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  1. The Dave Gerhardt Show (from Exit Five)
  2. How to Build a Brand in B2B with Ryan Narod (VP of Marketing at Rippling)
How to Build a Brand in B2B with Ryan Narod (VP of Marketing at Rippling)

How to Build a Brand in B2B with Ryan Narod (VP of Marketing at Rippling)

The Dave Gerhardt Show (from Exit Five) · Feb 17, 2026

Rippling's VP of Marketing, Ryan Narod, reveals how they build a B2B brand by shifting from pure growth tactics to human-first, creative campaigns.

Rippling's Content Flywheel Turns a Single Interview into Multiple Marketing Assets

Rippling employs an efficient content repurposing model they call a "flywheel." They start with a single podcast-style interview, then systematically transform it into written articles, short-form videos, and lead-generating webinars. This maximizes the value and reach of each core piece of content across different formats and channels.

How to Build a Brand in B2B with Ryan Narod (VP of Marketing at Rippling) thumbnail

How to Build a Brand in B2B with Ryan Narod (VP of Marketing at Rippling)

The Dave Gerhardt Show (from Exit Five)·3 days ago

Rippling Uses Creative Brand Ads to Increase Down-Funnel Conversion Rates

Rippling doesn't measure brand campaigns on direct-response metrics. Instead, creative top-of-funnel ads are designed to "implant a seed" of brand awareness. Success is measured by how these campaigns increase the efficiency and conversion rate of subsequent mid- and bottom-funnel ads shown to the same audience.

How to Build a Brand in B2B with Ryan Narod (VP of Marketing at Rippling) thumbnail

How to Build a Brand in B2B with Ryan Narod (VP of Marketing at Rippling)

The Dave Gerhardt Show (from Exit Five)·3 days ago

Rippling Prioritizes Persona-Specific Stories Over a Single Generic Corporate Narrative

Instead of forcing a vague, high-level corporate story, Rippling focuses on building distinct, powerful narratives for each core buyer persona (HR, Finance, IT). This allows for more resonant messaging and avoids the generic "transform your business" trap, even as the overarching company story remains a work in progress.

How to Build a Brand in B2B with Ryan Narod (VP of Marketing at Rippling) thumbnail

How to Build a Brand in B2B with Ryan Narod (VP of Marketing at Rippling)

The Dave Gerhardt Show (from Exit Five)·3 days ago

Rippling's Social Media Manager Acts as an Internal Creative Partner, Not a Post Scheduler

At Rippling, the social media role is elevated from a simple scheduler to a strategic creative partner. This person acts as a "gatekeeper" for quality, collaborating with various internal teams to transform their requests (e.g., for a webinar promo) into engaging, high-performing content that fits the brand's human-first voice.

How to Build a Brand in B2B with Ryan Narod (VP of Marketing at Rippling) thumbnail

How to Build a Brand in B2B with Ryan Narod (VP of Marketing at Rippling)

The Dave Gerhardt Show (from Exit Five)·3 days ago

Rippling's Content Philosophy: Every Creative Asset Is Fuel for the Paid Advertising Engine

At Rippling, content creation is not a standalone, organic-only activity. The core philosophy is that almost every piece of creative, from humorous videos to customer stories, is ultimately designed to be used as fuel for their paid media engine. This ensures that brand-building efforts are maximized for reach and have a measurable pathway to impact.

How to Build a Brand in B2B with Ryan Narod (VP of Marketing at Rippling) thumbnail

How to Build a Brand in B2B with Ryan Narod (VP of Marketing at Rippling)

The Dave Gerhardt Show (from Exit Five)·3 days ago

A Marketing VP's Job Is to Be a General Manager, Not an Expert in Every Tactic

Rippling's VP of Marketing views his role not as a deep specialist in every marketing discipline, but as a "general manager." This founder-like mindset focuses on asking intelligent questions, maintaining a high standard of excellence, and managing diverse teams (product, events, content) effectively, rather than mastering each individual skill.

How to Build a Brand in B2B with Ryan Narod (VP of Marketing at Rippling) thumbnail

How to Build a Brand in B2B with Ryan Narod (VP of Marketing at Rippling)

The Dave Gerhardt Show (from Exit Five)·3 days ago

Rippling's Brand Strategy Replaced 'Corporate Voice' with 'Human Faces' to Build Trust

Ryan Narod shifted Rippling's content from generic, corporate-authored posts to interviews and videos featuring real people. This "human-first" approach, which included hiring people comfortable on camera, was designed to build trust and make the brand more relatable, counterbalancing its strong but impersonal growth marketing engine.

How to Build a Brand in B2B with Ryan Narod (VP of Marketing at Rippling) thumbnail

How to Build a Brand in B2B with Ryan Narod (VP of Marketing at Rippling)

The Dave Gerhardt Show (from Exit Five)·3 days ago

Rippling Finds Lo-Fi iPhone Videos Often Outperform High-Budget Brand Productions

Rippling's marketing team discovered that expensive, high-production content doesn't always deliver better results. Scrappy, low-cost assets like iPhone-shot videos often perform just as well because their authenticity is more effective at stopping the scroll. This validates a lean, iterative approach to content creation, regardless of budget size.

How to Build a Brand in B2B with Ryan Narod (VP of Marketing at Rippling) thumbnail

How to Build a Brand in B2B with Ryan Narod (VP of Marketing at Rippling)

The Dave Gerhardt Show (from Exit Five)·3 days ago