The Agile Brand with Greg Kihlström® | What CMOs Need to Know About Marketing Technology, AI & CX

The Agile Brand with Greg Kihlström® | What CMOs Need to Know About Marketing Technology, AI & CX

By The Agile BrandBusinessMarketing
Download on the App Store

The Agile Brand with Greg Kihlström® | What CMOs Need to Know About Marketing Technology, AI & CX episodes

  • #843: Pega's Matt Healy on the hidden costs of outdated technology

    What if the biggest obstacle to your AI strategy isn't the algorithm, but the 20-year-old software your team is forced to use every day?


    Agility requires not just a willingness to adopt new strategies like AI, but also the courage to dismantle the legacy systems that hold your people and processes captive.


    Today, we're going to talk about the hidden costs of outdated technology. While many leaders are focused on implementing the next generation of AI, new research suggests that the legacy systems still running in the background are not just inefficient—they're actively eroding employee morale, productivity, and could even be a major factor in employee turnover.


    To help me discuss this topic, I'd like to welcome, Matt Healy, Sr. Director, Product Strategy & Marketing at Pega.
    About Matt Healy

    Matt Healy, Senior Director of Product Marketing, leads product marketing and strategy for Pega Platform. He helps engage with enterprises to bring new solutions to life that enable faster legacy transformation, accelerated development, AI & automation at scale to unlock business agility, operational efficiency, and developer effectiveness.

    Matt Healy on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattbhealy/

    Resources

    Pega: https://www.pega.com

    Pega provides the leading AI-powered platform for enterprise transformation. The world’s most influential organizations trust Pega’s technology to reimagine how work gets done by automating workflows, personalizing customer experiences, and modernizing legacy systems. Since 1983, Pega’s scalable, flexible architecture has fueled continuous innovation, helping clients accelerate their path to the autonomous enterprise. Learn more at Pega.com


    See the research from Pega mentioned on the show: https://www.pega.com/about/news/press-releases/new-research-uncovers-hidden-toll-ineffective-workplace-technology

    Also make sure to register for PegaWorld 2026, June 7-9 in Las Vegas, where the future of AI-led business will be built. Learn more and register here: https://www.pega.com/events/pegaworld



    Drive your customers to new horizons at the premier retail event of the year for Retail and Brand marketers. Learn more at CRMC 2026, June 1-3. https://aglbrnd.co/r/d15ec37a537c0d74

    We’re proud to be a media partner for #MAICON26 - Oct. 13-15! Learn how AI can power your marketing and business and help you grow smarter. Use code AGILE150 to save! https://aglbrnd.co/r/7fe458ced0f04658

    Enjoyed the show? Tell us more at and give us a rating so others can find the show at: https://aglbrnd.co/r/faaed112fc9887f3

    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://aglbrnd.co/r/35ded3ccfb6716ba

    Check out The Agile Brand Guide website with articles, insights, and Martechipedia, the wiki for marketing technology: https://www.agilebrandguide.com

    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

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    24 min
  • #842: Braze Chief Product Officer Kevin Wang on how AI has forever changed product development

    With AI promising to accelerate everything, is the most important role for a leader now to be the one who knows when to hit the brakes?


    Agility requires a balance between the rapid adoption of new technologies and the strategic wisdom to know which ones will actually deliver customer value. It's less about moving fast and more about moving in the right direction.


    Today, we're going to talk about how AI has permanently changed product development. But while it enables teams to tackle more problems faster than ever, the real challenge has shifted to keeping pace with rising customer expectations. This new landscape requires a shift in product leadership—from simply adopting trends to discerning real value, and using human judgment and creativity to decide where AI can make the biggest impact, and where it’s just noise.


    To help me discuss this topic, I'd like to welcome, Kevin Wang, Chief Product Officer at Braze.

    About Kevin Wang

    Kevin Wang is the Chief Product Officer at Braze, where he leads the definition of Braze’s product roadmap and R&D efforts, as well as managing and scaling the Product Management and Product Design teams. Kevin joined Braze as its fifth employee in 2012, helping to build the first product sold to customers and the early engineering team. He’s since held a variety of roles across product management, engineering, engineering management, and technical recruiting. Prior to Braze, Kevin was a consultant at Accenture focusing on the energy sector. Kevin holds a B.S. in Brain & Cognitive Sciences from MIT.

    Kevin Wang on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevin-wang-96131916/

    Resources

    Braze: https://www.braze.com/

    The Agile Brand podcast is brought to you by TEKsystems. Learn more here: https://aglbrnd.co/r/2868abd8085a9703

    Drive your customers to new horizons at the premier retail event of the year for Retail and Brand marketers. Learn more at CRMC 2026, June 1-3. https://aglbrnd.co/r/d15ec37a537c0d74
    We’re proud to be a media partner for #MAICON26 - Oct. 13-15! Learn how AI can power your marketing and business and help you grow smarter. Use code AGILE150 to save! https://aglbrnd.co/r/7fe458ced0f04658

    Enjoyed the show? Tell us more at and give us a rating so others can find the show at: https://aglbrnd.co/r/faaed112fc9887f3
    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://aglbrnd.co/r/35ded3ccfb6716ba
    Check out The Agile Brand Guide website with articles, insights, and Martechipedia, the wiki for marketing technology: https://www.agilebrandguide.com
    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

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    26 min
  • #841: NiCE CMO Michelle Cooper on the most common mistake brands make with AI and CX

    We've all been sold the dream of AI transforming the customer experience, but what if the most common approach is actually making it worse?


    Agility requires more than just implementing new technology; it demands a deep understanding of the human interactions that technology is meant to support. It’s about adapting your tools and processes to enhance human judgment, not just automate it.


    Today, we're going to talk about moving beyond the hype of AI in customer experience. We'll explore how to ground an AI strategy not in the technology itself, but in the real, human moments that define a brand, and discuss why empowering your frontline team might be the most critical, and overlooked, component of a successful CX transformation.


    To help me discuss this topic, I'd like to welcome, Michelle Cooper, CMO at NiCE.

    About Michelle Cooper

    Michelle Cooper on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelleleecooper/

    Resources

    NiCE: https://www.nice.com

    The Agile Brand podcast is brought to you by TEKsystems. Learn more here: https://aglbrnd.co/r/2868abd8085a9703

    Drive your customers to new horizons at the premier retail event of the year for Retail and Brand marketers. Learn more at CRMC 2026, June 1-3. https://aglbrnd.co/r/d15ec37a537c0d74

    Enjoyed the show? Tell us more at and give us a rating so others can find the show at: https://aglbrnd.co/r/faaed112fc9887f3
    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://aglbrnd.co/r/35ded3ccfb6716ba
    Check out The Agile Brand Guide website with articles, insights, and Martechipedia, the wiki for marketing technology: https://www.agilebrandguide.com
    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

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    19 min
  • #840: Adobe's Hannah Elsakr on what happens after the hype: operationalizing AI at enterprise scale

    Is generative AI on track to become the biggest productivity unlock for marketers since the internet, or will it forever be stuck in endless pilot projects and one-off experiments?


    Agility requires moving beyond isolated experiments and embracing the systemic redesign of core creative and marketing workflows. It's about building the operational muscle to not just adopt new technology, but to integrate it into the very fabric of how your brand creates value.


    Today, we're going to talk about what happens after the initial hype cycle of generative AI. We're moving past the novelty of prompting for images and into the far more complex challenge of operationalizing AI at enterprise scale. This isn't just about adding a new tool; it's about re-architecting the entire creative supply chain and redefining the role of human judgment in a world of content abundance.


    To help me discuss this topic, I'd like to welcome Hannah Elsakr, VP of New GenAI Business Ventures at Adobe.

    About Hannah Elsakr

    Hannah Elsakr serves as Vice President of GenAI New Business Ventures at Adobe, where she leads efforts at the intersection of technology, creativity, and marketing. She launched Adobe Firefly Enterprise businesses, starting with Firefly Services for creative automation and Firefly Foundry, Adobe’s GenAI deep-tuning managed service, enabling brands to adopt commercially safe generative AI. Previously, she led Corporate Development and served as Chief of Staff to Adobe’s CEO and Chair, Shantanu Narayen.
     
    Hannah is also Board President for the Adobe Foundation, which creates positive change through support for creative and digital literacy, social equity and opportunity, and active engagement in the communities where we live and work.

