Brian Johnson
Vallejo
Summary
Experienced competitive market intelligence professional with a 15-year track record of delivering advanced insights to multiple Fortune 500 technology companies. Recognized as a sales enablement and training specialist, adept at building competitive intelligence programs from scratch. Heralded for providing strategic guidance and actionable recommendations that drive business growth and enhance market positioning.
Overview
18
18
years of professional experience
Work History
Direct Sales Program Manager
Direct Demo LLC
06.2023 - Current
- Direct sales manager providing leadership for100 sales associates promoting at local Costco retail locations
- Created market research programs to measure brand awareness in multiple national markets
- Developed competitive intelligence data gathering program focused on competitor’s pricing and sales tactics
- Implemented logistic optimizations that were integral to the improvement of Direct Demo profit margins
- Utilized Highspot Training to optimize key sales messaging and persona training
- Infused sales methodologies by connecting training content with Direct Demo revenue enablement programs
Digital Marketing Consultant
Drop Works LLC
11.2022 - 05.2023
- Led efforts to improve digital marketing and online presence for this fast-growing set design and fabrication company
- Conducted market research to implement strategic marketing initiatives for lead generation and conversion
- Developed professional website and implemented improved messaging and conversion rates
- Spearheaded improvements for paid ad strategies, launched Google Ad campaigns based on geolocation and keywords, created and tracked social media campaigns (Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram)
- Implemented SEO improvements, identified major keywords and phrases to target, utilized SEMrush data and backlink strategy, monitored ongoing SEO metrics; drove additional website traffic while improving brand awareness & brand equity
Competitive Intelligence Product Marketing Manager
Copado Salesforce DevOps
06.2022 - 10.2022
- Led ongoing competitive market analysis for provider of Salesforce DevOps software by creating detailed competitive technical breakdowns
- Partnered directly with sales and product marketing executives to create competitive intelligence loops and actionable analysis
- Working closely with Analysts and other Copado stakeholders to create comprehensive Salesforce CI/CD and CRT (Robotic Testing) market/ competitive intelligence whitepaper
- Heralded by leadership for reducing cost-per-acquisition, improving win % vs
- Key competitors, upgraded product roadmaps and freemium product features while enhancing product position messaging and sales pitch catered to the strengths of Copado solutions vs
- Key competitors weaknesses
- Conducted product, market and operational research to support strategic business planning for various targeted markets and desired sales outcomes; synthesized data from multiple sources to develop reporting and improve business insights
- Improved competitive intelligence and market research operations, vetted new competitive intelligence data collection software, developed selection criteria, and presented ROI reporting to leadership to help evaluate the best option
- Championed business case development and ad-hoc analysis, worked with Sales leaders to understand each prospect’s unique business challenges and current Salesforce solutions, researched competitors to pinpoint advantages and disadvantages of product, and translated complex data and research into clear, understandable content
- Notable Projects:
- Worked with CMO and VP of Sales to create advanced deal win/loss analysis, established parameters to define needed data and calculations, and developed new sales dashboards; enabled more accurate win/loss data to shift market positioning, enhance product roadmap, and allow for quicker business decision making
- Project managed development of new Selims competitive intelligence library, worked with Product Managers to collect and organize up-to-date content, outlined new standardized competitive evaluation criteria, and trained Sales Engineers on usage
- Championed new and ongoing sales enablement programs, focused on improving churn rates, increased account risk monitoring and mitigation, developed new process and program documentation that increased customer retention with new proactive approach to client engagement and risk mitigation
Customer Advocacy Product Marketing Manager
Copado Salesforce DevOps
10.2021 - 06.2022
- Spearheaded development of new go-to-market content for bi-annual product releases, including customer success videos, customer-end event marketing presentations, key data sheets and pitch deck materials; this new content supported sales operations, ensured successful product launches, and enabled salespeople to target key drivers
- Managed all aspects of photo, video, and multimedia production for GTM content; oversaw production planning, workflows, and final editing, worked with client stakeholders to understand business and aesthetic objectives of creative content, and managed production operations; enabled launch of the highly successful “Customer/ Partner Hero” campaign
- Built customer success story promotional playbook for internal and external channels, outlined new integrated marketing campaigns, and developed customer outreach programs to send traffic to website and improve brand reputation; increased website traffic to Case Study webpage by36% YoY, improved social ad ROI by16%
- Developed and launched new customer outreach campaigns to drive reviews on3rd party sites, increasing Gartner Peer Insight reviews from0 to25 (88%5-star) and G2 reviews by44
Digital Marketing and Client Engagement Consultant
Vision Recycling (W2) / Max ROI Digital
08.2020 - 03.2021
- Led efforts to improve digital marketing and online presence for a mid-sized bay area green recycling company; conducted market research to implement strategic marketing initiatives for lead generation and profit optimization
- Spearheaded improvements for paid-ad strategies, launched first ever Google Ad word campaigns based on geolocation and keywords, updated Facebook Campaigns to include special promotional offers, and updated website to be more user friendly; improved website traffic34% YOY
- Implemented SEO improvements, identified major keywords and phrases to target, utilized SEMrush data and backlink strategy, and monitored ongoing SEO metrics; drove additional website traffic while improving brand awareness measured by market research studies
Professional Services and Product Marketing Manager
