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zip × Innovative Group
FY27 Enterprise ABM Pilot · Kickoff day two · 14 October 2026

Day two: from agreements to a plan.

The morning confirmed day one, set a path to close the measurement question, aligned messaging with Zip's content team, and connected Zip's sports partnerships to the B2B program. This page summarizes the decisions, what they mean for the program, and the frame for the six months that we build this afternoon.

Decided
Seller owners, velocity score approach, content workflow, collaboration setup, sports principle
This afternoon
Frame the six months →
Companions
Day one →   Deck →
Summary

Five things to know from day two.

1

A milestone-based velocity score

Vaneet proposed scoring progress on a menu of deal milestones. It will be calibrated against Zip's recent wins and losses and agreed on Monday.

2

Owners for all ten

Each account has a named Zip seller. Innovative Group works with each seller directly.

3

Innovative Group drafts, Zip reviews

Proposed content workflow, with Target as the first test. Review time is built into the launch plan.

4

Sports partnerships feed B2B

Nothing runs in a vacuum. B2B campaigns draw on the partnerships through three-party plays and community stories.

5

Simple collaboration

A shared Drive folder and an external Slack channel, with the portal as the running record.

MeasurementApproach agreed · detail Monday

A velocity score built from deal milestones.

Day one agreed that Salesforce stages are not the right success measure for a six-month pilot. Vaneet proposed the replacement: no two enterprise deals look alike, but the moments that show a deal is progressing are recognizable. Tracking those moments, in the ten against the comparison group, becomes the leading indicator Zip reports to leadership.

The milestone menu (draft)

Pain, need and value documented
ROI presented to buyer or influencers
Path to integration and solution scoping
Joint co-marketing plan in development
NDA signed
Executive alignment or briefing
RFI or RFP
New buying group members engaged

A draft. It will be weighted and refined on Monday with the sellers who own the accounts.

How it gets calibrated

  • Win and loss review. Zip has signed 15 to 17 merchants in the last 11 months. Those wins and recent losses show which milestones predict a close.
  • Hive Perform. Zip already scores deals against a rubric of what good looks like. That output is a ready starting point for the score.
  • Three reads: the ten over time, the ten against the comparison group, and the ten against their own history.
  • Working session Monday, 4 to 5 pm ET with Vaneet, Alyson, Patrick, Anne, Russell and John, plus Innovative Group. Rough and ready is fine.
Why it matters: one score Vaneet, Alyson and Kathryn can show leadership every month, with the account-level story behind it. It is also the basis for the case to expand beyond ten.
Account ownersConfirmed

Every account has a seller.

Chad

  • Target
  • Kohl's

Patrick

  • Walmart
  • Costco
  • H-E-B

Anne

  • Albertsons
  • Chewy
  • Nordstrom
  • Macy's

Caroline

  • Nike

Innovative Group sets up a direct line with each seller: what is working on the account, what content would help, and what we learn from the buying committee. Anne holds four of the ten, so most of the day-to-day work runs through her.

Ways of workingAgreed

Keep it simple until it needs to be more.

NeedDecisionOwner
Exchanging files and assets without email chains.
A shared Google Drive folder for everything going back and forth.
Alyson
Day-to-day conversation across both teams.
An external Slack channel. Innovative Group operates as an extension of Zip's team.
Alyson
A running record of decisions and actions.
The portal, updated after every working session.
Innovative Group
Reporting upward without reformatting.
Monthly dashboard and insights for leadership, in the format of Zip's existing monthly and QBR reports. Day 90 and day 180 reads. Weekly working cadence.
Rita, with Alyson and Vaneet
A repeatable model for scaling past ten.
Everything documented as a playbook as it runs, shared with Zip's team.
Rita, Michael
Messaging and contentDirection agreed

Use what works now, build what is missing.

Working session with Kyle McCarthy, Zip's Associate Director of Content, and Alyson.

The message architecture

Pillar 1

Access

Reaching customers other providers do not, told with care. Speaks to finance and payments.

