In Adobe’s 2025 AI and Digital Trends report, one message rings loud and clear: the convergence of marketing and IT is essential to digital success. As AI becomes increasingly embedded in customer experience strategies, marketing and IT leaders must collaborate closely to unlock its full potential.

The Rise of Agentic AI

One of the most transformative ideas in the report is the rise of agentic AI, autonomous systems that collaborate across platforms to deliver hyper-personalized, real-time experiences. For marketing and IT leaders, this represents a major shift. These aren’t just tools, but strategic partners capable of transforming how content is created, optimized, and delivered at scale.

This shift is already being realized in the field, as industry leaders begin to harness the power of Agentic AI to streamline operations and enhance customer outcomes. For example, Perficient’s Adobe services delivery team is leveraging the technology to make AEM as a Cloud Service migrations faster.

“The emergence of Agentic AI is revolutionizing our service delivery, delivering significant time and effort savings for our customers. Take the move to AEM Cloud, for instance. We’re leveraging agents to handle tasks like code remediation and complex mapping for advanced content migrations into AEM,” says Robert Sumner, principal in Perficient’s Adobe practice.

As organizations explore these capabilities, the collaboration between marketing and IT becomes even more critical. IT leaders must ensure the infrastructure is in place to support real-time data flow and AI orchestration, while marketers must rethink workflows to fully leverage AI’s creative and analytical potential.

Nearly two-thirds (65%) of senior executives identify leveraging AI and predictive analytics as primary contributors to growth in 2025. (Adobe 2025 Digital Trends report)

Seamless, Personalized Experiences

The report also highlights a growing emphasis on predictive analytics. Businesses are moving beyond reactive strategies to proactively anticipate customer needs. This shift is enabling more meaningful, real-time interactions across the customer journey.

For marketing leaders, this means moving beyond historical performance metrics to real-time, forward-looking insights. For IT, it means ensuring the data infrastructure is robust, integrated, and accessible across teams. However, many organizations still struggle with siloed systems and fragmented data, which hinder their ability to deliver seamless experiences.

Ross Monaghan, principal in Perficient’s Adobe practice, underscores this point by highlighting how leading organizations are turning data into action through AI-powered strategies.

“We don’t have a shortage of data. The challenge lies in consuming it, unifying it, and activating it in real time to deliver personalized, one-to-one experiences that meet the demands of consumers. Organizations that are winning are already leveraging predictive bidding, dynamic budget allocation, and channel mix modelling to optimize media buying. They’re also developing AI-driven audience clusters based on behavior, intent, or psychographics to improve targeting precision. By training models on past customer behavior, they can predict which leads are most likely to convert. The possibilities are endless if you embrace the power of what AI can bring to the table. AI isn’t here to replace us, it’s here to eliminate the thousands of hours spent on manual tasks, chasing insights that may or may not exist in fragmented data,” says Monaghan.

Efficient, accurate, and personalized experiences all start with secure and reliable data. Learn More

Breaking Down Silos to Boost Adoption

The customer journey is increasingly owned by a mix of marketers, technologists, and CX specialists. And while this diversity brings valuable perspectives, it can also lead to friction and inefficiencies. Marketing needs IT to deliver scalable, secure, and flexible platforms. IT needs marketing to define the customer vision and drive innovation. The report suggests that aligning these teams around shared goals and metrics is essential for success and the ability to deliver seamless, personalized experiences.

Monaghan says, “Organizations must continue to view everything through the lens of the customer. That means breaking down internal silos, politics, and bureaucracy. Customers don’t care who owns the data or whether it sits with IT or marketing. What matters is that we come together to identify key audiences, mapping core personas and journeys, and developing dynamic use cases that guide each user through a personalized experience. We then can analyze the effectiveness of content, offers, and sentiment to drive customer lifetime value at scale.”

Ensuring Responsible AI Deployment

The report also addresses the ethical dimensions of AI. Issues like data privacy, algorithmic bias, and transparency are top of mind for both marketing and IT leaders. Building trust with customers requires more than compliance. It demands intentional governance. IT leaders must implement frameworks for responsible AI use, while marketers must ensure that personalization efforts respect user boundaries and values.