    Hannah has experience leading global businesses in ecommerce & marketplaces, consumer products, SaaS, and advisory services. Prior to joining Adobe, she was the Vice President at eBay with P&L responsibility for eBay’s Canada, Latin America, and U.S. Exports businesses as well as business operations. Hannah previously held leadership roles at eBay, Del Monte Foods, Avon Products, McKinsey & Co., and J.P. Morgan.
    Hannah holds a Bachelor of Science degree in applied mathematics with computer science from MIT and an MBA from Harvard Business School.

    Hannah Elsakr on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hannahelsakr/

    Resources

    Adobe: https://www.adobe.com

    The Agile Brand podcast is brought to you by TEKsystems. Learn more here: https://aglbrnd.co/r/2868abd8085a9703

    Drive your customers to new horizons at the premier retail event of the year for Retail and Brand marketers. Learn more at CRMC 2026, June 1-3. https://aglbrnd.co/r/d15ec37a537c0d74

    Enjoyed the show? Tell us more at and give us a rating so others can find the show at: https://aglbrnd.co/r/faaed112fc9887f3
    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://aglbrnd.co/r/35ded3ccfb6716ba
    Check out The Agile Brand Guide website with articles, insights, and Martechipedia, the wiki for marketing technology: https://www.agilebrandguide.com
    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

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    34 min
  • #839: Medallia's Courtney Shealy on moving contact centers from cost center to strategic asset

    What if your company’s most valuable source of competitive intelligence and brand insight isn’t a market research report, but your contact center?


    Agility requires more than just reacting to customer issues; it demands the ability to listen, understand, and act on the collective voice of the customer to proactively shape the business. This means transforming points of friction into opportunities for innovation.


    Today, we are live at Medallia Experience 2026 in Las Vegas, and we're going to talk about transforming the contact center from a reactive, cost-focused operational hub into a proactive, strategic engine for growth. We'll explore how to unlock the wealth of insights from customer interactions to drive innovation, create more empathetic experiences, and deliver tangible value across the entire enterprise.


    To help me discuss this topic, I'd like to welcome, Courtney Shealy, SVP, Global Presales at Medallia.
    About Courtney Shealy

    With 25 years in SaaS and CX, Courtney brings deep expertise in leading global sales engineering and strategy teams. She has a proven track record of connecting customers to innovation that drives measurable business outcomes. For the last 15 years, she’s focused on transforming CX adoption into an engine for revenue growth, efficiency, and stakeholder value. At Medallia, Courtney leads the Center of Excellence that helps customers maximize their CX investments—modernizing programs with AI, breaking free of outdated foundations, and accelerating results.

    Courtney Shealy on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/courtney-mcmahan-shealy-9b3251/

    Resources

    Medallia: https://www.medallia.com

    The Agile Brand podcast is brought to you by TEKsystems. Learn more here: https://aglbrnd.co/r/2868abd8085a9703

    Drive your customers to new horizons at the premier retail event of the year for Retail and Brand marketers. Learn more at CRMC 2026, June 1-3. https://aglbrnd.co/r/d15ec37a537c0d74

    Enjoyed the show? Tell us more at and give us a rating so others can find the show at: https://aglbrnd.co/r/faaed112fc9887f3
    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://aglbrnd.co/r/35ded3ccfb6716ba
    Check out The Agile Brand Guide website with articles, insights, and Martechipedia, the wiki for marketing technology: https://www.agilebrandguide.com
    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

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    29 min
  • #838: BrandShield CEO Yoav Keren on the dark side of digital engagement

    What if your biggest competitor this holiday season isn't another brand, but an army of AI-powered scammers stealing your customers and destroying your brand equity before you even know they exist?


    Agility requires not only building a brand that can pivot with market trends, but also one that can defend its value and customer trust against threats that evolve just as quickly.


    Today, we're going to talk about the dark side of digital engagement, including the rapidly growing threat of brand impersonation, counterfeit goods, and AI-driven scams that target the customers marketers work so hard to attract. This isn't just an IT security issue; it's a fundamental threat to customer experience, brand trust, and revenue.


    To help me discuss this topic, I'd like to welcome Yoav Keren, CEO and Co-founder at BrandShield.
    About Yoav Keren

    Yoav Keren has 24 years of experience in financial management, marketing, and business development. He is currently a member of the anti-counterfeiting committee at INTA and was formerly a Council Member at ICANN. Yoav was a senior advisor to a minister in the Israeli government and was the head of the Technology branch of the Israeli military’s Information Security Department. He holds an MBA from the Kellogg & Recanati business school (Northwestern University & Tel-Aviv University) and a BA in Economics and Physics from the Tel-Aviv University.

