Digitally Curious – Details, episodes & analysis

In this episode, Andrew Grill sits down with Carol Howley, Chief Marketing Officer at Exclaimer, a leading email signature management company. Carol shares her extensive experience in B2B marketing, from her early days at Skyscanner to her current role at Exclaimer, where she has been instrumental in scaling the company's marketing efforts. They discuss a wide range of topics, including:

• Carol's Marketing Journey: From her start at Best Western Hotels to building the B2B arm at Skyscanner and her move into the tech-heavy world of Canonical (the company behind Ubuntu), Carol’s career path is full of insights for aspiring marketers.
  
  
• The Role of Exclaimer: Learn how Exclaimer helps organisations manage their email signatures centrally, ensuring compliance and branding consistency while also turning email signatures into valuable marketing real estate.
  
  
• Innovative Use Cases for Email Signatures: Discover how companies are leveraging email signatures for account-based marketing, customer feedback collection, and more.
  
  
• Challenges in Scaling Marketing Programs: Carol discusses the challenges she faced in scaling Exclaimer’s marketing efforts, particularly around change management and balancing short-term lead generation with long-term brand building.
  
  
• The Evolution of Buyer Behaviour: With buyers now doing up to 80% of their research before engaging with sales teams, Carol explains how Exclaimer is adapting to this shift by focusing on personalisation and delivering value at every touchpoint.
  
  
• B2B Influencer Marketing: Carol shares her thoughts on the growing role of influencers in B2B marketing, both formal and informal, and how they can help build credibility and trust in a crowded marketplace.
  
  
• The Power of Integrated Marketing Campaigns: Why integrating multiple marketing channels leads to higher success rates and how Exclaimer wraps potential customers in consistent messaging across various touchpoints.
  
  
• AI in Marketing: Carol highlights how AI is transforming marketing operations at Exclaimer, from automating routine tasks to analysing customer reviews for insights that drive product development.

Join us as we explore the strategies behind successful B2B marketing campaigns and gain actionable insights from one of the industry’s leading voices.

Key Takeaways:

• Email Signatures as a Marketing Tool: Email signatures can be more than just contact information; they are valuable real estate for promoting content, scheduling meetings, and driving engagement.
  
  
• Scaling Challenges: Change management is crucial when scaling a business. Building new channels and operational foundations requires buy-in from all stakeholders.
  
  
• Adapting to Buyer Behaviour: Modern buyers are more independent, often completing most of their research before contacting sales. Marketers need to focus on building trust early in the buyer journey.
  
  
• AI’s Role in Marketing: AI is not replacing marketers but enhancing their ability to scale operations and make data-driven decisions faster than ever befo

Thanks for listening to Digitally Curious. You can buy the book that showcases these episodes at curious.click/order

Your Host is Actionable Futurist® Andrew Grill

For more on Andrew - what he speaks about and recent talks, please visit ActionableFuturist.com

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@AndrewGrill on Twitter
@Andrew.Grill on Instagram
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Join Carolanne Ashley, co-host of the Your MindBody Link podcast, as we journey into the future of AI and unpack Andrew Grill's new book, Digitally Curious.

Have you ever wondered how digital curiosity can shape your career? This episode promises to unravel that and more as we uncover the behind-the-scenes story of "Digitally Curious" and how Andrew's early experiments with technology and over 100 podcast interviews fueled its content.

The episode examines groundbreaking technologies such as quantum computing and self-sovereign identity, discussing their imminent and profound impact on businesses.

We also tackle the looming "Q-Day", and the need for organisations to prepare for a new era where quantum computers will challenge current data security measures.

Find out how Andrew's experience speaking to corporate audiences as the Actionable Futurist, where he leaves them with five things to do next, spawned the "Curious Five", which is included at the end of every chapter, making it practical and actionable.

Carolanne asks how AI can transform everyday workflows like never before, acting as an "always-on intern" to revolutionise business operations. 

Watch as the tables are turned, and the interviewer becomes the interviewee!

