Elizabeth Shen, Marketing Manager for SEA & AEC at Kaspersky, shares her journey from sales to regional marketing leadership across Asia, bringing a strong commercial perspective to her work. In this interview, she explores how to build sales-aligned marketing, prioritise focus across diverse markets, align teams around clear objectives, and use AI thoughtfully to drive long-term impact beyond leads and conversions.

Welcome to the interview series, Elizabeth. Could you tell us more about your journey as a marketer?

My journey into marketing wasn’t a straight line. I actually started out as a sales representative, which shaped a lot of how I think about marketing today. Being on the front line taught me what really matters to customers and sales teams: clarity, relevance, and timing.

Over time, I transitioned into marketing and worked across different regions, including SEA, Greater China, India, and Japan. That shift gave me a broader perspective; I don’t see marketing as just campaigns or content, but as a commercial function that supports revenue growth. Having been on both sides has helped me anticipate needs better, communicate more clearly, and design marketing programs that sales teams actually want to use.

What does a successful marketing strategy look like for you beyond leads and conversions?

Leads and conversions are important, but to me, a successful marketing strategy goes beyond numbers. It’s about clarity of objectives, quality of engagement, and long-term impact.

I look at whether marketing is helping sales open doors, shorten conversations, and build credibility with customers. Success also means strong alignment with sales, consistent messaging across touchpoints, and programs that educate the market, not just generate demand. If marketing can influence pipeline quality, partner readiness, and brand trust, that’s when it’s truly working.

How do you prioritise markets and segments when budgets and resources are limited across regions?

When resources are limited, focus becomes critical. I prioritise based on business objectives, market maturity, and revenue potential, rather than spreading efforts too thin.

I strongly believe in moving away from broad-based approaches and instead focusing on clearly defined segments and named accounts. Understanding where sales are investing their time, which accounts have traction, and where partners are strong helps guide smarter decisions. Being clear and concise, both in strategy and execution, ensures that every dollar spent has a purpose.

What are the key factors that keep marketing aligned with sales and commercial goals as the business scales?

Alignment starts with listening. Regular conversations with sales teams, understanding their challenges, and being transparent about what marketing can (and cannot) do are essential.

Clear objectives, shared KPIs, and early involvement in planning cycles help keep both teams moving in the same direction. My sales background also helps; I always ask myself whether a campaign or activity would actually help a sales conversation. Anticipating needs and staying commercially grounded keeps marketing relevant as the business scales.

“Leads and conversions are important, but successful marketing goes beyond numbers to clarity of objectives, quality engagement, and long-term impact.”

Could you tell us about your most memorable moment or experience as a marketer?

Some of my most memorable moments come from working across emerging markets in Asia, where no two countries are the same. Currently working across Asia Emerging Countries has been especially challenging, but also incredibly rewarding.

What stands out most are the moments spent with partners: long discussions, problem-solving together, and learning how each market operates differently. Those experiences remind me that marketing isn’t just about execution; it’s about relationships, trust, and understanding people on the ground.

What cultural or market-specific nuances have been most critical when localising campaigns across regions?

One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned is that what works in one country may not work in another, even within the same region. Cultural context, decision-making styles, and market maturity all play a role.

In some markets, education and trust-building are key; in others, speed and efficiency matter more. Language, tone, and even channel preferences can differ significantly. Keeping an open mind, listening carefully to local teams and partners, and avoiding assumptions have been critical to successful localisation.

How can marketers leverage the power of AI in their marketing programs without becoming overly reliant on it?

AI is a powerful tool, especially for improving efficiency, insights, and content ideation. However, it should support human thinking, not replace it.

Marketers still need to define clear objectives, apply judgment, and understand their audience deeply. AI can help scale efforts, but strategy, creativity, and cultural sensitivity must remain human-led. Used thoughtfully, AI frees up time so marketers can focus on higher-value work, build stronger connections, and make more informed, strategic decisions.

What would be your advice to marketers starting their careers on building a strong foundation?

Start by understanding the business and the customer, not just the tools. Learn how sales works, ask questions, and don’t be afraid to get close to the commercial side of the organisation.

Always keep an open mind, listen more than you speak, and be clear and concise in how you communicate. Most importantly, have clear objectives. If you know why you’re doing something, the how becomes much easier to figure out, especially as complexity grows and priorities shift over time.

About Elizabeth Shen

Elizabeth Shen is a marketing expert passionate about building strategies that drive growth and resilience in the digital world. Beginning her career in sales, she brings a strong commercial mindset to marketing, shaped by frontline experience. Having worked across SEA, Greater China, India, and Japan, she focuses on turning complex ideas into clear, impactful programs that align closely with sales, support revenue growth, and deliver meaningful business outcomes through collaboration and purpose.

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Account-Based Marketing (ABM) is entering a new phase (ABM 2.0) where precision, personalization, and team alignment define successful B2B growth. As buying cycles grow more complex, marketing and sales can no longer operate in silos. ABM 2.0 integrates data, intent signals, and automation to identify high-value accounts and engage them with tailored, timely experiences. The real power of ABM 2.0 lies in seamless collaboration: shared insights, unified KPIs, and coordinated execution. This evolution enables companies to move from fragmented outreach to a synchronized, revenue-driven ABM approach that strengthens the B2B sales and marketing funnel, delivering stronger pipelines and measurable impact.

What is account-based marketing 2.0?

ABM 2.0 (Account-Based Marketing 2.0) is an evolutionary strategy that targets a carefully chosen set of high-value accounts by deeply aligning sales and marketing team efforts. It moves beyond traditional, siloed ABM by focusing on seamless collaboration (known as Smarketing) between the two departments, ensuring a cohesive and personalized customer journey.