    Yoav Keren on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yoavkeren/?originalSubdomain=il

    Resources

    BrandShield : brandshield.com

    The Agile Brand podcast is brought to you by TEKsystems. Learn more here: https://aglbrnd.co/r/2868abd8085a9703

    Drive your customers to new horizons at the premier retail event of the year for Retail and Brand marketers. Learn more at CRMC 2026, June 1-3. https://aglbrnd.co/r/d15ec37a537c0d74

    Enjoyed the show? Tell us more at and give us a rating so others can find the show at: https://aglbrnd.co/r/faaed112fc9887f3
    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://aglbrnd.co/r/35ded3ccfb6716ba
    Check out The Agile Brand Guide website with articles, insights, and Martechipedia, the wiki for marketing technology: https://www.agilebrandguide.com
    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

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    26 min
  • #837: Domo Chief Design Officer Chris Willis on what to do about the trust deficit in enterprise AI

    Imagine your biggest AI-powered marketing decision is challenged by your CEO or legal team. Could you, right now, defend both the outcome as well as how the AI arrived at that conclusion?


    Agility requires more than just speed; it demands the confidence to act on insights decisively. That confidence is impossible if the tools making the recommendations operate like an unexplainable black box.


    Today, we're going to talk about the growing trust deficit in enterprise AI. While we’re all chasing the speed and convenience automation promises, many leaders are realizing that fast answers are useless—and even dangerous—if you can’t verify or defend the logic behind them. We’ll explore how to move beyond 'black-box' systems to build an AI strategy grounded in transparency, credibility, and true, defensible decision-making.


    To help me discuss this topic, I'd like to welcome, Chris Willis, Chief Design Officer & Futurist at Domo.

    About Chris Willis

    Chris Willis is Chief Design Officer at Domo, where he brings more than 25 years of design and product leadership to the company’s data, analytics, and AI platform. Since joining Domo early in its history, he has played a key role in shaping the platform’s design strategy, helping make complex data more accessible and useful for customers across industries. Before Domo, Chris co-founded HOUR Detroit magazine and Footnote.com (now Fold3.com), which was acquired by Ancestry.com, and worked as an award-winning illustrator, journalist, and author. His experience blends design thinking, technology, and emerging trends to drive innovation and build tools that solve real business problems.

    Chris Willis on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cwillis

    Resources

    Domo: https://www.domo.com/

    The Agile Brand podcast is brought to you by TEKsystems. Learn more here: https://aglbrnd.co/r/2868abd8085a9703

    Drive your customers to new horizons at the premier retail event of the year for Retail and Brand marketers. Learn more at CRMC 2026, June 1-3. https://aglbrnd.co/r/d15ec37a537c0d74

    Enjoyed the show? Tell us more at and give us a rating so others can find the show at: https://aglbrnd.co/r/faaed112fc9887f3
    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://aglbrnd.co/r/35ded3ccfb6716ba
    Check out The Agile Brand Guide website with articles, insights, and Martechipedia, the wiki for marketing technology: https://www.agilebrandguide.com
    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

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    33 min
  • Balancing marketing at a global scale with cultural intelligence with Katherine Melchior Ray

    As AI makes it easier than ever to reach a global audience, is it also making it easier to fail on a global scale?


    Agility requires more than just speed; it requires situational awareness. For global brands, this means having the cultural intelligence to understand the nuances of local markets and adapt your strategy in a way that builds trust, not erodes it.


    Today, we're going to talk about a critical paradox facing modern marketers: as technology and AI make global expansion seem easier than ever, the risk of cultural missteps and brand damage has never been higher. We'll explore why cultural intelligence is becoming the most vital, and perhaps most overlooked, asset for building brand value, and how getting it right is the key to unlocking sustainable growth in a world that is both interconnected and deeply, culturally distinct.


    To help me discuss this topic, I'd like to welcome, Katherine Melchior Ray, UC Berkeley, co-author of the new book, Brand Global, Adapt Local: How to Build Brand Value Across Cultures

    About Katherine Melchior Ray

    Katherine Melchior Ray lectures on international marketing and leadership at UC Berkeley Haas School of Business, CA. With twenty-five-years spent building the world's best consumer branding across continents, she brings expertise from her time as a senior executive at Nike, Nordstrom, Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Hyatt, Shiseido and Babbel. She has guest lectured at Stanford, Wharton, Brown and Portland State University.
    She has been interviewed and featured on CBS 60 Minutes, CNN, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and numerous media internationally. She also has been profiled in The Wall Street Journal in an article entitled, "Hyatt Executive Has a Spare Evening Gown in Her Bag," and was voted one of the "Most Compelling Women in the Travel Industry" by Premier Traveler magazine. She can be heard on various podcasts and blogs related to global marketing and leadership, culture and diversity, women's empowerment, and the future of work.

    Katherine Melchior Ray on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katherinemelchiorray/

    Resources

    Get a copy of Katherine and Nataly's book: Brand Global, Adapt Local: How to Build Brand Value Across Cultures: ⁠https://amzn.to/481wUJm

    The Agile Brand podcast is brought to you by TEKsystems. Learn more here: https://aglbrnd.co/r/2868abd8085a9703

    Drive your customers to new horizons at the premier retail event of the year for Retail and Brand marketers. Learn more at CRMC 2026, June 1-3. https://aglbrnd.co/r/d15ec37a537c0d74

    Enjoyed the show? Tell us more at and give us a rating so others can find the show at: https://ratethispodcast.com/agile
    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 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

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    30 min
  • #835: Qualtrics' Jordan Harper on using synthetic panels to get real insight

    What if the most honest and insightful feedback you could get about your customers didn't come from an actual customer at all?


    Agility requires not just the ability to pivot quickly, but the foresight to know *which way* to turn. That foresight is built on a foundation of deep, unbiased insights, which are becoming increasingly difficult to get through traditional means.


    We are in Seattle at the Qualtrics X4 Summit, and today, we're going to talk about a fundamental shift in how we gather customer insights. We'll explore the diminishing returns of traditional research and dive into the potential of synthetic panels—AI models trained to represent audiences without the fatigue, bias, or social desirability that can skew human responses. It's a move from merely confirming what we think we know to discovering what's truly possible.


    To help me discuss this topic, I'd like to welcome, Jordan Harper, Principal AI Thought Leader, Edge Center of Excellence at Qualtrics.

    About Jordan Harper

    With a career spanning nuclear physics, software engineering, digital transformation, and customer experience strategy, Jordan brings a fresh perspective to technology’s role in understanding people and markets. He has advised global brands, led innovation programs, and built products across industries from financial services to fast-casual dining.Drawing on this diverse background, Jordan excels in working with clients to help them realize how AI-powered synthetic research can not only deliver faster and more cost-effective results, but also introduces surprising benefits and fresh perspectives into a market researcher's toolkit.

    Jordan Harper on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jordanharper/

    Resources

    Qualtrics: https://www.qualtrics.com

    The Agile Brand podcast is brought to you by TEKsystems. Learn more here: https://aglbrnd.co/r/2868abd8085a9703

    Drive your customers to new horizons at the premier retail event of the year for Retail and Brand marketers. Learn more at CRMC 2026, June 1-3. https://aglbrnd.co/r/d15ec37a537c0d74

    Enjoyed the show? Tell us more at and give us a rating so others can find the show at: https://aglbrnd.co/r/faaed112fc9887f3
    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://aglbrnd.co/r/35ded3ccfb6716ba
    Check out The Agile Brand Guide website with articles, insights, and Martechipedia, the wiki for marketing technology: https://www.agilebrandguide.com
    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

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    24 min
  • #834: Encore CEO Michael Gants on the importance of the paywall experience

    What if the most expensive moment in your customer acquisition funnel is also your most ignored opportunity?


    Agility requires seeing a user’s “no” not as a final endpoint, but as a data point that signals a need for a different path. It demands that we pivot in real-time to offer alternative forms of value, rather than simply writing off the investment and the relationship.


    Today, we're going to talk about one of the biggest blind spots in the subscription economy: the paywall. For most apps, this is a binary, all-or-nothing moment where up to 95% of hard-won users say "no" and are effectively treated as a lost cause. We’ll explore why that moment of decline isn’t the end of the customer journey, but potentially the most valuable opportunity to build a different kind of relationship and unlock new revenue.