The Time to Act is Now

Adobe’s 2025 report is both a roadmap and a call to action for marketing and IT leaders. The future belongs to organizations that can harness AI not just as a tool, but as a strategic enabler, bridging creativity and technology to deliver exceptional customer experiences.

Meet María Cortázar Ortigoza, Senior Marketing Coordinator, Colombia

María Cortázar Ortigoza is a dedicated leader on Perficient’s Corporate Marketing team, focused on promoting continuous growth for herself and her colleagues. Based in Cali, Colombia, María manages sales initiatives, creates marketing campaigns, and contributes to recruitment strategies.  

A self-motivated learner, María stays updated on marketing trends through social media research, informative YouTube videos, and Udemy courses. Over her four years at Perficient, she has embraced new responsibilities as opportunities for development. Continue reading to learn more about María’s career path, her collaborative growth, and her passion for dance.  

María’s Career Journey

As a Senior Marketing Coordinator, María excels at engaging diverse audiences and building connections. She enjoys collaborating with general managers in Latin America, sales teams, technical experts, and global colleagues.

“The people I work with are one of the reasons I wake up excited about my job every day. They are the most amazing people. Over the past four years at Perficient, I have made so many friends, not only from my city and country, but from different countries as well.”  

READ MORE: Fostering Meaningful Connections in a Global Workplace

Although María’s marketing career began just four years ago, her commitment to excellence has fueled her rapid growth. She holds a bachelor’s degree in international affairs and political science, which provided a strong foundation for pursuing a career in global communications. 

In 2021, she joined Perficient as a Marketing Specialist, focusing on rebranding initiatives and managing Perficient’s Latin America social media channels on LinkedIn and Instagram. Initially nervous, María soon recognized her potential within Perficient’s supportive culture.  

“I saw the opportunities that Perficient leadership gives us to grow. They provide all the tools we need to keep developing. The leaders I’ve had here at Perficient are awesome and some of the best people. I really value when others want to share their knowledge, and those are the kind of leaders I have.”

From the start, María felt empowered by her manager, Juliana Rua Burgos, who provided essential resources to enhance her marketing skills and encouraged collaboration by actively listening to her ideas. As she advanced in her role, María developed internal communications and organized events, all while benefiting from the expanding marketing team.  

“At the very beginning, it was really hard for me to work in a team. I used to work alone, so that’s one skill that I’ve been improving since working here. I’ve found that teamwork is one of the more valuable skills that I have.”

By embracing collaboration, María has built meaningful connections through recruitment marketing. She led initiatives to strengthen Perficient’s relationships with IT communities in Latin America, including visiting universities across Colombia to engage engineering students about internship opportunities. 

“I saw how we changed lives by sharing Perficient’s internship opportunities. I’ve seen people who started working here on the first day of their internships, and they’ve stayed at Perficient for the last three or four years. They’ve built a career here at Perficient just like I have. I’ve heard them say that they are really grateful that I went to their city, told them about Perficient, and gave them the opportunity to come here. It is amazing.”

Since the internship program, María has actively participated in various stages of the recruitment plan, making a significant impact. In 2022, she was promoted to Associate Marketing Coordinator and quickly advanced to Marketing Coordinator the following year, supporting Perficient’s sales initiatives and organizing speakers for forums showcasing our technical expertise.

By 2024, María became a Senior Marketing Coordinator. In this role, she embodies Perficient’s values every day through campaigns and projects that align with our vision, mission, culture, and community initiatives. Her commitment to continuous learning and collaboration empowers her to consistently exceed expectations.  

“I make a difference by giving my best every day and challenging myself to be a better person and a better professional. I always try to learn new things, apply this knowledge to the work that I do, and work collaboratively in a team. I always listen to our clients’ needs and use my knowledge to provide solutions.”  

