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 industry trends, such as 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 futurist, artificial intelligence transformation advisor, and consultant to leading brands, speaker, entrepreneur, and best-selling author. The show provides a fresh perspective on the continually evolving dynamic between brands and the audiences they serve.
Topics include AI adoption, agentic commerce, brand strategy, content strategy. marketing operations, advertising technology, marketing analytics, and more.
Site
RSS
Recent rankings
Latest chart positions across Apple Podcasts and Spotify rankings.
Shared links between episodes and podcasts
Links found in episode descriptions and other podcasts that share them.
#650: Maximizing your ad spend with Matt Wasserlauf, Blockboard
Season 7 · Episode 650
Friday, March 14, 2025 • Duration 15:46
We are here at eTail Palm Springs and seeing and hearing the latest and greatest in e-commerce and retail.
This year, many advertisers - especially retailers -- are being asked to do more with less. At the same time they have smaller budgets, they also must contend with an astonishing amount of waste: nearly 2/3 of every ad dollar spent actually goes toward the end inventory, and up to 15% of total spend goes to fraud or made-for-advertising content.
Today we’re going to talk about what to do about all of those wasted ad dollars. To help me discuss this topic, I’d like to welcome Matt Wasserlauf, CEO at Blockboard. \
RESOURCES
Blockboard: https://www.blockboard.com
eTail Palm Springs: https://etailwest.wbresearch.com/
Don't Miss MAICON 2025, October 14-16 in Cleveland - the event bringing together the brights minds and leading voices in AI. Use Code AGILE150 for $150 off registration. Go here to register: https://bit.ly/agile150
Connect with Greg on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregkihlstrom
Don't miss a thing: get the latest episodes, sign up for our newsletter and more: https://www.theagilebrand.show
Check 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/versionnextnow
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
#649: How to look at ROAS with Mitsu Kikuchi and Rocco Baldasarre of Shirofune
Season 7 · Episode 649
Wednesday, March 12, 2025 • Duration 19:12
We are here at eTail Palm Springs and seeing and hearing the latest and greatest in e-commerce and retail.
In digital advertising, are we chasing the wrong metrics? While short-term ROAS might look impressive, are we missing the bigger picture—whether those customers actually return? What happens when we shift our focus to Lifetime ROAS instead?
Today, I’m joined by Mitsunaga (Mitsu) Kikuchi, CEO of Shirofune and
Rocco Baldasarre, Head of Business Development for Shirofune in the USA. Shirofune is a leading digital advertising automation platform that has transformed how advertisers optimize campaigns with long-term growth in mind. Shirofune helps brands reduce ad management time by 50% while unlocking greater ad performance beyond just short-term wins.
Mitsunaga Kikuchi is the CEO and Founder of Shirofune, an automated advertising management tool that maximizes the efficiency and productivity of major digital advertising platforms. He joined CyberAgent, the largest digital agency in Japan in 2006 as a new graduate and in a few years, became the Director and the representative of a subsidiary (CA Advance). There he was responsible for providing the in-house ad management system and operational scheme to hundreds of Ad managers at CyberAgent. From the experience at CyberAgent, he then decided to develop a platform which automates the works done by those Ad managers so that anyone, with the limited knowledge, could get the same results from online advertising as what a professional Ad manager brings. Shirofune is an automated advertising management tool that maximizes the efficiency and productivity of major digital advertising platforms. The Shirofune platform is designed to maximize advertising effectiveness by automating day-to-day digital ad campaigns using a single, easy-to-use interface for management, budgeting, monitoring and analytics. Over 10,000 accounts have been automated using Shirofune, including 300,000 active ad campaigns.
As Head of Business Development for Shirofune in the USA, Rocco Baldasarre leads the charge in expanding the company's market presence and driving strategic growth. With a focus on establishing Shirofune’s footprint in the U.S., Rocco builds and nurtures strategic partnerships with key industry players, eCommerce platforms, and advertising agencies to foster collaboration and mutual success. He develops and implements forward-thinking business strategies, aligning with Shirofune's mission and growth goals. A dedicated leader, Rocco mentors a high-performing business development team, identifies new revenue opportunities, and ensures customer success by tailoring solutions that maximize client value.
