The Agile Brand with Greg Kihlström®: Expert Mode Marketing Technology, AI, & CX

How many marketing leaders can confidently tell their CEO which specific AI use cases are actually driving revenue right now, and which ones are just running up the bill as experiments?Agility isn't just about adapting to new tech like AI. It's about building the solid data and operational models that let you connect those innovations directly to business growth.Today, we are here at CRMC 2026 in Frisco Texas, and we're going to talk about:- Moving beyond campaign metrics to directly link lifecycle marketing programs to revenue.- Separating the hype from reality to identify where AI is delivering tangible results in marketing right now.- Rethinking your operating model—what to own, what to outsource, and how to build a first-party data foundation that supports it all.To help me discuss this topic, I'd like to welcome, Matt Kelly, Growth Strategy Partner at Mavlers. About Matt Kelly Matt Kelly on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewscottkelly/ ---------- Resources ---------- : mavlers.com This episode is brought to by CRMC. Drive your customers to new horizons at the premier retail event of the year for Retail and Brand marketers. Learn more at CRMC 2026, June 1-3. https://www.thecrmc.com We’re proud to be a media partner for #MAICON26 - Oct. 13-15! Learn how AI can power your marketing and business and help you grow smarter. Use code AGILE150 to save! https://aglbrnd.co/r/7fe458ced0f04658Reach your customers with Reddit. Spend $500 in ad spend, get $500 back in ad credit! Learn more: https://advertalize.com/r/491818c79fb1873fDon't miss We Make Future - the International Festival of Innovation in AI, Tech, and Digital Marketing, June 24-26 in Bologna. Learn more: https://aglbrnd.co/r/c80991afff416bb2The most influential minds in software, AI, and engineering leadership will be at WeAreDevelopers World Congress North America, September 23-25 in San Jose. Learn more: https://aglbrnd.co/r/60a7299222a7bcf1 Enjoyed the show? Tell us more at and give us a rating so others can find the show at: https://aglbrnd.co/r/faaed112fc9887f3 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://aglbrnd.co/r/35ded3ccfb6716ba Check out The Agile Brand Guide website with articles, insights, and Martechipedia, the wiki for marketing technology: https://www.agilebrandguide.com The 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 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As brands invest billions in AI to personalize the customer experience, are they inadvertently creating a more transactional, less human relationship with their most valuable customers?Agility requires not just the rapid adoption of AI-based solutions, but the wisdom to know when and how to apply them to enhance—without replacing—the human element of the customer relationship.Today, we're going to talk about:- The growing disconnect between what AI-powered loyalty programs deliver and what discerning consumers actually value.- Practical strategies for using AI to understand non-transactional signals and create more meaningful customer interactions.- How to evolve measurement beyond simple engagement metrics to quantify the strength of genuine brand affinity.To help me discuss this topic, I'd like to welcome, Jaclyn Wands, VP of Product & AI at Phaedon. About Jaclyn Wands Jaclyn Wands is an AI Practicalist and VP of Product & AI at Phaedon, a loyalty enterprise SaaS and strategic services company. A product leader at the intersection of human-centered AI and customer experience, Jaclyn brings technical fluency in machine learning, NLP, and data operations to a discipline that's fundamentally about people. She has built and launched products across large enterprise SaaS platforms and founded her own human-centered AI application. All experience that shapes her belief that the most powerful technology disappears and make room for the human moment.At Phaedon, Jaclyn leads the product and AI strategy behind loyalty programs that go beyond points and discounts to build genuine emotional connection between brands and their customers. Her work bridges the gap between what AI can do and what customers actually want. A balance she explores through Phaedon's Humanizing Loyalty research and its practical implications for how brands design, measure, and evolve their loyalty strategies. Jaclyn Wands on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaclyn-wands-bb507a24/ ---------- Resources ---------- Phaedon: https://www.phaedon.com This episode is brought to by CRMC. Drive your customers to new horizons at the premier retail event of the year for Retail and Brand marketers. Learn more at CRMC 2026, June 1-3. https://www.thecrmc.com We’re proud to be a media partner for #MAICON26 - Oct. 13-15! Learn how AI can power your marketing and business and help you grow smarter. Use code AGILE150 to save! https://aglbrnd.co/r/7fe458ced0f04658Reach your customers with