More information

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More on the book
Your MindBody Link podcast
Carolanne's website
Carolanne on LinkedIn

Thanks for listening to Digitally Curious. You can buy the book that showcases these episodes at curious.click/order

Your Host is Actionable Futurist® Andrew Grill

For more on Andrew - what he speaks about and recent talks, please visit ActionableFuturist.com

Andrew's Social Channels
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In this episode, we’re casting our minds back to 2004, when NASA landed the Spirit rover on Mars; the last episode of Friends aired; George W Bush was re-elected US president, and the number one hits were LMC’s Take Me To The Clouds Above in the UK and Hey Ya! By Outkast in the US.

Over at Harvard University, computer science student Mark Zuckerberg is coding in his dorm room. Lately, he’s been nurturing a reputation as a minor enfant terrible on campus after creating the shortlived site FaceMash, which allowed students to rate each other’s hotness.

Today, Wednesday, 4th February, he’s about to push “publish” on TheFacebook, which would later become simply Facebook.

So what does Facebook look like at 20, and what can we learn from this social networking phenomenon?

To help me answer this and more, I’m joined by Jason Mander, Chief Research Officer at leading global consumer research platform GWI, to dive into their vast research platform and take a deep dive on Facebook at 20.

Here are the key statistics Jason mentioned on the podcast, extracted from the GWI platform.

• 75% of people in the UK use Facebook monthly, 66% use it weekly, and 50% use it daily
• Boomer Facebook usage has increased 20% over the last decade, with around 66% of boomers currently using it
• Gen Z and student Facebook usage has decreased compared to 10-20 years ago, though around 66% of Gen Z still use it
• Half of 13-14 year olds are on Facebook, despite declining usage among younger generations
• TikTok, Instagram and Snapchat are the most popular platforms among children
• Meta owns Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and Messenger – the top 4 platforms in the UK
• 15% of UK residents purchase secondhand items online weekly
• Around 50% of Brits use eBay for selling items, 25% use Facebook Marketplace, and smaller percentages use sites like Gumtree
• Three quarters of Millennials and Gen X in the UK use Facebook, with stable usage over the last 10 years
• Instagram ranks as the 4th most used social media platform in the UK, used by around 60% of people
• Facebook Messenger ranks 3rd for pure messaging platforms in the UK
• iMessage overtakes Messenger among younger Gen Z
• 96% of Gen Z in the UK use at least one Meta platform like Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp
• Boomers’ Facebook usage is up 20% in the last decade

More on Jason

Jason on LinkedIn
Jason on Twitter

You can listen to the episode with GWI Tom Smith here.

Thanks for listening to Digitally Curious. You can buy the book that showcases these episodes at curious.click/order

Your Host is Actionable Futurist® Andrew Grill

For more on Andrew - what he speaks about and recent talks, please visit ActionableFuturist.com

Andrew's Social Channels
Andrew on LinkedIn
@AndrewGrill on Twitter
@Andrew.Grill on Instagram
Keynote speeches here
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Twenty-four years ago, the world prepared for the risk of a global meltdown due to the "Y2K bug" - the potential for computer errors related to the formatting and storage of calendar data for dates in and after the year 2000. The issue at the time was many programs represented four-digit years with only the final two digits, making the year 2000 indistinguishable from 1900. 

Because many computer systems could not correctly distinguish dates, this had the potential to bring down worldwide infrastructures for computer-reliant industries.

Thanks to the awareness of this as early as 1985, many systems could be modified in time, and the impact of the Y2K issue was minimal.

However, a new threat is looming with the advent of Quantum computing. These mega-powerful computers will potentially be able to decrypt current-day encryption by 2030, with some cybersecurity experts suggesting it could even be as soon as next year.

What does this mean for businesses and consumers? Any currently encrypted data could be stored until such a time that quantum computers can decrypt it, exposing our most important secrets and personal information to bad actors and hackers.

Are you prepared for the quantum threat? In this first episode for season six, we discuss the risks and opportunities of quantum computing with Chris Johnson, Senior VP and Global Head of Enterprise at Nokia.

Chris explains how quantum computing will exponentially increase data volumes and processing power, potentially allowing encrypted data from today to be decrypted in the future. He stresses the importance of preparing networks and systems now to be "quantum safe."

We also explore the positive uses of quantum, such as accelerating research and optimizing complex systems, and Chris shares examples of how quantum could speed up vaccine development and financial analysis.

