Customerland

The retail landscape is transforming through artificial intelligence, moving beyond flashy demonstrations to delivering real business value. In this illuminating conversation with Matt Bertucci, Director of Retail Solutions at Lenovo, we unpack how AI in retail has evolved dramatically over just three years.

Matt reveals how retailers have progressed from asking "what is AI?" to implementing solutions that deliver measurable ROI while enhancing both customer and employee experiences. Unlike the fear-based narratives about technology replacing workers, today's retail AI focuses on augmentation—handling routine tasks so staff can engage in more meaningful customer interactions.

We ex...

What happens to the people who protect our digital spaces from the worst humanity has to offer? Rachel Lutz-Gavara, Division VP of Trust and Safety at TaskUs, joins Customer Land to explore the invisible toll of content moderation and frontline customer work.

As a licensed mental health professional, Rachel brings unique clinical expertise to corporate wellness. She reveals how compassion fatigue—the emotional cost of caring—manifests in frontline workers through subtle signs like reduced empathy, detachment, and performance issues that are often misdiagnosed as productivity problems. Rather than treating these as HR matters, Rachel advocates for a cl...

The emotional drivers behind purchasing decisions are often more powerful than traditional demographic factors—this revelation sits at the heart of our conversation with Calvin Cheng, Partner at West Monroe. Calvin reveals how two individuals with identical demographic profiles can make completely different purchasing choices based on psychological factors stemming from upbringing, values, and personal history.

During economic uncertainty, savvy organizations focus on "fixing the leaky bucket" rather than making substantial new investments. Calvin explains that identifying where leads are being lost in the sales funnel and addressing conversion gaps becomes critical when budgets tighten. Equally important is...

Fullstory's Chief Marketing Officer Lindsay Bayuk shares how behavioral data revolutionizes customer understanding by revealing not just what customers do, but why they do it. Companies using AI extensively report twice the impact on user engagement and operational efficiency compared to cautious adopters.

• Behavioral data captures user emotions through signals like "rage clicks" (5 successive clicks in 10 seconds)
• Fullstory helps brands understand the "why" behind customer actions that traditional analytics miss
• Companies extensively adopting AI see 2x impact on user engagement and operational efficiency
• 80% of companies collect data, but only 25% say they use it effectively
• Br...

Technology adoption has historically taken longer than expected, but AI is breaking that pattern, creating business impact faster than most people realize. This fascinating conversation with Brian Gernert, CEO of Resonate, explores how predictive consumer intelligence is transforming marketing and customer experience in ways that were impossible just a few years ago.

At the core of this revolution is Resonate's ability to process 30 billion daily consumer interactions, creating detailed profiles with 15,000 attributes per individual. What makes their approach revolutionary isn't just the volume of data, but their focus on understanding why people make decisions, not just what...

The relationship between artificial intelligence and human emotional intelligence isn't just fascinating - it's reshaping how global enterprises deliver customer experiences. In this revealing conversation with TP USA CEO Mike Lytle, we explore how the world's largest customer experience provider is thriving in the age of AI by finding the perfect balance between technological advancement and human connection.

Mike shares TP USA's remarkable evolution from traditional call center origins to a diversified business where specialized services like trust and safety, health advocacy, and visa processing now represent half of their operations. With nearly 500,000 employees serving clients across 170...

The digital age has transformed how businesses collect and store customer data, but with this convenience comes tremendous risk. Every minute, over 2,200 cyber attacks target U.S. businesses, making data breaches virtually inevitable for organizations of all sizes. The question isn't if your company will experience a breach, but when—and at what cost to your business and customer relationships.

Sean Gately, VP of Security Solutions at Bluefin, pulls back the curtain on the devastating impact of data breaches on customer trust. With nearly 60% of consumers reporting they would no longer trust a company following a breach, th...

Consumer spending has weakened across the board in recent weeks, with fast fashion, resale, and off-price retail emerging as relative winners in an otherwise concerning landscape. Michael Gunther, VP and head of insights at Consumer Edge, shares data-driven perspectives on current consumer trends and what they indicate about the broader economic picture.