Pillar 2

Payment experience

Widgets, product page support, a smooth checkout. Speaks to marketing and e-commerce.

Pillar 3

Growth

Incremental revenue and new customers. Speaks to the C-suite.

Messaging is structured by function, with a separate executive version. Seniority tiers below the C-suite are not split for this pilot.

FindingWhat it meansWhat we do
Persona-specific copy does not exist yet beyond the persona research.
The entry points are where personalization pays off first.
Persona versions of emails, landing pages and ad copy, built from existing content.
What has performed: LinkedIn document ads, customer videos recut with a B2B open and close, and Grocery Dive placements.
Proven formats to start from.
Lead with document ads and video. The new B2B anthem (2.5 minutes, plus 30 to 45 second cuts per persona) becomes top and middle of funnel.
Review takes about a month end to end (copy, design, internal legal and bank partner compliance, about 8 business days for compliance alone).
Launch timing has to absorb review time.
Innovative Group drafts, Zip reviews. Target is the first test. We will ask leadership to treat ABM as an expedited review tier.
Landing pages are limited by the current site platform.
Interactive, account-specific experiences need their own space.
Microsites on a separate domain, walled off from organic traffic and cleared with compliance. Patterns that work can move to zip.co later.
Case studies are the biggest content gap. Contracts include a standard PR and case study line.
Middle of funnel needs proof from peers.
Vaneet asks Jonathan and Brad for one or two established merchants. Options can include a quote, a written story, video or speaking. Puma and footwear references (when public) support Nike.
Content is evergreen by design, and Zip's team values anything reusable after the pilot.
Every asset should outlive the pilot.
Three tracks: existing assets now, microsites and stories next, net-new content for 2027.

Innovative Group joins Zip's first owned webinar on Thursday at 12:30 pm ET.

What we have to work with today

AssetStatusUse in the pilot
B2B anthem video (2.5 min, plus four persona cuts of 30 to 45 sec)ReadyTop of funnel ad, persona cuts for middle of funnel, cut-downs to 15 and 6 seconds
B2B messaging framework (access, payment experience, growth)Exists, datedFoundation for persona copy; refresh as we write
Persona research deckExistsStructure for the buying committee map
Buying committee ebook and persona content on the B2B siteLive, ungatedMiddle of funnel, LinkedIn document ads
Customer videos with B2B open and closeTop performerProof of the end customer for merchants who are not Zip users
Industry pages (grocery, retail, entertainment, bills and more)Phase oneStarting point for vertical microsites
Approved B2B ads and performanceTo shareShows what has cleared compliance
Merchant case studiesGapHighest-value missing asset for the middle of the funnel

Considerations for Zip

Decide

Who leads the writing

Recommended: Innovative Group drafts end to end, Zip versions and reviews. One lead team keeps an ABM program consistent. Alyson confirms with Margaret (brand) and Maria (creative).

Decide

An expedited review tier

About a month end to end is the planning assumption. Leadership could mark ABM work as a priority tier, as has been done for other high-priority content.

Decide

Microsite domain

A separate domain or subdomain for account and vertical experiences, walled off from organic traffic. Kyle supports it; compliance to confirm.

Decide

Case study language

Strengthen the standard contract line with options (quote, written story, video, speaking). Consider a co-marketing incentive tied to participation, as with Best Buy.

Check

LinkedIn leads into Salesforce

Document-ad form fills currently need manual export and often carry personal emails. Confirm the flow and enrichment before launch.

Check

Gating and AI

Assets are ungated today, and that may change. AI is fine in process; no AI-generated people on screen.

The approach: start with what exists, so outreach is not waiting on new production. Run microsites and case studies in parallel, and plan net-new content for 2027. Everything is built to be reused after the pilot.
Sports partnershipsPrinciple agreed

Partnerships as a B2B channel.

Taylor Stevenson walked through the 76ers, Flyers, Phillies and Atlanta Dream partnerships, with Steve Wymer and Vaneet. Taylor and Steve landed in the same place: a sports partnership is a channel Zip has bought, and B2B can draw on it alongside brand and consumer goals.