Reddit. Spend $500 in ad spend, get $500 back in ad credit! Learn more: https://advertalize.com/r/491818c79fb1873fDon't miss We Make Future - the International Festival of Innovation in AI, Tech, and Digital Marketing, June 24-26 in Bologna. Learn more: https://aglbrnd.co/r/c80991afff416bb2The most influential minds in software, AI, and engineering leadership will be at WeAreDevelopers World Congress North America, September 23-25 in San Jose. Learn more: https://aglbrnd.co/r/60a7299222a7bcf1 Enjoyed the show? Tell us more at and give us a rating so others can find the show at: https://aglbrnd.co/r/faaed112fc9887f3 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://aglbrnd.co/r/35ded3ccfb6716ba Check out The Agile Brand Guide website with articles, insights, and Martechipedia, the wiki for marketing technology: https://www.agilebrandguide.com The 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 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

To keep up in a changing market, are you building a responsive brand, or are you constantly playing catch-up?Agility requires more than just quick reactions; it demands a proactive understanding of evolving customer needs and emerging technologies. It also means building adaptable processes and systems that can flex with market demands.Today, we're going to talk about navigating the complexities of modern business strategy in a world of constant disruption. Specifically, we'll explore how Chief Strategy Officers can balance long-term vision with the need for near-term execution, particularly in the face of external pressures like economic shifts, competitive dynamics, and the transformative power of technologies like AI.To help me discuss this topic, I'd like to welcome JD Carter, Chief Strategy Officer at Vasion. JD, welcome to the show! About JD Carter JD Carter is the Chief Strategy Officer at Vasion. JD joined Vasion in 2013 as employee number five. A self-described “jack of all trades” executive, he has served during his tenure as the company’s VP of sales, CMO, and chief experience officer. In his current role, he helps develop the company’s strategy and works with his executive peers to drive performance across the organization. JD also oversees Vasion’s mergers and acquisitions function and plays an active role in defining the culture and values by which the company operates. JD Carter on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jdcarter/ ---------- Resources ---------- Vasion: https://www.vasion.com The Agile Brand podcast is brought to you by TEKsystems. Learn more here: https://aglbrnd.co/r/2868abd8085a9703 We’re proud to be a media partner for #MAICON26 - Oct. 13-15! Learn how AI can power your marketing and business and help you grow smarter. Use code AGILE150 to save! https://aglbrnd.co/r/7fe458ced0f04658Reach your customers with Reddit. Spend $500 in ad spend, get $500 back in ad credit! Learn more: https://advertalize.com/r/491818c79fb1873fEnjoyed the show? Tell us more at and give us a rating so others can find the show at: https://aglbrnd.co/r/faaed112fc9887f3 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://aglbrnd.co/r/35ded3ccfb6716ba Check out The Agile Brand Guide website with articles, insights, and Martechipedia, the wiki for marketing technology: https://www.agilebrandguide.com The 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 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Twenty-five years ago, the goal was to build a website as a digital "single source of truth." In an era of AI agents and hyper-personalized realities, is the very concept of a single, universal brand "truth" now an obstacle to creating a truly relevant customer experience?Agility requires not just adopting new channels and technologies, but fundamentally rethinking the role of content and data in a constantly shifting landscape. It's the ability to move from managing a static digital property to orchestrating a fluid, dynamic relationship with your audience.Today, we're going to talk about the 25-year evolution of digital experience, from the early days of enterprise content management to today's complex ecosystem of AI-driven, composable platforms. We’ll explore how seismic shifts—from the introduction of the iPhone to the rise of agentic AI—have not just changed the tools we use, but have fundamentally redefined the relationship between brands and their customers.To help me discuss this topic, I'd like to welcome, Michelle Boockoff-Bajdek, CMO at Sitecore, a company that is turning 25 this year and has managed to maintain its leadership in the space through many changes and a few curveballs. About Michelle Boockoff-Bajdek Michelle Boockoff-Bajdek (BB) is the Chief Marketing Officer at Sitecore, where she leads a global team of marketers who are redefining what’s possible in modern marketing. Together, they’re putting the power of generative and agentic AI to work – creating digital experiences that connect people and possibilities