• Recent transaction data shows spend patterns weakening across industries during the past 4-5 weeks
• Winners in this environment include fast fashion, resale markets, and discount retail—categories typically associated with economic pullbacks
• Corporate earnings calls increasingly mention tariffs and "geopolitical uncertainty" as key concerns...

What happens when a nonprofit organization builds customer service operations that directly advance their mission? In this fascinating conversation with Andie Ewing, Chief Operating Officer of Unbound, we explore how this international development organization has reimagined what customer experience can achieve.

Operating across 17 countries in Africa, Asia, India, and Latin America, Unbound has developed a groundbreaking approach to both fighting poverty and delivering exceptional customer service. Unlike traditional contact centers focused on efficiency metrics, Unbound has established global operations in Colombia and the Philippines with a different priority: creating career opportunities for the very families they serve...

The marketing technology landscape has exploded to over 15,000 applications, creating both opportunities and challenges for businesses seeking to maximize their existing investments. In this enlightening conversation, Tara DeZao and Rebecca Miller of Pega, share their unique perspectives on navigating this complex ecosystem while thoughtfully implementing AI solutions.

The conversation reveals how Pega's approach to AI has evolved dramatically since 2018, shifting from basic natural language processing to sophisticated generative and agentic applications that transform both customer and employee experiences. What makes this discussion particularly valuable is their candid exploration of the trust challenges organizations face when implementing AI...

The disconnect between the digital experiences businesses think they're delivering and what customers actually receive represents a massive opportunity. In this enlightening conversation, Dave Anderson, VP of Product Marketing at ContentSquare, explores how traditional analytics fail us – with teams trapped in Google Analytics trying to make sense of tables and charts that don't tell the full story of customer journeys.

There's a profound shift happening from marketing-focused metrics to product analytics that truly reveal user behavior. Rather than drowning in spreadsheets, forward-thinking companies are embracing visual analytics that overlay directly onto websites and apps, making insights immediately ac...

What makes a brand truly patriotic in American eyes? The answer might surprise you—and it's definitely not just waving flags or wrapping everything in red, white, and blue.

Robert Passikoff, founder and CEO of Brand Keys, returns to Customerland with fascinating insights from their 24th annual Most Patriotic Brands Survey. This year's results reveal a startling reality: commercial brands now significantly outperform government institutions when it comes to patriotism. While Jeep maintains its perfect streak (ranking #1 for all 24 years of the survey with a near-perfect 99% rating), government bodies like the House of Representatives and Senate score di...

What Really Builds Customer Loyalty? A Conversation with Hope Neiman of Tillster

Loyalty programs are everywhere—but actual customer loyalty is harder to come by. In this episode, Hope Neiman, CMO at Tillster, offers a grounded look at what separates transactional perks from meaningful, lasting relationships.

While many brands rely on points and promotions, Hope argues that the real drivers of loyalty are often more personal and human: a service rep who remembers your dog’s name, a solution offered before a problem escalates, or just the sense that a brand actually knows who...

What if your planograms could adapt to each store's unique inventory and fixtures in real-time? That's exactly what Optimum Retailing has achieved with Realgramn AI, the first AI-powered store-specific planogramming tool that's fundamentally changing how retailers approach merchandising.

Justine Melman, CMO at Optimum Retailing, joins Customerland to reveal how Realgram AI bridges the persistent gap between merchandising plans and in-store execution. "Stores obviously know what their sales data is. They know what product is selling at each store. That's not anything new. What they don't know is why," explains Melman. This crucial insight drives Realgram AI's approach...

In this episode, we sit down with Jess Leitch, Executive Strategy Director at Frog, to explore the seismic shifts redefining how humans interact with technology — and what that means for brands, designers, and everyday users. From the collapse of the traditional interface to the rise of agentic AI, Jess walks us through a future that’s already underway, where experiences are increasingly ambient, autonomous, and deeply personal.

We talk about the concept of zero UI — the idea that screens and clicks are giving way to invisible systems that anticipate our needs. We unpack what happens when brands are no...

What happens when the shiny exterior of customer experience meets the messy reality of operational execution? In this eye-opening conversation, we speak with FD Giambattista, a veteran CX operations expert who has spent 25 years implementing customer service solutions for major corporations.

