From Leading Marketplace to Leading Startup Ecosystem: Judson's Insights and Learnings as a Marketing Leader

Welcome back to the Maven Club interview series, where we bring you invaluable insights from top founders and GTM leaders to help you excel in your roles. In today’s feature, we had the pleasure of speaking with Judson, a visionary marketer with experience at BLOCK71, foodpanda, and FairPrice Group. He shared his insights on brand building, trust, and the importance of staying connected with pop culture in his current role within a startup ecosystem. Here are the key insights from our conversation:

Who is Judson?

Judson is an experienced marketer with over a decade in B2C marketing, now transitioning into B2B as the Group Head of Marketing at BLOCK71. Known for his leadership roles at foodpanda and FairPrice Group, he plays a pivotal part in one of Asia's largest startup ecosystems, under the National University of Singapore.

What does BLOCK71 do?

BLOCK71 is one of Asia's leading startup ecosystems. An initiative under National University of Singapore, BLOCK71 matches startups with investors and corporate partners, as well as help founders expand their entrepreneurship knowledge via signature programmes.

Initial Challenges He Faced as Head of Marketing at foodpanda

"The challenge was not just to maintain demand but to innovate in a landscape where consumer preferences were rapidly changing."

When Judson took on the role of Head of Marketing at foodpanda, he encountered several challenges in the dynamic B2C landscape:

• Post-Pandemic Shift: After the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a noticeable drop in online orders as consumers returned to in-person shopping. This shift required immediate attention to maintain demand.

• Adjustment to Fast-Paced Environment: Transitioning from a public organization to a tech-driven private company necessitated a quick adaptation to the accelerated pace of marketing operations.

• Creative Demand Stimulation: Judson needed to devise creative strategies to stimulate demand for online groceries and food delivery, requiring out-of-the-box thinking.

How to Do Experimentation in Marketing

“"Establishing a culture of experimentation was crucial; it allowed us to identify untapped market opportunities and drive growth.”

Experimentation in marketing is a structured approach that helped Judson to overcome initial challenges. Here are key steps to effectively implement experimentation:

• Identify Unique Opportunities: Begin by exploring what has not been done before.

  • Example: Each year as Singapore celebrates her National Day, the government would give out goodie bags to celebration events attendees. These goodie bags were nicely designed and are often a staple in local pop culture and news coverage. Judson noticed that private companies have not produced such goodie bags on a large scale and saw a marketing white space to insert foodpanda into the national conversation with its own goodie bag and gain public attention towards the brand.

• Establish Measurable Metrics: Define metrics that can gauge success based on different stages. Instead of solely relying on revenue metrics like GMV (Gross Merchandise Value), consider other indicators such as new user growth or customer retention rates. This flexibility in metrics selection ensures that the team defines success more broadly and gives room for iteration as experimentation progresses.

• Create a Controlled Environment: Conduct experiments on a small scale to minimize risks.

  • Example: when testing a grocery subscription model at FairPrice, Judson targeted a specific segment with a controlled rollout. This approach allows for adjustments based on initial feedback without significant losses.

• Learn from Outcomes: Treat both successes and failures as valuable learning opportunities. If an experiment does not yield the expected results, analyze why it failed. 

  • For example, the grocery subscription experiment failed due to the target segment's unfamiliarity with online sign-ups, highlighting the need for offline options.

• Iterate and Scale: Successful experiments can be refined and scaled.

  • Example: The positive feedback from the National Day goodie bag led to its return in subsequent years, showcasing the importance of building on successful initiatives.

How Do You Decide If You Need to Do Paid Growth

"Deciding on paid growth hinges on understanding your audience's readiness and timing it to enhance brand development and promotional efforts."

Deciding whether to pursue paid growth involves careful analysis and understanding of your market dynamics. Here are key considerations:

• Understand Your Audience: Recognize that not all potential customers are in the market at the same time. For instance, in B2B, only about 5% of your target audience may actively seek your service. In B2C, the proportion can be higher especially for high frequency services like food delivery. But definitely not 100% of the addressable audience is always in the market.

• Evaluate Brand Development: Prioritize organic growth strategies to build brand equity.

  • Example, foodpanda uses its mascot, Pau-Pau, to create a strong brand presence. Engaging customers through offline events and social media can develop recognition and trust, preparing the audience for when they are ready to make a purchase.

• Timing for Paid Growth: Consider shifting to paid growth when you have a specific promotional campaign or incentive. If you want to maximize the reach of a promo code, for instance, leverage paid ads on social media and display networks to target the portion of your audience that is actively seeking your service.

• Measure Effectiveness: Paid growth should be reserved for situations where performance can be easily measured, such as tracking ROI from campaigns. This ensures that marketing dollars are spent effectively and can directly contribute to conversions.

Alignment Between Marketing Team and Commercial Team

"Shared objectives between marketing and commercial teams transform collaboration into a powerful tool for driving revenue."

Having shared objectives between the marketing and commercial teams is essential for driving overall business success. This alignment ensures that marketing strategies are directly linked to sales outcomes, enhancing accountability and effectiveness.

Ultimately, the primary goal of the marketing team is to drive revenue. By aligning their efforts with the commercial team and focusing on shared objectives, marketers can demonstrate their impact on the bottom line, making their contributions more visible and valued within the organisation.

Key Insights & Observations on B2B Marketing Trends

"Today's B2B marketing prioritizes trust and offline engagement for better results."

Recent trends in B2B marketing highlight several key insights:

• Brand Building and Reputation Management: Success in B2B requires a strong focus on brand visibility and trust, especially in startup ecosystems where long-term relationships are critical.

• Importance of Trust: Building trust with key founders can lead to referrals within their networks. This emphasizes the significance of personal connections in B2B.

• Shift to Offline Engagement: Many marketers are returning to in-person events to foster real connections, which can enhance online engagement, especially on platforms like LinkedIn. This hybrid approach helps boost post visibility.

• Organic Growth Strategies: Frequent content sharing and optimized newsletters are vital for maintaining visibility. Marketers are increasingly leveraging organic tactics over paid ads to cultivate relationships.

• Evolving LinkedIn Dynamics: Post-impressions on LinkedIn have declined, pushing marketers to prioritize offline interactions for better online engagement.

Judson's Secret Sauce in Marketing

“Embracing experimentation is key to keeping marketing approaches fresh.”

Judson’s superpower in marketing lies in his unique blend of creativity, critical thinking, and a relentless desire to innovate. Here are the key components:

• Challenging Norms: Judson thrives on questioning the status quo. His childhood project of creating a "science garden tour" illustrates his early knack for thinking outside the box and generating unique experiences.

• Critical Perspective: With a background in sociology, Judson excels at stepping back to view the bigger picture. This ability allows him to identify gaps in the market and propose fresh ideas that others may overlook.

• Engagement with Pop Culture: He emphasizes the importance of staying connected with current trends, particularly those relevant to younger demographics like Gen Z. This awareness fuels his marketing strategies, ensuring they resonate with contemporary audiences.

We hope Judson's insights and experiences from BLOCK71, foodpanda, and FairPrice Group inspire you as much as they did us. By emphasizing creativity, trust, and a deep connection to pop culture, Judson highlights the power of innovative marketing in today's landscape. Do subscribe HERE for more interviews and insights, where we continue to spotlight industry leaders who are driving change and making a significant impact in their fields.