Uncensored CMO Canva CMO on the marketing strategies that built Australia’s largest private company - Zach Kitschke
Mar 11, 2026
Zach Kitschke, Canva’s CMO and employee #5 who helped scale the company globally. He recounts early scrappy marketing, the freemium play that drove massive adoption, and the cheeky “Make the Logo Bigger” campaign. Zach also covers localization into 100 languages, product-first vs brand investment, and how AI and community programs are shaping Canva’s next chapter.
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From Press Release To CMO At Canva
- Zach joined Canva as employee number five after pitching comms help and never left, starting as a contractor who wrote a press release.
- That early trust earned him a seat at the table as Canva launched in 2013 and scaled dramatically over 13 years.
Big Seed Round Amplified Canva's Launch
- Canva's launch momentum came from a compelling vision and a standout seed round that signalled credibility to the market.
- A $3M seed with investors like Lars Rasmussen and Ken Goldman amplified media interest and validated the product story.
Use SEO To Match User Goals To Content
- Prioritise organic growth channels like SEO by mapping user goals to content that ranks for those intents.
- Canva built a content library for creation intents (presentations, parties) which unlocked sustained organic acquisition.