This article is based on Bre Otero’s brilliant talk at the #Demand24 Summit. As an RMA member, you can enjoy the complete recording here. 

How do you thrive in an industry where customer needs and market dynamics can change in an instant? For us at PDI Technologies, the answer lies in agile demand generation. 

There’s a lot of talk about the agile methodology these days. It’s a mindset that shapes how we plan, execute, and adapt to drive real results.

In this article, I’ll break down what agile demand generation looks like in practice. Plus, I’ll share the key components that have made it successful for our team, real-world examples of how we’ve adapted to meet industry demands, and the results that prove its impact. 

Whether you’re navigating growth, struggling with operational challenges, or simply looking for ways to work smarter, this is your guide to making agile marketing work for you.

PDI’s journey: Growth, evolution, and agility

Ever heard of PDI Technologies? No? Well, if you’ve been to a gas station recently, chances are you’ve interacted with us without even realizing it. Nearly every major gas station chain in the US uses PDI in some way, shape, or form. We’re also in a ton of fast-casual restaurants and convenience stores.

PDI Technologies has grown significantly over the past decade, thanks to a focused M&A strategy. With 29 acquisitions in the last seven years, we expanded from just five solutions to over 80 products across 30 solution areas and three business segments.

This growth wasn’t just about numbers – it was about adapting to a rapidly changing industry.

A shifting industry landscape

Ten years ago, convenience stores and gas stations were all about "smokes and Cokes." Today, they’ve evolved into mini-grocery hubs, offering essentials, fresh meals, and even household goods. During the pandemic, this shift accelerated as customers sought out quick, low-contact shopping experiences.

To keep up with these changes, PDI expanded its solutions to meet new demands. Whether it’s integrating loyalty programs or offering fresh technology like store pickup solutions, we’ve adapted quickly to industry needs.

From chaos to cohesion

Our rapid growth brought challenges, including the complexity of merging 29 different marketing teams. Initially, teams worked in silos, each promoting their own products, which led to a lot of inefficiencies and misaligned messaging.

We quickly pivoted to a solution-focused approach, bundling products and teams to align on strategy. For instance, rather than separately promoting loyalty, payment, and offer solutions, we unified them into consumer engagement solutions, creating a more cohesive and effective go-to-market strategy.

The idea driving PDI’s growth is simple: our products work better together. Take GasBuddy, a consumer-facing app we acquired that helps users find gas prices. While it seemed like an odd purchase for a B2B company, it proved invaluable by connecting us to our customers’ customers and providing tools that benefit our retailers.

By adopting an agile, unified approach, we’ve not only streamlined our operations but also created connected solutions that resonate with our customers’ evolving needs.

A visual representation of the evolution of PDI's marketing team structures. The progression includes four stages: 1) B2B Teams: Small teams at each acquired company working in isolation; 2) Solution Focused: Divided teams working in silos with no alignment across customers or complementary solutions; 3) Segment Focused: Fewer silos but still divided, lacking alignment across customer types; 4) Agile: Strategic teams with diverse skill sets, aligned on strategy, execution, and sales collaboration.
The evolution of PDI Technologies’ marketing teams

What is agile demand generation?

Agile demand generation is about focusing on outcomes rather than sheer output. It’s not about how many campaigns you run – it’s about how effective and relevant they are in the moment. 

This approach embraces speed and adaptability: quick to win, quick to fail, and quick to learn.

Rather than striving for perfection, agile marketers adopt a “good enough” mindset. The goal is to launch campaigns quickly, measure their performance, and refine or pivot based on the results. It’s a cycle of testing, experimenting, and making data-driven decisions to ensure continuous improvement.

Agility also requires collaboration and flexibility. Cross-functional teams come together to create cohesive solutions and messaging, and short-term planning replaces rigid, year-long calendars. This allows teams to adapt to performance metrics and shifting industry dynamics without losing focus on their objectives.

What problems does agile demand generation solve?

Agile demand generation has helped us tackle some of the biggest challenges we faced in marketing at PDI Technologies. It’s given us the flexibility to adapt quickly, the tools to prioritize data over gut feelings, and the framework to foster collaboration across teams. 

Let me break down how it’s made a difference.

Overcoming slow adjustments

In the past, we were tied to rigid, year-long calendars that left little room for change. If market conditions shifted or a campaign didn’t perform as expected, adjusting midstream was almost impossible. 

Our new agile approach changed that. By adopting shorter, more flexible cycles, we’ve given ourselves the freedom to adapt in real time. Now, we can respond to customer needs or emerging trends immediately, ensuring every campaign stays relevant and delivers results.

Replacing opinions with results

When I started at PDI, a lot of decisions were based on habit or personal biases. For example, we’d run webinars simply because we’d always done them, even if they didn’t deliver the results we needed. 

Agile demand generation flipped that approach. We’ve made measurable results the foundation of every decision, focusing on MQLs, SQLs, and pipeline impact. This shift to data-driven marketing hasn’t just improved campaign performance – it’s ensured every decision supports our larger business goals.