RESOURCES
eTail Palm Springs: https://etailwest.wbresearch.com/
Don't Miss MAICON 2025, October 14-16 in Cleveland - the event bringing together the brights minds and leading voices in AI. Use Code AGILE150 for $150 off registration. Go here to register: https://bit.ly/agile150
Connect with Greg on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregkihlstrom
Don't miss a thing: get the latest episodes, sign up for our newsletter and more: https://www.theagilebrand.show
Check 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/versionnextnow
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
#640: Measuring the ROI on Out of Home with Jeremy Flynn from Clear Channel Outdoor
Season 7 · Episode 640
Wednesday, February 19, 2025 • Duration 29:48
Is audience-targeting just for digital… and TV? In a privacy-conscious world, are there better, safer ways to reach your customers?
Joining us today is Jeremy Flynn, Senior Vice President of Data Products & Strategy at Clear Channel Outdoor. Jeremy is at the forefront of innovating out-of-home (OOH) advertising, helping brands navigate modern marketing challenges by enhancing the value of their media investments. With a deep understanding of privacy-conscious solutions, audience targeting, and brand safety, Jeremy’s insights are vital for brands looking to thrive in today’s evolving ad environment.
In his role, Jeremy, works closely with Clear Channel Outdoor’s sales leadership and marketing teams to develop innovative solutions and data products that help brands and advertisers plan, measure, and amplify their media investments.
Jeremy is an integral part of Clear Channel’s RADAR Data Solutions team and can speak to how Clear Channel is solving modern marketing challenges by innovating OOH in an evolving environment so brands can understand and enhance the value of their media investment.
RESOURCES
Clear Channel Outdoor: https://clearchanneloutdoor.com/
Don't miss Medallia Experience 2025, March 24-26 in Las Vegas: Registration is now available: https://cvent.me/AmO1k0
Use code MEDEXP25 for $200 off registration
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/gregkihlstrom
Don't miss a thing: get the latest episodes, sign up for our newsletter and more: https://www.theagilebrand.show
Check 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/versionnextnow
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
#550: The science of CX with Martha Brooke
Season 6 · Episode 550
Wednesday, July 17, 2024 • Duration 26:34
While we talk about customer experience a lot on this show, today’s focus is going to be a little different than some of our past conversations. Today we’re going to talk about adding science to customer experience programs, and, more specifically the science of CX surveys.
To help me discuss this topic, I’d like to welcome Martha Brooke, Chief Customer Experience Analyst at Interaction Metrics.
RESOURCES
Interaction Metrics website: https://interactionmetrics.com/
Connect with Greg Kihlström on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregkihlstrom
Headed to MAICON 24 - the premier marketing and AI conference? Use our discount code AGILE150 for $150 off your registration code. Register here: http://tinyurl.com/5jpwhycv
Don't miss a thing: get the latest episodes, sign up for our newsletter and more: https://www.theagilebrand.show
Check 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/versionnextnow
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
#549: Winning at Conversational Commerce with Stefanos Loukakos, Connectly
Season 6 · Episode 549
Monday, July 15, 2024 • Duration 21:51
Today we’re going to talk about trends in conversational commerce and why retailers need to rethink the customer experience when it comes to messaging apps.
To help me discuss this topic, I’d like to welcome Stefanos Loukakos, Co-Founder and CEO of Connectly, who was previously Facebook’s Head of Messenger Business.
