campaign that surprised the team

• [16:36] Quick-fire insights

• [19:14] Securing cross-team buy-in

• [21:56] The importance of continuous learning

• [22:58] Closing thoughts

Episode Resources:

• Leticia Rodriguez on LinkedIn

• The ILS Company Website

• Jony Mansilla on LinkedIn

• Jony Studios Website

Got a question, idea, or marketing challenge you want unlocked on the show? Leave us a voice message at B2B Marketing Unlocked

We’d love your feedback. Take our 30-second listener questionnaire:

https://forms.gle/j4jKQwkuBzgatLQz5

Your input helps shape future episodes and keeps the show focused on the marketing topics you care about most.

Welcome to B2B Marketing Unlocked, the podcast that helps CEOs, business leaders, and marketing executives unlock brand growth.

In each episode, I bring on industry experts to share their journeys, lessons learned, and the marketing secrets that drive results, while also sharing my own strategies along the way.

I’m your host, Jony Mansilla, founder of Jony Studios, where we help businesses create profitable podcasts and content that drive growth.

If you're ready to level up your marketing and grow your brand, hit subscribe. B2B Marketing Unlocked starts now.