FindingWhat it meansWhat we do
No current deal was signed for B2B, yet B2B has added value every time.
B2B is the lowest cost to include and the highest value if it converts.
Build B2B activations on the rights Zip already holds. Digital rights cover every partnership.
Hospitality builds relationships, not closes. Many buyers have gifting limits.
Tickets alone will not move the ten.
Use hospitality where an account is ready. Lead with content, community and joint giving.
Three-party plays work best: team, merchant partner and Zip together.
Partners extend reach and share the cost.
Examples: Rally House store openings with the 76ers, a Best Buy Philadelphia activation, the 76ers foundation with Zip's merch credit.
Trust by association. A well-known team choosing Zip is a signal to merchants.
Partnerships are proof points for the B2B story.
Business-press coverage of the partnership strategy, shared with target executives. Team-channel social that tells the community story.
"Survive and thrive." A positive first experience with Zip changes how people talk about it.
The emotional story also helps decision makers who are not Zip's customer understand the customer.
Messaging grounded in community and everyday moments, built with compliance on affordability.

Where to go next

  • Minnesota: if Zip goes in, lead with community value, not logo placement.
  • Atlanta Dream finals: a time-sensitive moment with national visibility.
  • Prioritize by new customers. The accounts that bring the most new Zip customers matter most, which favors Target, Walmart and Costco.

Next

  • Innovative Group drafts B2B activation themes for the 76ers, Atlanta Dream and a Minnesota option, and shares them with Alyson and Taylor.
  • Ideas for an impact story (for example, progress toward serving underestimated Americans) are explored with compliance first.
Next steps

Who owns what, from day two.

Innovative Group

Monday velocity scorecard session (invite sent)RitaMon 4 pm ET
Draft velocity score, from wins, losses and Hive PerformMark, RitaBefore Monday
Target account plan, reviewed with VaneetRitaBy Fri 23 Oct
Remaining nine account plansRitaAfter Target sign-off
High-level content plan and launch timelineRita, ChrisWith Target plan
B2B sports activation themesSteve, ChrisNext week
Register for Zip's webinarTeamThu 12:30 pm ET
Follow-up with Kyle on assets and messagingRitaThursday
Seller one-on-onesRitaNext two weeks

Zip

Recent wins and losses for analysisVaneet
Hive Perform rubric and a sample outputVaneet, Russell
Ask Jonathan and Brad for case study merchantsVaneet
Existing monthly and QBR report templatesAlyson, Vaneet
Shared Drive folder and external Slack channelAlyson
Brand presentation from day oneAlyson, Kathryn
Confirm the content workflow with brand and creative leadershipAlyson
B2B messaging framework, ads and results, anthem video, key site pagesKyle
Afternoon with AlysonAgreed

How the work runs from here.

TopicAgreedNext
Communication
Slack first; Zip's teams rarely use internal email. Links, passphrase and follow-ups pinned in the shared channel.
Innovative Group posts the thread once the channel is live
Leadership updates
Short Friday updates, plus a one-page memo with the key points up front. Alyson presents the memo on a call.
First Friday update this week. Memo drafted after Monday.
Reporting format
Simple slides and tables for the first three months, formatted for leadership when needed.
Align with Kathryn on the new marketing MBR format
Writing
Alyson's preference: Innovative Group leads all writing, drafted in full, with Zip reviewing.
Alyson confirms with brand and creative
Paid media
Innovative Group runs ABM paid media for the pilot so it is not competing with consumer priorities. Channel mix decided per account; search may not fit a one-to-one program.
Alyson aligns with the growth team, then grants access
Compliance
Direct relationship with Zip's internal compliance team. Bank partner review stays with compliance. Bank form submitted through Emily.
Introduction and form template from Alyson
Creative ambition
Test three or four story angles by category and persona. Bring bold ideas to review and adjust, rather than starting safe. Messaging insights are valuable to leadership in their own right.
Angles drafted with Steve
Oversight
Alyson is an optional invitee on every seller and account meeting.
Applies from the Target plan onward
Foundation first
About a month of setup (data, measurement, account plans) before there is much to report. Leadership hears this up front.
Stated in the memo
Holidays
No company shutdown, but late December is light. Compliance and design keep coverage, and Emily is available for approvals.
Built into the timeline

