"Against the Standard" - Interview with Guntram Friede, Head of Marketing Salesforce

M&K You've been with Salesforce for several years now—but you started your marketing career in a completely different field, right?
GUNTRAM FRIEDE Yes, I wasn’t born into the tech industry (laughs). My career began at a diamond dealer in Hatton Garden, London. There, fresh out of college, I was able to help build up the marketing both online and offline. Shortly before that, the movie *Blood Diamond*, starring Leonardo DiCaprio, had been released, and confidence in our business had taken a hit, so we really had to lay the groundwork.

Was that before the 2008 financial crisis?
That’s right. She really shook up the gemstone market, which is why I moved back to Germany. Here, my next project was managing a global CRM initiative in the automotive industry. At a conference, I met Salesforce and their CMO at the time, and then everything happened very quickly—he hired me. We sealed the deal with a handshake over a banana split in Wiesbaden. It’s been nine years now.

You've witnessed Salesforce's rise to become the global leader in CRM. Its founder, Marc Benioff, is said to be a marketing genius. Which of your company's campaigns do you remember most vividly?
I have very fond memories of my early days at Salesforce, when we were the radical «challenger» in the market. While many companies still viewed the cloud as a passing trend, it was clear to us that we were riding a wave that was getting bigger and bigger. And that’s exactly how confidently we marketed ourselves. Here’s an example: A competitor was holding a conference in Cannes; most guests took a taxi from the airport to the event venue. So Salesforce rented the advertising space in all the airport taxis and used it to spread our message. Brilliant guerrilla marketing that still influences me today when I think about innovative campaigns.

Salesforce's business was already doing very well before the COVID-19 pandemic. Did the digital transformation boom over the past year provide an even bigger boost?
I don’t judge this based on our annual revenue, but rather on the concrete results we’ve achieved for our customers. And I’ll be perfectly frank: Many executives here in Switzerland were already on the right track, but the «boost» you’re talking about still caught them off guard. Yes, things are going well for Salesforce, but the era of change has only just begun. My primary concern isn’t how we can sell even more; I want to figure out how we can prepare our customers for the future. That might sound like a cliché, but that’s just how it is (laughs).

How was 2020 for you personally?
The nature of collaboration—both technologically and in our processes—has, of course, changed significantly. For me personally, issues such as my employees’ mental health, creating a safe work environment at home, location-independent work, and employee training and skill development have taken center stage. I do make a conscious effort to spend a lot of time developing myself as a leader, and in 2020 I tried to lead by example in this new world of work. And I’ve been eating healthier overall because I’ve been going out to restaurants less often in the evenings (laughs)—but I’ll make up for all that…

These days, one often gets the impression that marketing is driven solely by cost efficiency and measurability. However, with Salesforce, you sponsored the Streetparade in Zurich and supported Patricia Laeri’s talk show «Dachelles.» Why?
I view the branding you mentioned as «value awareness.» For me, it’s about more than just plastering city centers with eye-catching advertising slogans. I’ve set myself the goal of stepping outside my comfort zone and driving innovation whenever possible and appropriate. Communicating our corporate values is at the top of my agenda, but issues like equality and trust are also deeply rooted in my personal DNA. So I drive these kinds of projects forward—with great companies and, even more importantly to me, with great people. I appreciate it when someone isn’t afraid to face obstacles and wants to change the world.

So marketing isn't primarily about lead generation?
Marketing has many facets. Of course, lead generation is one of them, but that’s not where it ends for us. From a purely operational standpoint, the holy grail of marketing for me today is «integrated and scalable campaigns.» But what’s even more important is that we, as marketers, enhance our business value: Using metrics such as customer satisfaction, digital interaction, and customer lifetime value, we can gain a complete picture of the success factors throughout the entire customer journey.

You once said that, from a position like Salesforce’s, marketing is also «enablement» for you. Would you like to see other CMOs adopt this committed perspective as well?
Who communicates better than marketers? You’d think our profession would be starting to get the hang of it by now, right? But unfortunately, that’s still far too rarely the case. Our role as CMOs is multifaceted and is becoming increasingly important in shaping how our companies are perceived and understood in the market. When we engage with customers, we need to ask ourselves how we can demonstrate empathy and understanding. As partners to our companies, we must ask ourselves how we can best structure our collaboration with colleagues in sales, customer service, and other teams as we work toward recovery from the pandemic’s aftermath. I regularly urge my colleagues to break free from their own constraints and paradigms and explore uncharted territory. If there’s ever a time when we, as individuals, can leave our first footprints in the snow, it’s now.

«I like it when someone isn't afraid to face obstacles and wants to change the world.»

«Leaving your first footprints in the snow»—that’s what many startups want, too. And they support you with advice and their own resources, almost as an afterthought. Why?
That’s actually a passion I brought with me from a previous role at Salesforce. I used to be in charge of the startup and emerging small business segment for Switzerland, Germany, and Austria for a while. I found the people I got to know through that experience truly inspiring. We share many common values. When I get to interact with people who are ambitious, who want to bring ideas to life, and who aren’t afraid to make mistakes sometimes—I find that very inspiring. In return, I provide support not only as an investor but also in strategic and operational areas.

«Our role as CMOs is so multifaceted and is becoming increasingly important.»

You have a special passion: In your free time, you import the champagne produced by the family of a childhood friend into Switzerland. What has this taught you about entrepreneurial challenges?
My understanding of the challenges faced by SMEs has become much clearer. Anyone who has ever started a business knows how many different factors you have to take into account. My understanding of how consumer behavior evolves has also changed dramatically: As a marketer, I’m constantly amazed at how people blindly follow established trends without questioning the status quo. Brand recognition does not necessarily equate to quality. That’s why my approach is centered on a clear vision, fairness, and a commitment to sustainability. This extends throughout the entire process: from production in the Champagne region to sales here in Switzerland.

Guntram Friede is Head of Marketing Switzerland at the global leader in CRM Salesforce; he is also a member of the company's Country Leadership Team. In addition, he serves as an advisor and investor for various startups.