What’s the Essence of Marketing? Marcus Samuelsson Has the Answer

In a world of fast-moving trends and new tech tools, it's easy for marketing teams to get caught up in the thrill of the new — without stopping to ask if they're doing the right things.

That’s exactly why we invited Marcus Samuelsson, Head of Campaigns and Internationalization at Atoss, to join us on the Brightvision podcast. And his message is clear: at the heart of great marketing is a clear, meaningful value proposition. Read on to hear what he has to say. 

“If the value proposition isn’t clear, nothing else matters — not the tactics, not the tools, not even the creative.”
– Marcus Samuelsson

The Principles of Practical Marketing

During our conversation, Marcus shared a framework that helps teams refocus on what really moves the needle. Here are three of his core principles — along with ideas you can apply today:

1. Start with value. Always.

Marketing isn’t about features or channels. It’s about helping people solve a problem or achieve something that matters to them.

Tip: Talk less about what your product does. Talk more about what your audience can do with it.

2. Sequence matters.

A great idea launched in the wrong order can still fail. Marcus reminds us that real impact comes from following a simple, structured process:
Market research → Segmentation → Value proposition → Strategy → Tactics

Tip: If you're struggling with performance, look upstream. Are you clear on your audience and the specific value you offer them?

3. Prioritize ruthlessly.

Trying to do it all usually means doing none of it well. Instead, choose a few goals — and give them the attention they deserve.

Tip: Stick to three strategic objectives per year. Anything more and effectiveness tends to drop off.

Want More?

In the full episode, Marcus also dives into:

• The Klarna story: how one simple word became the foundation for a global brand
• A last-minute campaign pivot that filled an empty event — by asking one better question
• Why “jobs-to-be-done” is the segmentation lens B2B marketers can’t afford to ignore

Listen to the full episode here. 

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If you would like to learn more about Marcus go check out his LinkedIn Profile here. You can also listen to the full podcast session here. As referenced by Marcus in the podcast interview, here is an inspiring video by Julian Cole as well as a very useful article, about how to create a compelling value proposition which you can find here. 

Would you like to learn more about Brightvision and how we work as an agency? If you are a B2B tech company and need support with ABM, marketing, lead generation and sales, book a meeting and we can chat!