A key differentiator is the extensive use of advanced technology and data analytics. This includes leveraging AI, machine learning, and intent data to gain deeper insights into customer behavior, allowing for precise targeting and timely, hyper-personalized campaigns tailored to specific decision-makers and their unique business challenges.

Furthermore, the ABM approach emphasizes scalability and continuous optimization based on real-time data and KPIs. The goal is to deliver highly relevant experiences that cut through generic B2B outreach, increase engagement, and foster long-term relationships with the most valuable accounts.

Why ABM 2.0 Matters for Modern B2B Growth

B2B Account-Based Marketing strategy has transformed how brands reach their target audience, focusing on high-value accounts with personalized campaigns. Yet, as digital ecosystems evolve, marketers need a more dynamic ABM approach. Account-based marketing strategy leverages real-time data to continuously optimize campaigns, ensuring relevance and impact.

Traditional ABM often relies on static campaigns, missing opportunities to respond to evolving account behaviors. ABM 2.0 changes that by integrating real-time insights, allowing marketers to adjust content generation, messaging, and targeting on the fly. This agility enhances personalization, as messages are tailored to prospects’ current needs, boosting engagement and strengthening connections. Real-time data also improves conversion rates, enabling teams to act quickly on emerging opportunities. Resource allocation becomes more efficient, as marketing efforts focus on the most promising accounts and strategies. To implement ABM 2.0 effectively, invest in real-time analytics tools, design agile campaigns with modular content, establish continuous monitoring, foster cross-functional collaboration between marketing, sales, and customer success, and automate wherever possible.

While managing data volume and ensuring marketing team alignment can be challenging, the rewards are significant. By embracing ABM 2.0, B2B marketers can deliver highly personalized, dynamic awareness campaigns that drive growth, maximize ROI, and keep them ahead in an increasingly competitive landscape.

Key Factors Shaping the Next Wave of ABM:

The next evolution of B2B account-based Marketing strategy is being shaped by rising buyer expectations, advancements in AI, and the demand for greater precision in B2B engagement. Modern buyers expect hyper-personalized, relevant interactions, and ABM 2.0 delivers this through intelligent, data-driven systems. This modern ABM strategy leverages AI-powered targeting at its core. Instead of relying on static firmographics, AI and predictive analytics analyze intent signals, behavioral patterns, and historical engagement to identify high-value accounts with real purchase potential. This enables smarter prioritization, closer sales–marketing alignment, and more efficient resource allocation.

Personalization also advances beyond surface-level account-based marketing tactics. Machine learning allows marketers to scale tailored messaging across industries, roles, and buying stages. Dynamic landing pages, automated email sequences, and personalized ads now adapt in real time based on account behavior and needs. Another key driver is unified data. ABM 2.0 breaks down organizational silos by connecting CRM, automation platforms, and customer success tools into a single, actionable intelligence layer. Centralized dashboards and real-time alerts keep teams aligned around account activity. Advanced measurement tools offer deeper insights into engagement, buying group behavior, and pipeline influence. This continuous optimization ensures ABM programs remain relevant, efficient, and revenue-focused.

What are the proven strategies for ABM 2.0?

ABM 2.0 elevates traditional account-based marketing and strengthens modern B2B marketing by combining precision targeting, real-time data, and scalable personalization. Its proven strategies follow a structured yet highly agile account-based marketing framework designed to move high-value accounts from awareness to revenue. These strategies form the foundation of a modern ABM strategy built for speed, relevance, and alignment.

• Identify: Start by building a high-intent target audience list using advanced identification tools. Move beyond static firmographics and incorporate signals such as product usage, intent data, buying behavior, and ecosystem relationships to ensure the accounts selected are truly primed for engagement.
• Attract: Use personalized advertising, tailored content, and multi-channel outreach to draw these accounts to your website. ABM 2.0 thrives on meeting stakeholders wherever they are, like on social platforms, in search, in communities, or in industry forums.
• Engage: Deliver meaningful, personalized experiences. Dynamic content, adaptive CTAs, and persona-specific messaging help ensure each interaction aligns with the buyer’s industry and stage in the journey.
• Convert: Translate engagement into a qualified pipeline. Execute account-based marketing campaigns directly through your marketing automation tools, streamline forms, and integrate real-time insights to improve lead quality and buying-group visibility.
• Close: Equip sales with deeper account intelligence. ABM 2.0 supports identifying key stakeholders, surfacing buying signals, and enabling highly personalized outreach to accelerate deal closure.
• Measure: Track both leading and lagging indicators, from engagement scores and MQAs to velocity, ACV, and win rates. This continuous optimization loop ensures your program improves with every interaction.

Across all stages, ABM 2.0 thrives when built on a modern account-based marketing framework supported by real-time analytics, modular campaign design, continuous monitoring, cross-functional collaboration, and automation. Together, these elements empower B2B teams to scale relevance, efficiency, and revenue impact.

Conclusion

ABM 2.0 marks a pivotal shift in how B2B organizations drive growth and how B2B marketing functions operate in a data-driven world. By unifying sales, marketing, and customer success around shared insights, real-time signals, and coordinated execution, companies can create more relevant experiences that accelerate revenue. AI, automation, and unified data ecosystems make it possible to scale personalization and continuously optimize performance. As buying journeys grow more complex and competitive pressure intensifies, ABM 2.0 offers a smarter, more aligned, and more efficient path to engaging high-value accounts and delivering measurable, revenue-focused impact.

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