B2B Creatively

Scale vs Craft in AI Video

podcast@storiesbureau.com (Stories Bureau) — Tue, 07 Oct 2025 02:00:00 -0400

What happens when a filmmaker with deep storytelling chops, an HBO pedigree, and early access to cutting-edge AI tools takes on B2B video? You get Noah Wagner.

Noah, a live-action and AI director, joins Alisa Manjarrez and Kory Grushka from Stories Bureau to discuss where AI video actually stands today, how B2B content benefits from cinematic storytelling, and why creativity still matters more than ever.

Noah has been at the forefront of AI video experimentation, working with platforms like Sora, Runway, and Kling. But he’s no tech evangelist. Instead, he’s here to bring nuance, perspective, and real-world insights on how to blend AI tools with traditional filmmaking to create more expressive, more human, and more effective video content—especially in the B2B space.

What You’ll Learn:

• The current status of AI-generated video (and why it’s still not push-button ready)

• The misconception that AI eliminates the need for teams and craft

• Where AI helps most in post-production, and where humans still need to lead

• Why AI workflows are better suited for hybrid approaches—not full automation

• Why video creators are going to LinkedIn

Mentioned in this Episode:

Five Guys AI video

Noah’s Bio:

Noah Wagner is an award-winning director, writer and filmmaker, specializing in both live-action and AI, and a graduate of NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts. His work has appeared on HBO, Netflix, NBC, and BBC. Collectively garnering millions of views, his films have won numerous awards at Oscar-qualifying festivals worldwide, including AI thriller Watch Room. Currently, Echobend Pictures is packaging Noah’s debut feature, THE DIRTY OYSTER, which was recognized as one of six projects worldwide at Fantasia Frontières.

Noah specializes in ‘grounded genre’—everything from science fiction to magical realism, moody atmosphere to playful whimsy, and any permutation in between—always building a world rooted in our own. Through a lyrical lens and an eye for the absurd, he challenges audiences to reflect the world around them and question the truths they may have taken for granted.

The AI Shake-Up in B2B Messaging

podcast@storiesbureau.com (Stories Bureau) — Tue, 09 Sep 2025 02:00:00 -0400

We dive deep into how AI is shaking up B2B messaging with Chris Silvestri, Founder of Conversion Alchemy. From redefining the role of content writers to rethinking persona development and conversion strategy, Chris shares his thoughtful and tactical approach to B2B growth.

As a messaging strategist, Chris combines copywriting, UX design, and digital psychology to help his SaaS and eCommerce clients convert more visitors into customers. He fills us in on how AI is transforming marketing workflows, what makes copy truly empathetic, and how brands can stand out in the age of informed consumers.

If you're trying to make your B2B brand impossible to ignore, this is the episode for you.

What You’ll Learn:

• The people shift in B2B marketing

• How AI is streamlining copywriting and messaging workflows, from research to first drafts

• How to train AI to be more empathetic

• The four types of personas you need

• What AI tools Chris uses to scale personalized copy workflows

• The balance between company capabilities and customer needs in copywriting

• The future of copywriting and marketing in the age of AI

Mentioned in this Episode:

Gemini: https://gemini.google.com

Claude: https://claude.ai

chatGPT: https://chatgpt.com

TeamGPT: https://team-gpt.com

Perplexity: https://www.perplexity.ai

TypingMind: https://www.typingmind.com/

Chris’ Bio:

Chris Silvestri is the Conversion Alchemist. A SaaS message-market fit specialist and conversion copywriter, he worked 10 years as a software engineer in industrial automation. Then, took a sharp turn to enter the digital marketing world as UX lead at the usability testing startup Conversion Crimes (and previously at the conversion design agency Zeda Labs). Chris has been working as a copywriter and Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO) specialist for online brands since 2016.

Merging Metrics with Emotion

podcast@storiesbureau.com (Stories Bureau) — Tue, 27 May 2025 09:00:00 -0400

Alisa reconnects with longtime friend and creative powerhouse Nidia Verdugo, a Senior Product Marketing Manager at Microsoft, who seamlessly merges metrics with emotion—and her passion for travel—into a thriving marketing career.

Together, Alisa and Nidia explore how creativity and data-driven decision making go hand in hand, especially in B2B marketing. Nidia opens up about launching her travel blog, TouristyAF, during the pandemic, explaining how it evolved from long-form travel guides into dynamic brand collaborations with tourism boards and hotels.

Throughout the conversation, Nidia reflects on what it means to truly connect with an audience. Whether crafting a product story at Microsoft or editing a video journal in Puerto Rico, her advice always circles back to human-centered communication.