READ MORE: Explore María’s Recent Perficient Blogs 

Dancing Her Way to Success: A Balanced Journey  

Throughout her career, Perficient has supported María in achieving her professional and personal goals. A significant milestone for her has been achieving a healthy work-life balance, which allows her to advance in her career while enjoying quality time with loved ones and pursuing her passion for dance. “I work in a company that gives me everything I need to have a good life,” said María.

With Perficient’s work-life balance, María has also thrived as a professional dancer. For the past 15 years, she has specialized in traditional Colombian dance styles, including salsa and folklore. Two years ago, she seized an exciting opportunity to embark on a month-long international dance tour, fulfilling a lifelong dream. When María shared her aspirations with Perficient, she received overwhelming support to pursue her passion, traveling to countries like Bulgaria and North Macedonia to showcase Colombia’s vibrant dance heritage. “I really appreciate that Perficient has always given me the opportunity to do something that I really love, which is dancing,” said María.  

READ MORE: How to Prioritize and Maintain Work-Life Balance   

María’s Career Advice 

María shared her top three pieces of career advice.

1. Learn English because it is really important when you want to apply at a company like Perficient and grow your career in Latin America. I feel like this was the thing that opened the door for me at Perficient.   
2. Be open to feedback, to fail, and to learn, because without that, you will never be able to grow.  
3. Do not be afraid to speak up and share your ideas. When I first started working at Perficient, I thought that people might not listen to me because of my experience level, but they valued my ideas and always took them into account.  

Cultivating Success Through Community and Collaboration 

From creating impactful marketing campaigns to dancing 12 hours a week, María is a shining example of the discipline and dedication needed to shatter boundaries and make a difference.  

“Working at a company where we do so many great things and where I feel like my work is valuable is what motivates me every single day.” 

Her commitment to excellence, combined with a growth mindset and passion for learning, has helped her forge meaningful connections across Perficient, driving her success.   

“I think that, as human beings, we always have to do things in community and cannot do things alone. Without my teammates and the people that work here, I wouldn’t be able to grow. I wouldn’t notice things that I’m missing or have people to teach me what I don’t know. The collaboration that I’ve seen with my colleagues every single day is what helps me grow not only as a professional, but also as a person. They are always there, teaching me and giving me feedback to continuously improve.” 

MORE ON GROWTH FOR EVERYONE  

Perficient continually looks for ways to champion and challenge our workforce, encourage personal and professional growth, and celebrate the unique culture created by the ambitious, brilliant, people-oriented team we have cultivated. These are their stories.   

Learn more about what it’s like to work at Perficient on our Careers page. Connect with us on  LinkedIn here. 

Perficient’s success as a global digital consultancy is driven by the dedication, expertise, and leadership of our people. Recognizing those who make a meaningful difference in the technology space is important, and today, we’re proud to celebrate three colleagues who have recently been named to CRN’s prestigious 2025 Women of the Channel list! 

CRN, a brand of The Channel Company, annually highlights influential women in technology who accelerate strategic growth for our partners in the channel, inspire change across industries and functions, and achieve significant impact around the globe. 

Congratulations to Liza Sisler, Kyla Faust, and Rachel Jones, for their esteemed achievement as Women of the Channel, which speaks to their commitment to strengthening Perficient’s presence in the channel, fostering leadership and inclusion in the tech industry, and boldly advancing our business. Continue reading to learn more about their unique contributions and how they are paving the way for our partners’ success.  

Celebrating Liza Sisler, Global Director of Partner Marketing, Alliances and Programs 

With more than 25 years of experience in the technology consulting industry, and 15 years in leadership positions, Liza Sisler brings a wealth of expertise to her role as Director for our global partner and alliances programs. She leads a talented team of approximately 16 colleagues focused on alliance management, partner marketing, and partner programs support. Our colleagues collaborate with Perficient’s strategic partners to deliver innovative solutions that help clients accelerate time to market, enhance consumer experiences, and stay ahead of the competition. 

