About John Rougeux
I started Flag & Frontier because I believe that branding is often misunderstood and underutilized in the B2B space. In addition to writing about B2B branding and marketing strategy, I also consult for B2B technology companies on branding, category design, messaging, and content marketing.
Experience
I’m currently the VP Marketing at Skyfii, where our team is building a new category called “omnidata intelligence” by helping businesses measure, analyze, and predict customer behavior through the fusion of multiple data sources.
Skyfii’s been recognized in the Deloitte 2018 Fast 50 APAC in the CRN 2018 Fast 50. We’re publicly traded on the Australian Stock Exchange (ASX:SKF) and are proud to say that we’re profitable.
Previously, I co-founded a company called Causely, where we helped thousands of SMBs consistently generate referrals on social media using cause marketing. We were voted the #1 Best Place to Work in Kentucky, raised millions of dollars for great charities, and were acquired in 2018.
Earlier in my career, I led user acquisition and operations for a social gaming startup called Sojo Studios, where we built a community of over two million players. Our work was highlighted by Ellen DeGeneres, Justin Bieber, Fast Company, Forbes, Mashable, TechCrunch and others.
Philosophy on Marketing
My view on marketing is simple: marketers have a responsibility to create positive relationships between the brands they represent and the customers they are trying to serve.
That’s going to look different for each company, but I’m a strong believer in these principles:
- Respect the people you’re trying to serve
- Market to others they way you would want to be marketed to
- Focus on adding value to your community over talking about yourself
- Don’t let near-term goals undermine your long-term strategy
- A great brand and a distinct position in the market will provide immense dividends
Speaking & Podcasting
I’m a co-host on The B2B Growth Show, where I produce episodes for the #categorycreation series on To find episodes, click here and search for “#categorycreation” in the player.
I’m also the host of Skyfii’s People in Places podcast, a show about customer experience and omnidata intelligence.
If you’re interested in being a guest on the show or having me speak on your own podcast, click here to get in touch.
Publications
These sites were gracious enough to let me share my thoughts on their properties:
- Inc. – When to Take Your B2B Brand From ‘Good Enough’ to ‘Amazing’
- Inc. – How to Keep Your B2B Brand From Becoming Devalued
- Inc. – 5 Lessons Learned About Bringing New Ideas to Market
- Huffington Post – Does a Great Brand Name Even Matter?
- Huffington Post – Staying Motivated During A Pivot
- Thrive Global – 15 Habits That Will Make You A Better Leader
- MarTech Podcast – Making Digital Marketing Work for Online Businesses
- 1 to 10 Podcast – Apply these 3 Principles to Successfully Position Your B2B Brand
- Sales Acceleration Podcast – Internal Evangelism As Part Of Your Branding Strategy
- Forbes – Why This Overlooked Side Of Branding Is More Important Than Ever
- Forbes – The One Question To Ask Your First Marketing Hire
- Forbes – Is 2018 The Year Your Business Needs To Prep For AI?
- Forbes – How To Balance Between Marketing Strategy And Marketing Tactics
- Forbes – 10 Common Mistakes Entrepreneurs Make When Starting Up
- Forbes – How Entrepreneurs Can Stay Ahead In A Rapidly Changing World
Personal
I’ve lived a bunch of places, but I currently live in Lexington, KY with my lovely wife and four daughters. Also in love with Christ, outdoor and/or international adventures, Blade Runner, Bach, and Lapsang Souchong (I blame Tim Ferris for getting me hooked).
A few things most people don’t know about me: I once hiked the entire 2,000+ mile Appalachian Trail, I survived an Ironman Triathlon (barely), and didn’t find out I had two middle names until I was past 30!
Here’s where else you can find me:
