Declan Mulkeen (strategicabm) – So today I'm joined by Heather Adkins, who's the Managing Director, Marketing Growth and Strategy, at KPMG US. Heather, thanks so much for joining us today.
Heather Adkins (KPMG) – Absolutely! Thanks for having me, Dec.
Declan Mulkeen (strategicabm) – Well look, we've been chasing each other back and forth, and hoping, you know, trying to organize this. I'm delighted that you could come on the show to talk about ABM, to talk about KPMG, and talk a little bit about – which I think we'll touch on as well – the future of ABM. And we'll probably even mention the letters A and I – artificial intelligence – I'm sure as well on this, on this episode.
So let's kick off with a question about KPMG. And there was a number that you gave me when we were chatting prior to the recording. I kind of, you know, I wrote it down. I thought, Wow! Is… ? My understanding is, you run a team there of 160 marketers of which 50 approx are ABMers. So an ABM team of 50, which is probably one of the biggest ABM teams globally.
Be interesting to see your thoughts on that. Could you give us a little bit of a background about, you know, how ABM plays a key role in the growth strategy of KPMG? And a little bit about how ABM is structured across the organization?
Heather Adkins (KPMG) – Yeah, most certainly. And I would take it higher, you know, a level higher than that. At KPMG, we all focus on accounts across every part of the firm. All functions, all go-to-market teams, Sales, Marketing – you name it – it's embedded everywhere.
And it's definitely a major part of our growth strategy. We know that in order to grow and steal share of wallet from competitors, which is what we all want to do, right? We have to swarm our accounts with experiences that are relevant to them.
Being in professional services, we don't make products, but rather we sell our people's ideas. And so, you know, brand relevancy at the sector level and then also at the account level is very critical to our success. You know, elevating our people as thought leaders in their space and being able to activate the insights that they provide at the account level is also a very important part of our strategy.
So, in Marketing, we're really just following suit with the business, in the way that we focus on accounts, right? It's deeply integrated and it's where we make a lot of investment. So, you know, mentioning the org of 160 marketers strong, so yes, over 50 of those marketers solely focus on ABM across our four account tiers. And they're aligned across, you know, the typical kind of One-to-one, One-to-few, One-to-many ABM approach.
Our Sales organization is also structured that way, and we definitely approach the way that we cover accounts in a unified front, as with any successful ABM program, right? Collaboration with Sales is critical. So, we really have this intense focus and are working towards common goals with synchronized efforts. You know – regular meetings, joint planning sessions, the way we look at success together and measure success together.
And most importantly, across Sales and Marketing, we have joint insights and we're continuously kind of exchanging insights.
Declan Mulkeen (strategicabm) – Hmm.
Heather Adkins (KPMG) – So we have this common understanding of the client, and how we should best serve the client. I think another thing worth mentioning is that we do go to market by sector.
So, when I joined the firm, I fully integrated the Industry Marketing and Account-based Marketing teams, and they're all aligned by sector. And what this does for us is that you have, you know, a sector marketer who looks at the macro trends, the emerging themes; they work directly with sector subject matter experts and really help to develop our points of view and thought leadership.
We also run marquee sector marketing programs, sponsorships, events… and then you have the Account-based marketers, who are covering accounts that are in that sector who work very closely with them, right? So, the Account-based marketers are closest to the client, they understand what's actually resonating or not resonating with the client, and then they can help inform content that's being developed.
So having those two teams super close together in the same reporting line has really been a game-changer for us, because they're able to come together kind of early enough, often enough, through sector communities, a collaboration framework we stood up, to come together to co-create strategy.
Declan Mulkeen (strategicabm) – Hmm.
Heather Adkins (KPMG) – So whatever we're developing from, you know, a global perspective, national perspective...we want it to resonate with our top accounts. There still needs to be personalization, but if we're pulling in a lot of those client insights, you know, sector insights, insights from the Account-based marketers that are closest to the client, we should be able to get it at least 80% of the way there. So that's really how our team is structured and how we approach Account-based Marketing.
Declan Mulkeen (strategicabm) – Wow! There's an awful lot to unpack there! That was quite a, erm, a Massachusetts Institute of Technology 'How to Do ABM at a Large Corporate'!
I just wanted to – I made a few notes – so I just wanted to play them back to you and to the audience, really. I think there's some amazing things. Did you say to 'swarm' the account?
Heather Adkins (KPMG) – Yes!
Declan Mulkeen (strategicabm) – That was… I love that expression! 'Swarm the account'. And also love the thing you said there about you sell people's ideas.