“Maintaining mutually beneficial relationships with our partners is a critical component of Perficient’s business, and I take pride in leading this team of exceptional colleagues tasked with executing this challenge,” said Liza. “Having a centralized partner team allows us to quickly respond to partner needs, and enables us to pivot as market conditions and priorities change especially as we enter an AI-first era. This agility helps us quickly launch new partner offers and compelling events, enhancing our relationships with partners who may not be able to adapt as rapidly.” 

Under Liza’s leadership, our partner program has evolved to prioritize high-impact relationships backed by executive alignment and shared business goals. Perficient’s four-pillar approach spans alliance management, partner-programs support, channel marketing, and field marketing. Beyond strategy, Liza fosters a collaborative, growth-oriented environment that not only supports career development for her team but also strengthens Perficient’s ability to deliver value through trusted, mutually beneficial partnerships. 

“The environment we’ve created allows us to grow colleagues’ careers and foster a sense of community where colleagues can share and learn from each other,” said Liza. “I built out the team to streamline our approach, focusing on activities that most effectively drive our business forward while keeping partner imperatives front and center. This included facilitating standardized plans, approach, enablement, and best practices. Additionally, I developed new engagement models to track partner engagement, taking a data-driven, long-term approach to engagement and loyalty programs.” 

In addition, Liza also made CRN’s Power 80 Solution Provider list, which recognizes remarkable leaders who develop innovative strategies that enhance business outcomes for their solution provider organizations and drive success across the entire channel ecosystem. 

Read More: Liza Sisler Recognized in 2025 CRN Women of the Channel List 

Celebrating Kyla Faust, Alliance Manager 

Kyla Faust is a dynamic alliance manager supporting Perficient’s partner marketing team, where she plays a pivotal role in advancing strategic partnerships that drive innovation and deliver measurable business outcomes. With a background in sales and a proven track record of exceeding business goals, Kyla brings a unique blend of expertise, relationship-building, and strategic vision to her role. 

As a New Jersey native, Kyla brings a strong sense of community and collaboration to everything she does. Her approach is grounded in authenticity and driven by results, whether she’s building strategic alliances, mentoring colleagues, or helping Perficient stay ahead in a competitive market. Kyla’s leadership extends beyond partnerships. As co-lead of the marketing and communications committee for Perficient’s Women in Technology Employee Resource Group (ERG), she champions diversity and inclusion by creating a supportive and empowering environment for women across the organization. 

“Over the past year, I personally forged impactful partnerships, initiated first-time innovative partner events, and secured inclusion in exclusive pilot programs,” said Kyla. “These efforts strengthened my relationships with key stakeholders, showcased my ability to drive collaboration, and highlighted my leadership in aligning partner goals with strategic business objectives.” 

Through her dedication, creativity, and people-centered leadership skills, Kyla continues to make a lasting impact on Perficient’s channel business and its broader culture. She is not only helping to shape the future of partner engagement but also setting a powerful example of what it means to lead with purpose. Kyla received her first-ever Women of the Channel Award in 2024, which was a milestone moment that showcased her unique contributions and further established her presence in the industry. She believes that the key to Perficient’s success in 2025 lies in solidifying our position as the go-to partner for our strategic alliances.  

“My focus is on strengthening our differentiation in the market by demonstrating our unparalleled expertise, innovative solutions, and ability to deliver value at scale,” said Kyla. “I am committed to fostering deep, collaborative relationships with our partners, ensuring they experience consistent, exceptional support that drives mutual success. By amplifying our joint marketing efforts, aligning strategically on go-to-market initiatives, and creating clear pathways for collaboration, I aim to boost visibility and accelerate revenue growth across the channel.” 

Read More: Kyla Faust Recognized in 2025 CRN Women of the Channel List 

Celebrating Rachel Jones, Enterprise Alliance Manager  

Rachel Jones is a results-driven sales specialist with a decade of experience in technology sales, including seven years specializing in the public cloud space. Her deep understanding of customer needs and ability to build strong, strategic relationships has made her a key player in advancing Perficient’s cloud partnerships and driving business growth. 