Tune in to learn what Nokia is doing in the quantum space, how edge and cloud computing will work with quantum and three actionable steps you can take today to future-proof against quantum threats. 

It's a fascinating look at an emerging technology with worldwide implications.

About Chris

Chris is Senior Vice President and Global Head of Enterprise at Nokia.

A veteran sales and business leader, Chris focuses on delivering critical network solutions for the world's most essential industries. He is a passionate champion of industrial digitalization for enterprises and government organizations, with a deep understanding of how innovative and intuitive digital technologies can bring resilience, productivity, efficiency and sustainability to any operation.

Drawing on his experience defining business strategies, developing teams, executing initiatives and driving profitable growth, Chris helps Nokia Enterprise customers harness the exponential potential of networks to unlock new business models and build capacity for long-term success.

Connect with Chris on Linkedin

Connect with Chris on Twitter

Thanks for listening to Digitally Curious. You can buy the book that showcases these episodes at curious.click/order

Your Host is Actionable Futurist® Andrew Grill

For more on Andrew - what he speaks about and recent talks, please visit ActionableFuturist.com

Andrew's Social Channels
Andrew on LinkedIn
@AndrewGrill on Twitter
@Andrew.Grill on Instagram
Keynote speeches here
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Curious about edge computing? Want to understand why it's the next big thing in the world of IT?

My conversation with Mark Swinson, an enterprise IT Automation Sales Specialist at Red Hat, might just be the discussion you're looking for.

Mark takes us on a deep dive into the world of edge computing, discussing its benefits, applications, and the crucial role of open-source projects.

We navigate the diverse applications of edge computing, exploring its transformative impact in sectors like retail, autonomous driving, and more.

Mark also enlightens us on the significant role of AI and Kubernetes in shaping the edge computing landscape.

Our conversation also touches upon the unique challenges in edge computing and why data security is paramount in this field.

More on Mark
Mark on LinkedIn

Resources Mentioned
Red Hat Connect London  7 November 2023
The Age of AI - Henry Kissinger, Eric Schmidt, Daniel Huttenlocher

Thanks for listening to Digitally Curious. You can buy the book that showcases these episodes at curious.click/order

Your Host is Actionable Futurist® Andrew Grill

For more on Andrew - what he speaks about and recent talks, please visit ActionableFuturist.com

Andrew's Social Channels
Andrew on LinkedIn
@AndrewGrill on Twitter
@Andrew.Grill on Instagram
Keynote speeches here
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On this episode of the Actionable Futurist Podcast, I had an in-depth conversation with Steve Young, UK SVP & Managing Director for Dell Technologies, on why it is now critical that CEOs, CIOs, CFOs and CISOs play a role in driving a well-planned multicloud strategy for their businesses.

In recent years, cloud technology has proliferated. However, many are realising that not all workloads and applications are suited to a single public cloud environment. Or, in fact, a public cloud environment at all.. As such, going 'multi-cloud' has been implemented unintentionally rather than strategically.

The need for a multi-cloud approach is now more urgent as companies are deploying more complicated applications and services, so this Podcast is timely and important for business leaders in any organisation to hear.

The discussion made me realise that multi-cloud strategy is not just about the tech world – and as Steve highlights, it has significant implications for various industries, including financial services and FMCG

In the podcast, we discussed how a financial services organisation has efficiently utilised multi-cloud for cost and efficiency using ground-to-cloud and cloud-to-ground approaches.

We also explored Dell Technologies' vision and differentiation in the multi-cloud space and how they focus on enabling customers to consume public cloud-style services irrespective of where their data and applications sit.

Dell Technologies is helping to bridge the gap in the market for multi-cloud skilled talent. Artificial Intelligence also impacts the multi-cloud environment, and we talked about how AI will function in a multi-cloud world.

It’s fair to say that multi-cloud environments offer numerous benefits, from increased flexibility and agility to improved cyber resilience; however, the journey towards effective multi-cloud adoption is filled with challenges.

We examined in detail how each member of the C-suite can benefit from a multi-cloud approach.

More and more, CEOs understand the importance of technology in driving business innovation and growth. Embracing a multi-cloud strategy allows CEOs to get their organisations on the front foot of digital transformation.