    To help me discuss this topic, I'd like to welcome Michael Gants, Founder and CEO at Encore.

    About Michael Gants

    Michael Gants is the Founder and CEO of Encore, an iOS SDK that helps subscription apps monetize the 90–95% of users who decline the initial paywall.
    Michael studied economics at Harvard College, where he graduated as a John Harvard Scholar, and later earned his MBA from Stanford Graduate School of Business. His career spans consumer product development, growth strategy, and venture capital, with a focus on sustainable, user-first monetization.

    Before Encore, Michael founded Yaw, an AI-powered shopping assistant. He has also worked in innovation consulting at Innosight (Clay Christensen’s firm) and sourced early-stage ML investments as a Venture Fellow at Hyperplane. He brings a behavioral lens to product monetization, drawing on his background in consumer psychology and his experience building products that align business incentives with user value.

    Through Encore, Michael works with mobile app teams to rethink what happens when a user says “no” to a subscription: turning that moment from a dead end into a monetization and retention opportunity.

    Michael Gants on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelgants/

    Resources

    Encore: https://www.encorekit.com/?ref=agile

    This episode is brought to you by Encore, an iOS SDK that helps subscription apps monetize paywall declines. 

    More than 90% of users decline a subscription paywall. And most apps treat that moment as the end of the customer journey. Encore turns those declines into revenue by presenting brand-safe partner offers that keep users engaged and improve lifetime value. 
    Learn more at https://www.encorekit.com/?ref=agile

    Drive your customers to new horizons at the premier retail event of the year for Retail and Brand marketers. Learn more at CRMC 2026, June 1-3. https://aglbrnd.co/r/d15ec37a537c0d74

    Enjoyed the show? Tell us more at and give us a rating so others can find the show at: https://aglbrnd.co/r/faaed112fc9887f3

    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://aglbrnd.co/r/35ded3ccfb6716ba

    Check out The Agile Brand Guide website with articles, insights, and Martechipedia, the wiki for marketing technology: https://www.agilebrandguide.com

    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

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    28 min

About The Agile Brand with Greg Kihlström® | What CMOs Need to Know About Marketing Technology, AI & CX

From the publisher's feed

Marketing technology, AI, and customer experience, explained by the people building it. Three times a week, Greg Kihlström interviews CMOs, product leaders, and martech executives from platform…

More shows like The Agile Brand with Greg Kihlström® | What CMOs Need to Know About Marketing Technology, AI & CX

The School of Greatness by Lewis Howes

The School of Greatness

21,053 Listeners

Optimal Finance Daily - Financial Independence and Money Advice by Optimal Living Daily | Diania Merriam

Optimal Finance Daily - Financial Independence and Money Advice

1,261 Listeners

Kibbe on Liberty by Blaze Podcast Network

Kibbe on Liberty

308 Listeners

Becker’s Healthcare Podcast by Becker's Healthcare

Becker’s Healthcare Podcast

202 Listeners

Against the Rules with Michael Lewis by Pushkin Industries

Against the Rules with Michael Lewis

9,570 Listeners

The Ten News, News For Curious Kids by Small But Mighty Media

The Ten News, News For Curious Kids

810 Listeners

Giggly Squad by Hannah Berner & Paige DeSorbo

Giggly Squad

15,414 Listeners

The Artificial Intelligence Show by Paul Roetzer and Mike Kaput

The Artificial Intelligence Show

208 Listeners

Symptomatic: A Medical Mystery Podcast by iHeartPodcasts

Symptomatic: A Medical Mystery Podcast

614 Listeners

Do This, NOT That: Marketing Tips with Jay Schwedelson by GURU Media Hub

Do This, NOT That: Marketing Tips with Jay Schwedelson

1,001 Listeners

B2B Agility with Greg Kihlström™: MarTech, E-Commerce, & Customer Success by The Agile Brand

B2B Agility with Greg Kihlström™: MarTech, E-Commerce, & Customer Success

36 Listeners

The Chosen People by iHeartPodcasts and Pray.com

The Chosen People

517 Listeners

Unfiltered Soccer with Landon Donovan and Tim Howard by Landon Donovan, Tim Howard

Unfiltered Soccer with Landon Donovan and Tim Howard

403 Listeners