In 2024, Rachel played a pivotal role in expanding Perficient’s AWS practice, significantly increasing annual recurring revenue and strengthening relationships with AWS account managers, partner sales teams, and leaders. Her efforts led to an executive alignment that secured Perficient’s first-ever sponsorship of AWS re:Invent. This milestone not only elevated Perficient’s visibility, but also opened doors to exclusive opportunities, including presence at an invite-only Partner Executive Summit. Rachel also made major strides with Google Cloud Platform (GCP), helping to secure net-new logo bookings and workshops.  

“Throughout my career, I have successfully negotiated multi-million-dollar technology contracts, ensuring that customers receive the best value and support for their investment,” said Rachel. “I thrive on building strong partnerships and fostering collaboration, which enables me to effectively advise customers on their cloud journeys. My commitment to continuous learning and staying updated on industry and partner trends allow me to deliver insights that empower customers to leverage cloud technologies effectively.” 

Her passion for alliances and commitment to fostering collaboration between sales and channel teams has been instrumental in these achievements. By staying ahead of market trends, particularly in the rapidly evolving Generative AI space, Rachel has helped ensure Perficient remains a trusted, forward-thinking partner for AWS. Through Rachel’s strategic mindset and dedication to innovation, she continues to be a driving force behind Perficient’s cloud success. 

“I always make time for customers and partners facing urgent challenges,” said Rachel. “Whether it’s troubleshooting a critical issue or providing guidance on a tight deadline, I prioritize their needs. I believe that timely support fosters trust and strengthens relationships. I see these interactions as opportunities to demonstrate my dedication to their success and build lasting partnerships that contribute to a positive work environment.” 

Read More: Rachel Jones Honored in 2025 CRN Women of the Channel List 

Driving Innovation and Strategy for Our Global Partners  

Technology is constantly evolving, and the leaders who propel innovation and growth within the channel play a crucial role in shaping the future of the tech industry. Our colleagues’ CRN Women of the Channel recognition pays tribute to those who shatter boundaries, foster an environment that embraces cross-team collaboration, and build a brighter future for the next generation of innovators.  

With colleagues located worldwide, our diverse array of thought leadership and strategic skillsets sets Perficient apart. No matter the location, we’re committed to obsessing over outcomes for our clients, partners, and business.  

To read more about other leaders who received this recognition, and to see Liza, Kyla, and Rachel highlighted, explore CRN’s website. This is a tremendous achievement, and we’re proud of our colleagues for their dedication to making a difference within the partner channel.  

READY TO GROW YOUR CAREER?  

It’s no secret our success is because of our people. No matter the technology or time zone, our colleagues are committed to delivering innovative, end-to-end digital solutions for the world’s biggest brands, and we bring a collaborative spirit to every interaction. We’re always seeking the best and brightest to work with us. Join our team and experience a culture that challenges, champions, and celebrates our people.  

Visit our Careers page to see career opportunities and more!  

Go inside Life at Perficient and connect with us on LinkedIn, YouTube, X, Facebook, TikTok, and Instagram.  

Adobe launched GenStudio for Performance Marketing and has made many improvements and updates leading up to Adobe Summit 2025. We’ve had an opportunity to use it here at Perficient, and have discovered a number of exciting features (along with nuances) of the product.

We see an evolving future of its rollout, especially as more and more marketing teams adopt the capabilities it has into their own digital marketing ecosystems. 

What GenStudio Is 

GenStudio may very well be a marketer’s dream. We do see it as a game-changer for how marketing content is created, activated, and measured. That’s because it greatly reduces the amount of time that is typically required to request, build, assemble, review, and publish content for marketing campaigns.

These various flows in creating content can now be handled by the AI capabilities of GenStudio. Not only that, but the content generated can follow brand standards and guidelines that are established in GenStudio. 