Steve explained how organisations can successfully navigate the multi-cloud maze through strategic planning, business understanding, and the right technological support.

We also spoke about the Dell Technologies Forum on November 28th in London that I'm attending, the premier conference for technology enthusiasts and business leaders looking to drive innovation and growth. You can sign up for a free pass at futurist.click/dell-forum

Resources mentioned in this episode
Steve on LinkedIn
Sign up for the Dell Technologies Forum

This was a sponsored podcast in partnership with Dell Technologies.

Thanks for listening to Digitally Curious. You can buy the book that showcases these episodes at curious.click/order

Your Host is Actionable Futurist® Andrew Grill

For more on Andrew - what he speaks about and recent talks, please visit ActionableFuturist.com

Andrew's Social Channels
Andrew on LinkedIn
@AndrewGrill on Twitter
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The world of law is not immune to the sweeping changes brought about by technological advancements, specifically the advent of Artificial Intelligence. In a fascinating discussion with Jaeger Glucina, Chief of Staff at Luminance, we delve into how AI is reshaping the legal industry and creating new possibilities for efficiency and accuracy in legal processes.

Built on a proprietary legal Large Language Model (LLM), Luminance uses next-generation AI to automate the generation, negotiation and analysis of contracts. Developed by world-leading AI experts and validated by leading lawyers, Luminance’s specialist ‘legal-grade’ AI is a trusted co-pilot for any legal team.

From taking a first pass review of any contract under negotiation, to a first-of-its-kind AI chatbot for redrafting clauses on-the-fly and an intelligent contract repository for granular insight into any contractual landscape, Luminance brings AI to every touchpoint a lawyer has with their documents.

A key area of focus in this conversation is the revolutionary role of AI in contract drafting and reviewing. Luminance is leading the way by using a combination of generative and analytical AI to improve accuracy and efficiency in these areas. This technology allows for the identification of risk elements in contracts and the generation of drafts with simple prompts.

As Jaeger highlights, this is a significant shift from traditional legal processes and has the potential to greatly improve the working lives of lawyers and legal professionals.

One of the fascinating aspects of AI's integration into the legal sector is its potential to redefine traditional business models. A significant shift is taking place in how lawyers bill for their services. AI is introducing opportunities for automation, leading to a drastic reduction in time spent on certain tasks. This change is influencing the billing model in the legal industry, moving away from hourly billing towards value-based pricing.

As the legal industry continues to embrace AI, there's a growing need for digital literacy among legal professionals. The integration of AI into legal processes requires a workforce that understands and can effectively utilize these new tools.

Jaeger underscores the importance of equipping legal professionals with the necessary digital skills to harness the full potential of AI in their work.

More on Jaeger
Jaeger on LinkedIn
Jaeger on Twitter
Luminance website

Thanks for listening to Digitally Curious. You can buy the book that showcases these episodes at curious.click/order

Your Host is Actionable Futurist® Andrew Grill

For more on Andrew - what he speaks about and recent talks, please visit ActionableFuturist.com

Andrew's Social Channels
Andrew on LinkedIn
@AndrewGrill on Twitter
@Andrew.Grill on Instagram
Keynote speeches here
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Imagine a world where AI seamlessly integrates into your daily workflows, driving productivity gains, efficiency increases, and automation. 

AI and in particular Generative AI is all over the media, and now companies are looking at how they should be introducing AI into the enterprise.

While Generative AI platforms such as ChatGPT have been trained on publicly available data, they may not be suitable for always-on and mission-critical systems. So what’s the opportunity for enterprise-grade AI?

To answer this question, I’m delighted to have on this episode Umesh Sachdev, CEO of Uniphore,  an Enterprise-class, AI-native company that has set out to transform businesses delivering compelling and engaging customer and employee experiences.

As we navigate the exciting yet challenging landscape of AI, we discuss potential pitfalls along the way. Umesh candidly shares insights into vital areas like regulation, data security, and total cost of ownership.

We dive into how regulation is necessary, including guardrails for AI ensuring ethical use of public data, and protecting against biases and inappropriate use.

Umesh also provided three actionable steps to ready your business for the AI revolution.