FD takes us behind the curtain to reveal what actually makes customer experience work—or fail. While technology providers focus on capabilities and features, FD deals with the operational realities: systems held together with "bailing wire and duct tape," agents navigating through 14 different applications to handle a single interaction, and the delicate balance between cost, quality, an...

From static images to personalized experiences that greet you by name, digital signage has undergone a remarkable transformation. BrightSign's Vice President of Sales for the Americas, Misty Chalk, takes us deep into how this technology is revolutionizing customer connections across every industry.

The conversation reveals how BrightSign's purpose-built media players—those "purple boxes" behind screens everywhere—have become the backbone of sophisticated digital signage solutions. Chalk explains their unique ecosystem approach, where they've opened their APIs to over 170 content management software partners, creating a collaborative environment that delivers consistent, seamless experiences for end users. The newly established Brig...

AI-powered decisioning is transforming how retail media networks operate, and Hightouch stands at the forefront of this revolution with a freshly announced $80 million funding round at a $1.2 billion valuation.

In this conversation with Ian Maier, Ad Tech and AI Lead at Hightouch, we explore how composable CDPs are dramatically reducing implementation timelines for retailers launching media networks. Unlike traditional CDPs that require months of data migration, Hightouch's solution sits atop existing data infrastructure, allowing enterprise retailers to activate their first-party data across channels in a matter of weeks rather than months.

Maier shares a compelling...

What happens when you tell a software engineer his CMS platform will shut down in six months, leaving major clients like Adidas and Reebok stranded? You get Storyblock - perhaps the most thoughtful reinvention of content management in decades.

Dominik Angerer, CEO and co-founder of Storyblok, takes us on a journey through the broken world of traditional CMS platforms and reveals how his team is building something fundamentally different. The problem isn't just technical – it's the entire approach to content creation and management that's failed marketing teams everywhere.

Most CMS platforms function as what Dominic ca...

The gap between AI hype and real-world implementation is creating both challenges and opportunities for retailers worldwide. Talkdesk executives Ed Durbin and Michael Klein pull back the curtain on what's actually happening in retail AI adoption, sharing candid insights from their conversations with retail leaders at NRF and beyond.

"We've spent millions on AI and we're still trying to get it to work," one retail vice president confessed to Ed during a recent conversation. This admission captures the frustration many retailers face as they attempt to transform customer experience with artificial intelligence while managing legacy systems, limited...

The hidden science behind retail success isn't found in flashy technology or complicated loyalty programs – it's in the power of engaged store associates. This conversation with Nikki Baird, VP of Strategy and Product at Aptos, reveals groundbreaking research showing that when employees reach "peak immersion" during customer interactions, sales naturally increase.

Retailers have become addicted to digital metrics, treating them like donuts that provide a quick sugar rush of data, while neglecting the apple-like sustenance of in-store metrics that require more effort to digest but provide better nourishment. This misplaced focus leads to investments in technologies that wo...

Ever wondered what technology investments actually make retail employees happier—not just more productive? Katie Riddle, Global Retail Strategy Lead at Verizon Business, reveals that while 98% of grocery retailers struggle with staffing challenges, the solution goes beyond efficiency tools.

"It's not just about making employees more efficient," Katie explains. "It's about providing a better experience that makes them want to stay." Through her unique position overseeing retail strategy at Verizon, Katie has a panoramic view of how leading retailers are using technology to transform both customer and employee experiences. From appointment-setting systems that help associates prepare for cu...

What happens when traditional loyalty programs fail to deliver real value? In a world where 57% of US consumers no longer demonstrate true brand loyalty, businesses must fundamentally rethink what it means to create lasting customer relationships.

Meghann York, Global Head of Product Marketing at SAP CX, takes us deep into the shifting loyalty landscape with fresh insights from the Global Customer Loyalty Index. The days of simple "buy-get-points-buy-more" programs are fading as consumers—particularly Gen Z—demand authentic connections that align with their values and deliver genuinely personalized experiences.

We explore the stark reality that only...

When Amanda Oren and I finally connected after a month of calendar wrangling, I knew the wait was worth it. As VP of Industry Strategy for Grocery North America at Relex, Amanda brings a unique perspective – she joined the company after being a customer herself, giving her both the retailer's and the technology provider's view of the rapidly evolving grocery landscape.

