Prose + Comms: Engagement, Unplugged – Details, episodes & analysis

More tech, less impact? Explore why bigger stacks can mean weaker customer experience, and how to bring the focus back to results.

Is your marketing technology helping you deliver a better customer experience, or quietly draining time, budget, and focus? In this episode, we dig into the CX trap that even leading brands fall into: adding more tools in hopes of improving results, only to see less real impact.

Our guest, Greg Kihlström, host of The Agile Brand and advisor to some of the world’s most recognizable companies, shares why more tech doesn’t always mean better branding or stronger customer relationships. You’ll hear:

• How to recognize when your tech stack is hurting CX instead of helping
• Why branding and marketing fundamentals still matter more than the latest trend
• Practical ways to refocus on results, not just shiny new platforms

Whether you’re in marketing, branding, or customer experience, this conversation will help you rethink how technology fits into your strategy.

To hear more from Greg, find him on LinkedIn or check out The Agile Brand.

This week on Prose + Comms, Laura Smith and Brian Rowley explore one of marketing’s most persistent questions: Should brands go in-house, outsource to agencies, or find a hybrid approach? With shifting priorities and rising demands for speed and creativity, the answer is more nuanced than ever. Plus, they debunk some of the biggest myths about in-house and agency work, from cost perceptions to creative output.

What does it take to earn media attention today? In this episode of Prose + Comms, we unpack what makes something newsworthy, why so many brand stories fall flat, and how marketers can better connect with journalists. To help us separate noise from news, we’re joined by Dave Haynes of Sixteen:Nine, a veteran journalist who’s seen (and ignored) more pitches than most. He’s here to share what lands, what fails, and what he never wants to see in a press release again.

To hear more from Dave, you can find him on LinkedIn and check out sixteen-nine.net.

What’s the real impact of company culture, looking beyond the buzzwords and mission statements? In this episode of Prose + Comms, we explore how culture shapes the customer experience, why internal alignment matters more than ever, and what happens when brand values break down. From leadership to the frontlines, we unpack how trust, consistency, and authenticity influence the way customers feel, and what that means for the brands trying to earn their loyalty. We’re joined by communications leader and executive coach Bob Osmond, who shares his insights into how culture and brand experience intersect, and what it really takes to get it right.

If you want to hear more from Bob, you can connect with him on LinkedIn. 

Are we mistaking familiarity for authenticity? In this episode, we explore the subtle but important differences between being true and being liked.

Authenticity means showing up consistently and standing by your values, even if that doesn't resonate with everyone. Relatability, on the other hand, is about being easily understood, emotionally accessible, and broadly likable. Sometimes the two go hand in hand. But not always. Let’s dig into what makes something feel real, what actually builds trust, and why the difference matters for brands and marketers.

There’s an element of tradition when it comes to B2B tradeshows – regardless of the specific industry. Employees dress in matching outfits as companies spend big budgets on booth design and swag to capture attendees’ attention. But what value do these tradeshows really bring? And are companies focusing their time, money, and attention on the right elements? "Chief Vibe Creator" and tradeshow content developer Alesia Hendley joins us to explore the benefit of tradeshows as we know them and where their future lies.

To hear more from Alesia, find her on LinkedIn or check out her website, thesmoothfactor.com.

With every company claiming to deliver “immersive experiences,” has the term lost meaning? Who's creating the best experiential activations? Who’s faking it? Is the experience economy as a whole suffering from an identity crisis? Bryan Meszaros, CEO and Founder of experience design agency OpenEye Global, joins us to explore what it means to create a customer activation that’s truly immersive.

If you want to hear more from Bryan, find him on LinkedIn and check out the OpenEye Global website. 

We all face crossroad moments – in life and in our marketing careers. In this episode, we explore what it means to lead with intention when brands face moments of choice. How do emotions influence the way we react in these moments? Does an emotional reaction enhance our customer relationships? Jez Rose, renowned behaviorist and advisor to Fortune 100 companies, joins us to unpack whether marketers can really influence consumer emotions, or if their emotions drive us.

If you want to hear more from Jez, find him on his website, thatjezrose.com. 

Welcome to Prose + Comms: Engagement, Unplugged!

Marketing is changing fast, so let’s talk about it. On Prose + Comms: Engagement Unplugged, hosts Brian Rowley and Laura Smith from BrightSign have honest, unfiltered chats with the people doing the work: marketers, creatives, and brand leaders. No jargon. No fluff. Just the real stuff that’s driving growth and shaping great experiences.

Got feedback? Or a topic you want us to cover? Let's hear it! Drop us a note on Linkedin.

BrightSign: https://bit.ly/43aPGfz
Brian Rowley: https://bit.ly/4mlGexf
Laura Smith: https://bit.ly/4dodwHU

AI is reshaping marketing and customer experience faster than anyone expected, and most teams are only scratching the surface. In this episode of Prose + Comms: Engagement, Unplugged, we break through the hype to explore how AI is changing the way marketers think, create, collaborate, and problem-solve. From boosting creativity to transforming everyday workflows, this conversation digs into the real impact AI is having behind the scenes.

Laura Smith and Brian Rowley sit down with Brad Hintze, EVP of Marketing at Crestron, for a candid look at what’s working, what isn’t, and where AI is headed next. Together, they unpack the wins, the failures, the misconceptions, and the legal questions shaping AI adoption across marketing and customer experience teams. Whether you’re experimenting with prompts or rethinking your entire workflow, this episode gives you a grounded, inside look at how AI can elevate your strategy today — and why creativity still starts with humans.

If you’d like to learn more about Brad Hintze, you can find him on LinkedIn.