Dave Koerner - 75F

Dave Koerner is an award-winning marketing leader with a background in international business development and building revenue-based marketing teams. 

He has traveled to 50 US states and 53 countries, and his natural habitat consists of early to mid-stage tech companies or challenger brands.

Dave is the VP of Global Marketing at 75F -- the global market leader in building automation. The company is based in Minneapolis, backed by Bill Gates, and uses smart sensors and wireless controls to create an energy autopilot for commercial building HVAC. 

In this episode:

We delve into Dave’s unique journey through entrepreneurship, sales, and his pivotal role in marketing, particularly at 75F, a company at the forefront of building automation technology. 

Dave narrates his "three miracles" journey, beginning with a childhood passion for entrepreneurship that stood out in his family, transitioning into a successful sales career where he leveraged his experiences to excel in non-traditional environments, and finally venturing into the marketing world. At 75F, he focuses on innovative strategies for promoting energy efficiency and comfort in buildings through smart technology, despite being a challenger brand in a market dominated by skepticism towards climate change and green technologies.

Throughout the conversation, Dave discusses the challenges and strategies of marketing in the B2B sector, emphasizing the importance of being local, leveraging asymmetry against bigger competitors, and the creative utilization of video content and events to differentiate 75F. He stresses the significance of sales enablement, supporting sales teams, and the need for marketing strategies that are not just unique, but also directly counter what large competitors are doing. Dave also touches on the future of marketing, highlighting the critical need for authenticity and trust in an era where consumer skepticism is increasingly prevalent.

Dave’s insights into marketing and business development are deep and varied, offering several key takeaways for marketers and business leaders:

• The importance of empathy in understanding the challenges faced by CEOs, founders, and sales teams.
• The strategic advantage of being a challenger brand through localization, asymmetry, and innovative marketing channels.
• The crucial role of trust and authenticity in building a successful brand amidst growing consumer skepticism.
• The need for businesses to adapt and innovate in response to emerging technologies and changing consumer expectations.

His emphasis on authenticity, innovation, and strategic differentiation offers a roadmap for building impactful, trusted brands in an increasingly skeptical world.