Kate Campbell has spent her whole career on the agency and startup side of marketing. She started at Topaz Partners, then spent a decade at PAN Communications, watching it grow from about 45 people in Andover to five offices and roughly 150 people, with a stint living in San Francisco along the way. When one of her favorite clients spun out after an Oracle acquisition and formed York IE, they asked her to join, and she started there from her living room during the pandemic with a 14 month old at her feet.
At the time of this recording, York IE was a strategic investment firm in Manchester, New Hampshire that also ran an advisory practice for startups across go to market, finance and product, with about 140 employees and roughly 100 startups in its orbit. Kate led marketing communications there. In this episode of The PR Bunker Podcast, she and Don talk about what she calls drumbeat marketing, how AI fits into the work, and the North Shore's obsession with roast beef. They also go back to how they met, which involved Don's oil tank and Kate's dad, Big Jim.
A few takeaways from the conversation:
Kate's version of drumbeat marketing starts with a strong message that says why a company exists and how it's different, because slapping AI on a startup just makes it sound like everyone else. Then comes the discipline of saying it every day on LinkedIn, through partners and in long term content. She compared it to Don's run for office, where he came about 800 votes short, and said a message only starts landing with an audience once you're tired of hearing yourself say it.
Kate remembered cutting Boston Globe clips into a physical clipbook for Pegasystems around 2010, when the win was how loud the book thudded on the table. Nobody cuts clips now, and she sees AI the same way: a tool you'd be foolish not to use that still doesn't replace the analysis and the point of view you bring. If everyone writes the same machine copy, she said, nobody will read it.
The shift Kate noticed that year was companies pushing their own leaders to be out front telling the story, rather than leaning on the old SaaS playbook of gated ebooks. She was also pushing herself out of her comfort zone with a podcast of her own and a series spotlighting other marketers, and running a monthly Zoom where marketing leaders swap notes on doing more with less.
Kate invited listeners to connect with her on LinkedIn under Kate Campbell or Caitlyn Campbell and to learn more about York IE at york.ie.
Listen to the full episode above.
Reading is the hello. SBGA is where we get to yes.
What is drumbeat marketing?
It's the approach Kate Campbell described for budget conscious startups. You start with a clear story about why the company is different, then show up consistently every day through content, LinkedIn and partners so the brand builds over time.
What did York IE do at the time of this episode?
Kate described York IE as a strategic investment firm based in Manchester, New Hampshire that invested in early stage startups and also ran an advisory services practice covering go to market strategy, finance and product development.
How did Kate Campbell think about AI in marketing?
She saw AI as a tool that makes the job faster and catches things you might miss, but not a replacement for analysis or a unique point of view. Content that sounds like everyone else's won't get read.
Have a project, campaign, or comms challenge in mind?
Want to be a guest on the PR Bunker podcast?
Reach out and let’s talk.
