Marketing leader shares experiences navigating tech

Isovalent’s Sejal Korenromp offers insight on how she’s managing new technologies in her marketing strategy

Q: What inspired you to pursue a career in marketing, particularly in the tech industry?

Sejal: My first stepping stone into my career after university started on the B2B agency side, and almost all of the clients I supported were in the technology industry. What continued to excite and intrigue me, specifically in this industry, was not only the dynamic and innovative nature of the business, but also the beauty of how to unpack the complexity of the product proposition and how this could be tweaked and tailored to the audience.

While less apparent when I was agency side, but became quite obvious when I worked client side was how quickly marketing could have an impact (when we did it right of course) and how this could convert to measurable results. Of course, this meant what we were working on needed to be tested, iterated and tracked effectively but as long as the strategy was well defined and aligned to clear goals, the results were visible and that’s very rewarding.

Sejal Korenromp

Q: As a leader in the marketing field, what are the values and principles that guide your decision-making and approach to your work?

Sejal: M decision-making process and approach to my work have largely been centered around the team I build and the greater (leadership) team that I am a part of.

I aspire to offer a great deal of autonomy, trust and transparency. I take on the responsibility of offering a safe space for experimentation by pushing hard to encourage the team to use new concepts and try out new ideas and program types. It’s often about starting small, starting in one region or for one particular campaign type and then ensuring we measure impact, ensure it aligns with what we wanted to achieve and continue to evolve and iterate. If it works, it’s all about doubling down fast and making it scale. I always say it’s my responsibility to take away the obstacles for my team to be successful, so much so that I have been referred to as their “snow plow,” someone who clears the path forward for them to get on the road and get the job done. Resilience comes into this, too. There are always going to be challenges that we need to overcome and building a resilient team and ensuring that we talk about this openly, offering support, empathy and an environment in which we can learn and support each other is crucial.

“I take on the responsibility of offering a safe space for experimentation by pushing hard to encourage the team to use new concepts and try out new ideas and program types.”

Q: The tech industry is known for its unique challenges when it comes to marketing. Could you share some of your personal experiences and insights on how you've tackled these hurdles?

Sejal: A large part of my marketing career most recently has been in the open source space and this comes with its own set of opportunities and challenges. The first and very obvious one is balancing the community and commercial interests in open source. It’s been my experience that first and foremost it’s important to respect the community that adopts the open source project. Any perceived neglect of the open source community can lead to resentment and a loss of trust and thereby negatively impact any potential future opportunities. Another important consideration is the user (in open course terms) or buyer journey, especially in the bottom-up go-to-market strategy. It’s crucial that when thinking about marketing programs there is a focus on what’s in it for the user and what value they get with engaging with your product. This is not only a focus on understanding your target audience and their needs, but real value comes when you invest in user education, learning, nurturing and supporting them to ensure a positive user experience. This is what will later drive conversion to the pipeline.

Q: Keeping up with the ever-evolving marketing trends and tech advancements can be a constant endeavor. How do you manage to stay in the loop and ensure your strategies stay on the cutting edge?

Sejal: Encourage experimentation. This allows you to gain practical experience and insights that can inform your strategy. This goes hand in hand with using data and analytics tools to track and measure the success of your marketing efforts. I try to stay agile and adaptable, which means it’s easier to embrace change and adapt my strategies as new trends and technologies emerge. It may sound obvious, but to me, it's crucial to network with my peers, attend the occasional industry event, join relevant groups on professional platforms and participate in networking events. This collaboration often leads to shared insights and knowledge, but it’s also a great source of both reassurance and inspiration.

“It may sound obvious, but to me, it’s crucial to network with my peers, attend the occasional industry event, join relevant groups on professional platforms, and participate in networking events. ”

Q: Can you share your perspective on the future of marketing in the tech industry? What trends do you anticipate will shape the field in the coming years?

Sejal: The obvious one is AI. I recently went to a networking breakfast where we discussed AI-driven marketing automation. This will continue to play a significant role in how we think about personalizing content, predicting user behavior and optimizing campaigns. How and when you adopt this will be key, and tracking the impact will also be key. I also think tech companies and specifically marketing teams will focus even more on providing exceptional user/customer experiences, from onboarding to ongoing support. A great user-to-customer experience can be a key differentiating factor in a competitive market and can also have a significant positive impact on adoption, expansion and renewals. Marketing plays a key role here as it goes hand in hand with creating valuable, insightful content and establishing thought leadership which will be crucial. What I can also see evolving is marketing teams partnering with influencers and industry subject matter experts to reach niche audiences. These influencers can and are providing authentic endorsements and reviews of tech products and services.

Q: Are there any books, mentors or resources that have had a significant impact on your career?

Sejal: By far, mentorship and coaching from experienced professionals in the field has had the most significant impact on my learning and career development. Of course, the odd podcast (my fave is Simon Sinek) book (fave is The Culture Map) and LinkedIn have all been key influencers on the way, too!

* Sejal works at Isovalent, which is a Story Changes Culture Consulting client.