For most companies new product innovation is a game of chance, resulting in many more misses than hits. The reason, according to innovation expert Tony Ulwick, is that they don't take the time to figure out what customers actually need.

Loyalty points programs are more popular than ever. The problem is they lead to transactional relationships where customers are more loyal to the program than the brand. To build true loyalty, advises loyalty expert Richard Schenker, companies must encourage ongoing engagement beyond point collection and redemption.

Rapid brand growth can sometimes lead to incompatibility between new and existing customer segments due to differing needs and expectations. Brand managers can minimize the possibility of segment conflict by anticipating and then carefully managing the relationship between them, according to leading marketing academic Ryan Hamilton.

Marketers tend to overinvest in acquiring new buyers while trying to keep the most valuable customers from leaving. That leaves a lot of customers feeling left out. To correct this imbalance, marketers need a more systematic framework for selective investment in the most promising relationship segments based on growth potential, according to the renowned marketing academic Michael Johnson.

The Martech industry is going through a radical new era of technological transformation which is changing the contours of the marketing technology landscape. A burst of AI-driven growth and innovation is not only making marketing automation tools easier to use, says Martech expert Frans Riemersma, but the evolving "marchitecture" will liberate marketers from the onerous challenges of platform integration and workflow management.

Businesses today finally recognize the strategic urgency of unifying all customer data in an increasingly AI-driven world of personalized engagement. And now the data technology has matured to the point where that goal is more achievable than ever, according to SAP data expert Chris O'Hara.

Personalization at scale has long been a dream of marketers. But until recently it has been more superficial than helpful, constrained by legacy technology and processes. Today, however, AI makes it easier to do than ever before. Now the only thing holding marketers back, according to personalization expert Mark Abraham, is their campaign mindset.

Select excerpts from interviews with some of marketing's most prominent thought leaders on the state of marketing and the need for transformational change.

B2B companies tend to be laggards when it comes to delivering a superior customer experience, focused more on selling than servicing. But as a result of digital disruption, they have finally begun to embrace the need for a better post-sale journey, according to Jim Tincher, a leading expert in B2B experience design.

The market research industry is facing an existential crisis. Brand marketers have lost faith in old school methods of research – too slow, cumbersome and costly, in their view. To regain the trust of marketers, the consumer insights industry has to modernize their practices and start delivering insights that make more of a strategic impact, says Brett Townsend, a leading market research authority.