Q&A with Jay Gaines, CMO at Forrester

Q&A with Jay Gaines
Jay Gaines, CMO at Forrester has over 20 years of experience in organizational design and leadership, marketing strategy and planning, marketing budget and operations management, demand creation, sales and marketing alignment, and digital strategy in a variety of b-to-b industries.   

In this Q&A, Jay shares insightful thoughts about the audience-centric approach at SiriusDecisions and what marketing means to him.

MEDIA 7: How old were you when you had your first paying job?
JAY GAINES:
 I was 10 years old! I delivered newspapers in my neighborhood on my bike five days a week after school.

M7: You have been recognized as one of the top 10 CMOs in 2019 by The Silicon Review. What skills have enabled you to become a marketing industry leader?
JG:
In my time at SiriusDecisions, I’ve had the good fortune to work closely with many amazing CMOs. That work provided me great insight into what makes for a highly effective and successful marketing leader. There are three primary skills that I think have helped me the most; first, to be a business leader and then a marketing leader. This means focusing on, being accountable for, and consistently reporting on marketing’s contribution to the same business goals that the CEO, CFO, board of directors and head of sales care about most. It also means always speaking the language of business, and avoiding marketing jargon when communicating with my colleagues outside of marketing. Second, is just being a good leader for my team by providing structure and clear goals, defending their focus, and promoting a culture of experimentation and rigor. Third, is constantly staying curious. Marketing is evolving so rapidly in terms of strategies, approaches, technologies, and measurement that part of any leader's job must be keeping up what’s new without chasing every new shiny object.

"Marketing is evolving so rapidly in terms of strategies, approaches, technologies and measurement that part of any leader's job must be keeping up what’s new without chasing every new shiny object."



M7: How impactful are the leadership summits from a marketing outreach perspective, and how significantly have they enabled SiriusDecisions to push towards the forefront as an industry leader?
JG:
Our summits are a key driver of growth for us. We put a huge amount of effort into them and they have become a primary brand experience for our customers and other audiences. We attract thousands of B2B marketing, sales and product leaders to these events and use them to release our latest research, data and insights. Especially as SiriusDecisions has expanded into new geographies (Europe and Asia) and new verticals (healthcare, financial services, etc.) our events have enabled us to quickly establish presence, acquire audiences and build positive perception.

M7: You have been leading marketing initiatives for SiriusDecisions across various geographies including North America, EMEA and APAC. In your experience, how does the approach to marketing strategy vary based on different regions?
JG:
At SiriusDecisions we take a very audience-centric approach in how we go to market through the use of audience frameworks and personas. We typically create personas centrally and then adapt them for geos and vertical industries. Most of the important differences we see are in persona preferences, in how they want to be contacted and engaged, how they consume information, and what their trusted sources of information are. So, while our campaign and program themes remain largely consistent globally the assets, tactics, and channels we utilize vary widely across geographies. For example, in Asia we’ve had great success and lean more heavily on mobile-specific strategies as well as a higher volume of smaller local events.


"Most of the important differences we see are in persona preferences, in how they want to be contacted and engaged, how they consume information, and what their trusted sources of information are."


M7: From a little cottage in Southport, Connecticut to a global leader in B2B marketing solutions, what has been the main force behind the overwhelming success of SiriusDecisions?
JG: 
By far the main driving force for SiriusDecisions has been our relationships with our clients and our commitment to their success. We have a deep culture of customer-centricity and helpfulness that permeates everything we do. For example, every piece of research we produce must pass the test of being supported by data and evidence, and also must include details about how to actually do whatever it is we’re recommending. Unlike many other firms similar to us, we also consider our work with clients to be collaborative. All of our research is based on our work with our clients and our ability to observe and measure what actually works and what doesn’t. This means we learn as much from them as they do from us and their success is our success.


"All of our research is based on our work with our clients and our ability to observe and measure what actually works and what doesn’t."

M7: What is Marketing to you?
JG:
To me marketing is the art and science of engaging target audiences through the delivery of value in order to achieve specific business outcomes. Value can be delivered in any number of ways including information, entertainment and purpose, and business outcomes can span everything from customer acquisition to retention to advocacy.

