Why Context Is the Future of Marketing with Mathew Sweezey

08/17/20 • 29 min

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“When new technology comes out, we use it in the old ways that we know. With the internet, it was free publication. So we made websites. We didn’t see this as a way of connecting better.” Better connections—meeting someone at their moment of need—is what context is all about. That’s the focus of Mathew Sweezey’s new book, The Context Marketing Revolution. We discussed this along with his work at Salesforce this week on the On Brand podcast.

About Mathew Sweezey

Mathew Sweezey is Director of Market Strategy for Salesforce. A researcher, thinker, award-winning marketer, and writer, he is the author of Marketing Automation for Dummies and the new book The Context Marketing Revolution. When not behind a podium at conferences around the world or sifting through data, he routinely works with the world’s largest and most well-respected brands, including UPS, Home Depot, AT&T, and Dell.

Episode Highlights

What are the key traits in high-performing marketing organizations? In studying the future of marketing at Salesforce, Mathew has spent a lot of time on this very question. The answer? “High-performing marketing organizations have full executive buy-in on a new idea.” What are the new ideas? “That marketing is no longer about the most creative messaging.” Buy in on that alone would create a very different marketing organization.

What’s the difference between content marketing and context marketing? While content marketing is all about publishing, “Context marketing is all about helping someone achieve the goal of the moment.”

What does context consist of? In his book, Mathew shares the five elements of context and why it’s critical for businesses to focus on them to be successful.

Available—helping people achieve the value they seek in the moment
Permissioned—giving individuals what they’ve asked for, on their terms
Personal—going beyond how personal the experience is, to how personally it can be delivered
Authentic—combining voice, empathy, and channel congruence simultaneously
Purposeful—creating a deeper connection to the brand beyond the product

“Context can be applied anywhere throughout the customer journey.” Mathew shared how the Trailhead community at Salesforce is an important example of context marketing as it’s about advancing better business outcomes and educating users on the platform.

What brand has made Mathew smile recently? Mathew went with his local climbing gym, Coastal Climbing, for the precautions they’re taking as a result of COVID-19.

To learn more, connect with Mathew on LinkedIn and Twitter and check out his new book The Context Marketing Revolution.

As We Wrap ...

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On Brand is sponsored by my book Brand Now. Discover the seven dynamics to help your brand stand out in our crowded, distracted world. Order now and get special digital extras. Learn more.

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About Mathew Sweezey

Episode Highlights

What does context consist of? In his book, Mathew shares the five elements of context and why it’s critical for businesses to focus on them to be successful.

Available—helping people achieve the value they seek in the moment
Permissioned—giving individuals what they’ve asked for, on their terms
Personal—going beyond how personal the experience is, to how personally it can be delivered
Authentic—combining voice, empathy, and channel congruence simultaneously
Purposeful—creating a deeper connection to the brand beyond the product

What brand has made Mathew smile recently? Mathew went with his local climbing gym, Coastal Climbing, for the precautions they’re taking as a result of COVID-19.

To learn more, connect with Mathew on LinkedIn and Twitter and check out his new book The Context Marketing Revolution.

As We Wrap ...

On Brand is sponsored by my book Brand Now. Discover the seven dynamics to help your brand stand out in our crowded, distracted world. Order now and get special digital extras. Learn more.

Subscribe to the podcast – You can subscribe to the show via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Play, Stitcher, TuneIn, and RSS.
Rate and review the show – If you like what you’re hearing, head over to Apple Podcasts and click that 5-star button to rate the show. And, if you have a few extra seconds, write a couple of sentences and su...

Previous Episode

Creating Superfans Internally and Externally with Matt Barnett

“The most important part of any brand is the team.” Matt Barnett would know. A serial entrepreneur, Matt’s latest venture is Bonjoro, a B2B asynchronous video platform helping organizations connect with their customers. We discussed all of this and more on this week’s episode of the On Brand podcast.

About Matt Barnett

A British designer & Artist, Matt Barnett moved to Australia where Bonjoro was born from a sales hack for his first business. Matt and the team decided to go all-in on the idea, and 3 years later Bonjoro has snowballed into a startup success story with a fully remote team across 6 countries and 5 continents.

Matt’s love of building great products is only surpassed by his total commitment to building great business culture, and his goal is to be the next Zappos, to be the most-loved brand in the world.”

