

The Agile Brand with Greg Kihlström®: Expert Mode Marketing Technology, AI, & CX
The Agile Brand
Expert mode marketing technology, AI, and CX insights from top brands and Martech platforms fill every episode, focusing on what leaders need to know to build customer lifetime value and long-term business value. The Agile Brand with Greg Kihlström® features executives and thought leaders from top brands and tech platforms discussing the industry's trends, like AI adoption, first-party data strategies, artificial intelligence in the consumer journey, consumer data privacy, omnichannel customer experience, and more.The Agile Brand is hosted by Greg Kihlström, martech and artificial intelligence transformation advisor and consultant to leading brands, speaker, entrepreneur, and best-selling author. It provides a fresh perspective on the continually evolving dynamic between brands and the audiences they serve.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Sep 30, 2024 • 28min
#582: Cookieless advertising in a first-party data world with Eric Wheeler, 33Across
Just because Google’s deprecation of third-party cookies is indefinitely delayed, doesn’t mean that brands should throw their first-party data strategies out the window.Today we’re going to talk about cookieless advertising and how advertisers can thrive with a first-party data approach.To help me discuss this topic, I’d like to welcome Eric Wheeler, CEO & Founder, 33Across.Eric has over 30 years of experience building innovative, high-performance digital advertising companies. He co-founded and has been the Chief Executive Officer of 33Across since 2007. Prior to 33Across, Eric was COO of Carat Interactive and co-founder and President/COO of Lot21, the award-winning digital agency that sold to Carat in 2002.RESOURCES33Across website: https://www.33across.comAccess the latest 33Across Cookie Alternative Report here:https://www.33across.com/insights/report/advertising-report-q2-2024/Connect with Greg on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregkihlstromDon't miss a thing: get the latest episodes, sign up for our newsletter and more: https://www.theagilebrand.showCheck out The Agile Brand Guide website with articles, insights, and Martechipedia, the wiki for marketing technology: https://www.agilebrandguide.comThe Agile Brand podcast is brought to you by TEKsystems. Learn more here: https://www.teksystems.com/versionnextnowThe Agile Brand is produced by Missing Link—a Latina-owned strategy-driven, creatively fueled production co-op. From ideation to creation, they craft human connections through intelligent, engaging and informative content. https://www.missinglink.company

Sep 27, 2024 • 30min
#581 The impact of bots on the customer experience with Nanhi Singh, Thales
As bot activity is impacting consumer trends, it is important for brands to be agile with technology.Welcome to today’s episode where we’re diving into the challenges and opportunities presented by the rise of bot activity in several key industries with Nanhi Singh, Chief Customer Officer & GM Application Security, Imperva a Thales company. We’ll explore the implications of the 2024 Imperva Bad Bot Report and discuss strategies for staying agile amidst these changes.Nanhi Singh is responsible for application security products and all functions that enhance customer experience and value for Imperva customers. This includes customer support, consulting, training, customer success, managed services, and renewal sales. Prior, she was SVP, Customer Retention and Renewals at Symantec. Nanhi's career spans more than decades in cybersecurity and technology, always leading customer-facing functions.Nanhi also serves on the Board of Directors of Franchise Group and serves as a member of the Audit Committee on that Board. She serves on the Board of Directors of Peninsula Open Space Trust (POST), a nonprofit public benefit corporation. She is passionate about | supporting women and minorities in the Technology industry and was previously a mentor in the Tech Women program.RESOURCESThales website: https://www.thalesImperva 2024 Bad Bot Report: https://www.imperva.com/resources/resource-library/reports/2024-bad-bot-report/Attend the Mid-Atlantic MarCom Summit, the region's largest marketing communications conference. Register with the code "Agile" and get 15% off.Register now for HumanX 2025. This AI-focused event which brings some of the most forward-thinking minds in technology together. Register now with the code "HX25p_tab" for $250 off the regular price.Connect with Greg on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregkihlstromDon't miss a thing: get the latest episodes, sign up for our newsletter and more: https://www.theagilebrand.showCheck out The Agile Brand Guide website with articles, insights, and Martechipedia, the wiki for marketing technology: https://www.agilebrandguide.comThe Agile Brand podcast is brought to you by TEKsystems. Learn more here: https://www.teksystems.com/versionnextnowThe Agile Brand is produced by Missing Link—a Latina-owned strategy-driven, creatively fueled production co-op. From ideation to creation, they craft human connections through intelligent, engaging and informative content. https://www.missinglink.company

