Courageous Marketing: Lessons from Gong's Udi Ledergor

If there’s one thing B2B marketing doesn’t need more of, it’s forgettable, safe, same-old-same-old campaigns. You know the ones—the blue logos, the corporate jargon, the ads you scroll right past without a second thought.

Standing out takes guts, conviction, and, according to Udi Ledergor, a whole lot of courage. I recently had the chance to sit down with Udi, Gong's Chief Evangelist, former CMO, and the guy who literally wrote the book on courageous marketing. 

To no one’s surprise, our conversation was packed with bold ideas and a few marketing truths that might make some people uncomfortable (which is exactly the point!).

The power of making people feel something

One of my favorite moments from our conversation was when Udi said:

“The worst reaction to your marketing isn’t hate—it’s indifference.”

Let that sink in. Gong embraces this philosophy fully. Udi shared a story about a customer who once messaged their team, demanding to know: “Why the [expletive] is there a bulldog on my login screen?”

Instead of panicking, Gong celebrated. Because that reaction (love it or hate it) meant they were doing something right. People noticed. And in a world overflowing with noise, that’s half the battle. If your brand isn’t sparking curiosity, conversations, or—yes—occasionally a little controversy, you’re playing it too safe.

Branding isn't a Marketing thing -- it's an everyone thing

One of my favorite moments came when Udi challenged conventional wisdom about brand ownership: "Brand is too important to leave to marketing."

At Gong, every single employee owns the brand. It’s not just about logos or colors—it’s about how they show up in every interaction. Their first operating principle is “create raving fans,” and it applies to everyone, from sales to support to recruiting.

Because here’s the truth: The strongest brands aren’t built in the marketing department. They’re built into every Slack message, every email reply, and every LinkedIn comment. When everyone in your company understands what you stand for, marketing doesn’t have to force brand alignment; it just happens.

Marketing and Sales: The ultimate power couple

Let’s be real. Marketing and sales alignment is one of those things every company says they have, but few actually pull off. Well, it seems Gong cracked the code. Udi and his former CRO, Ryan Longfield, built their partnership on five non-negotiables:

1. Shared goals – Marketing bonuses tied directly to revenue (no vanity metrics here)
2. Common definitions – No more “What even is an MQL?” debates
3. One single source of truth – So sales and marketing aren’t running off different reports
4. Real relationships – If you wouldn’t grab a drink with your sales counterpart, that’s a problem
5. Deep integration – Marketers sitting in on sales meetings (because, guess what? That’s where the gold is)

When sales and marketing actually trust each other, magic happens. And revenue follows. While these alignment lessons are specific to sales and marketing, they can be extrapolated and followed by all departments looking for a better connection and unified approach. 

Want to win? Own your category

One of the wildest takeaways from our conversation was how De Beers completely transformed the engagement ring industry—all with a single campaign.

Before “A Diamond Is Forever,” only 10% of engagement rings had diamonds. A decade later? 85%. And the kicker? De Beers never even mentioned their company name in the ads.

They weren’t just selling diamonds. They were selling an idea. A new way of thinking. A shift in behavior. Gong has done the same thing in revenue intelligence. Instead of just promoting their product, they built the category—and now, they own it.

If you can get people to believe in a new category, they’ll naturally associate your brand with it. And that’s how you build something that lasts.

As the world’s largest software marketplace, G2 is the place where new categories are created every month. While every vendor may not be suited to launch a new category, they can lead, enter, or disrupt one – by building their brand and driving innovation. 

Find your Zone of Genius

As we wrapped up, Udi left me with one final thought: “Find the thing you can be the best at, and own it completely.”

This is something we think about constantly at G2 as part of the Conscious Leadership framework. What’s our Zone of Genius? By leaning into what we do best, we can reach our peak potential individually and as a business – delivering the optimal experiences and solutions to customers. 

As we all strive to lay the foundation for greatness, one thing’s for sure—playing it safe isn’t the solution. Because if you never make someone ask “Why?” you’re probably not making enough people care.

Want more insights from Udi? Check out his new book, Courageous Marketing.