Episode Highlights

How to build your startup brand as a team? We talked a lot about the intersection of brand origins and team origins and how often, these two intersect. Matt says that you need to hire the right team first, noting that “brand happens later.”

“You have to build super fans internalizing and externally.” Matt focused his advice on two critical groups of people—your employees and your customers. How do you do that ...?

Let’s talk bears. Look at any of Bonjoro’s touchpoints and you’ll see that their brand personification is an adorable teddy bear. This bear branding makes its way throughout the organization, from the koala bears they sponsor as a company to the bear onesies every employee gets, including the self-proclaimed “Papa Bear” himself.

What should you do in the next five minutes? As Tom Peters said on this podcast, excellence is the best short-term strategy. We asked Matt what you should do in the five minutes after this show ... “Asynchronous personalized video messages.” Matt noted that he may be biassed on this front (that’s what Bonjoro does!) but he also reinforced this with the impact you can have with clients by recording a simple 30-second video.

What brand has made Matt smile recently? Inspired by other engaging brands, Matt pointed to “Hey,” the new email platform built by the folks from Basecamp, for the brand’s combination of fun and simplicity.

To learn more, connect with the “Papa Bear” himself on LinkedIn and go to the Bonjoro website to learn more about Matt’s company.

As We Wrap ...

On Brand is sponsored by my book Brand Now. Discover the seven dynamics to help your brand stand out in our crowded, distracted world. Order now and get special digital extras. Learn more.

Subscribe to the podcast – You can subscribe to the show via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Play, Stitcher, TuneIn, and RSS.
Rate and review the show – If you like what you’re hearing, head over to Apple Podcasts and click that 5-star button to rate the show. And, if you have a few extra seconds, write a couple of sentences and submit a review. This helps others find the podcast.
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Until next week, I’ll see you on the Internet!

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Next Episode

The Golden Rule of Branding with Emily Soccorsy and Justin Foster

“The old world of branding is falling away and it’s being replaced by intrinsic branding—this idea that if you get your inner world right, then how you show up in the outer world will be sincere, authentic, and interesting.” Emily Soccorsy and Justin Foster have an “iron-sharpens-iron” relationship that they bring to bear, sharpening brands as co-founders of Root + River. We discussed their work together and the unique challenges brands face today this week on the On Brand podcast.

Enjoy This Episode Now

About Emily Soccorsy and Justin Foster

Like chicken and waffles, branding strategists and Root + River co-founders Emily Soccorsy and Justin Foster are a speaking duo who have the it-just-works factor. The two each have their own acoustic sound as presenters, but together, they make music they couldn’t alone. Their speeches play out like a compelling dialogue unfolding in real-time. With more than 50 speaking engagements and podcast interviews under their belts, they are able to create a collaboration-in-action experience to capture the minds and hearts of those who are listening. Together, they’re also the co-authors of the book Rooting Up: Essays on Modern Branding.

Episode Highlights

Branding and marketing in the midst of COVID-19. For branding, the times they are a-changin.’ Especially in 2020. “What the world needs now is who you really are. Old world branding is interrupting someone else’s story. The new world is about inviting someone into your story.”

More on intrinsic branding. “The old world of branding is falling away and it’s being replaced by intrinsic branding—this idea that if you get your inner world right—your mission, your beliefs, your culture—then how you show up in the outer world will be sincere, authentic, and interesting.”

The trouble with mission statements ... Listeners of the show know that I’m not a big fan of most mission statements. That’s because these often become obtuse constructions instead of statements designed to provide focus and direction. Justin shared the Root + River mission formula: “The thing that you’re here to do that only can do.”

What brand has made Emily and Justin smile recently? “I’m gonna have to go with TikTok,” says Emily. As a parent, it’s helped her connect with her kids during COVID-19. Justin shared a brand that has stood out as a result of their pandemic marketing—Progressive Insurance. Specifically, their Zoom call commercials with the group editing together virtually.

To learn more, visit the Root + River website, follow Justin and Emily on Twitter, and check out their book Rooting Up: Essays on Modern Branding.

As We Wrap ...

On Brand is sponsored by my book Brand Now. Discover the seven dynamics to help your brand stand out in our crowded, distracted world. Order now and get special digital extras. Learn more.

Subscribe to the podcast – You can subscribe to the show via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Play, Stitcher, TuneIn, and RSS.
Rate and review the show – If you like what you’re hearing, head over to