This one strategy has been our north star for almost 21 years. As we continue to adapt and grow, our commitment remains strong.
San Francisco will always hold a special place in my heart. There is nothing like the sound of cable cars, the comfort of clam chowder on the Warf, the smell of the bay, and the steep climb up streets to get a better view of it all. After all, this is where my roots first started as a young marketing executive. Back then, I worked for an agency, which allowed me to work in a number of product categories within the tech space. Though based in Boise, Idaho, our firm was deeply integrated and exclusively working in the technology industry. We specialized in product marketing, product launches, and channel development for clients throughout the US and Europe. This was before remote work became mainstream, so our rhythm was something like this: we’d fly in, meet our clients, then return to Boise to get the work done. It was a perfect alignment of work-life balance, and it allowed us to reap the benefits of the technology boom while living in a place we loved.
Those early years in Silicon Valley were formative, teaching me valuable concepts like positioning theory, crafting compelling value propositions, and navigating the life cycle of a technology product. These lessons have become the cornerstones of my approach to entrepreneurship. Among them, one concept (which was made popular by Geoffrey Moore) stands out above the rest: establishing a “beachhead.” Originally a military term, a beachhead is a defended position on a beach from which an attack can be launched. In business, it means finding a market where you can establish a unique, defensible value proposition and become the first to claim ownership.
A strong beachhead is essential to growth. Once you secure your position—whether it's in a specific vertical market or within a core demographic—you can then branch out, expanding your influence and establishing additional beachheads as you build your business.
For us at c308 Marketing, that initial beachhead was at the intersection of marketing strategy and technology. We focused on bringing a high-level strategic marketing mindset into the digital landscape, especially in developing websites, building brands, and delivering content marketing for businesses that value their online presence and customer experience.
Over the past 20 years, we’ve expanded into video production, advertising, event marketing, and many other areas that have helped us prosper. However, the landscape has evolved. Where full-service agencies once thrived, there is now a greater demand for specialists. Clients today often prefer to assemble teams of internal and external experts, each with a specific skill set, over outsourcing all their needs to a single firm. In this fragmented industry, success lies in collaboration and integration rather than in “winning” long-term outsourced contracts.
Our beachhead strategy has been invaluable in this changing market. It enables us to return to our core strength: building technology solutions grounded in strategic marketing. As a result, we create bespoke websites, mobile apps, customer data platforms, CRM systems, and marketing automation that form comprehensive customer experience ecosystems. With our foundation firmly in place, we’re poised to tackle the market and enhance the brand value of our clients.
As we continue to adapt and grow, our commitment to this beachhead strategy remains strong. It’s not just a concept; it’s the driving force that enables us to deliver innovative solutions that consistently exceed our clients’ expectations.