Riverbed Technology
05.2016 - 11.2020
- Led global external and internal marketing communications, created new data sheets, webapp copy, and managed analysis across1400 retail stores in10 US divisions as a central corporate liaison and strategic leader
- Developed and deployed improved go-to-market and marketing communications, created new data sheets, webpage copy, and managed analysis across1400 retail stores in10 US divisions as a central corporate liaison and strategic leader
- Managed web marketing content generation, including webpages utilizing WordPress CMS
- Redesigned Services webpages and service library content grids based on client listing
- Detailed Riverbed Professional Services sales and consultant best practices utilizing internal newsletters and SharePoint articles to highlight customer success stories
Competitive and Market Intelligence Manager
Hitachi Data Systems
02.2015 - 02.2016
- Spearheaded competitive market and product research to glean actionable competitive insights for use in sales engagements
- Developed detailed competitive overviews for SAP HANA converged infrastructure competitors, outlined technical capabilities and SWOT analysis of competitor’s solution, presented memos featuring competitor announcements, provided market forecast analysis reports for product road maps, and delivered ad-hoc analysis to sales personnel
Pricing Program Manager
Safeway Corporate
02.2011 - 02.2015
- Managed competitive intelligence, pricing, and margin analysis across1400 retail stores in10 US divisions as a central corporate liaison and strategic leader
- Directed team of20 Pricing Analysts, determined success metrics, assigned project duties, collected status reports, and provided ongoing training and coaching; built cohesive unit that produced high-quality results and supported pricing strategies effectively; helped multiple analysts be promoted into leadership
- Led efforts to improve analysis strategies, developed improved reporting to track price changes and efficiencies, launched new weekly training sessions to enhance analysis pricing logic, technical tool utilization, and provide platform for additional collaboration, and led quarterly summits to discuss pricing theory and practical applications
- Project Managed national vendor switch from direct store delivery to UNFI drop-ship process, developed reporting to identify all impacted items, created UNFI pricing strategy for each division to ensure margins, partnered with cross-functional team to coordinate pricing changes and lag logistics, and developed cost and pricing profitability models
- Created and implemented pricing strategy to compete with Whole Foods, coordinated in-store price checks, developed new price modeling reporting to outline index, margin, sales, profit, and cost, and communicated new pricing strategy to Pricing Department
Competitive Intelligence Product Marketing Manager
Microsoft
06.2007 - 01.2011
- Launched new competitive intelligence program for Exchange Hosted Services and sales enablement collateral for competitive engagements
- Worked closely with Analyst Relations to improve Windows Server positioning vs
- Linux competitors and created internal communications to keep senior management apprised of changing market conditions
- Collaborated with engineers and product managers to create detailed technical breakdowns of Linux competitors
- Contributed to Market Requirement Documentation for early innovator markets, developed field research to identify main competitors by leveraging customer surveys and sales team interviews, partnered with PMMs to clarify technologies, provide competitive documentation and create detailed competitive overviews to help increase sales
- Built and delivered competitive intelligence internal sales enablement materials for the Windows Server – Linux Compete team, launched new webinar programs to enhance technical pre-sales training for sales teams and senior management, and started new Linux-Compete newsletter that was well received by C-level leadership
- Managed conversions of FAST (a MSFT enterprise search acquisition) customers to Microsoft licensing models; created, communicated and tracked customer conversion database, trained global resellers on Microsoft Licensing Model and customer impact, and reviewed existing licensing contracts with MSFT LCA (legal) to verify conversions
Market Research Director
Herbert Research
09.2006 - 05.2007
- Managed all phases of market research projects, prepared research proposals and plans with budgets and timelines, created market research questionnaires and led focus groups, and edited market research communications; ensured total client understanding of all phases of process
Education
Master of Business Administration (MBA) - Marketing
California State University, Eastbay
Hayward, CABachelor of Arts (BA) - Marketing
University of Washington
Seattle, WashingtonDigital Marketing Certification - undefined
University of California Berkeley
Berkeley, CASkills
- Problem-solving
- Project management
- Program leadership
- Operations management
- Training and development
- Critical thinking
- Detail-oriented
- Strategic planning
- Data analysis
- Data collection & research
- Relationship building
- Team leadership and direction
Core Competencies
- Competitive Intelligence Program Design
- Klue and Crayon Comp. Intel Technologies
- Salesforce DevOps. Competitive Analysis
- Cross-functional Collaboration
- Salesforce CI/CD Win/ Loss Analysis
- DevOps Analyst Relations
- Technical Pre-Sales Training
- Sales Enablement
Timeline
Direct Sales Program Manager
Direct Demo LLC
06.2023 - Current
Digital Marketing Consultant
Drop Works LLC
11.2022 - 05.2023
Competitive Intelligence Product Marketing Manager
Copado Salesforce DevOps
06.2022 - 10.2022
Customer Advocacy Product Marketing Manager
Copado Salesforce DevOps
10.2021 - 06.2022
Digital Marketing and Client Engagement Consultant
Vision Recycling (W2) / Max ROI Digital
08.2020 - 03.2021
Professional Services and Product Marketing Manager
Riverbed Technology
05.2016 - 11.2020
Competitive and Market Intelligence Manager
Hitachi Data Systems
02.2015 - 02.2016
Pricing Program Manager
Safeway Corporate
02.2011 - 02.2015
Competitive Intelligence Product Marketing Manager
Microsoft
06.2007 - 01.2011
Market Research Director
Herbert Research
09.2006 - 05.2007
Bachelor of Arts (BA) - Marketing
University of Washington
Digital Marketing Certification - undefined
University of California Berkeley
Master of Business Administration (MBA) - Marketing
California State University, Eastbay
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