Our conversation quickly dived into how Relux's AI-powered demand forecasting is helping grocers reduce inventory costs by an impressive 20% while simultaneously improving product availability and reducing waste. The platform sits atop retailers' transactional systems, aggregating data to...

Sustainability and health consciousness aren't just buzzwords – they're reshaping consumer loyalty in profound ways that retailers can no longer afford to ignore. My conversation with Joel Percy, Regional Director at Eagle Eye, dives deep into the striking findings from their Green Loyalty Survey that reveals just how powerfully these factors influence purchasing decisions.

The statistics are eye-opening: 74% of Gen Z and 70% of families consider sustainability extremely or very important in their shopping choices. Perhaps even more compelling is that 62% of all respondents are willing to pay premium prices for eco-friendly brands. Yet despite this clear consumer preference, ne...

Tariffs have become a hot-button issue that's reshaping the retail landscape in ways few could have predicted. In this revealing conversation with Duleep Rodrigo, KPMG US Consumer and Retail Sector Leader, we cut through the noise to understand how these economic policy decisions impact both businesses and everyday consumers.

Unlike typical economic downturns where consumer behavior follows predictable patterns, tariff situations create a uniquely dynamic environment. "The tariff landscape can shift in a day," making strategic planning particularly challenging for retailers who source products globally. Rodrigo unpacks how companies navigate this complexity, explaining why some retailers face...

On the heels of Pega's recent "Blueprint" announcement, I got to spend some time with CTO Don Schuerman pulling apart the tech, the capabilites, and more importantly, what brands are doing with these new superpowers. Discover key insights into how real-time technology solutions can transform customer engagement and minimize tech debt. We discuss the concept of "next best action," emphasizing timely customer interactions that align with business goals. 

• Explanation of the next best action concept 
• Insights into the challenges posed by tech debt 
• Overview of Pega’s Customer Engagement Blueprint 
• Discussion on the significance of personalize...

Experience transformation isn’t just a buzzword; it’s a necessity for successful businesses today. Join us as Eric Karofsky, CEO of VectorHX, shares his wealth of knowledge on building impactful customer experiences that drive profitability and satisfaction. We explore the interconnected realms of customer experience, user experience, and employee experience, illustrating their collective influence on customer interactions. 

Eric dives deep into his unique approach to enhancing customer engagement through proactive strategies like prototyping, which have successfully helped numerous organizations revamp their customer interfaces. We tackle the often-misunderstood concept of customer experience audits, breaking down how organizations can s...

Ever wondered how AI is set to reshape the world of Revenue Operations (RevOps) and lead to explosive growth? Tune in as we engage with Shane Evans, the Chief Revenue Officer at Gong, who peels back the curtain on the transformative power of AI and strategic partnerships in revitalizing revenue growth. Shane’s insights will revolutionize your understanding of how businesses can shift from outdated methods to innovative strategies that prioritize creativity and adaptability, even in the face of challenges like the pandemic and economic shifts.

In our conversation, Shane takes us behind the scenes of Gong’s jo...

Frank Vella, the dynamic CEO of Constant Contact, joins us to share his inspiring journey from helping family-run businesses in Canada to leading one of the most trusted names in small business marketing. With an extensive background at tech giants like Microsoft and Hewlett Packard, Frank brings a fervor for innovation and a deep understanding of the challenges small businesses face today. In our conversation, he reveals how his personal history and passion for technology align with Constant Contact's mission as it nears its 30th anniversary, establishing a strong foundation for future success.

Dive into the future...

Unlock the secrets of brand loyalty transformation with insights from Robert Pasikoff, founder and CEO of BrandKeys. You'll discover why emotional engagement now eclipses traditional rational marketing methods, reshaping how we predict consumer behavior and market dynamics. Learn why the days of brand wars like Coke vs. Pepsi are fading, as modern loyalty strategies pivot towards fostering emotional connections to drive sales and secure market share.

Brand loyalty isn't what it used to be—it's better. Explore how the old-school marketing tactics centered around product, place, promotion, and price have evolved into a nuanced focus on emotional re...