across the globe. Michelle is a trailblazer in bringing AI into marketing. At IBM, she served first as Global Head of B2B Marketing at the Weather Company, and then as CMO of IBM Watson, the company’s pioneering AI platform. There, she served as the steward of the Watson brand, helping the world understand how AI can transform both work and life. Since then, she’s become a Fellow at the Marketing Academy, a founding member of CMO Huddles, and has held CMO roles at both Skillsoft and IDC. At IDC, Michelle reimagined marketing as a strategic growth engine, launching a bold new brand identity, spearheading the company’s first GenAI initiatives, and aligning brand, demand, and strategy to drive global impact. Michelle is a frequent speaker on marketing leadership, AI, and purpose-led growth. A lifelong learner, she’s also a runner, rescue dog mom, and dark roast devotee. Her best ideas rarely arrive in a meeting, but often hit mid-stride or mid-walk. Michelle Boockoff-Bajdek on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michellebb/ ---------- Resources ---------- Sitecore: sitecore.com The Agile Brand podcast is brought to you by TEKsystems. Learn more here: https://aglbrnd.co/r/2868abd8085a9703 We’re proud to be a media partner for #MAICON26 - Oct. 13-15! Learn how AI can power your marketing and business and help you grow smarter. Use code AGILE150 to save! https://aglbrnd.co/r/7fe458ced0f04658Reach your customers with Reddit. Spend $500 in ad spend, get $500 back in ad credit! Learn more: https://advertalize.com/r/491818c79fb1873fDon't miss We Make Future - the International Festival of Innovation in AI, Tech, and Digital Marketing, June 24-26 in Bologna. Learn more: https://aglbrnd.co/r/c80991afff416bb2The most influential minds in software, AI, and engineering leadership will be at WeAreDevelopers World Congress North America, September 23-25 in San Jose. Learn more: https://aglbrnd.co/r/60a7299222a7bcf1 Enjoyed the show? Tell us more at and give us a rating so others can find the show at: https://aglbrnd.co/r/faaed112fc9887f3 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://aglbrnd.co/r/35ded3ccfb6716ba Check out The Agile Brand Guide website with articles, insights, and Martechipedia, the wiki for marketing technology: https://www.agilebrandguide.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In an era of relentless pressure for quarterly growth, is it even possible for a large brand to stay true to its core mission, or is compromising a brand’s values just an inevitable part of achieving scale?Agility requires more than just reacting quickly to market changes. It requires a resilient, long-term mission that acts as a north star, ensuring that every pivot and experiment builds enduring value, not just short-term gains.Today, we're going to talk about the tension that every marketing leader feels: the conflict between the relentless demand for measurable, short-term results and the need to build a brand with a durable, long-term mission. We’ll explore how the very systems designed to measure success can sometimes corrupt a company's purpose, and how a new definition of value can create a strategic advantage that outlasts fleeting market trends.To help me discuss this topic, I'd like to welcome, Eric Ries, Author of The Lean Startup, and the new book, Incorruptible. About Eric Ries Over the last two decades, Eric Ries’s ideas about continuous innovation, long-term thinking, governance, and market reform have reshaped company building and management practices. He is the creator of the Lean Startup method, and the author of the New York Times bestseller The Lean Startup; The Leader’s Guide; and The Startup Way. As a founder, he has put his own ideas into practice with The Long-Term Stock Exchange (LTSE); Answer.AI, an AI R&D lab; the Lean Startup Co, which teaches and supports the implementation of Lean Startup; Virgil, a legal services startup; and IMVU, where the ideas that became the Lean Startup method were forged. On his podcast, The Eric Ries Show, he talks to guests including world-class technologists, thought leaders, and executives working to build profitable companies for the long-term benefit of society. He lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with his wife and three children. Eric Ries on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eries/ ---------- Resources ---------- The Lean Startup: https://www.leanstartup.co The Agile Brand podcast is brought to you by TEKsystems. Learn more here: https://aglbrnd.co/r/2868abd8085a9703 Get Incorruptible by Eric Ries: https://amzn.to/4dERCRyDrive your customers to new horizons at the premier retail event of the year for Retail and Brand marketers. Learn more at CRMC 2026, June 1-3. https://aglbrnd.co/r/d15ec37a537c0d74 We’re proud to be a media partner for #MAICON26 - Oct. 13-15! Learn how AI can power your marketing and business and help you grow smarter. Use code AGILE150 to save! https://aglbrnd.co/r/7fe458ced0f04658Reach