Heather Adkins (KPMG) – Yep.
Declan Mulkeen (strategicabm) – And, you know, I think you were saying about it's so important for your thought leaders and for the individuals within the consultancy, such as KPMG, to be sector experts and industry experts, and account experts. Which is a really interesting thing you were saying, because I'm guessing we might move on to that shortly, but…
Heather Adkins (KPMG) – Yeah.
Declan Mulkeen (strategicabm) – … some of your accounts, some of your customers, are very, very large companies, clearly many of them are very large. And equally, their value to you is significant. So these are large accounts where they're investing significantly with yourselves and working in partnership. So that sector, industry and people expertise, company expertise, is huge.
And I love this thing you said – whenever anyone mentions that, I love – is 'closest': Your Account-based marketers are closest to the clients. And I think that's a sign of success of a great ABMer, is when they're very aligned with the Sales people and very close, and they're on the calls with the Sales, with the customer, and with the account teams, right?
Heather Adkins (KPMG) – Yes.
Declan Mulkeen (strategicabm) – And I think another thing I wrote down here was: 'common understanding' – that the, you've got a common understanding of the clients. So, Sales and Account-based Marketing teams understand the issues facing the customer. So there's no kind of disconnect there.
So look, I think there's so many great things that you mentioned there, Heather. So I think we'll have to split these out and when we do some promotion for this episode, we'll pull out a lot of these quotes to share with the audience.
Heather Adkins (KPMG) – Great!
Declan Mulkeen (strategicabm) – A question actually linked to what you were just saying, and I think I'm right in saying that a large focus of what you do is obviously working with, you know, KPMG's got an awful lot, a large majority of Fortune 500 work with yourselves and have done for many, many years. And I think that a large focus of the ABM program there is client expansion, as opposed to net new, is that correct?
Heather Adkins (KPMG) – That's correct, yeah.
Declan Mulkeen (strategicabm) – So if the focus is client expansion, that in some ways is a lot easier, but in other ways it requires a different focus, right? 'Cause obviously you've done net new before.
So, for the audience, perhaps, could you maybe point out a couple of things that you see different about client expansion using ABM as opposed to the kind of the net new that, if you think about ABM has kind of got very, more… 'fashionable' is probably not the right word! But more, um, expanded in its usage over the last five, six, seven, eight years. A large part of that has been around net new logo; whereas obviously the origins of ABM are with customer expansion. So perhaps if you could touch on that a little bit.
Heather Adkins (KPMG) – Yeah, definitely. So client expansion is really where we place our big bets. And our Marketing organization is designed to deliver on that vision. It really is about client expansion versus net new logo acquisition. And because they're already clients, I think it makes our ABM strategy a lot more robust.
'Cause if you think about it, with current clients, there's this treasure trove of data and insights available. So this really positions us or allows us for a higher level of personalization, customization, based on the unique needs of the client and the cues we get from the client. So – and to our earlier point, right? – it's like we want to be students of the firm. So we have to know what our capabilities are and how to be the connective tissue across the firm. But we also want to be students of the client and really understand and intimately know, right, what the client is about. And how they need to grow their organization.
So our efforts are concentrated on expanding relationships within these organizations. Relationships are really big. We spend a lot of time identifying key decision-makers who are the economic buyers. We do a lot of relationship mapping. And then we build marketing plans to deepen those relationships.
I think another really, you know, kind of cool point with client expansion is that we can leverage advocacy and case studies. You know, these clients oftentimes serve as influential voices within their sectors. So when we get that right, it really goes a long way to perhaps get our foot in the door somewhere.
Declan Mulkeen (strategicabm) – Hmm. Yeah, I love that. And I think you just said something there: 'connective tissue across our firm'. Which I think is absolutely a wonderful way to almost… like an organism. I mean, there's a lot of, obviously, business speak that a company acts as an organism in many, many ways. And the fact that the ABM team and the 'connective tissue' is a really interesting way, and a very visual way of explaining it. Yeah?
And I think, I love the fact that you talk about relationships. And I think to just maybe, to advance a point on that; does that mean that from your… how you look at the success of ABM, is the number of relationships and depth of the relationships one of the key kind of metrics that you look to track?
Heather Adkins (KPMG) – A hundred percent. We definitely look at that. How we deepen relationships and how we create environments and Marketing where a relationship can deepen.