Can the evolving expectations of Gen Z redefine the way brands approach consumer loyalty and sustainability? This week, we're joined by Regan Plekenpol, co-founder of Rediem, who shares her pioneering journey from sustainable policy work to revolutionizing loyalty programs. You'll discover how Rediem's unique approach is turning traditional loyalty on its head by integrating value-driven incentives that resonate with the eco-conscious demands of today's consumers. As Regan explains, the intersection of ethical practices and consumer expectations is shaping a new era of brand-consumer relationships.

With Rediem's innovative concept of "purpose gating," brands are encouraged to align their...

This was one of the most fascinating - and instructive - conversations in recent memory.  I sat down with two Gen Z consumers - representatives from Z-Suite - to discuss their preferences, buying habits, thoughts, feelings and expectations as customers. According to their site, The Z Suite is a network of diverse Gen Z thinkers serving as a powerful voice in the dynamic consumer space, advising brands and industry leaders.  

In this wide-ranging conversation you'll get to hear from two Gen Zers who are both as well-spoken as they are outspoken about what they love, ha...

What if you could revolutionize customer interaction with cutting-edge technology and enhance loyalty like never before? Join us as we uncover the secrets with Jay Patel, SVP GM of Webex Customer Experience at Cisco. Jay offers a unique perspective on the dynamic intersection of customer service and loyalty, sharing insights into how platforms like Cloud Cherry and advancements in the CPaaS space are redefining seamless customer experiences across multiple channels.

Journey with us through the shifting landscape of customer communication technologies, from the nostalgic days of direct mail to the sophisticated AI innovations of today. Jay and...

Erin Raese is CRO at Annex Cloud and Erin "gets" loyalty.  In this episode we explore the shifting tides of brand loyalty across generations, we'll see why the loyalty game is not just about keeping customers engaged but also about staying relevant. We uncover why almost half of Gen Z and millennials abandon brands due to boredom and how influencers and gamification might be the keys to keeping them interested. Learn from industry leaders like Footlocker and Duolingo, who are successfully engaging these audiences through creative marketing and gamified experiences, while also understanding the broader loyalty trends from boomers t...

In this episode of *Customerland*, host Mike Giambattista sits down with Eric Brackmann, VP of Commerce Media at Koddi, to unpack the evolving landscape of commerce media. As a leader in helping organizations monetize first-party data and enhance customer experiences, Koddi operates at the intersection of technology and strategy, enabling businesses to create meaningful connections between advertisers, suppliers, and consumers. With the rapid growth of retail media and its natural progression into commerce media, the discussion delves into the industry's complexities and opportunities.

 Throughout the conversation, Eric highlights key trends, including the transition from endemic to non-endemic a...

In this episode, we explore the European Union's Digital Product Passport (DPP) framework—a groundbreaking initiative designed to enhance product transparency and accelerate the transition to a circular economy. Megan Brewster, VP of Advanced Technology at Impinj, offers her expert insights into how this regulatory shift will reshape how products are labeled, tracked, and understood. Drawing comparisons to the transformative impact of GDPR, Megan highlights why businesses worldwide—especially those serving the EU market—must act now to prepare for these changes.

The textiles industry faces a pivotal deadline for DPP compliance by mid-2027, marking a significant shift...

In this episode, we sit down with Marc-Henri Desportes, CEO of Worldline, and Richard Straver, founder of OPP, to explore the evolving role of embedded payments in platforms and marketplaces across Europe. Our discussion highlights the challenges of traditional payment systems and how their solutions streamline complex transactions—like managing multiple merchants in a single checkout process—through advanced features such as split payments and integrated escrow services.

We delve into the critical aspects of secure transactions, revenue generation, and efficient KYC processes that simplify merchant onboarding. The conversation focuses on Europe’s diverse and highly regulated market...

Discover how empathy reshapes marketing as Tara DeZao, Product Marketing Director for AdTech and MarTech at Pega, joins us to unravel the complexities of customer journeys and data privacy. Together, we examine the crucial role brands play in responding to customers' needs by meeting them in pivotal moments and providing solutions that resonate rather than repel. With cookies on the decline, explore how companies are innovating their strategies through new technologies and partnerships, ensuring they stay ahead in a rapidly changing landscape.

As data deprecation challenges traditional marketing, we question the longstanding reliance on cookies and showcase...