RESOURCES
Connectly website: https://www.connectly.ai/
Connect with Greg Kihlström on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregkihlstrom
Headed to MAICON 24 - the premier marketing and AI conference? Use our discount code AGILE150 for $150 off your registration code. Register here: http://tinyurl.com/5jpwhycv
Don't miss a thing: get the latest episodes, sign up for our newsletter and more: https://www.theagilebrand.show
Check 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/versionnextnow
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
#548: Staying customer-focused amidst expansion with Alice Eweida, Pandia Health
Season 6 · Episode 548
Friday, July 12, 2024 • Duration 29:03
In today’s competitive healthcare landscape, expanding into new markets and maintaining a focus on customer-centricity are critical for sustained growth. Joining us to discuss these challenges and opportunities is Alice Eweida, CEO of Pandia Health. Alice brings extensive experience in navigating both direct-to-consumer and business-to-business models in the healthcare sector.
Alice Eweida is the CEO of Pandia Health (which includes Pandia Medical Group and Pandia Pharmacy) with over 20 years of experience. She took the reins during its seed stage and joined at a time of significant growth as the organization expanded into multiple service categories, adding menopause and developing AI that guides doctors to personalize prescribing medication to best serve the individual patient’s needs.
Prior to Pandia Health, Alice led growth and brand marketing at several Series B digital health startups leveraging telemedicine for wellness, nutrition, diabetes and substance use care. Notably, she grew Boulder Care to approximately 5,000 patients and took DayTwo through a rebrand and expanded their care program from providers to mid-sized employers and national and regional payers. At Foodsmart (formerly Zipongo), she established their B2B2C enrollment and engagement programs, growing its user base to 950,000 through an employee benefits program with Fortune 500 companies, including Disney, Google, IBM and United Healthcare.
Alice spent four years at Google where her team launched Google Home, the first device with a voice-activated assistant built in, and was responsible for the integration with YouTube Red. Additionally, she spent time in their sales department to help grow advertising investments for global brands in the beauty and media sectors across Google Search, Google Display, YouTube and Google’s Marketing Platform.
Earlier in her career, Alice led product marketing at Sky TV, now a division of Comcast, for Sky Go on mobiles, tablets and games consoles. Prior to that, she was part of Vodafone’s Marketing Graduate Program. Alice holds an MA from the Oxford College of Marketing and a BA in English Language and Media Studies from the University of Birmingham in England.
RESOURCES
Pandia Health website: https://www.pandiahealth.com/
Connect with Greg Kihlström on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregkihlstrom
Listen to The Agile Brand without the ads. Learn more here: https://bit.ly/3ymf7hd
Headed to MAICON 24 - the premier marketing and AI conference? Use our discount code AGILE150 for $150 off your registration code. Register here: http://tinyurl.com/5jpwhycv
Don't miss a thing: get the latest episodes, sign up for our newsletter and more: https://www.theagilebrand.show
Check 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/versionnextnow
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
#547: Aligning brand with business strategy with Lori Poer and Nigel Dennis
Season 6 · Episode 547
Wednesday, July 10, 2024 • Duration 29:25
Welcome to a special episode of the show, brought to you by The Office of Experience, a design-driven, digital-first, vertically integrated and collaborative agency that believes in the power of ideas and the strength of people.
In today’s episode, we explore the fascinating intersection of branding and business strategy through the lens of a recent project between Blackbaud and The Office of Experience. We are joined by Lori Poer, Vice President, Global Brand and Corporate Marketing at Blackbaud, and Nigel Dennis, Group Creative Director at The Office of Experience.
RESOURCES
Blackbaud website: https://www.blackbaud.com
The Office of Experience website: https://www.officeofexperience.com
Connect with Greg Kihlström on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregkihlstrom
Headed to MAICON 24 - the premier marketing and AI conference? Use our discount code AGILE150 for $150 off your registration code. Register here: http://tinyurl.com/5jpwhycv
Don't miss a thing: get the latest episodes, sign up for our newsletter and more: https://www.theagilebrand.show
Check 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/versionnextnow
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
#546: The Great Hesitation with Sue Keith, Landrum Talent Solutions
Season 6 · Episode 546
Monday, July 8, 2024 • Duration 23:36
In this special episode, brought to you by Landrum Talent Solutions, , formerly Ceres Talent, a national recruiting firm specializing in marketing and HR positions, we’re going to talk about a few things.
