Episode

6. Gee Ranasinha: Breaking Down the BS in Marketing

In this episode, Gee Ranasinha, CEO of KEXINO, critiques the current state of marketing, noting a focus on tactics over strategy and a misunderstanding of the marketing discipline.

Guests:
  • Gee Ranasinha

    Gee Ranasinha has over twenty years of experience in international marketing, sales, communications, and business development. Prior to founding KEXINO, Gee was Worldwide Director of Marketing for a software company for seven years that allowed him to meet many fascinating people, including Steve Jobs on two separate occasions.

    Today, he’s the CEO of KEXINO, a marketing agency of nineteen people that spans eight countries. KEXINO works with startups and small businesses in North America, Europe and Asia to better understand and deploy next-generation marketing, sales and communications capabilities within – and across – their organizations.

TLDL

Gee shares his background and experience and marketing spanning three decades and what inspired him to launch KEXINO, a next-generation marketing agency that works with startups and small businesses. He emphasizes that marketing is ultimately about selling products, not just increasing likes or followers, and critiques the current state of marketing, noting a focus on tactics over strategy and a misunderstanding of the marketing discipline. The two biggest takeaways: the value of individualism and the importance on building organizations that can accommodate wherever the future of marketing lies.

EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS

[1:20] Gee’s favorite brew

[2:12] What inspired Gee to start an agency focused on startups & SMBs

  • Working in marketing for nearly three decades
  • Building an agency centered around small business success
  • 16 years later, KEXINO has serviced over 400 startups and small businesses

[11:24] The current state of marketing and go-to strategies

  • Redefining the role of a marketer
  • Maximizing marketing beyond meeting revenue and profit goals
  • Learning how to understand what makes consumers tick

[31:41] Why it’s important for marketers to speak to customers

  • The element of ’emotional marketing’ and how it applies to B2B and B2C
  • Email, calling, and actually talking to customers
  • What makes a good marketer is a great listener

[40:43] Final thoughts and takeaways

  • Individualism is essential and it speaks far more to a person than a target audience
  • Focus on building organizations that can accommodate wherever the future of marketing lies

FOLLOW GEE

Follow Gee on LinkedIn
Visit KEXINO at www.kexino.com

FOLLOW PAT

Follow Pat on X @patbcooper
Follow Pat on LinkedIn

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