In Episode 30 of Beyond the CMS, host Chris Bryce welcomes Mark Demeny, a seasoned consultant and industry expert in content and content platforms, to discuss the evolving landscape of content management systems and how to choose the right CMS in a sea of sameness.

Mark shares his extensive experience spanning nearly 20 years, including his work with the Mock Alliance—a group focused on advancing composable architecture principles like microservices, API-first, cloud, and headless CMS. They dive into the challenges and opportunities of modern CMS selection, the importance of organizational alignment, and the growing role of composable approaches.

Key topics covered include:

The origins and mission of the Mock Alliance and its impact on the CMS ecosystem

The Open Data Model initiative to help architects understand composable system integration

How CMS choices have evolved from programming language constraints to headless and beyond

The critical question of owning your CMS roadmap versus relying on vendor roadmaps

The influence of vendor product strategies on CMS selection

Personalization trends, including the integration of Customer Data Platforms (CDPs) and the challenges of content variation management

The transformative impact of AI on content creation, personalization, and CMS workflows

The risks and opportunities AI presents for content attribution and brand experience

The renewed importance of structured content and content strategy in the AI era

Whether you're a CTO, CMO, or digital strategist, this episode offers valuable insights into navigating the complex CMS landscape and preparing for the future of content management.