“We’re all human at the end of the day,” says Nidia. “So, put yourself in the shoes of your target audience—it’s something that’s so simple and works with anything that you do.”

What You’ll Learn:

• How Nidia turned her love for travel into a storytelling platform and brand-building engine

• The connection between creativity, analytics, and emotional resonance in B2B marketing

• The power of video journals and documenting everyday moments authentically

• Advice on overcoming fear of data as a creative and making informed decisions

• Social trends that B2B marketers should adopt

• Practical advice for young professionals still figuring out their careers

Mentioned in this Episode:

TouristyAF, Nidia’s travel blog and brand

https://touristyaf.com/

Cannes Lions Festival

https://www.canneslions.com/

Nidia’s Bio:

Nidia Verdugo is a seasoned marketing professional with a decade of experience driving growth for tech companies and brands. As the creative director of her own life, she seamlessly blends strategy and storytelling, leading marketing initiatives while running her own marketing and creative consulting business. Beyond her corporate and consulting work, Nidia is an avid traveler who has lived in Argentina and Mexico City, embracing global cultures and perspectives. She channels her passion for marketing, creativity, and travel into her blog, TouristyAF, where she shares unique experiences and insights from around the world.

Elevate Your B2B Brand with Narrative Storytelling

podcast@storiesbureau.com (Stories Bureau) — Tue, 29 Apr 2025 09:00:00 -0400

Does your B2B brand need to start a narrative podcast? Magika Creative Producer M de Leon joins Alisa to explore what it really means to create narrative content and how storytelling is redefining what’s possible for B2B.

Drawing from their work on a variety of projects, M shares how character-driven stories can elevate your B2B brand—and why it’s worth the risk.

M shares lessons from producing Traceroute—a Webby-nominated podcast that made internet infrastructure feel personal—and how its key to success were the emotional stories told.

Backed by compelling examples and thoughtful insights, M and Alisa make the case for narrative podcasting as a strategy for humanizing B2B brands in meaningful ways that resonate with customers. Can AI help with this? Surprisingly, yes.

“Messaging is far more effective when there’s a story,” says M. “You create that sense of connection… and the brand goes beyond being a thing on a shelf to a figure in your life.”

What You’ll Learn:

• Why narrative podcasting is different from other content formats

• Using storytelling as a strategy in B2B

• Humanizing a brand with stories

• How AI tools can support the creative process

• How to pitch a narrative podcast internally

• Building community among niche B2B audiences

M’s Bio:

M de Leon is a producer, writer, and sound designer specializing in sound-rich, longform narrative storytelling—crafting work that is immersive, thoughtful, and built to resonate. From 2023–2024, M served as Senior Producer for Traceroute, a Webby Award–nominated series recognized in the Best Tech Podcast category.

Working across every stage of production—from research and scripting to editing and scoring—M’s practice explores not just how stories are made, but how clear, intentional systems can support the people who make them.

What B2B Can Learn From TikTok

podcast@storiesbureau.com (Stories Bureau) — Tue, 18 Mar 2025 09:00:00 -0400

Freelance art director & designer Ben Tuber knows how to cut through the noise of a chaotic digital world, creating visuals that stop you mid-scroll and demand attention.

Specializing in branding, lettering and motion, Ben typically works with high-profile B2C clients, like Netflix, HBO, Vice and Refinery 29.

In this episode, Ben explains why bold, colorful, and animated visuals dominate platforms like TikTok—and how these trends are making their way into the B2B world.

We also explore how B2B brands can take inspiration from B2C marketing trends, including nostalgia-driven aesthetics, the rise of influencer-inspired content, and the increasing significance of authenticity.

Through it all, Ben shares insights into his own creative process, how he manages client feedback, and his advice for B2C designers looking to pivot into B2B.

What You’ll Learn:

• The rise of maximalism in social media

• The impact of TikTok on marketing

• Current trends in B2C branded content for B2B

• How to manage client feedback in creative work

• Advice for designers transitioning to B2B

Ben’s Bio:

Ben Tuber is a freelance art director, graphic artist, animator, and illustrator with 7+ experience in advertising and design. A native New Yorker, Ben’s work includes traditional graphic design & layout, custom illustration and animation, as well as photography and video.

Ben’s unique style and command over a range of techniques have led him to work with clients, such as HBO, I Love New York, Warner Brothers, Showtime, TNT, and Hulu. Formerly, he was the Design Director at GLOW, having worked his way up from design intern. While there, Ben was responsible for establishing the look and feel on campaigns, ensuring they met the highest visual standards. Several projects were either nominated for or won Shorty Awards and other industry accolades.