ABOUT SIRIUSDECISIONS

SiriusDecisions® is the leading global b-to-b research and advisory firm. We deliver actionable intelligence, strategic and operational frameworks, and personal guidance from experienced practitioners.

Sales, marketing and product executives rely on SiriusDecisions® to contextualize problems and bring to light opportunities to drive sustainable growth. Our holistic solutions are founded on proprietary research, a deep understanding of b-to-b complexities, and the tenet that organizational alignment brings better outcomes.

SiriusDecisions was acquired by Forrester (NASD: FORR) in January of 2019.

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Virica Biotech | January 17, 2024

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Biocytogen Enters into Bispecific Antibody Drug Conjugate Agreement with Radiance Biopharma

Biocytogen | January 15, 2024

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Andelyn Biosciences and Armatus Bio Partner to Manufacture Suspension-Based AAV Gene Therapy for Rare Neurological Disease

Andelyn Biosciences, Inc. | January 16, 2024

Andelyn Biosciences, Inc., a pioneering and patient-focused cell and gene therapy Contract Development and Manufacturing Organization (CDMO), has partnered with Armatus Bio to accelerate manufacturing of their gene therapy treatment for Charcot-Marie-Tooth Type 1A (CMT1A), a rare genetic neurological disease associated with independence-limiting disability and risk of fatal complications that has no approved therapies today. The partnership will seek to maximize program efficiency and speed to clinical studies of this novel, precision approach. As part of the agreement, Armatus will leverage Andelyn's extensive experience in adeno-associated virus (AAV) production and its proprietary suspension platform for development activities, plasmid manufacturing, and viral vector toxicology and GMP clinical manufacturing. The partnership strengthens the working relationship and offers great hope for patients suffering from neuromuscular disease. Both organizations, located in the well-established and growing biotech hub of Columbus, Ohio, are aligned in their belief that the rise of gene therapies will continue to advance human health. Matt Niloff, Chief Commercial Officer at Andelyn Biosciences said, "We are extremely moved by Armatus Bio's commitment to address the urgent unmet needs in CMT1A and are impressed by its innovative therapeutic technology for the disease. We look forward to scaling up the process in our program-specific, configurable suspension platform, and accelerating the therapy into the clinic with the highest degree of quality." "Andelyn has demonstrated its strong capabilities in manufacturing complex genetic medicines with high quality and consistency, which will be critical to accelerating our development efforts," said Brian Price, PhD, Chief Technical Officer of Armatus. "We look forward to collaborating with Andelyn on this program as we work toward supporting this population that urgently awaits innovative solutions." From its time-tested experience, Andelyn is proud to offer its clients exceptional development, plasmid production, and quality manufacturing at its three Columbus, Ohio facilities. Andelyn is advancing client discoveries and manufacturing life-altering cell and gene therapies for rare and prevalent diseases. About Andelyn Biosciences, Inc. Andelyn Biosciences is a full-service cell and gene therapy CDMO focused on the development, characterization and production of viral vectors for gene therapy. With more than 20 years of experience, Andelyn's deep scientific expertise has resulted in the production of cGMP material for more than 450 clinical batches and 75 global clinical trials. Operating out of three Columbus, Ohio facilities, Andelyn supports its clients in developing curative cell and gene therapies from concept through plasmid development and manufacturing, process development, and cGMP clinical and commercial manufacturing. Andelyn's versatile capabilities include cGMP manufacturing capacity for both adherent and suspension processes up to a 2,000-liter capacity. An advanced digital model, quality system, full regulatory support and supply chain vertical integration help Andelyn accelerate the development and manufacturing of its clients' innovative cell and gene therapies. About Armatus Bio Armatus Bio is a privately held late preclinical stage biotechnology innovator leveraging vectorized RNAi to address urgent unmet medical needs in genetically-driven neurological diseases. Based in Columbus, Ohio, the company is led by a seasoned team with expertise in drug development and delivery, and partnered with world renowned experts in vector biology, genomics, and neurology. The company's lead candidate for Charcot Marie Tooth Type 1A (CMT1A) has received Orphan Drug Designation and Rare Pediatric Drug Designation, and is advancing toward IND-enabling studies. The company is also developing a preclinical vectorized RNAi asset for the rare neuromuscular disease Facioscapulohumeral Muscular Dystrophy (FSHD).

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