Sep 25, 2024 • 25min
#580: On-demand production and product data for better customer experiences with Leonard Marano, Lectra
Today, we’re exploring the transformational power of on-demand production and real-time data in a few different industries with Leonard Marano, President, Americas at Lectra. We’ll discuss how these technologies are revolutionizing the fashion, automotive, and furniture sectors by enabling brands to respond rapidly to consumer demands.RESOURCESLectra website: https://www.lectra.comRegister now for the Medallia CX Day Webinar: Building Loyalty: How Top Brands Create Forever Customers with CX. Greg Kihlström will be moderating this discussion with CX experts. Register now (it's free)Don't miss the Mid-Atlantic MarCom Summit, the region's largest marketing communications conference. Register with the code "Agile" and get 15% off.Register now for HumanX 2025. This AI-focused event which brings some of the most forward-thinking minds in technology together. Register now with the code "HX25p_tab" for $250 off the regular price.Connect with Greg on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregkihlstromDon't miss a thing: get the latest episodes, sign up for our newsletter and more: https://www.theagilebrand.showCheck out The Agile Brand Guide website with articles, insights, and Martechipedia, the wiki for marketing technology: https://www.agilebrandguide.comThe Agile Brand podcast is brought to you by TEKsystems. Learn more here: https://www.teksystems.com/versionnextnowThe Agile Brand is produced by Missing Link—a Latina-owned strategy-driven, creatively fueled production co-op. From ideation to creation, they craft human connections through intelligent, engaging and informative content. https://www.missinglink.company

Sep 23, 2024 • 42min
#579: Creating forever customers with Michael Mallett, Medallia
Today we’re going to talk about the art of creating forever customers with Michael Mallett, Vice President, Product - CX Solutions Strategy at Medallia. We’ll explore strategies for enhancing customer visibility, prioritizing impactful improvements, and fostering continuous improvement within organizations.I’m also excited about the upcoming CX Day webinar from Medallia coming up on Tuesday, October 1, where I’ll be moderating a panel including some amazing customer experience experts. We’re going to give a sneak preview of some of the topics to be discussed then, and we’ll include the link in the show notes.RESOURCESMedallia website: https://www.medallia.comRegister for the Medallia CX Day webinar: Building Loyalty: How Top Brands Create Forever Customers with CX - https://bit.ly/3M7dkQMConnect with Greg on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregkihlstromDon't miss a thing: get the latest episodes, sign up for our newsletter and more: https://www.theagilebrand.showCheck out The Agile Brand Guide website with articles, insights, and Martechipedia, the wiki for marketing technology: https://www.agilebrandguide.comThe Agile Brand podcast is brought to you by TEKsystems. Learn more here: https://www.teksystems.com/versionnextnowThe Agile Brand is produced by Missing Link—a Latina-owned strategy-driven, creatively fueled production co-op. From ideation to creation, they craft human connections through intelligent, engaging and informative content. https://www.missinglink.company

Sep 20, 2024 • 32min
#578: The future of shoppable TV with Peter Hamilton, Roku
Today we’re going to talk about how brands can use streaming and shoppable TV to engage and build valuable customer relationships.While Roku is mostly known as the most popular streaming platform in the US, Canada, and Mexico reaching over 83 million households, it’s also a strategic advertising destination for some of the biggest brands from Disney to McDonald’s. To talk about all of this as well as some recent announcements, I’d like to welcome Peter Hamilton, Senior Director of Ad Innovation, Roku.Peter Hamilton is an experienced technology executive as well as an active advisor and investor in tech startups with passionate founders. He joined Roku in 2021 as the Head of Television Commerce. Today, he is the Senior Director of Ad Innovation at Roku, where his teams build all consumer-facing ad experiences on Roku.RESOURCESRoku website: https://www.roku.com/Roku Ads Manager: https://advertising.roku.com/solutions/advertise/ads-managerConnect with Greg on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregkihlstromDon't miss a thing: get the latest episodes, sign up for our newsletter and more: https://www.theagilebrand.showCheck out The Agile Brand Guide website with articles, insights, and Martechipedia, the wiki for marketing technology: https://www.agilebrandguide.comThe Agile Brand podcast is brought to you by TEKsystems. Learn more here: https://www.teksystems.com/versionnextnowThe Agile Brand is produced by Missing Link—a Latina-owned strategy-driven, creatively fueled production co-op. From ideation to creation, they craft human connections through intelligent, engaging and informative content. https://www.missinglink.company