Ben is also a verified artist on GIPHY. Notably, he was among the first artists commissioned to create the now-ubiquitous GIPHY stickers, and the views on his GIPHY page are around 4 billion. He continues to collaborate with GIPHY and add to his portfolio of custom .gifs in his spare time. Graphic and advertising art are Ben's chief passion in life, and he is always looking to work in new, innovative ways that challenge him and his collaborators and surpass their expectations.

The Art & Science of Product Marketing

podcast@storiesbureau.com (Stories Bureau) — Tue, 21 Jan 2025 09:00:00 -0500

Div Manickam, a product marketing leader, mentor, and author of Mastering the Art and Science of Product Marketing, shares her professional and personal journey on achieving the balance between creativity and data-driven tactics in the B2B space.

Drawing on her diverse interests, including photography and writing, Div explains how creativity fuels her work in crafting compelling narratives and launching impactful campaigns.

We explore the concept of "creative abundance"—finding inspiration amidst the chaos—and how this frame of mind drives Div’s approach to product marketing. From collaborating with cross-functional teams to crafting evergreen content, Div emphasizes the importance of storytelling, customer-centric strategies, and a growth mindset. She shares how her passion for exploration and innovation helps her navigate the challenges of bringing new products to market.

We also get into the "CEO mindset" (curiosity, empathy, and openness) that guides Div’s leadership and mentorship. She discusses the role of authenticity and kindness in professional growth, reminding us that creativity isn’t just about output but about connecting deeply with people and ideas.

What You’ll Learn:

• Find inspiration amidst the chaos

• Master the art and science of product marketing

• Enhance your work through creativity

• Create magic with a CEO (curiosity, empathy and openness) mindset

• How to make evergreen content stand the test of time

Mentioned in this Episode:

Product Marketing: Mastering the Art and Science of PMM by Div Manickam

Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action by Simon Sinek

Div’s Bio:

Div Manickam has led B2B SaaS product marketing efforts in startups and Fortune 500 technology companies for 10+ years in collaboration with product, sales and marketing teams.

Div is a neurodivine, mindful soul, who enjoys sharing experiences on neurodiversity, workplace wellbeing, career growth, authentic leadership, mindfulness, happiness, stress and anxiety, and product marketing. She is passionate about empowering folks to be their best and true authentic self.

A mentor and Expert in Residence, she is recognized as one of the top 100 Product Marketing Influencers (2019-23) by the Product Marketing Alliance.

As a foodie and traveler, she has explored and captured moments in nature and 80-plus cities around the world.

Managing a Global B2B Rebrand

podcast@storiesbureau.com (Stories Bureau) — Tue, 19 Nov 2024 09:00:00 -0500

Creative Director of Global Brand & Design Roni Lagin shares his insights on the recent brand evolution for Equinix, the global Fortune 500 digital infrastructure company.

Roni discusses the challenges and strategies involved in managing a large-scale rebrand, including the importance of maintaining core brand principles while exploring new design directions. He emphasizes the need for strategic planning, internal and vendor collaboration, and ongoing feedback to ensure long-term growth.

Roni’s takeaways provide valuable learnings for anyone embarking on a rebranding journey, showcasing the power of thoughtful design, strategic storytelling, and collaborative teamwork in shaping a brand's evolution.

What You’ll Learn:

Why collaboration is crucial for a brand evolution
Rolling out a rebrand strategically
Design forecasting and planning
How to communicate with internal teams and vendors

Roni’s Bio:

Roni Lagin is a multidisciplinary designer, artist, and creative director with a knack for visual storytelling. A graduate of Drexel University, Roni has worked for over 25 years with organizations, companies and people who are striving to make the world better. In 2020, Roni joined Equinix, the world’s digital infrastructure company, as Creative Director.

Product Marketing Events, Strategies & Trends

podcast@storiesbureau.com (Stories Bureau) — Thu, 19 Sep 2024 09:00:00 -0400

Join Kory and Alisa as they sit down with Mia Villarreal, Product Marketing Manager for VMware Tanzu at Broadcom, to explore the critical role storytelling plays in product marketing and development. Mia shares her journey from digital marketing to product marketing, where she now leads major product launches and works closely with cross-functional teams.

The conversation delves into Mia’s approach to event strategy, including her involvement in VMware’s global events like VMware Explore. Mia provides insights into the complexities of merging companies post-acquisition, adapting to Broadcom’s expansive enterprise environment, and the impact of multi-cloud platforms in modern IT infrastructure.

