BtoB's Best Marketers

Susan Bostrom, EVP-CMO, global policy and government affairs at Cisco Systems, has made it a priority to align the $40 billion networking giant's marketing strategy to its expansive business strategy. In addition to selling its core routing and switching products to the enterprise, service provider and small-business markets, Cisco has moved into "market-adjacent" businesses such as virtual conferencing and physical security, and Bostrom has mirrored that expansion with an ambitious and forward-looking marketing strategy. In late September, the company rolled out the latest iteration of the campaign "Together, We Are the Human Network," demonstrating across all segments how video can bring people together. Cisco talked to customers and determined that in a world of constant communication, people feel connected but not always engaged.