Declan Mulkeen (strategicabm) – And I'm guessing, you know, with these firms that you're working with and the kind of, you know, the partners at KPMG and the senior managers and everything else; I had some previous experience working in that kind of field. Those are people that tend to stay with you for a long time. And equally their counterparts tend to be a long time in those companies, right?
Heather Adkins (KPMG) – Yes.
Declan Mulkeen (strategicabm) – So that investment keeps paying back, right?
Heather Adkins (KPMG) – Yep, yep! Absolutely. And that's why it's important, too, to elevate them as thought leaders in their space.
Declan Mulkeen (strategicabm) – Yeah.
Heather Adkins (KPMG) – So in Marketing we play a very critical role in helping them do that as well.
Declan Mulkeen (strategicabm) – Well, we might just touch on that for a second, actually, Heather. When you say 'elevate them' – the people within your business to be thought leaders – can you share a couple of anecdotes on where you do that successfully?
Heather Adkins (KPMG) – Yeah, absolutely. So we have what we call an 'influencer program' where we literally take over our partners' social accounts, and really help them come up with tactics and strategies to elevate their personal brand out in the marketplace.
And so, you know, them being on the forefront and Marketing being on the forefront of when a salesperson sits down with a client, we already have that brand permission and that credibility within that space. And so elevating our executives, our partners as thought leaders in that space and Marketing, having, you know, a critical role in making that happen.
Declan Mulkeen (strategicabm) – And what… I mean, I've done a lot of these kind of social selling programs and, as you said, brand and peer branding programs… What's their initial impression when you sit down with them and say, 'Hey, John or Jill, hey! I'm looking to do this and would you like, would you be happy to come on board?' What is it? Is it generally a very, very positive response?
Heather Adkins (KPMG) – I would say 99% of them welcome the help. They're busy, you know, sitting down with clients. They're busy being out in the marketplace. And so if this is something that we can help them with, they're usually very excited to have the help.
Declan Mulkeen (strategicabm) – Yeah. Well, that's great to hear. And I think the audience… um not that many companies are doing this very, very well. So it's great; I think it's important for the audience to hear that. To know, well, actually you can launch a successful program of this type. And with the results that you mentioned.
Just one thing, Heather, you said there earlier that you have four distinct account tiers, that you mentioned. So that obviously means that you've got somewhat of a nuanced approach to ABM. Without giving away the crown jewels, can you share perhaps a little bit about how you think about these four tiers and how they're structured, and what it means to you in terms of going back to your point around prioritization, perhaps a little bit on that?
Heather Adkins (KPMG) – Yeah, definitely. So our ABM strategy does consist of the traditional, you know, One-to-one, One-to-few, One-to-many; all named accounts that are mostly already clients, like we discussed. But where the nuance comes into play and why we have four distinct account tiers is that there's such a wide range in that One-to-few tier: company size; size of the account for us, in terms of revenue generated; what we think future or potential growth could be.
Some are easier to cluster than others based on, like, attributes, such as industry or business outcomes. And so in order for us to successfully apply entitlements or ABM treatments, there's enough differentiation within that middle tier that we have four distinct tiers now. And we invest in each tier differently.
So at the top of the pyramid, you know, we have dedicated marketers, super-rich insights, very bespoke, more personalized, more VIP client experiences. The marketers are embedded in the account team. They really act as, you know, strategic advisors to the account team. I tell them almost daily that they can serve as the CMO on that account, right?
So, a CMO would know their industry, they would know their market – in this case, it's the accounts they cover. They understand where the opportunities are, the white space where the client is showing intent, and then they can build that strategic Account-based Marketing plan to help the account team drive growth. So they're really sitting shoulder to shoulder with the entire account team, coming up with that growth plan.
And then at the bottom of the pyramid, it's more account portfolio based. And that's where the topic of scalability comes into play. I know that's a hot topic with ABMers, right? So being able to scale our efforts while still delivering that highly relevant content and interactions that will resonate with the client.
Declan Mulkeen (strategicabm) – Yeah, that's a good point. And I think you're right to say that scalability is one of the hot topics, buzzwords at the moment for many ABMers is how do they actually take what they've done and scale. So I think we might touch on that in a second.
I love that thing… and very often when I explain to people what ABM is, to try to kind of, you know, make it a lot more, easier to understand! I always say that the origins of ABM were basically putting a CMO into a very large account. So dropping one of your team into, you know, I suppose if you think about the origins…
When I was doing Key Account Management, all that kind of stuff, with Kotler and all those kind of people, they, you would put a key account manager into an account, or a key account team into an account, and everybody thought that was completely logical, but nobody thought about doing the same with Marketing. Enough! That's, somewhat, the origins of ABM!
