Mar 12, 2025 11:29:33 PM

How One Research Report Became a Marketing Powerhouse: A Conversation with Larissa DeStefano

Imagine launching a marketing campaign so good, so wildly effective, that it basically takes on a life of its own. You put it out there, thinking it’s just another report, and before you know it, it’s multiplying like rabbits in springtime—spinning off into webinars, social media conversations, and sales meetings. That’s exactly what happened with The Brooks Group’s Best Practices of High-Performance Sales Teams report. And folks, this isn’t just a "throw something at the wall and see if it sticks" situation. This is strategy, execution, and teamwork at its finest.

I had the absolute pleasure of chatting with Larissa DeStefano, VP of Marketing at The Brooks Group, about how they pulled it off. And if you’ve ever struggled with making a marketing campaign actually work beyond vanity metrics, you’re going to want to take notes.

From Sales to Marketing: A Unique Perspective

Before we dive into the nitty-gritty of this campaign, let’s talk about Larissa’s background, because it’s not your typical "majored in marketing and climbed the corporate ladder" story. She started in sales—selling print ads back when "digital advertising" meant putting a banner ad on a website and hoping someone clicked it. Remember those wild west days?

This gave her a crucial advantage when she transitioned into marketing: she gets sales. She understands the struggles, the objections, and the pressure of hitting a quota. So when she moved into marketing, she didn’t see it as an "us vs. them" scenario. Instead, she built campaigns that salespeople actually want to use. Revolutionary, right?

As Larissa put it, “Marketing is the start of the sales process.” If more companies operated with that mindset, I think we’d see a lot fewer "marketing vs. sales" memes floating around LinkedIn.

The Research Report That Changed Everything

So let’s talk about this magic report.

The Brooks Group set out to answer one deceptively simple question: What are the top-performing sales teams doing differently? They surveyed sales leaders (their target audience) across industries, crunched the numbers, and uncovered some seriously useful insights.

The biggest takeaway? Organizations that strictly follow a structured sales process are far more likely to hit their revenue targets. Seems obvious, right? But the beauty of research like this is that it doesn’t just confirm what we think we know—it provides hard data that organizations can actually act on.

But here’s where the real genius comes in: they didn’t just publish the report and call it a day. Nope. They turned that baby into a full-fledged, multi-channel marketing machine.

It wasn’t just a report. It became a webinar, a blog series, social media content, and a key talking point in sales conversations.
It was everywhere. QR codes at live events led directly to downloads, it fueled executive roundtable discussions, and it was a featured resource in their outreach efforts.
It was digestible. Instead of a massive 30-page information overload, they focused on clear, actionable takeaways that people could actually use.

Sales & Marketing: The Ultimate Partnership

Let’s be real—marketing and sales alignment is often more of a pipe dream than a reality in many organizations. But at The Brooks Group, it’s actually happening. And it’s not because they have some fancy system no one else has access to. It’s because they actually talk to each other. Regularly. Like, real human conversations.

One of my favorite moments in our conversation was when Larissa shared how she personally supports the sales team. She’s not just handing them a polished report and saying, "Go forth and sell." She’s in the trenches with them—helping refine messaging, improving proposals, and making sure they have everything they need to close deals.

This isn’t just a "marketing generates leads and throws them over the wall" situation. This is marketing and sales operating as a team. And the results speak for themselves.

Key Takeaways for Marketers

If you’re looking to turn a single content piece into a full-blown marketing campaign, take a page from The Brooks Group’s playbook:

Think beyond a single asset. A great research report isn’t just a one-off—it should fuel your content for the entire year.
Make it digestible. Nobody has time for a dense 30-page report. Keep insights clear and actionable.
Go multi-channel. Webinars, blogs, social media, email—use them all to get the most mileage out of your content.
Get sales involved early. If they see the value, they’ll actually use it in conversations.
Track meaningful metrics. Engagement, downloads, and sales conversions matter more than just page views.

How This Campaign Keeps Winning

One of the best parts of this strategy? It’s repeatable.

After the success of their 2024 report, The Brooks Group went all-in on making this an annual effort. And now? Their 2025 Best Practices of High-Performance Sales Teams report just dropped.

They took everything they learned from last year—what worked, what didn’t, how the sales team used it—and refined the process even further. They already have a webinar lined up, social media campaigns prepped, and plans to integrate the insights into their sales conversations from day one.

It’s not just about putting out content for the sake of it. It’s about creating something valuable and making sure it actually reaches the right people.

Final Thoughts

This conversation left me feeling seriously inspired. The way The Brooks Group turned one research report into an entire marketing engine is something every B2B marketer should take notes on.

Marketing doesn’t exist in a vacuum. It’s not just about running a campaign and calling it a day. It’s about creating something that drives real impact—something that sales teams actually use and prospects actually care about. And that’s exactly what The Brooks Group has done here.

If you want to see this strategy in action, you won’t want to miss their 2025 Best Practices of High-Performance Sales Teams report.

And now I want to hear from you: Have you ever created a campaign that took on a life of its own? Let's chat in the comments or Hit me up on LinkedIn!