Also from the afternoon

  • Ticketing reach: Taylor's ticketing partnership makes Zip the only BNPL across roughly 850 sports and entertainment partners, with Zip-only offers, including multi-market moments such as the Harlem Globetrotters and PBR.
  • BNPL logo lockup has tested better in B2B and stays for the pilot.
  • Email tool: Pardot or Apollo trial licenses, whichever moves fastest for a few hundred contacts.

For the account plans

  • Zip does not keep account plans today, so the ten will be the first.
  • Each plan includes marketing activation ideas. Co-marketing is available for most of the ten.
  • Alyson will share past co-marketing pitch ideas that could be adapted.
Afternoon · covered with Alyson

Frame the six months.

The full calendar comes once the account plans and review path are set. This afternoon we build the frame for it: the next three months of program milestones, Zip product and business moments, events and partnerships, and the retail calendar, plus the blockers to clear.

1:15

The next three months

Walk the grid below. Zip fills the gaps.

1:35

Blockers

Name an owner for each.

1:50

Decisions

Go-live shape, owners each side, cadence.

2:20

Read back

Both days, owners and dates. Close 2:35.

The next three months

Program milestonesZip products and businessEvents and partnershipsRetail calendar
Oct
15 Kyle follow-up
16 IG planning session
19 Velocity scorecard session
23 Target account plan
Late Oct: nine account plans, seller one-on-ones
Zip Cash announced
Second Chance push across sales
Earnings update, Puma included*
15 Zip's first owned webinar
17+ Atlanta Dream in the WNBA Finals
Money20/20 (Nordstrom meeting)*
76ers season opens
Retailers set next year's roadmaps
Last window before code freeze
Nov
Content plan and launch timeline
First assets into review
Committee mapping on all ten
Comparison group locked
Puma launch*
DSW go-live*
Zip annual meeting
Rally House Philadelphia and New Jersey store openings*
Pre-holiday webinar follow-up
First CFO roundtable dinner*
Code freezes begin
26 to 30 Thanksgiving, Black Friday, Cyber Monday
Dec
Soft start option: research, committee outreach with existing assets
Baseline captured
Go-live decision confirmed
Fiscal Q2 closes (31 Dec)
Cash flow products in development
NBA Cup (76ers offer)
Holiday giving and community moments
Holiday peak
Merchant attention lowest
Jan
Full launch option
First monthly leadership read
Day 45 baseline (if December start)
Chewy's current BNPL exclusivity ends
New year roadmaps active
NRF, New York
Post-holiday webinar
Returns season ends
Budgets reset, buyers back

* Date to confirm with Zip. Alyson, Vaneet and Taylor to add anything missing: product launches, merchant go-lives, sponsorship moments, conferences and internal planning dates.

Blockers and dependencies

  • Review time: about a month per asset, and creative is at holiday capacity.
  • Merchant attention: code freezes and holiday peak from November.
  • Measurement: velocity score agreed Monday. Win and loss data needed first.
  • Comparison group list to confirm.
  • Contact route: approved way to reach buying committees on Zip's behalf.
  • Data: Salesforce account clean-up for the ten, site consent and tracking, LinkedIn lead flow.
  • Content workflow confirmed with brand and creative leadership.

Decisions for this afternoon

  • Go-live shape: a soft start in December (research, committee mapping, existing assets) with full launch in January, or launch in January only.
  • Review dates: agree to set day 45, 90 and 180 once go-live is fixed.
  • Owners: one each side for commercial and for systems.
  • Cadence: weekly working session, monthly leadership read.
  • Next calendar draft: Innovative Group brings the full six-month calendar to the first weekly session.

Day one readout · Kickoff deck · Zip portal