In this episode, Dave sits down with Melton Littlepage, CMO at 1Password, to discuss how he’s transforming a well-known consumer brand into a B2B category leader in cybersecurity. With decades of experience in SaaS marketing, Melton shares insights on category creation, demand generation, and the intersection of brand and product marketing—and why being the leader in your space matters more than perfect attribution.

Dave and Melton cover:

Why category leadership is critical and how to position your company as #1
How enterprise marketing, brand-building, and demand gen work together to drive growth
How 1Password is expanding beyond password management to create a new category

Timestamps

(00:00) - – Intro to Melton
(06:15) - – The evolution of marketing from demand gen to category creation
(09:24) - – The balance between data-driven marketing and brand-building
(10:58) - – Why attribution alone won’t make your company “hot”
(11:31) - – The importance of category leadership and market perception
(13:43) - – How 1Password is shifting from password management to Extended Access Management (XAM)
(16:07) - – How COVID changed the cybersecurity landscape
(18:20) - – Why legacy security tools aren’t enough for modern businesses
(20:50) - – The role of category creation in defining 1Password’s future
(22:05) - – Naming and positioning a new category (Extended Access Management)
(23:44) - – The risks and rewards of category creation vs. competing in an existing space
(25:48) - – Why CISOs are hesitant to be early adopters—and how to shift buyer perception
(29:20) - – The strategy behind creating demand for a new category
(31:17) - – Lightning strike moments and big brand plays for category awareness
(33:56) - – Structuring a marketing team to support both enterprise and self-service growth
(37:50) - – Balancing B2B and consumer marketing
(41:15) - – Why 1Password invested in sports sponsorships
(44:12) - – The power of emotional marketing and brand trust in enterprise sales
(46:59) - – Thought leadership and analyst relations in shaping a category
(48:21) - – Final takeaways

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Category Creation and Market Leadership with the CMO of 1Password, Melton Littlepage

The Exit Five CMO Podcast (Hosted by Dave Gerhardt)