Sep 18, 2024 • 29min
#577: Optimizing the patient experience with Tracey Schroeder, Inova Health System
Today we’re exploring the dynamic intersection of healthcare, privacy, and patient experience with Tracey Schroeder, Chief Communications & External Affairs Officer at Inova Health System. Tracey brings a unique perspective from her transition from the hospitality industry with a role as Vice President and Global Head of Consumer PR at Marriott International to healthcare with her current role at Inova.Tracey Schroeder is Chief Communications and External Affairs Officer at Inova Health System. Tracey leads communications, marketing, physician relations and government affairs for Inova Health System, inclusive of brand development, internal communications, physician communications, media relations, social media, and digital strategy.Tracey leads a team of 70 individuals supporting Inova, a $6 billion health system in Northern Virginia. Inova sees over two million unique patients a year across five hospitals and 200 outpatient sites.Prior to joining Inova in 2021, Tracey served as Vice President, Global Consumer Public Relations at Marriott International leading public relations for Marriott’s 30 brands and consumer-facing initiatives across customer experience, digital, experiential, and global marketing partnerships.

Sep 16, 2024 • 34min
#576: AI and Human Creativity in Marketing with Diana Lee, Constellation
Today we’re exploring how AI and human creativity work together in marketing with Diana Lee, CEO and Founder of Constellation, a first-of-its-kind SaaS platform that allows top brands and Fortune 500 companies to seamlessly build, launch, and manage compliant creative assets at scale. We’ll discuss how marketers can effectively blend technology with human insight to enhance their strategies and connect more deeply with their audiences.Diana Lee is the Co-Founder and CEO of Constellation. Constellation efficiently scales your creative content with automated compliance. Our clients include Fortune 500 companies in Auto, Pharma, and Banking.Constellation was named the 65th Fastest-Growing Private Company in America, the 10th Fastest-Growing Women-Owned Private Company, and the 7th Fastest-Growing Marketing & Advertising Company by Inc 500. Alexia™ has been awarded the Digiday Technology Award for Best Marketing Automation Platform. Diana was also named EY Entrepreneur Of The Year® in 2021.RESOURCESConstellation website: https://www.helloconstellation.com/Register for the Medallia CX Day webinar: Building Loyalty: How Top Brands Create Forever Customers with CX - https://bit.ly/3M7dkQM Connect with Greg on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregkihlstromDon't miss a thing: get the latest episodes, sign up for our newsletter and more: https://www.theagilebrand.showCheck out The Agile Brand Guide website with articles, insights, and Martechipedia, the wiki for marketing technology: https://www.agilebrandguide.com The Agile Brand podcast is brought to you by TEKsystems. Learn more here: https://www.teksystems.com/versionnextnowThe Agile Brand is produced by Missing Link—a Latina-owned strategy-driven, creatively fueled production co-op. From ideation to creation, they craft human connections through intelligent, engaging and informative content. https://www.missinglink.company

Sep 13, 2024 • 27min
#575: Telling authentic branded stories with Sophie Harris, GoDaddy
GoDaddy’s “Made in America” series has just debuted its fifth season, which captures the real, unscripted stories of small business owners as they unfolded in real time.Today we’re going to talk about capturing and sharing unpredictable stories to create authentic brand messaging.To help me discuss this topic, I’d like to welcome Sophie Harris, Senior Video Producer at GoDaddy and Creative Director of GoDaddy’s “Made in America” documentary seriesRESOURCESMade in America website: https://www.godaddy.com/made-in-americaRegister for the Medallia CX Day webinar: Building Loyalty: How Top Brands Create Forever Customers with CX - https://bit.ly/3M7dkQMConnect with Greg on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregkihlstromDon't miss a thing: get the latest episodes, sign up for our newsletter and more: https://www.theagilebrand.showCheck out The Agile Brand Guide website with articles, insights, and Martechipedia, the wiki for marketing technology: https://www.agilebrandguide.comThe Agile Brand podcast is brought to you by TEKsystems. Learn more here: https://www.teksystems.com/versionnextnowThe Agile Brand is produced by Missing Link—a Latina-owned strategy-driven, creatively fueled production co-op. From ideation to creation, they craft human connections through intelligent, engaging and informative content. https://www.missinglink.company