Some of the main features to highlight: 

• An AI-first approach 
• Brand scoring based on generated content, with feedback review 
• Integrations with existing brand-approved assets 
• Extensibility options 
• Channel activation directly from GenStudio 

We’d like to note that although there are many Generative AI capabilities within creating content, human review is always a part of the approval and publication process. 

GenStudio Use Cases 

There are a few use cases that have been described by Adobe that can be addressed with GenStudio.  

• Reuse of content from previous campaigns across channels 
• Personalization of content to products, offers, and segments 
• Content localization across geos and languages 
• Content optimization based on insights 

Our experience so far has been focused on the content creation process, and seeing how our content looks and behaves in some of our channels. We look forward to creating personalized experiences, along with seeing how the content performs based on things like Content Analytics, recently announced at Adobe Summit. 

The Process

After onboarding, defining users and groups, and establishing some processes for adopting GenStudio, the first step is to establish the Brand Guidelines.  

Brand Setup 

New Brands can be created (along with Storage Permissions) within the interface, either using a guidelines document or manually.    

Expert Tip: Use a PDF document that has all your brand guidelines defined to upload, and GenStudio will create the various guidelines based on the document(s).   

Once a brand is uploaded, review the guidelines, add new ones, and make necessary adjustments.  

The following example illustrates the WKND brand: 

Note that the permissions to edit and publish a brand should be kept to brand owners. Changes to the brand which are then published may also impact other systems that use these brand guidelines, such as Adobe Experience Manager, or Orchestration Agents. 

Once the brand has been published, it can then be used to generate emails, meta ads, banner ads, and other display ads.  

Content Creation 

Content creation is based on templates. These templates allow the creation of content that may greatly reduce the amount of time to build out content with existing tools. What we would like to see eventually from Adobe in this area is the ability to create and design layouts within the tool, as opposed to having to upload HTML files that need to adhere to certain frameworks. Another approach may be to create a process that can reference existing layouts such as emails from Marketo, or Experience Fragments in AEM, and them brought into GenStudio. 

Assets can also be brought into GenStudio and then used in generating content. Assets that are managed in AEM as a Cloud Service can also be used.  

Note: The Assets that are part of AEMaaCS need to be marked as “Approved” before being made available in GenStudio. Assets can also be sourced from ContentHub.  

Expert tip: Because there are several ways of sourcing Assets that are brought into GenStudio, we suggest working with a partner such as Perficient to guide these processes. 

Example content generation for an event at Adobe Summit:

Content Review 

After the content creation process, content can then be sent for approval. For example, in the above display ad, a content reviewer may ask for re-phrasing to help improve the brand score, if appropriate. Once approved, the content is then published as part of a campaign and can be downloaded in the form of HTML, images, or CSV files for publication. 

Content Activation 

Activating content can also be done on various channels such as Meta, Google Campaign Manager 360, and others. (Note that as of this writing, 3/19/25, the only channel available for activation is Meta.) Once these additional channels are rolled out, we look forward to exploring those capabilities and insights based on those channels, which is another feature available as part of GenStudio.  

Excited About the Future of GenStudio 

We’re excited about the features that Adobe GenStudio for Performance Marketing provides now, and what will be rolled out over time as features become available. Working with the tool itself feels slick, and having the Generative AI features built on top of it makes us feel like we’re really using some cutting-edge technologies. 

In this episode of What If? So What?, Jim talks with Jennifer Baker, former CTO of Synovus. She shares her journey from unexpected career opportunities to becoming a trailblazing technology leader in the insurance and banking sectors, culminating in significant strides in product development, customer experience, and digital transformation.

Beyond her professional accolades, Jennifer passionately advocates for education and empowerment of women and children through her nonprofit work. Her story is a masterclass in continuous learning, adaptability, and the crafting of a career full of diverse experiences, which she likens to assembling “puzzle pieces.”

Step into the realm of fostering inclusive workplaces, especially in tech, where women are alarmingly underrepresented. Hear Jennifer’s insights on the critical need for mentorship and sponsorship to support women in technology, especially in a post-pandemic world.