Kory, Alisa, and Mia also discuss the challenges of balancing branding with business goals in a fast-evolving tech landscape, along with how Mia’s marketing strategies help maintain customer engagement and drive growth through community events and content marketing.

What You’ll Learn:

The evolving role of a product marketing manager
How to leverage storytelling in product development
Event planning tips for large-scale tech events
Building community through virtual and in-person events
Navigating post-acquisition changes in a large enterprise

Mentioned in this Episode:

VMware Tanzu: A multi-cloud platform for developers and engineers
VMware Explore: Annual event for IT professionals, developers, and engineers

Mia's Bio:

With eight years of experience, Mia Villarreal has successfully accelerated the growth of businesses by leveraging storytelling in product marketing, development, and brand campaigns. Specializing in introducing innovative products to the market, Mia has consistently delivered results in dynamic, competitive environments. She is particularly drawn to opportunities that embrace diverse perspectives within a collaborative team environment.

Mia is committed to community service, leading initiatives in St. Monica's Young Ministering Adults program, including clothing drives, food distribution for the homeless, and racial justice projects.

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More from our guest: Mia Villarreal

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B2B Creatively is powered by Stories Bureau.

Connect with us on LinkedIn:

Stories Bureau, a creative agency focused on B2B marketing and internal corporate storytelling across media

Kory Grushka, Founder and Creative Director of Stories Bureau

Alisa Manjarrez, Managing Director of Stories Bureau

Navigating a New Category Launch in B2B

podcast@storiesbureau.com (Stories Bureau) — Tue, 23 Jul 2024 09:00:00 -0400

Join Alisa as she catches up with her former boss, Dawn Colossi, now Chief Marketing Officer at Software AG, and the two dive into visionary creativity and leadership in B2B marketing.

Dawn recounts the time she saw the potential to launch a new category within the tech industry. Despite facing initial resistance and skepticism from her company, she persevered in selling her vision and ultimately achieved remarkable success. Soon after launching Super iPaaS in the fall of 2023, it was acquired by IBM for 2.1 billion euros.

Alisa and Dawn explore what it takes for a visionary leader to see into the future and effectively communicate the possibilities to their team. Dawn, a Top 100 Global B2B CMO, shares the creative process and marketing tactics behind the Super iPaaS launch, how she navigated the ups and downs along the way, and if/when launching a new category is worth it.

What You’ll Learn:

What does it mean to be a visionary creative?
How to use internal marketing
When to follow your gut
Figuring out the creative for a new category launch
Is launching a new category worth it?

Mentioned in this Episode:

Play Bigger: How Pirates, Dreamers, and Innovators Create and Dominate Markets by Al Ramadan, Dave Peterson, Christopher Lochhead and Kevin Maney

Dawn’s Bio:

As a Chief Marketing Officer, Dawn Colossi is responsible for brand, demand and aligning across the business to create exceptional customer experiences to strategically drive meaningful engagement, both digitally and physically, across prospect, customer and partner audiences to help create sustainable growth.

For the past 10 years, Dawn has focused on transforming marketing for the companies she’s worked with, including Commvault, FocusVision and now Software AG, to an always-on customer-driven modern marketing model based on data, powered by content and designed to increase revenue and grow market share for her organization.

Dawn has been named to the Top Women in MarTech and Digital, and won the SiriusDecisions ROI Award for Digital Content Marketing Strategy.

Creative PR Tactics for B2B

podcast@storiesbureau.com (Stories Bureau) — Tue, 25 Jun 2024 09:00:00 -0400

Looking to make a splash with your B2B brand? Hear about some of today’s most creative PR tactics for B2B from public relations guru Amy Jackson.

Amy is the Founder & CEO of TaleSplash, a PR agency that connects founders of emerging tech, health and lifestyle brands to journalists.

Find out how to get coverage for your B2B brand (think: influencers and demos) and how AI can help match you with the best media channels. Amy shares her 10+ years of expertise in B2C and B2B, and offers ways to take inspiration from B2C.