Remember the Great Resignation. Well now, it’s more like the Great Hesitation, with many managers being reluctant to hire based on a number of factors. Also, in today's labor market, we observe a striking contrast between different sectors, presenting unique challenges and strategies. Joining us to shed light on these dynamics is Sue Keith, Corporate Vice President at Landrum Talent Solutions.
RESOURCES
Landrum Talent Solutions website: https://landrumtalentsolutions.com/
Connect with Greg Kihlström on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregkihlstrom
The B2B Agility podcast website: https://www.b2bagility.com
Sign up for The Agile Brand newsletter here: https://www.gregkihlstrom.com
Get the latest news and updates on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/b2b-agility/
Check out The Agile Brand Guide website with articles, insights, and Martechipedia, the wiki for marketing technology: https://www.agilebrandguide.com
B2B Agility with Greg Kihlström 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
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
#545: What it means to be customer-obsessed with Jill Pavlovich, Albertsons
Season 6 · Episode 545
Friday, July 5, 2024 • Duration 19:16
We are here in Nashville at Forrester CX Summit North America, and we’ve been hearing a lot about what it takes to create and sustain a great customer experience.
And while there’s good customer experience, there are things that set aside the brands that say they prioritize their customers, and there are those that are customer-obsessed.
Today we’re going to talk about what it means to be customer-obsessed, and how to create great omnichannel customer experiences in retail.
To help me discuss this topic is someone who knows all about being customer-obsessed, I’d like to welcome Jill Pavlovich, Senior Vice-President of Digital Shopping Experiences at Albertsons Companies, and recipient of the Customer-Obsessed Leadership Award at this year’s Forrester CX Summit.
RESOURCES
Forrester website: https://www.forrester.com
Access Forrester's Generative AI Essential for CX Leaders
Press Release: Forrester's 2024 US Customer Experience Index: Brands' CX Quality Is At An All-Time Low
Connect with Greg Kihlström on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregkihlstrom
Headed to MAICON 24 - the premier marketing and AI conference? Use our discount code AGILE150 for $150 off your registration code. Register here: http://tinyurl.com/5jpwhycv
Don't miss a thing: get the latest episodes, sign up for our newsletter and more: https://www.theagilebrand.show
Check 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/versionnextnow
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
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
#544: Looking to veterans for the next wave of cybersecurity experts with Nakisha Dixon, Vercara
Season 6 · Episode 544
Wednesday, July 3, 2024 • Duration 23:29
In 2023, the global cybersecurity workforce grew 8.7%, reaching a record high of 5.5 million people, according to the 2023 ISC2 Global Workforce Study. However, the industry is still grappling with a substantial deficit of 4 million professionals to properly safeguard the world’s emerging digital threats.
As the global cybersecurity workforce continues to expand, the industry faces significant challenges in meeting the demand for skilled professionals. Today, we're discussing an innovative solution to this talent shortage—leveraging the unique skills and qualities of veterans. Joining us is Nakisha Dixon, Vice President of Human Resources at Vercara, who has keen insights into the adaptability and potential of veterans in the cybersecurity field.
RESOURCES
Connect with Greg Kihlström on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregkihlstrom
Headed to MAICON 24 - the premier marketing and AI conference? Use our discount code AGILE150 for $150 off your registration code. Register here: http://tinyurl.com/5jpwhycv
Don't miss a thing: get the latest episodes, sign up for our newsletter and more: https://www.theagilebrand.show
Check 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/versionnextnow
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
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Related Shows Based on Content Similarities
Discover shows related to The Agile Brand with Greg Kihlström®: Expert Mode Marketing Technology, AI, & CX, based on actual content similarities. Explore podcasts with similar topics, themes, and formats, backed by real data.