Sep 11, 2024 • 32min
#574: Building enterprise-grade Gen AI applications with Sumeet Agrawal, Informatica
It’s hard to escape talk of AI these days, but not all AI is the same, and not all of it is safe for large organizations to use.Today we're diving into the evolving world of generative AI for the enterprise with Sumeet Agrawal, VP of Product Management at Informatica. We’ll discuss strategies and considerations for building robust, enterprise-grade generative AI applications.Sumeet Kumar Agrawal is a VP of Product Management at Informatica. Based in the Bay Area, Sumeet has 15+ years of data engineering and product management experience, driving innovative products within the cloud technology sector. He leads the Cloud AI/GenAI, Analytics & Data warehouse & Data lake, and iPaaS product portfolio at Informatica. It consists of multiple product lines such as Cloud Data Engineering, Streaming, big data, NoSQL, Serverless, Cloud Mass Ingestion(including CDC), Serverless & AI/ML, GenAI, API, and App Integration initiatives. He has a lot of experience working with many cloud ecosystem vendors like AWS, GCP, Azure, Snowflake, Databricks, etc. Apart from this, Sumeet has been frequently recognized as a strong communicator who has successfully worked with people from broad socio-economic backgrounds, and diverse cultures, building strong and fruitful organizational teams. He sits on the advisory board of many startups.RESOURCESInformatica website: https://www.informatica.comRegister for the Medallia CX Day webinar: Building Loyalty: How Top Brands Create Forever Customers with CX - https://bit.ly/3M7dkQMConnect with Greg on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregkihlstromDon't miss a thing: get the latest episodes, sign up for our newsletter and more: https://www.theagilebrand.showAttend the Mid-Atlantic MarCom Summit, the region's largest marketing communications conference. Register with the code "Agile" and get 15% off.Register now for HumanX 2025. This AI-focused event which brings some of the most forward-thinking minds in technology together. Register now with the code "HX25p_tab" for $250 off the regular price.Check out The Agile Brand Guide website with articles, insights, and Martechipedia, the wiki for marketing technology: https://www.agilebrandguide.comThe Agile Brand podcast is brought to you by TEKsystems. Learn more here: https://www.teksystems.com/versionnextnowThe Agile Brand is produced by Missing Link—a Latina-owned strategy-driven, creatively fueled production co-op. From ideation to creation, they craft human connections through intelligent, engaging and informative content. https://www.missinglink.company

Sep 9, 2024 • 27min
#573: The Relationship Between Marketing and Communications with Nikki Festa O'Brien, Greenough Communications
Welcome to today’s episode where we're going to talk about advanced strategies in branding and communications with Nikki Festa O'Brien, CEO of Greenough Communications. We’re going to explore how brands can articulate their stories more effectively, manage financial communications, and about the critical relationship between marketing and communications.Nikki FestaCEO, Greenough AgencyWith more than 20 years of agency and in-house experience, I am a seasoned brand marketing and communications professional who specializes in the Technology, Healthcare/Life Science, and Energy/Climate Tech sectors. I have successfully led integrated campaigns for clients ranging from startups to public companies, helping them achieve their business goals and elevate their brand reputation.As CEO of Greenough Communications, I oversee the strategic direction, operations, and growth of the firm. I work with a talented team of experts who deliver creative and impactful strategies for our clients. I am also passionate about teaching and mentoring the next generation and have shared my insights and best practices at several universities and industry events. I am also honored to be recognized as one of the Top Women in PR by PR News.RESOURCESGreenough Agency website: https://www.greenoughagency.com/ Register for the Medallia CX Day webinar: Building Loyalty: How Top Brands Create Forever Customers with CX - https://bit.ly/3M7dkQM Connect with Greg on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregkihlstromDon't miss a thing: get the latest episodes, sign up for our newsletter and more: https://www.theagilebrand.showCheck out The Agile Brand Guide website with articles, insights, and Martechipedia, the wiki for marketing technology: https://www.agilebrandguide.com The Agile Brand podcast is brought to you by TEKsystems. Learn more here: https://www.teksystems.com/versionnextnowThe Agile Brand is produced by Missing Link—a Latina-owned strategy-driven, creatively fueled production co-op. From ideation to creation, they craft human connections through intelligent, engaging and informative content. https://www.missinglink.company