your customers with Reddit. Spend $500 in ad spend, get $500 back in ad credit! Learn more: https://advertalize.com/r/491818c79fb1873fDon't miss We Make Future - the International Festival of Innovation in AI, Tech, and Digital Marketing, June 24-26 in Bologna. Learn more: https://aglbrnd.co/r/c80991afff416bb2The most influential minds in software, AI, and engineering leadership will be at WeAreDevelopers World Congress North America, September 23-25 in San Jose. Learn more: https://aglbrnd.co/r/60a7299222a7bcf1 Enjoyed the show? Tell us more at and give us a rating so others can find the show at: https://aglbrnd.co/r/faaed112fc9887f3 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://aglbrnd.co/r/35ded3ccfb6716ba Check out The Agile Brand Guide website with articles, insights, and Martechipedia, the wiki for marketing technology: https://www.agilebrandguide.com The 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 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As a leader, you often spend so much time on the strategies and tactics that keep your brand growing that it’s difficult to keep up with what’s going on in the background with the platforms and the companies behind them.That’s why I’m always glad to talk with our guest today, who is both focused on the business of CX as well as the business behind CX and the SaaS platforms driving so many customer experiences. I’m excited to talk again with our Resident Expert on the CX and MarTech platform landscape. We talked right at the beginning of 2026 as a look back at last year. Now that we’ve had a quarter behind us in 2026, it’s time to talk about how this year is shaping up and what we can expect in the months ahead.To help me discuss these topics, I'd like to welcome, Bill Staikos, Founder at Be Customer Led. About Bill Staikos Bill Staikos is a senior customer experience executive with over 20 years of leadership across financial services, consulting, and technology. He has held senior roles at American Express, Freddie Mac, JP Morgan, and BNY Mellon, where he led global initiatives to transform client and employee experiences. A former SVP at Medallia, Bill helped organizations turn insights into measurable outcomes.Recognized as a LinkedIn Top Voice and one of the Top 50 Global CX Influencers, Bill is also the founder of the Be Customer-Led podcast and is now preparing to launch The Multimodal Experience. Known for his pragmatic, impact-driven approach, Bill advises leading brands, including Apple, Bank of America, Marriott, and T-Mobile, on connecting customer experience to business growth. Bill Staikos on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/billstaikos/ Resources Be Customer Led: https://becustomerled.com/ The Agile Brand podcast is brought to you by TEKsystems. Learn more here: https://aglbrnd.co/r/2868abd8085a9703 Drive your customers to new horizons at the premier retail event of the year for Retail and Brand marketers. Learn more at CRMC 2026, June 1-3. https://aglbrnd.co/r/d15ec37a537c0d74 We’re proud to be a media partner for #MAICON26 - Oct. 13-15! Learn how AI can power your marketing and business and help you grow smarter. Use code AGILE150 to save! https://aglbrnd.co/r/7fe458ced0f04658Reach your customers with Reddit. Spend $500 in ad spend, get $500 back in ad credit! Learn more: https://advertalize.com/r/491818c79fb1873fDon't miss We Make Future - the International Festival of Innovation in AI, Tech, and Digital Marketing, June 24-26 in Bologna. Learn more: https://aglbrnd.co/r/c80991afff416bb2The most influential minds in software, AI, and engineering leadership will be at WeAreDevelopers World Congress North America, September 23-25 in San Jose. Learn more: https://aglbrnd.co/r/60a7299222a7bcf1 Enjoyed the show? Tell us more at and give us a rating so others can find the show at: https://aglbrnd.co/r/faaed112fc9887f3 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://aglbrnd.co/r/35ded3ccfb6716ba Check out The Agile Brand Guide website with articles, insights, and Martechipedia, the wiki for marketing technology: https://www.agilebrandguide.com The 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 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Most leaders see Marketing Ops as the team that keeps the trains running on time, essentially the plumbers of the marketing department. But what if I told you they’re actually positioned to be the architects of your company’s most durable competitive advantage?Agility requires moving beyond the transactional nature of campaigns and technology. It demands building a durable, responsive ecosystem around your brand, one that can listen and adapt not just quarterly, but constantly.Today, we're going to talk about how to reframe the marketing operations function from a cost center or tactical execution engine into a strategic driver of growth. And we’ll explore a powerful, and perhaps counterintuitive, way to do it: by building a genuine community, not just