Digital transformation is no longer just a buzzword but a critical business imperative. In such an era, Netapp has emerged as one of the key players in helping organisations navigate the complexities of data management and cloud integration. As the company refines its brand narrative and strengthens its global partnerships with industry giants like AWS and Google Cloud, it faces unique challenges and opportunities, especially in diverse and price-sensitive markets like India.
In a conversation NetApp’s Gabie Boko talks to BrandWagon Online, about the company’s marketing strategy—how it transcends traditional lead generation, the rationale behind its redefined brand identity as an, ‘intelligent data infrastructure company’,and the evolving landscape of digital marketing in light of recent industry shifts, such as Google’s phase-out of third-party cookies. She further spoke on how NetApp balances targeted demand with strategic influence and how it plans to further its impact in the dynamic Indian market. (Edited excerpts)
In light of NetApp’s significant digital transformation efforts, how do you define marketing within your organisation? Beyond traditional lead generation, what role does marketing play in your strategy, especially considering that B2B companies often have different approaches compared to B2C companies, which might focus on large-scale digital and TV campaigns?
Our approach to marketing goes beyond traditional lead generation. First and foremost, it’s about crafting a collaborative vision that revolves around our brand narrative, rather than just running brand campaigns. We work closely with our product and executive teams to define who we are and what our brand narrative should be. This narrative then aligns with our company goals and product roadmap, making it a central part of our overall strategy. We focus on two main areas for demand generation: strategic demand and targeted demand. Strategic demand involves owning key topics in the market, like AI, security, and cloud, which are crucial to our company strategy. We strategically advance these topics through various means, such as sponsorships, paid search, and partnerships. Targeted demand, on the other hand, is more focused on leveraging Account-Based Marketing (ABM), digital channels, and field marketing to drive specific product offers. Both strategic and targeted demand are heavily supported by digital marketing, which is integral to our efforts.
Lastly, communication plays a crucial role. This includes public relations, analyst relations, and internal communications. We prioritise keeping our employees engaged and informed, as they are our best brand ambassadors. Effective communication also supports our thought leadership initiatives and ensures we’re consistently aligned with our brand narrative. Overall, our marketing strategy is about integrating these elements to drive our company forward and effectively engage with our audience.
You mentioned that NetApp’s marketing strategy revolves around a strong brand narrative. Could you elaborate on what your brand narrative entails? Additionally, considering the competitive landscape in India, where several companies have already established themselves in cloud and other business solutions, how does NetApp’s offering differentiate itself from these competitors?
Over the past 18 months, we’ve really refined our brand narrative. We found ourselves in a situation where our brand was becoming what I like to call a ‘brand of commas.’ Every time we added something new to our portfolio, we just tacked on another comma, and the list kept growing. We’re deeply involved in the cloud space, and we’re the only company in our storage and data infrastructure space that’s closely partnered with all three major hyperscalers—Google Cloud, Microsoft Azure, and AWS. However, we realised that this message was a bit too advanced for where our customers and markets were at the time, especially in different geographic regions. So, we took a step back and redefined our narrative. Now, we’re positioning ourselves as an ‘intelligent data infrastructure company.’ This was a deliberate choice because we see data as central to everything we do—every strategic decision, product development, and partnership revolves around advancing, protecting, and supporting our customers’ data. While we are still in the storage space, we’ve expanded our focus to include both on-premises and cloud infrastructure. This allows us to tell a more comprehensive story that connects our legacy in storage with our ongoing cloud initiatives.
When it comes to AI, we didn’t want to just jump on the bandwagon with a generic AI label. Instead, we’re approaching it through the lens of intelligence—bringing intelligence to data, to infrastructure, and to our overall strategy. That’s why we’re calling ourselves an ‘intelligent data infrastructure company.’ It’s a more thoughtful approach that resonates with our customers. They feel like we’ve listened to their needs, and our partners see it as something they can build on and sell, which is crucial for our future growth. This new narrative has been well-received globally. While there’s still work to do in certain regions like Japan and Saudi Arabia, we’ve found that it resonates well across different markets. Interestingly, India is one of the places where it’s working particularly well, which is encouraging as we continue to evolve our brand.
I’ve been reading about your partnerships with companies like AWS and Google Cloud. Given the price-sensitive nature of the Indian market, what challenges do you face when trying to push digital transformation here? Many companies in India seem to approach digital transformation in a piecemeal fashion due to cost concerns.
Starting with the first part of your question, our primary goal at NetApp is to focus on the customer first. When we partner with hyperscalers like AWS and Google Cloud, it’s less about aligning with their broader business models and more about how we can enhance their cloud offerings for our customers. For example, many customers entering the cloud may not fully grasp the cost implications, and that’s where NetApp comes in. We offer manageability solutions that provide flexibility and cost efficiency, helping them navigate the cloud in the right way. Whether they want their data on-premise or in the cloud, we support them in making those decisions—especially when dealing with workloads that require specific attention. In the context of India, the market is still in the early stages of fully embracing the cloud. Cost is a significant factor, and we’re continuously adapting our approach to meet the unique needs of this market. We’re making progress, but it’s an ongoing process of listening to our customers and refining our strategies.
Secondly, with Google’s recent announcement on the phase-out of third-party cookies, and considering the significant investments made in CDPs, DMPs, and related tech stacks over the last few years, how does this shift impact a company like yours? What challenges do you foresee in adapting to these changes?
Now, regarding the second part of your question on Google’s decision to phase out third-party cookies, this is something that affects every marketer. We’ve all invested heavily in cookies over the years, knowing this change was coming, but it still alters how we approach customer acquisition and engagement. Fortunately, we’re not in the middle of a digital-only environment like during COVID, which would have made this shift even more challenging. However, we’re exploring alternatives, like focusing on physical events and partnering to gather more data to reduce our reliance on cookies. The full impact of Google’s decision is still unfolding, and like any digital journey, it’s something we’ll need to adapt to and learn from as we move forward.
You mentioned that you approach marketing in two ways: targeted demand and thought leadership. How does this split look in the Indian market? Is there a specific ratio you follow between strategic and targeted efforts, or do you rely more on a hunch when making these decisions?
Right now, the split is heavily focused on targeted efforts, especially field marketing and driving revenue. It’s still relatively small, but one of the reasons I’m here is to assess the market and the opportunities more closely. I’m speaking with partners and the team to determine how much more strategic influence is needed—whether that’s brand awareness or thought leadership on key topics.
What’s really exciting is that India has some significant topics emerging, like ‘Make in India,’ sustainability, and AI. India has turned a corner for us, where we need to be influencing not just the customers here, but also the global companies that do business here. They’re going to take those insights back to their central locations. So, I anticipate the mix will shift from about 80/20 to something closer to 60 for strategic efforts and 40 for targeted efforts, allowing us to elevate the conversation and ensure that people more readily identify us with these important topics as India continues to grow.
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