Donuts & Product Launches: Orum's Unconventional Event Strategy

In this episode of Marketing Front Lines, we speak with Bryan McCarty, Director of Product and Product Marketing at Orum. Bryan shares how his background in the punk rock scene shaped his DIY marketing ethos and unpacks Orum's innovative event strategy that's setting them apart in the FinTech space. A veteran of the FinTech world since 2011, Bryan discusses his philosophy that "your work's not done until you tell the world about it," and reveals the strategic playbook that's helped Orum stand out at major industry events through experiential marketing and perfect launch timing.

Topics Discussed:

• Orchestrating product launches to strategically precede major industry events
• Creating memorable experiential marketing moments that buck conventional event strategies
• The blurred lines between product and product marketing responsibilities
• Balancing technical documentation as part of the overall product experience
• Rethinking thought leadership content in an AI-driven search landscape
• Leveraging social media to build authentic product narratives

 

Lessons For B2B Tech Marketers:

• Time Your Product Launches Strategically Before Major Events: Orum launches products 2-3 weeks before major FinTech conferences, creating awareness that pays off when prospects arrive at the event. By the time attendees show up, they've already seen Orum's product announcements in their feeds and arrive with context and curiosity. This approach "expedites the conversation" and sets them apart from competitors who launch during the event when everyone is fighting for attention.
• Create Experiential Marketing That Offers Relief From Conference Chaos: Rather than another noisy booth, Orum takes over a donut shop near major FinTech events, transforming it into an Orum-branded space. The key difference: their sales team is explicitly instructed not to pitch inside the space. Instead, it serves as a respite from the conference, allowing meaningful connections while giving attendees "a moment to decompress." This approach has created such buzz that attendees now actively seek them out asking, "Are you doing the donuts again?"
• Develop A Master Brand Framework That Keeps Everyone Aligned: Orum uses a comprehensive master brand framework that goes beyond typical messaging documents. Every employee has it as desktop wallpaper, ensuring alignment on messaging. More importantly, they use it as a product development filter - when building new features, they evaluate whether it ties back to their core pillars. This creates a powerful feedback loop where marketing and product development stay in lockstep.
• Cross-Pollinate Between Technical And Marketing Teams: Product marketers should immerse themselves in engineering culture by attending standups and technical meetings. Bryan credits much of his career success to being "forced to learn things and ask questions" in technical environments, leading to more effective collaboration when building and launching products. This cross-functional knowledge pays "tenfold dividends" when collaborating on launches.
• Rethink "Thought Leadership" Content Strategy In The AI Era: Traditional SEO and keyword-focused "industry knowledge" content is "going through the ringer" with the rise of AI search tools. Bryan notes that Orum has moved away from generic thought leadership content that wasn't providing value. As users shift from Google to AI assistants for information, B2B marketers need to reconsider how they approach content that's traditionally been designed to capture search traffic.
• Build In Public With Authentic Product Updates: Bryan admires how companies like Pylon effectively show their product development journey through consistent social posts featuring GIFs and videos of platform updates. This approach makes followers feel like they're "in the room" as features are shipped, creating an authentic connection to the product development process. The slightly raw, unpolished nature of these updates adds to their authenticity and effectiveness.

 

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