Unlocking Customer Insights for CPG Brands | Mariya Babaskina from Yogi

Ernesto Quezada: Pathmonk is the intelligent tool for website lead generation. With increasing online competition, over 98% of website visitors don’t convert. The ability to successfully show your value proposition and support visitors in their buying journey separates you from the competition online. Pathmonk qualifies and converts leads on your website by figuring out where they are in the buying journey and influencing them in key decision moments. With relevant micro-experiences like case studies, intro videos, and much more, stay relevant to your visitors and increase conversions by 50%. Add Pathmonk to your website in seconds. Let the AI do all the work and get access to 50% more qualified leads while you keep doing marketing and sales as usual. Check us on pathmonk.com. Welcome to today’s episode. Let’s talk about today’s guest. We have Mariya from Yogi, VP of Marketing with them. How are you doing today, Mariya?

Mariya Babaskina: I’m doing great. How are you, Ernesto?

Ernesto: I’m doing great, thank you so much for asking. It’s a pleasure to have you on with us today, Mariya. So let’s kick it off. I’m sure our listeners are tuning in, wondering what Yogi is all about. In your own words, tell us a little bit more.

Mariya: Yeah, sure. Yogi helps some of the most successful global brands really understand what their customers and what their competitors’ customers want and need. We do that by pulling in customer feedback from various sources like ratings and reviews. Yogi does all the hard work by analyzing all of that data. The end result is a wealth of easy-to-digest insights from millions of data points that help everyone—from category managers to innovation to marketing teams—make really smart business moves and ultimately outshine their competitors by putting their customers first.

Ernesto: Absolutely important, love that. So, to give our listeners a good understanding of Yogi, what would you say is the key problem that you guys solve for clients?

Mariya: Yeah, our best customers are large brands that have numerous brand and product categories, with tons of products within those categories, and they really understand the value of being deeply connected to customer sentiment data. Through Yogi, they’re finding a narrative in all the noise that’s out there. They can see everything from which specific attributes shoppers like better about competitors to how consumers are reacting to a new ingredient in one of their products, and even to market gaps and green space for innovation.

Ernesto: Definitely important. Talking about some clients, you have brands like Nestlé, Microsoft, Tropicana, Kohler. You have some huge names. Is there a certain vertical segment that you guys like to go for, or is there an ideal ICP?

Mariya: We’re primarily in the CPG space, focusing on more upmarket businesses. You could consider mid-market to enterprise, usually really big brands that are doing several hundred million dollars in revenue. So, those you could consider market leaders.

Ernesto: Definitely. Okay, awesome to hear that. So then, if I’m in the CPG business, how would I typically find out about Yogi? Is there a top client acquisition channel for you guys?

Mariya: We’re in a pretty fortunate situation where we have an incredible product. Word of mouth and referrals have gone a long way for us. But because Yogi has always been so invested in building what is truly, from my perspective, a best-in-class product, there’s now a ton of opportunity to optimize our marketing engine and acquisition channels. Whether that be through events, paid media, website, partners, or social, we’re getting ready to press the gas on some of our other acquisition channels as well.

Ernesto: Absolutely. Okay, awesome to hear that. And so, for our listeners who are tuned in and want to visit you, they can check you out at meetyogi.com. What role does the website play in client acquisition?

Mariya: I like to think of your website as your dating profile. If someone looks at your photo after a friend told them how great you are, they might give you a pass if you’re a seven out of ten. But if your website is the first impression, it might carry more weight. For Yogi, there’s room to optimize. We serve a wide range of personas, so getting clear with messaging, funnel journey, CTAs, and nurtures are key. We have so much thought leadership from all the data and insights we collect, and I think we’ve only scratched the surface of the high-value content we can share with our brands on our website.

Ernesto: Awesome to hear that. What would you recommend to your listeners in terms of website lead generation? Are there any tips, methods, or tools you’re using?

Mariya: Absolutely. Clear messaging is key. It starts with understanding your ICP and personas. I love doing virtual workshops and getting buy-in from team members who are talking to customers daily. Marketers aren’t always the ones who get to talk to customers consistently, so customer interviews are great. Get team buy-in early, iterate on your personas, and revisit that documentation regularly. Build your messaging architecture from there, A/B test, and focus on progress over perfection.

Ernesto: Definitely. Thanks for sharing those tips, Mariya. Let’s switch gears a bit and talk about you as a leader. As VP of Marketing at Yogi, what are some key tasks you focus on in your day-to-day work?

Mariya: We’re a small but mighty team. In all of my historical roles, I’ve always been a full-stack marketer, so I love rolling up my sleeves and wearing many hats. I focus on everything from writing key messages, doing product marketing, understanding our personas, building messaging architecture, and campaigns, looking at customer journeys, social strategy, events—you name it. The key is balancing strategy and execution daily while ensuring the team has what they need to succeed.

Ernesto: Very important. In between all that, how do you stay up to date with marketing trends and strategies? Is there a preferred channel you go with?

Mariya: My new favorite thing is following people over companies. I trust thought leaders more than company content these days. I recommend following people like Chris Orlob from Gong, Jacob Miller from Marketo, Isabella Bedoya for AI thought leadership, and industry leaders like Paula McCaggy, Oliver Banks, and Ricardo Belmar.

Ernesto: Great people there. Let’s jump into our next section: the rapid-fire questions. Are you ready?

Mariya: Let’s do it!

Ernesto: First, what is the last book you read?

Mariya: I haven’t had much time to read lately, but two books that left a big impact on me are Building a StoryBrand by Donald Miller and Traction by Gino Wickman.

Ernesto: Great books. If there were no boundaries in technology, what’s one thing you’d want to fix for your role as a marketer today?

Mariya: All of my systems would talk to each other, I’d know exactly who could benefit from Yogi, and I’d have an automated way to cut through the noise with advanced reporting tools.

Ernesto: Sounds perfect! If there’s one repetitive task you could automate, what would it be?

Mariya: I’d automate updating assets from a single source. So if positioning changes or a new feature is launched, everything like your docs, one-pagers, and social posts would update with accurate visuals and messaging.

Ernesto: Awesome. Lastly, what’s one piece of advice you’d give yourself if you were restarting your marketing journey today?

Mariya: Trust your gut. Don’t assume you know less just because you have less experience. Failing and being uncomfortable means you’re growing, and that’s how you’ll become a better marketer.

Ernesto: Great advice. We’re nearing the end of the show, but before we finish, if someone forgets everything from this interview, what’s the one thing they should remember about Yogi?

Mariya: Remember to visit meetyogi.com and learn more about how we help you derive insights from your customer feedback. Your customers are the heartbeat of your business.

Ernesto: Exactly. Thanks so much, Mariya, for being with us today, and thanks to our listeners for tuning in. I’m looking forward to our next episode of Pathmonk Presents. Thanks a lot, Mariya.

Mariya: Thanks for having me!