So it's interesting how you've mentioned that as well, that you see them in your top tier accounts as being the CMO. I think that's a great way of putting it, really. I think one thing that we touched on before when we were talking prior to recording was, I think you said in order to kind of get the scale that you do and have achieved, and obviously the number of marketers and the number of accounts that you're touching, et cetera, that you lean very heavily on a couple of things.
I think you said to me you lean very heavily on shared services, and somewhat… the term was 'offshoring' but I don't think it's necessarily offshoring in the way that most people understand offshoring. So, is there anything you can share about how you've managed to achieve that scale with the organization you've got? Whether they're direct reports into you, or whether you are leaning on other parts of the business?
Heather Adkins (KPMG) – Yeah, I'll answer that kind of in two ways. I mean, the obvious answer is we leverage technology and automation. We execute broader campaigns, targeted, you know, to a larger group of accounts with common attributes. And that's how we deliver personalized experiences at scale.
But to go a little bit deeper, and I would say a little perhaps less obvious, all accounts in our top three tiers have account plans. So an account plan for us is simply just that blueprint to knowing where the client is today, where the client wants to be, and how we're going to help them get there.
So some of the things that we look at, right, is how industry trends are impacting them. What history do we have with them? What services have we delivered? Have there been any delivery issues we need to be aware of? What challenges are they facing today? What are their current business goals?
And then, with technology, we can synthesize across a large number of accounts, those account plans and look for common themes that bubble up. When common themes bubble up, that really helps us drive scalability, right? Because we can better cluster accounts. We know what content should resonate. It helps us to better target and build audiences for campaigns.
So in that One-to-many tier, we use technology to synthesize account plans. But going back up to that One-to-one tier, those marketers are acting as the CMO of that account, right? So they are actually involved in account planning. They have a seat at the table, they're developing that blueprint for the client – they're helping develop that blueprint for the client.
So account plans become very critical for us in every tier. Whether they're being used at the top to create bespoke experiences, or whether we're using technology in the One-to-many fashion, to synthesize the data and scale our efforts across a broader set of accounts.
Declan Mulkeen (strategicabm) – Yeah.
Heather Adkins (KPMG) – And then in terms of your, kind of, question around shared service or offshoring, um, when I joined the firm almost four years ago, we didn't have a One-to-many approach at all. It's like we were missing that entire bottom layer of the equation. So, the question of scaling becomes, became a very important one for me to figure out.
So my objective was to follow suit with the firm and focus the bulk of the resources on those top two tiers. But also have the remit to figure out how we support a broader set of key accounts, all while really honing in the role of the Account-based marketer and what value we can bring.
So, you know, first thing was just a lot of education across the firm, right? Conversations that we had to drive first to gain a common level of understanding that I talked about: What value do we bring across all account tiers? So as I mentioned, we definitely leveraged technology and automation.
But a big piece that was still missing with not having a dedicated marketer for the accounts in the bottom tiers was being able to deliver account-level insights, account-level research to the account team or to the relationship manager that's covering that account, right? And then not only delivering the insights, but also, as marketers, being able to recommend what should that next step be? What are those actions that they should take as a result of what we're seeing in the data?
So that's where, you know, shared services and building an 'offshore muscle' really came into play. And we recently stood up a program called Insights to Action Packs. So we now have an offshore engine, it's a well-oiled machine; they're really good at what they do, you know? They leverage AI and they keep delivering really amazing work at scale. They crank out research reporting.
There's also an enablement play. We've tasked them with developing Account-based collateral, client-facing materials. And so it just has become, again, a really great way that we have created a more sustainable model for those tasks that are more tactical or transactional in nature, and that we can support a broader set of accounts in doing so.
Declan Mulkeen (strategicabm) – Yeah, I love that, Heather! I've just written down here: 'Insights to Action Packs'. So in effect, you are obviously as you said, leveraging technology, leveraging your AI. The team are having access to those conversations, that data as you said. And they're using that to decide what kind of insights would help that customer make, you know, some of the right decisions that you talked about earlier. And understand a little bit about the portfolio of how you help them.
And I think the other thing I loved was, which I think is a little bit linked to the approach of an Account-based Marketing value proposition, which I think you said, we have a blueprint which is: Where is the customer today? Where does the customer want to be? And how can we help them to get there? And that, for me, is very often when you create a great, you know, personalized value proposition, which talks to one customer, that's somewhat how you can translate those three bullet points you just mentioned into that kind of compelling, you know, compelling VP, right?
