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The CMO investment challenge

From Pre-seed to series-C, investors want to see start-ups use their funding to market effectively. The Rubicon Agency can help.

Changing marketing priorities from seed to C

There is no one right way to do b2b or b2c tech marketing for Start-ups. It depends on your business model, your go-to-market strategy and your company’s maturity.  In your pre seed phase, you need a flexible, lightweight branding, marketing and communications framework built around your founders’ vision. As your Start-up evolves through series A, B and C, these frameworks need to change with you.  Do too little and you won’t convince customers or investors. Invest too much too soon in a fully developed operating model and you create a straitjacket for your still-growing company. 

The Rubicon Agency works closely with start-ups to develop the optimal brand, marketing and communications strategy to suit your maturity and hit your growth path and funding goals. Our specialist technology marketing agency expertise is ready for the ambitious Start-up – wherever they are on their funding journey.

As a CMO, you face 3 marketing vectors

All need to be underpinned by a mesh of technologies and platforms for control, optimisation and scale 

Create a highimpact visual and verbal brand expression that’s right for your business and audience but is flexible enough to let you evolve and grow.

Give your sales and channel management teams the enablement tools and demand campaigns they need to hit the targets for your next funding stage.

Use targeted communications to elevate and amplify your message to grab the attention of potential customers, partners, influencers and investors.

The marketing investment maturity path

At all stages of the Start-up funding journey, the marketing agendas within each vector will differ as goals become bigger, braver and more audacious.

The CMO investment challenge is to recognise the pivots required in the run-up to each raise of the fundraising journey – then to convince investors on the ‘must-haves’ for the next stage. This is not straightforward. The strategy and tactics required to deliver effective thought leadership, social marketing, product marketing, events and sales enablement and other disciplines differ massively at each stage. Shrewd decision making on these factors — together with the plethora of competing input demands on the modern CMO – make this an extremely tough task.

We call this the marketing investment maturity path. Discover how to navigate the start-up journey to funding and growth success, in our infographic below. Understand the agendas — and plan consciously for your next step.

View infographic

Your trusted partner, from start-up to success

The Rubicon Agency is a specialist tech marketing agency. For over two decades we’ve worked with some of the world’s tech giants — and some of the most exciting tech Startups.  How can we help you?

Build consistent, flexible, visually compelling brand identities.

Position your product or service for maximum brand growth.

Create convincing communications and choose the right channels.

Develop the right growth-marketing strategy to generate demand, fast.

When you work with The Rubicon Agency, we’ll help you build the b2b or b2c marketing presence and perception you need to win customers and convince investors at every stage of the Start-up journey.  

Talk to us

Seeding our thoughts

How to wow VCs with the right start-up marketing strategy

Why is the task of the start-up CMO so complex and challenging and why do so many agencies misunderstand start-ups?

This is the path to series-A marketing and growth success

What are the two challenges that cause CMOs the most trouble going from seed to series A? We tell all.

This secret gives the best series-B CMOs the edge

Moving from Series A to B challenges the marketing team. Learn how to turn pressure into opportunity.

Series-C CMOs who hit their growth goals all know this

Now your marketing strategy has to evolve fast. How can you do it and get the right result but avoid the series-B pitfalls?

Our seed to series C success stories

Prevedere

With a refreshed brand-identity, positioning, refined and targeted messaging and a break-out campaign, The Rubicon Agency used its b2b tech marketing expertise to help AI-driven enterprise planning specialists Prevedere achieve its post series-B goals.

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SmartHarvest

Cleantech firm SmartHarvest needed help to show how its technology delivered benefits across the supply chain. Through a brand, content and events campaign, The Rubicon Agency applied its tech marketing agency insights to it navigate the path from pre-seed to series-A.

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WorkBuzz

Employee-listening platform WorkBuzz helps companies capture workforce sentiment and improve employee experience. With pre- and post- series-A campaigns and deep b2b tech marketing insights, The Rubicon Agency helped optimise its pitch to enterprise and investors.

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Nextira

With a rebrand, elevated messaging stack and a powerful visual identity, The Rubicon Agency helped Nextira package its outputs into new products, demonstrate category leadership, then achieve series-B funding and a sale. All from great b2b tech marketing!

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How do we create a proposal for you?

Let’s chat so we can quickly shape an approach that fits your marketing agenda.