as a marketing channel, but as the core of your go-to-market strategy.To help me discuss this topic, I'd like to welcome, Mike Rizzo, CEO at MarketingOps.About Mike Rizzo Mike Rizzo is a career marketing operations professional passionate about using a people-first approach to building scalable and efficient solutions to the challenges faced by marketing, business operations, and client success teams.With his extensive background in marketing Mike helped build, launch, manage and optimize Mavenlink's first user community and Client Advisory Board programs.In 2017 he also founded the growing community of MO Pros - a place where thousands of Marketing Operations Professionals connect, collaborate and help elevate the practice of Marketing Ops. He is also the co-host of the podcast called Ops Cast.As the founder of MarketingOps.com, Mike is taking a community-led approach to building a platform purpose-built to elevate Marketing Operations Professionals. Mike Rizzo on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aharze/ Resources MarketingOps: https://www.marketingops.com The Agile Brand podcast is brought to you by TEKsystems. Learn more here: https://aglbrnd.co/r/2868abd8085a9703 Drive your customers to new horizons at the premier retail event of the year for Retail and Brand marketers. Learn more at CRMC 2026, June 1-3. https://aglbrnd.co/r/d15ec37a537c0d74 We’re proud to be a media partner for #MAICON26 - Oct. 13-15! Learn how AI can power your marketing and business and help you grow smarter. Use code AGILE150 to save! https://aglbrnd.co/r/7fe458ced0f04658Reach your customers with Reddit. Spend $500 in ad spend, get $500 back in ad credit! Learn more: https://advertalize.com/r/491818c79fb1873fEnjoyed the show? Tell us more at and give us a rating so others can find the show at: https://aglbrnd.co/r/faaed112fc9887f3 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://aglbrnd.co/r/35ded3ccfb6716ba Check out The Agile Brand Guide website with articles, insights, and Martechipedia, the wiki for marketing technology: https://www.agilebrandguide.com The 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 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As you race to adopt AI-powered shopping experiences, are you creating a new data black box that will make your customer journey less understood, not more?Agility requires not just the speed to adopt new channels like generative AI, but the foresight to ensure these new touchpoints don't become blind spots in your customer journey. It demands that our data strategy evolves as quickly as our customer-facing technology.Today, we're going to talk about the hidden challenge of AI-driven commerce. As major brands roll out compelling shopping experiences on platforms like Google's Gemini, they risk creating a new data black box. When customer interactions happen inside these AI environments, the insights from those conversations can become disconnected from the overall customer journey, making it difficult to measure impact and act on what you've learned.To help me discuss this topic, I'd like to welcome Zack Wenthe, Director of Product Marketing & Customer Data Evangelist at Tealium. Zack, welcome to the show!About Zack Wenthe Zack Wenthe is a seasoned product marketing and customer data expert, currently serving as Director of Product Marketing & Customer Data Evangelist at Tealium, where he helps brands unlock the power of unified customer insights and drive meaningful engagement through data-driven strategies with the power of value-add storytelling in product marketing. He’s a prolific speaker, writer, and storyteller in the martech space, known for breaking down complex ideas into practical, revenue-focused narratives. Zack Wenthe on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zackwenthe/ Resources Tealium : https://tealium.com/products/tealium-for-AI/ The Agile Brand podcast is brought to you by TEKsystems. Learn more here: https://aglbrnd.co/r/2868abd8085a9703 Drive your customers to new horizons at the premier retail event of the year for Retail and Brand marketers. Learn more at CRMC 2026, June 1-3. https://aglbrnd.co/r/d15ec37a537c0d74 We’re proud to be a media partner for #MAICON26 - Oct. 13-15! Learn how AI can power your marketing and business and help you grow smarter. Use code AGILE150 to save! https://aglbrnd.co/r/7fe458ced0f04658Reach your customers with Reddit. Spend $500 in ad spend, get $500 back in ad credit! Learn more: https://advertalize.com/r/491818c79fb1873f Enjoyed the show? Tell us more at and give us a rating so others can find the show at: https://aglbrnd.co/r/faaed112fc9887f3 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://aglbrnd.co/r/35ded3ccfb6716ba Check out The Agile Brand Guide website with articles, insights, and Martechipedia, the wiki for marketing technology: https://www.agilebrandguide.com The 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 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.