When pipeline dries up, many founders and marketing leaders assume they have a marketing problem. In reality, most have an understanding problem.
“It’s not about you. It’s not about your product. It’s about your users.” – Eric Bogard
The Hub and Spoke of Real Marketing
Bogard, a longtime VP of Marketing and Fractional Marketing Leader for B2B SaaS brands, sees marketing as a hub and spoke system.
At the center is deep, empathetic knowledge of your ideal customer profile (ICP).
Every spoke, demand gen, content, brand, field events, product positioning, must connect back to that hub.
Without that foundation, all the clever campaigns in the world amount to “diminished returns.”
Quick Wins ≠ Skipping the Foundation
Pressure from the board to “show growth this quarter” often pushes teams to skip discovery work. Bogard’s approach is to launch a low risk, low investment campaign while still focusing on the big picture.
For example, launching an intent-based Google Search campaigns to buy time and generate early wins.
Use those weeks to invest in ICP research, talk to customers, survey users, analyze website behavior, attend events, and layer insights from multiple channels.
The goal isn’t one perfect dataset; it’s a 360° picture of what your market feels, values, and needs.
AI as an Accelerator, Not a Replacement
Yes, AI is the marketing story of the decade, but Bogard warns against confusing efficiency with empathy.
“AI is an amplifier, not a replacement. You still need the basics.”
Think of it like a calculator: it’s only powerful if you already understand arithmetic.
Marketers who win will use AI to enhance creativity, insight, and personalization, not outsource their judgment.
Product Marketing: The Missing Bridge
One of the most common structural mistakes in growing B2B teams is treating product marketing as optional.
“Feature I-itis is real,” says Bogard. “Nobody really cares about your features, they care about how those features solve their problem.”
Product marketers are the translators between engineering, product and the market.
They transform functionality into value and ensure every launch aligns with audience motivations.
For VPs of Marketing, Bogard argues this should be one of your earliest strategic hires.
Building an Advisory Board That Works
Another underused lever is a customer advisory board. When built intentionally, with clear goals, cross-functional participation, and consistent engagement, it becomes a standing focus group that grounds your strategy in real buyer feedback.
The key is to nurture it like any B2B program: regular cadence, defined agendas, and follow-through.
The Return to Empathy
In an age of dashboards and automation, Bogard sees the next evolution of marketing as a return to empathy and fundamentals.
Data and empathy aren’t opposites, they’re partners. The strongest brands will master both.
Lessons from the Road
Outside of marketing, Bogard’s global travel has reinforced the same principle: get out of your comfort zone.
Experiencing other cultures forces you to see the world, and your customers, through new eyes.
“Marketing,” he says, “is a people endeavor, not a product endeavor.”
Key Takeaways for Marketing Leaders
Diagnose the real problem. Before fixing pipeline, fix understanding.
Anchor everything to the ICP. Treat customer knowledge as the marketing hub.
Use AI wisely. Let it accelerate insight and execution, not replace empathy.
Invest early in product marketing. It’s the bridge from features to value.
Institutionalize feedback. Advisory boards keep strategy customer-centric.
Make space to think. The best insights come when you step away from the firehose.
Final Word
The playbook for modern marketing isn’t fully written yet.
And as Bogard reminds us, “When considering what has been written, the ink is still wet.”
That’s the opportunity, to write it together, grounded not in noise, but in understanding.
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