Courtney Brown Warren of Kickstarter: Reigniting Kickstarter to Exponential Growth

In this episode of CMO Weekly, host Hayley Clover and guest co-host Carlo Palomino, President of Open Fortune, sit down with Courtney Brown Warren, the Chief Marketing Officer at Kickstarter. Courtney shares her incredible journey from a graphic designer to a multi-industry marketing leader, with a career spanning L'Oreal, Time Inc., Madison Square Garden, Audible, and Twitter.Courtney discusses her core marketing philosophy, which centers on brand storytelling and understanding the "why" behind consumer behavior to create "fandom". She believes a great marketer combines "art and science" to thread the needle and tell a compelling story that makes people care.The episode delves into the challenge and excitement of reigniting the Kickstarter brand. Courtney explains the platform's B2B2C model, where creators are the businesses and backers are the consumers. She reveals the strategies behind Kickstarter's explosive growth in 2023, including a 482% increase in social growth and a 1,300% spike in YouTube subscribers. This success is attributed to telling good stories, strong SEO, and amplifying content from creators.Courtney also talks about Kickstarter's evolution from a platform for creative arts to a "launch platform" for a wide range of categories, including design, technology, games, and comics. She highlights the importance of strategic partnerships, such as one with Tubi, to provide creators with distribution opportunities beyond just funding. As a leader, she sees herself as an "orchestrator," trusting her talented team to execute the marketing and outreach strategies that align with company goals.This episode is a masterclass in modern marketing, brand leadership, and leveraging community to drive exponential growth.#cmoweekly #podcast #marketing #podcastinterview #kickstarter