More on Umesh
Umesh on LinkedIn
Umesh on X

Resources Mentioned
Jolt Effect, The: How High Performers Overcome Customer Indecision
Uniphore website

Thanks for listening to Digitally Curious. You can buy the book that showcases these episodes at curious.click/order

Your Host is Actionable Futurist® Andrew Grill

For more on Andrew - what he speaks about and recent talks, please visit ActionableFuturist.com

Andrew's Social Channels
Andrew on LinkedIn
@AndrewGrill on Twitter
@Andrew.Grill on Instagram
Keynote speeches here
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Can machines really think like humans? What is the future of Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) when machines more closely resemble human behaviour than ever before?

In this episode, Peter unveils his journey into the realm of AGI and his vision of machines possessing the ability to think, learn, and reason like humans. We look at the intricacies of general AI and how it sets itself apart from narrow AI.

The episode also looks at how companies are tackling the immense challenges associated with crafting machines with general intelligence - from understanding the significance of concept formation in artificial general intelligence to discussing the role of quantum computing and resources in AI development.

Peter also provided his views on the potential of machines developing empathy and the role of AI in ethical and moral debates, and answers the questions I've always wanted to ask - can AI feel empathy and love?

Finally, we take a peek into the future as Peter shares how Aigo.ai is harnessing the power of conversational AI to revolutionize personalised experiences.

More on Peter
Peter on LinkedIn
Peter on Medium
Aigo website

Peter Voss is the world's foremost authority in Artificial General Intelligence. He coined the term 'AGI' in 2001 and published a book on Artificial General Intelligence in 2002. 

He is a Serial AI entrepreneur, technology innovator who has for the past 20 years been dedicated to advancing Artificial General Intelligence. Peter Voss' careers include being an entrepreneur, engineer and scientist. 

His experience includes founding and growing a technology company from zero to a 400-person IPO. For the past 20 years, his focus has been on developing AGI (artificial general intelligence). In 2008 Peter founded Smart Action Company, which offers the only call automation solution powered by an AGI engine. 

He is now CEO & Chief Scientist at Aigo.ai Inc., which is developing and selling increasingly advanced AGI systems for large enterprise customers. Peter also has a keen interest in the inter-relationship between philosophy, psychology, ethics, futurism, and computer science.

Thanks for listening to Digitally Curious. You can buy the book that showcases these episodes at curious.click/order

Your Host is Actionable Futurist® Andrew Grill

For more on Andrew - what he speaks about and recent talks, please visit ActionableFuturist.com

Andrew's Social Channels
Andrew on LinkedIn
@AndrewGrill on Twitter
@Andrew.Grill on Instagram
Keynote speeches here
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In the race to dominate Al we have seen our data privacy, democracy, and even our human rights impacted. 

To understand what brands and consumers need to do to fight back, I spoke with Anton Christodoulou, Group Chief Technology Officer at leading experiential design company, Imagination and co-founder of the new Trust 3.0 initiative.

The Trust 3.0 initiative  is a Data Privacy Advocacy Group convening the brightest minds in privacy, AI, and technology to champion responsible innovation for a safer society.

I’m proud to say that I’m also a part of this timely initiative.

Anton is responsible for overseeing Imagination's global technology strategy, project and service delivery execution; to deliver immersive, engaging and measurable experiences to clients including Mastercard, Ford, Major League Baseball, Jaguar Land Rover and Shell.

I started our discussion by asking Anton more about Trust 3.0 and why it has been set up.

This episode looks at its implications on data privacy for consumers and businesses and offers a deep dive into the necessity of transparency, security, and fair exchange of value in handling customer data.

We also discuss how businesses can leverage this to promote trust and security.

More on Anton
Anton on LinkedIn
Imagination website
Trust 3.0 website

Thanks for listening to Digitally Curious. You can buy the book that showcases these episodes at curious.click/order

Your Host is Actionable Futurist® Andrew Grill

For more on Andrew - what he speaks about and recent talks, please visit ActionableFuturist.com

Andrew's Social Channels
Andrew on LinkedIn
@AndrewGrill on Twitter
@Andrew.Grill on Instagram
Keynote speeches here
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