As a self-described “accidental CTO,” Jennifer shares her journey embracing unforeseen opportunities and adapting in a rapidly changing digital world. Her experiences offer inspiration and practical lessons for aspiring tech leaders, underscoring the importance of intentional inclusion to spark innovation and ensure diverse representation.

Listen now on your favorite podcast platform or visit our website.

Subscribe Where You Listen

Apple | Spotify | Amazon | Overcast

Meet our Guest

Jennifer Baker, Strategic Technology & Business Transformation Leader

Jennifer has more than 20 years of experience and a proven track record of driving transformative change in diverse industries, including fintech, retail, banking, insurance, technology, and consumer products. A former chief technology officer, her expertise lies in spearheading comprehensive initiatives that enhance scalability, reduce technical debt, and streamline operations, resulting in substantial cost savings and revenue growth.

Jennifer is passionate about empowering women in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM), and actively serves on the board of directors for both DataScan, a fintech company in the automotive sector, and Women in Technology in the Atlanta metropolitan area.

Connect with Jennifer

Meet the Host

Jim Hertzfeld is Area Vice President, Strategy for Perficient.

For over two decades, he has worked with clients to convert market insights into real-world digital products and customer experiences that actually grow their business. More than just a strategist, Jim is a pragmatic rebel known for challenging the conventional and turning grand visions into actionable steps. His candid demeanor, sprinkled with a dose of cynical optimism, shapes a narrative that challenges and inspires listeners.

Connect with Jim:

LinkedIn | Perficient

In today’s digital age, customers expect personalization. However, creating truly engaging, dynamic experiences is still a challenge for many brands. Sitecore Stream, is a game-changing platform that enables real-time content delivery, helping companies connect with their audiences on a deeper level and drive tangible business results. Lean how Sitecore Stream transforms personalization, optimizes the customer journey, and drives long-term ROI growth.

The Power of Real-Time Personalization with Sitecore Stream

Real-time personalization goes beyond addressing customers by name; it adapts content dynamically based on user behavior, preferences, and context, delivering precisely what they need in the moment. Sitecore Stream’s capabilities empower brands to create these impactful, in-the-moment connections.

• Sitecore Stream’s real-time features analyze user behavior instantly, allowing brands to adapt content in milliseconds. This dynamic adaptability fosters a unique user experience tailored specifically to each visitor.
• Personalization in real-time resonates on a personal level, encouraging higher engagement rates by delivering relevant content when it matters most.
• Imagine an e-commerce brand using Sitecore Stream to instantly adjust product recommendations based on browsing history and recent purchases, creating a smoother path to conversion.

By embracing Sitecore Stream’s real-time personalization, brands not only meet but exceed customer expectations, by fostering loyalty and setting the stage for improved ROI. When customers feel understood and valued, they’re more likely to return and recommend the brand.

Maximizing ROI Through Enhanced Customer Journeys

Beyond immediate engagement, Sitecore Stream provides a strategic advantage by refining the entire customer journey. From the first interaction to the post-purchase experience, Sitecore Stream enables companies to personalize each touchpoint, creating a seamless and satisfying journey.

• Sitecore Stream maps out user behavior, enabling brands to identify and optimize key journey points, guiding users effortlessly toward conversions.
• Real-time data from Sitecore Stream provides insights into customer preferences and actions, helping companies make data-driven adjustments for continuous journey improvements.
• Improved journeys directly impact conversion rates, average purchase values, and customer lifetime value. With Sitecore Stream’s analytics, brands can continuously refine their approach and maximize ROI.

Future-Proofing Content Delivery for Long-Term ROI Growth

Sitecore Stream is geared to help companies stay agile in a rapidly changing digital landscape. As consumer expectations evolve, brands can rely on Sitecore Stream’s real-time capabilities to continually adapt and deliver personalized experiences, ensuring sustainable growth and ROI over the long term.

