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The financial industry has seen massive changes and innovations over the past few years. While moves to digital-first experiences have clear transitions for sectors such as retail, they look very different for financial services organizations. In this episode, Merkle’s Jonathan Gagliano and Regions Bank CMO Abbas Merchant define the largest customer experience challenges and opportunities in the financial services industry and how to measure the impacts of this transformation. Other topics discussed: • How financial services organizations can provide customers value in exchange for data • How Regions Bank personalizes experiences • The new consumer of financial services and how to think about them Resources: 2022 Imperatives

Many nonprofit organizations struggle to innovate, giving constituents redundant experiences year after year. Cloud technology has emerged as an efficient tool to help these organizations scale and build an agile solution. In this episode, Merkle’s Nonprofit lead, Jane Portman, and Amazon Web Services’ (AWS) Alex Hart join Jose to talk about key areas of transformation and key use cases for how the cloud can help. Resources: Merkle AWS Partnership 2022 Customer Experience Imperatives

With COVID and rising inflation changing the game, insurers are in a race to enhance experiences across channels and find new ways to innovate. In this episode, Merkle’s Aaron Tellier and John Reid sit down with Adobe’s Chris Young to discuss how insurance organizations should respond to these changes. Other topics discussed: How insurers can expand their use of data and insights to better serve customers and prospects Common challenges and how to avoid them The most important thing to improve success in achieving transformation goals Resources: 2022 Customer Experience Imperatives Adobe 2022 Digital Trends Report

As the pandemic continues to affect business operations, Taco Bell has quickly adapted within the quick-serve-restaurant (QSR) space to connect the customer experience across a variety of channels, including in-app, online ordering, drive-through experience, and more. In this episode, we talk with Taco Bell’s Niraj Revankar and Malia Alley to uncover how their data and marketing platform teams work together to align on key projects to stand up use cases fast. Other topics discussed: • Data fabric and its benefits • Key challenges during the CX transformation journey • Navigating organizational alignment during tech innovations

It’s no surprise that customer demand excellent digital experiences. In fact, the best experiences quickly become the new expectation for your customers. But how do marketers create these experiences at scale at the pace that customers demand? In this episode, Jose is joined by Adobe’s Alex Pepicelli and Merkle’s Deepak Narisety and Evan Nicholson to discuss how to develop compelling content and build the right team to create efficiency to drive this scale fast. Other topics discussed: • Key takeaways from Adobe Summit 2021 • How to develop content at scale, fast • Components needed to deliver on personalization at scale Resources: Unlock Seamless B2B Experiences with Adobe Marketo Engage

Customer experience transformation is something that we talk about often on this show. But what does it look like for a B2B organization that started on their transformation journey five years ago? In this episode, Jose chats with Shaun Myers, Director of Supply Chain and Service at Brenntag, a nearly 150-year-old German chemical distribution company operating in more than 77 countries worldwide as well as B2B International’s Head of Growth, Nick Hague. Other topics discussed: • Where Brenntag’s journey started • Mistakes to avoid • The results of embracing a CX mindset • The importance of employee engagement in CX transformation • The 6 key pillars of world class CX

B2B marketing has changed as buyers continue to get more used to personal experiences. B2B organizations have been forced to be creative to create leads and reach the right buyers (brand/digital ecosystem) in a world that was drastically changed by COVID-19. Brands need to engage audiences effectively in the immersive online world and connect the dots of buyers’ experience. Other topics discussed: • How B2B has changed, causing a need for a better way • The state of data in B2B • The complexity of the B2B organization • Key mistakes that B2B organizations should avoid • Where to get started for CX transformation Resources: B2B CMO Guide to Navigating Complexity

What type of experiences are adding value, driving engagement and helping marketers learn more about their customers? In our current environment, engaging experiences are key for building first-party data. In this episode, we talk to Pete Stein and Jen Gray on the key trends within digital experience and e-commerce, key examples, and where to start. Other topics covered: • How brands are using social commerce • Machine learning and AI in action in various industries • AR for e-commerce: Are we there yet? • How to design experiences to get zero-party data

The world of retail and eCommerce drastically changed last year. In this episode, Jose sits down with Merkle’s Kelly Holmstrom and Isobar’s Dave Meeker to discuss how organizations have pivoted and innovated to harness digital experiences, which COVID-induced trends should (and shouldn’t) stick around, and making the most of in-person experiences going forward. Other topics covered: • Innovations and the future of retail • What should (or shouldn’t) stick around from COVID? • Data intersection with in-store sales opportunities • Considerations for new buying habits going forward Resources: 2021 Customer Engagement Report

Changing how people work, producing outputs that matter, quickly and collaboratively, requires enterprise agility. This requires the business to harmonize through a true customer lens, rather than center around the structures, systems, processes, and core capabilities required to deliver it. In this episode, Margie Chiu, SVP of Merkle’s Consulting and Strategy Group talks about where to start to build a customer-centric organization and the importance of executive sponsorship. Other topics discussed: • Most commons hurdles to overcome • How to work through resistance to this change • New skills to consider • What success looks like and how to measure it Resources: • Merkle's 2021 Customer Experience Imperatives

Data transformation seems like a broad topic, but what does it actually mean for organizations and how can they measure it? In this episode, Merkle’s Gaelyn Almeida shares why this transformation is so important. Other points discussed: • What are the repercussions if this transformation isn’t made? • How marketers can get started • The importance of identity in data transformation • Common mistakes to avoid

What is digital transformation and how should organizations think about it? In this episode, host Jose Cebrian sits down with Matt Naeger, Chief Strategy Office of Merkle Americas. They discuss: • What is Digital Transformation? • What does Transformation look like in various industries? • How can you show the value of digital transformation? • Common mistakes to avoid