“Having strong convictions, transforming them into actions, and never ceasing to innovate” This is the motorcycle of Maxime Baumard, the Chief Marketing Officer of Pennylane, a French fintech / counselor. A success implemented by one of the best marketing teams in the place, whose practices we invite you to discover in our special program devoted to the development of the marketing plan. 1 hour of exchanges with Maxime Baumard, to look before you attack your own copy!
Develop a 2026 marketing plan: convictions, alignments and fundamental
A strategy based on strong convictions
For Maxime, developing a marketing plan begins with a certainty: “By doing the same as your competitors, we get the same results. This idea pushes to go off the beaten track and integrate strategic bets. At Pennylane, this results in a thoughtful budgetary distribution: two thirds of the resources are dedicated to proven levers, while a third party is reserved for new, sometimes daring initiatives.
For example, when Pennylane decided to launch her annual conference, baptized Countythe goal was not simply to organize one more event. The idea was to go further: building a complete media platform to unite a community of accounting professionals, a traditional sector but in full transformation. In three years, Comptatech has become much more than an event but a space for exchange on the future of the profession and a powerful lever to strengthen the brand.
Align marketing, sales, product and finance
An efficient marketing plan is based on close collaboration with all the stakeholders in the company. Maxime Baumard structures his approach around three main lines of alignment:
- With the sales team : Pennylane’s marketing is not isolated; It is designed to directly support sales objectives. Central KPI is not a number of leads or clicks, but the annual recurring income (arr). This choice eliminates silos and obliges each party to work towards a common goal.
- With the product team : Pennylane evolves in a sector where the product makes the difference. The often technical features must be translated into simple and impactful messages. “My main mission is to enhance the product,” explains Maxime. Marketing contributes to defining the highlights of the launches, while the product team adjusts its calendar to coincide with initiatives like Comptatech.
- With finance : Achieving ambitious goals while mastering costs is a delicate balance. Marketing works hand in hand with finance to ensure that the actions carried out respect budgetary constraints, while aiming for a payback less than 8 months.
Segment and personalize to perform better
The segmentation is at the heart of the Pennylane marketing plan, which sends two very different audiences: VSEs/SMEs and accounting firms. While VSEs favor simplicity and speed, accounting firms are looking for robust tools and tangible evidence of their efficiency. This distinction guides the whole strategy.
In a replacement market, where existing solutions must be outpatched, Penny Lane focuses her efforts on rational and measurable arguments. The campaigns are designed to answer a central question: “Why is our product better than the one you are currently using?” »»
Rely on innovation and AI without neglecting the fundamentals
The AI has turned marketing upset, but Maxime Baumard remains cautious. “I don’t want my team to drown in tech to the point of forgetting the fundamentals. At Pennylane, AI is used to automate repetitive tasks (CRM, transcription, SEO content), but the creativity of the teams remains at the heart of messages and campaigns.
Innovation is not limited to technology. Each member of the team is encouraged to devote a third of their time to unpublished projects, whether new formats of content or alternative approaches to reach customers. This dynamic allows you to experience without fear and quickly integrate what works.
Collaborate with Comex to align ambitions and resources
To convince general management is a key step to validate a marketing plan. Maxime relies on a clear narration and measurable results. He begins each presentation with a simple but essential question: “What do we want to be proud at the end of the year?” »»
This approach justifies budgetary choices and explaining the interest of taking calculated risks. Dashboards include financial indicators such as arr and CAC, but also qualitative elements such as the evolution of notoriety.
Structured and empowered teams
The organization of the marketing team is crucial. At Pennylane, she is based on three main poles:
- Growhwhich manages acquisition campaigns and analytical tools.
- Branddedicated to content creation and communication.
- Eventa separate pole to manage strategic initiatives like Comptatech.
Each pole benefits from technical autonomy, supported by tools such as Customer.io And N8nwhich allow you to experiment quickly. Maxime Baumard leaves great freedom to his collaborators, as long as vision and objectives are clear and correctly shared.
Measure and adjust throughout the year
A good marketing plan is not limited to initial planning. It must be adjusted according to the results obtained. At Pennylane, performances are followed through a combination of quantitative (arr, payback, conversion rate) and qualitative (declarative, barometric studies) indicators. This double approach makes it possible to obtain a complete vision of the actions carried out.
Conclusion, a pragmatic and daring marketing plan 2026
Building a marketing plan for 2026 requires a combination of vision, rigor and flexibility and as Maxime Baumard reminds us, “you have to have convictions and transform them into actions. »»
Do you want to participate in an FW Future of Digital Marketing program as a partner? Contact us at partnership@frenchweb.fr