What You’ll Learn:

How B2B is taking inspiration from B2C
How to get coverage for your B2B brand
Using influencers in your PR strategy
The future of PR in the age of AI
Emerging PR tactics

Mentioned in this Episode:

How I Built This with Guy Raz

TaleSplash, Amy Jackson’s PR agency

Amy’s Bio:

Amy Jackson has spent her career building and shaping brands during times of rapid change. Over the course of eight years with SAP Concur, Amy built TripIt’s high-performing PR and social program from scratch, provided a voice for the award-winning redesign of TripIt.com, and created the messaging and brand experiences for Concur’s travel portfolio (TripIt, Hipmunk, Concur TripLink and ExpenseIt). Most recently, Amy helped SAP Ariba and SAP Fieldglass celebrate the role of its customers in navigating supply chain disruption.

Along the way, Amy has helped people fulfill the potential of their professional selves, while increasing awareness of the experiences and causes that give us purpose. With BestfortheMoment.com, she cheered on working moms and entrepreneurs, and then became one herself. Amy created TaleSplash to help emerging tech, health and lifestyle brands share their expertise about the world changing around us. With decades of experience in PR growing global technology brands as storytellers and digital strategists, clients like to think of TaleSplash as an extension of the team that can help in a multitude of ways.

Amy lives in the Austin hill country with her husband, two boys and labradoodle (also a boy).

How to Market a B2B Startup

podcast@storiesbureau.com (Stories Bureau) — Tue, 28 May 2024 09:00:00 -0400

We dive into how to market a B2B startup with Jacob Smith, co-founder of Humans of the Internet, a venture community investing in startups focused on digital infrastructure, open source software and sustainability.

Jacob shares his journey from being a professional musician to founding a tech B2B startup that was eventually acquired by Equinix in 2020.

Jacob gives us his approach to marketing innovation, community building, and storytelling specifically tailored for B2B startups. We discuss the power of authenticity, self-awareness, and delivering on promises to establish trust with customers. Plus, Jacob shares his secret sauce to stand out among more established brands.

“Stretch to be holistic and take ownership over the customer journey, like you’re a maitre d'”, says Jacob.

What You’ll Learn:

How to create trust as a B2B startup
Effective creative marketing strategies
How to apply the 80/20 rule
Growth frameworks for B2B startups
Who makes great hires

Mentioned in this Episode:

Setting the Table by Danny Meyer

Jacob’s Bio:

Jacob Smith is an entrepreneur and investor working primarily in digital infrastructure, sustainability, and open source ecosystems. He was co-founder of a venture-backed startup (Packet) which was sold to Equinix in 2020. Previous career chapters include roles in nonprofit management, digital marketing, and as a performing classical musician. Originally from California, Jacob now lives with his family in Southern Vermont.

Failure on the Way to Success

podcast@storiesbureau.com (Stories Bureau) — Tue, 30 Apr 2024 09:00:00 -0400

Welcome to B2B Creatively! In our premiere episode, we tackle failure, a topic many marketers fear.

Failing is part of doing business, so we’re here to discuss failure on the way to success with Jeremy Balius, Managing Director of Filament. a digital marketing agency specializing in B2B tech businesses and vendor channel programs.

The hosts, Managing Director Alisa Manjarrez and Creative Director Kory Grushka of Stories Bureau, dissect why their previous attempts at starting a podcast were a bust and Jeremy delves into the challenges of planning and executing his podcast, B2B Tech Marketing Talks, which he launched in 2023.

Jeremy shares what to keep in mind when starting a podcast doesn’t go perfectly and the number one thing you should focus on when you need to bounce back from failure.

We also explore the evolution of B2B marketing and the shift towards creating meaningful connections and moments to drive engagement and loyalty.

What You’ll Learn:

What to keep in mind when starting a podcast doesn’t go perfectly
Why one podcast recording is the equivalent of five business dinners
How to create meaningful moments through podcasting
The number one thing you should focus on when you need to bounce back from failure

Mentioned in this Episode:

B2B Tech Marketing Talks Podcast

Jeremy’s Bio:

Jeremy Balius helps B2B tech companies go to market faster. He is the Managing Director and co-founder of Filament, a digital agency specializing in Go-to-Market strategy and partner marketing for B2B tech companies and vendor channel programs.

Over the last 17 years, Jeremy has worked with diverse companies to build and expand marketing frameworks, deploy demand gen and lead gen programs, enter new markets, unlock support from tech vendors, and increase market share.

Welcome to B2B Creatively

podcast@storiesbureau.com (Stories Bureau) — Wed, 17 Apr 2024 11:28:00 -0400

Join Stories Bureau Managing Director, Alisa Manjarrez, and Creative Director, Kory Grushka, in a show about all things B2B creative, from trends to best practices to amazing guests who dish their hard-earned industry secrets. If you're a marketer, you'll learn how to be more creative. And if you're a creative, we're going to make you more strategic.