Heather Adkins (KPMG) – Yeah. Yep, absolutely.
Declan Mulkeen (strategicabm) – So, let's just talk… one point we mentioned about partners and obviously my experience of working with the likes of KPMG and that kind of area of the world and the people in your sphere, is obviously the partner plays a really, really important role, right? And very, very often, many partners are also carrying out a lot of the Sales, right? They're kind of leading the Sales activities or being the kind of major point of contact in terms of a lot of these very large commercial deals that you're working on.
But I suppose my question was, with obviously, one thing is to align with Sales, one thing is to align Marketing and to get that alignment together – which as we know, can be a challenge for many, many companies! But you've got to bring in the partners as well. And obviously these are, you know, certain type of personalities, certain type of people, very kind of, you know, they've been hired to do a very important job. How… ? Is there anything that you've learned from that experience of aligning that triumvirate of Sales, Marketing and partners?
Heather Adkins (KPMG) – Yeah, so we definitely have a culture that everyone sells at KPMG. We do have a centralized sales organization, but to your point around the partnership, everyone sells, right? And I think to really gain that cross-firm alignment, across functions, sectors, markets – it really has become very important for us to have a centralized and firm-wide agreed-upon account list first of all, right? And that account list defines the four tiers that we talked about. And we are also working towards having clear criteria for how accounts move up or down in tiers.
And the third point is that we have now defined how we should cover accounts in each tier, and not just from a Marketing perspective, but also for Sales, for Account Management, for all of the other support roles that are Account-based. And when we have done this and all aligned, the partnership, the Sales organization, the entire go-to-market team, it really becomes the foundation for everything else that we do: where we invest; where we put resources; where we spend campaign dollars.
So, I kind of think about it much like the account plan is the blueprint for the client, the account list, the criteria, the account coverage model becomes the blueprint for us internally, and how we gain alignment and stay aligned throughout the fiscal year.
Declan Mulkeen (strategicabm) – Mmm.
Heather Adkins (KPMG) – And also worth noting that this is not a one-and-done proposition; but we have to revisit this annually, you know, through our firm-wide planning and calibration process, where all functions, all markets, all industries are involved.
Declan Mulkeen (strategicabm) – Yeah, it seems you've covered off a lot of the bases there.
I just wrote down a couple of things here, which obviously with regards to the kind of the clear, you know, agreed methodology for when an account moves up a tier or moves down the tier. And we very often in our Agency, we talk an awful lot about promoting and demoting, based on behavior engagement or other measurements that you can see. So it's interesting to see that you are also following that as well.
And also you said about, you know, when do accounts come into the tiers in the first place, right? When the cancellation, which a lot of people can… a lot of people get it wrong! And clearly, the way that you guys are thinking about it in a joined-up fashion across the whole firm is quite novel, really. I haven't come across that that often.
Just one point to touch on there, when you talked about campaign dollars, right? So obviously, in my experience working with partnerships is obviously, money is looked at even closer than a regular, you know, listed company, so to speak. A partnership looks at a dollar even closer. Where… ?
How does it work in terms of how you report back, in terms of the ROI of what you're doing there? Because I'm guessing it becomes even more critical for you in a partnership – just briefly to, I think we touched on relationships earlier, but what? How do you report back? Are you using the Three RS methodology? Have you invented your own? Do you have a hybrid?
Heather Adkins (KPMG) – Yeah, and I definitely wish I had the silver bullet answer on this one and a magic dashboard with the perfect metrics to share!
But what I will say is that, with a huge focus on accounts and a huge focus on large accounts for that matter, the fact that we're selling our people's ideas versus, you know, a widget, it is about the relationships, right?
So, like, yes: a lot of our success is measured by how we're deepening relationships, environments that we create where a door can be opened or a new connection can be made. And bonus points if that relationship is with someone that's relevant to an opportunity that we see with the client, or that the client is showing intent for.
So a good example of this is, if we've identified cyber as an opportunity for a client, in Marketing, we'll focus on the CISO, right? That's the buyer we want to get in front of, you know? So getting the right messages in front of them and maybe targeting them for those VIP experiences or other client events. And so showing ROI, an early indicator of success and where that campaign dollar went, right? Might be that a door was opened to the CISO. So an introduction was made and then we can track what happens from there. We can track meetings that occur, opportunities that are created, pipeline that's generated.
Of course we have the traditional kind of funnel metrics at the individual or lead level, also at the account level. We look at funnel metrics, we have an attribution model – all of that good stuff that we look at and use to optimize. But for us it's really about the relationships and what happens next.
Declan Mulkeen (strategicabm) – Mmm.
Heather Adkins (KPMG) – We also have, you know, because it is about relationships, we have something that we call 'relationship white space'. So, and we look, we track metrics on this, to see what's happening. But we have a platform that gives us insight into how strong or not strong our relationship is with a particular client or account.
And so when we see that account has a very low relationship score, but yet that account is highly engaged, right? They're attending webcast events, they're opening emails, they're reading our thought leadership… that's a person we need to get in front of! And in Marketing, we surface those opportunities to the account team as someone, you know, that you should get in front of.
Declan Mulkeen (strategicabm) – And is that a bespoke software that you have developed? Or is it kind of off-the-shelf that somebody could hopefully find?
Heather Adkins (KPMG) – It's a vendor.
Declan Mulkeen (strategicabm) – It's a vendor! Well, so therefore if people want to know, they should send you a direct message on LinkedIn and you…
Heather Adkins (KPMG) – Yeah, it's a vendor called Introhive.
Declan Mulkeen (strategicabm) – Excellent! Well, the people, I'm sure some of the audience might make some feverish notes about that!
And I love the fact that, I just love this thing you said – 'it's about the environments we create'. So what you're saying, in effect, is that you're creating, as you said, the right atmosphere, the right environment, the right circumstances. And if you can do that, then the team at KPMG will follow up the account team, the account managers, the directors, the partners.
If those environments are made, what you're saying in effect is that a lot of the work, not all the work, clearly, but with the brand that you have and the service offering that you have, clearly the partners can lead on that and the account teams, and they can convert those opportunities, or move, as you said, move them through the pipe a lot quicker than, perhaps, otherwise, right?
Heather Adkins (KPMG) – Yeah. And it is two-pronged. We do a lot of Digital Marketing, right? I mean, Marketing serves as being out in front of our selling teams, with digital messages to create those, you know, brand permissions and credibility. But then it's about the relationships and the doors that we help open for our partners and professionals that are serving clients.
Declan Mulkeen (strategicabm) – I love that. I love that!
We mentioned at the top of the show, AI. So let's just have a little chat about that now. I know that it's obviously something that KPMG offers in terms of its services, in terms of all the various ways that you work with customers in terms of your advisory services, transforming customer's approach to AI.
What, out of curiosity for the audience and Account-based marketers listening to this podcast, what are you using perhaps internally in terms of how you personalize your ABM approach or your insights, or how you automate? Can you share a couple of things that you're doing?
Heather Adkins (KPMG) – Yeah, so our AI solutions have definitely become a significant component, like you said, of what we offer to our clients. And it's really embedded, and not just advisory, but tax and audit as well. We consider ourselves 'client zero', meaning that we need to fast-track our own AI adoption, trying as many use cases as possible as quickly as possible to then be able to share those rich insights and learnings with our clients, and help them develop and transform their approaches to AI.
So you can imagine what that means for us, right? In Marketing we have executed several, like, rapid experimentation phases where we think about the art of the possible, gather all of the use cases, and then test many different technologies. And we look for viability. And that's just the process that we take, right? And then we ask ourselves the obvious questions, like: Does this save time? Does this eliminate or speed up parts of our workflow?
But then we also ask: Is this viable from a brand quality perspective? From a creative quality perspective? And then for ABM, will this help us scale to a broader set of accounts? The Insights to Action Packs that I mentioned earlier is powered by ABM, excuse me – is powered by AI. We also ask, you know: Will this enhance the way we personalize? Will this help us with account scoring and prioritization?
And so for, you know, and we've stood up different technologies and platforms to help us do all of that through new AI technologies. So for us, it really is just embedded in every way that we work, our ways of working, and in just about every workflow that we have in Marketing.
Declan Mulkeen (strategicabm) – Yeah, I love that. And I think the fact that you've mentioned so many use cases of where you're, seeing it. But equally, from an ethical and from a brand point of view, do… ? Is what you're producing matching your brand values? Is it ethical? Et cetera. So I think that's a really important message for the market.
And as you mentioned the use case earlier from the offshoring point of view of the Insights Pack, I think that's a great example of how you see it working in reality. You talked about personalization there at scale. Do you have a story or an anecdote that you can share of how you have, kind of delivered that kind of personalization at scale?
Heather Adkins (KPMG) – Yeah. So, we talk a lot about shared values with our clients. It's very important to us. And when we focus on shared values, it really interjects this kind of human element that always gets a positive reception or a reaction from our clients. So when we talk about scaling, we want to make sure we're not losing that personal touch, right?
So one example that I like to give – I mean, there's a lot of them, but – is a program we rolled out a few years ago and we personalize and execute at scale is our Plant a Tree program. So we partner with Arbor Day Foundation to plant trees on behalf of our clients. We send them a personalized note, personalized landing page – all with messaging around our values and how our values match those of the client and the way that we care about our communities, and can come together to care about our communities.
And since the inception of this program, we've planted over 60,000 trees. We've received several personal thank you notes directly from CEOs of Fortune 500 companies. And this definitely goes back to the point about relationship building, right? We're not talking about KPMG, we're not talking about what we do, what capabilities we have, we're simply creating an experience where a relationship can be deepened. And it's been very successful for us.
Declan Mulkeen (strategicabm) – No, I love that. And the fact is you're not sending them more 'swag', or…
Heather Adkins (KPMG) – Yeah!
Declan Mulkeen (strategicabm) – … more pencil cases they don't need! Or, I mean, I don't know about you, but when I left my last company, I had so many boxes of swag that I had to kind of give away, or throw away. It's… I think the fact that you're doing something which people can say, 'Actually, do you know what? That's a really important thing. And you know what? I love the fact that they're actually doing something on my behalf, and on behalf of my, you know, my children, my grandchildren', et cetera. I love that. I love that approach.
Let's just touch on a couple of things. One question more about KPMG, before I give you a few quick-fire questions. The last question I'm going to ask you about KPMG is: What do you see… like, we're in February, we're recording this end of February, 2025 – so we're at the beginning of the year, somewhat… although everything goes very quickly, I find!
What do you see as being probably the next big opportunity or challenge for ABM at KPMG? What are you thinking for this year? Or what are you, you know, particularly as you mentioned with AI and technology – the advances that are taking place every single day! What would you say is your focus for this year?
Heather Adkins (KPMG) – Yeah, I think that's just it, right? I talked about the rapid experimentation and the pace of which we have to do that, because we're doing that for our clients. So the biggest challenge is just keeping up with the pace of change, internally and externally, and making sure that we're all focused on upskilling, upleveling, our knowledge of ABM. And how that continues to evolve with technology.
It's the technology that will make ABM more powerful. But there's, you know, there is a learning curve there and a whole lot of change management that has to happen with technology. So I think that sometimes we have to keep in mind that you have to slow down a bit in order to, you know, really speed up exponentially.
Declan Mulkeen (strategicabm) – But would you say… ? 'Cause I was talking, I did this poster the other day that got a lot of interest on LinkedIn – when I was talking about the human side of ABM is what's going to save ABM, somewhat. And that, I think particularly you were talking about the very senior people that you are talking to, with your customers, et cetera, that there may be AI fatigue.
You talked about creative and content, et cetera. Do you think that… ? Are you on that kind of side of the argument where the human side is going to be the differentiator? Or are you on the side of the argument where you think technology will be the differentiator?
Heather Adkins (KPMG) – Hands down, human touch, right? To that.
I think that's the only way that we.. this whole podcast – a lot of it has been focused on relationship building, right? So there has to be that human element and certainly we're interjecting AI and technology into every single workflow and the ways that we work.
But there has to be that human element to make it resonate, to make it personal, personable for our clients. And so, yes, totally I'm in the camp of… there's, you know, it has to be human enabled and human powered.
Declan Mulkeen (strategicabm) – Good. I'm delighted to hear that, Heather. I didn't want to fall out with you after this blog we're on, the show!
Heather Adkins (KPMG) – Ha!
Declan Mulkeen (strategicabm) – So just to finish off the show, I always ask guests four very quick questions, okay? So, quick questions, quick answers.
What's been your greatest ABM learning?
Heather Adkins (KPMG) – Prioritization. We can't be everything to everyone, but if we follow the company North Star and prioritize, we see success.
Declan Mulkeen (strategicabm) – Love that! And also, a mention of the North Star as well – I love that!
What do you think is the hardest part of ABM is?
Heather Adkins (KPMG) – That internal orchestration I talked about; I shared some of my best practices today, but we're not perfect. I certainly learn from other people's best practice. But I think, you know, if you're not internally aligned and don't have that internal orchestration, then you have a problem. Yeah. So sometimes that can be the hardest part of ABM.
Declan Mulkeen (strategicabm) – Yeah, I think that's a common point many people mention. Um, misconception. What do you think is the greatest misconception about ABM?
Heather Adkins (KPMG) – My answer would've been a little different in a previous role, but I think the greatest misconception – it used to be at KPMG is that, you know, is that, ABM can only be One-to-one or maybe One-to-few. And there's no way to approach it at scale for the entire portfolio of accounts. So I mentioned some of that before, but we are myth-busting that as we speak! But definitely that's what I found to be a common misconception when I joined the firm.
Declan Mulkeen (strategicabm) – Yeah. And you mentioned earlier the fact that you've done an awful lot of education in the company. Yes. And those kind of education roadshows, going around the company. So, so important to get that message across the company and to, there's that whole, you know, point that you have to tell somebody something seven times or however many times it is for them to remember, right? So I think that's important.
Very, very last question. We're recording this on a Tuesday afternoon, evening for me, a Tuesday morning for you. But let's fast-forward to Friday. It's been a tough week there for you, Heather, and you're delighted to shut down that laptop and take the dog for a walk or have a glass of wine or a Coke or Dr. Pepper, or whatever your fancy is – and the phone rings.
And an old colleague of yours from your previous life says, 'Hey Heather! I've got to deliver an ABM strategy on Monday morning to my CEO.' And they ask you, 'What is the one thing I must remember to say on that?' Or 'in that', rather, 'presentation'. What would be that one thing you'd tell them to include?
Heather Adkins (KPMG) – It's all about the client, right? And I would say when they're developing the strategy – start somewhere. You don't have to have it all figured out. In fact, sometimes it's easier to actually recommend something or stand something up, if you have nothing, because then you can get those quick wins and clearly demonstrate the value you bring. So, ah, yeah – start with the client, and start somewhere!
Declan Mulkeen (strategicabm) – Well I think that's very good advice to finish off on: 'Start with the client and start somewhere'. Excellent advice to finish off with, Heather.
Heather, thank you so much for sharing your ABM journey with us today. And I wish you and the whole team there – your very, very large team at KPMG! – every success for the future.
Heather Adkins (KPMG) – Thank you, Dec. Really appreciate being a guest today. Thank you!
Declan Mulkeen (strategicabm) – Thank you.
Here are 10 key takeaways from the interview transcript with Heather Adkins of KPMG, each paired with a headline and short description—all drawn directly from the transcript content:
The ABM Operating System: 10 key takeaways
1. Rethink the Pyramid: Tailored Investment by Tier
KPMG uses four distinct account tiers to reflect varying revenue potential, client maturity, and clustering feasibility. This enables differentiated investment and bespoke ABM strategies across accounts.
2. Embedded Marketers = Embedded Growth
At the top tier, marketers are embedded within account teams and act as strategic advisors—understanding white space, intent signals, and acting almost as a CMO for the client.
3. From Named Accounts to Trusted Partners
The focus isn’t net-new. Many ABM accounts are existing clients. ABM helps elevate and deepen relationships, positioning KPMG as a strategic advisor beyond initial touchpoints.
4. Scale Without Sacrificing Relevance
The bottom of the pyramid focuses on scalability—using content, messaging, and plays that retain relevance without requiring 1:1 resources.
5. Swarming the Account: A Team Sport
Heather describes ABM as a team effort where Sales, Marketing, and Delivery come together to “swarm” the account—building trust through proximity, responsiveness, and shared goals.
6. Be the CMO for Your Client
The most effective ABMers behave like the client’s own CMO—understanding industry trends, whitespace opportunities, internal dynamics, and guiding growth strategy collaboratively.
7. Shift from Push to Pull: Influencing the Buying Journey
Rather than pushing campaigns, ABM at KPMG focuses on aligning with the client’s journey—helping clients discover the firm’s broader value on their terms, not just marketing’s.
8. Measurement Must Reflect Influence, Not Just Attribution
KPMG avoids oversimplified attribution. Instead, they focus on the role ABM plays in influencing pipeline, expanding relationships, and accelerating existing opportunities.
9. ABMers Are Sellers of Ideas
ABM practitioners must constantly “sell ideas”—internally and externally. They must convince account teams of the value of insight-led plays and help clients see new possibilities.
10. The Environment We Create Drives Trust
KPMG’s ABM success hinges on creating environments where clients feel heard, understood, and supported. Trust is the output of thoughtful orchestration, not just messaging.