• Sitecore Stream’s infrastructure is designed to evolve with emerging trends, making it an essential asset for companies looking to stay competitive.
• By continuously enhancing content delivery, brands keep audiences engaged and loyal, creating a cycle of sustained customer satisfaction and ROI.
• Long-term ROI is not just about immediate returns; it’s about positioning a brand as a leader in personalization. Sitecore Stream provides a strategic edge, empowering brands to anticipate and meet future demands.

In a world where customer expectations are constantly evolving, Sitecore Stream allows brands to meet those expectations and maximize engagement and ROI. From real-time personalization to journey optimization and future-proof adaptability, Sitecore Stream helps brands not just keep up but lead the way in delivering meaningful, impactful experiences.

We expect to see Sitecore Stream empower businesses to position themselves to achieve both immediate and long-term ROI, fostering deeper customer connections and building a future-proof content strategy. I am excited to see where this AI journey unfolds.

In the latest episode of the “What If? So What?” podcast, Ron Gaines, senior manager of marketing technology and analytics at Sunbelt Rentals, joins us to discuss the company’s approach to driving customer success. Ron shares how Sunbelt Rentals is committed to ensuring that every interaction delivers real value to the customer.

Ron highlights the importance of aligning sales and marketing efforts to provide a seamless and consistent customer experience. By leveraging data and analytics, Sunbelt Rentals can adapt quickly to meet its customers’ evolving needs. Ron delves into how the company listens to customer feedback and uses it to enhance its services, ensuring it remains a leader in the industry.

Tune in to hear more about how Sunbelt Rentals is setting new standards in customer success and the innovative strategies it is using to stay ahead in a competitive market.

Listen now on your favorite podcast platform or visit our website.

Subscribe Where You Listen

Apple | Spotify | Amazon | Overcast

Meet our Guest

Ronald Gaines, Senior Manager of Marketing Technology and Analytics, Sunbelt Rentals

Ronald Gaines is the senior manager of marketing technology and analytics at Sunbelt Rentals, where he strategically and tactically guides people, processes, and technology to enhance the customer experience and drive business performance through cutting-edge digital capabilities.

A recognized expert and thought leader in digital transformation, customer experience, digital marketing, and marketing automation, Ronald excels in translating data into actionable insights that elevate customer experiences and business outcomes.

Ronald is the go-to authority for organizations seeking to unlock their full potential through exceptional customer engagement. His passion for people extends beyond his professional role—he is a dedicated mentor, committed to giving back and sharing his wealth of knowledge and practical expertise.

Connect with Ron

Meet the Host

Jim Hertzfeld is Area Vice President, Strategy for Perficient.

For over two decades, he has worked with clients to convert market insights into real-world digital products and customer experiences that actually grow their business. More than just a strategist, Jim is a pragmatic rebel known for challenging the conventional and turning grand visions into actionable steps. His candid demeanor, sprinkled with a dose of cynical optimism, shapes a narrative that challenges and inspires listeners.

Connect with Jim:

LinkedIn | Perficient

Next-level personalization strategies will undoubtedly be a key topic at Salesforce’s largest event this year. Dreamforce is right around the corner taking place in San Francisco on September 17 to 19, and learning how to get the most out of your customer data with AI-powered tools is top of mind.

Whether you’re attending in person or virtually, the conference boasts numerous opportunities to hear how some of the world’s largest brands are using data and AI to create personalized journeys and promote better business outcomes.

One such brand is Nationwide. This leading financial services and insurance provider will be at Dreamforce this year sharing how it leverages Salesforce Marketing Cloud, an AI-powered digital marketing platform, to turn customer data into actionable insights that drive significant business outcomes.

Nationwide’s Personalization Story at Dreamforce

The session titled “Tailor Experiences with Einstein-Driven Personalization” will be on Thursday, September 19 at 12:45 P.M. PST in the Moscone South, LL, Content Pavilion Stage 2 and showcase a series of personalization stories from a variety of brands using Salesforce.

Nationwide’s AVP of marketing operations Zach Mason will share their journey to create seamless, personalized experiences for producers and customers using Marketing Cloud and how they partnered with Perficient to increase conversions, optimize customer journeys, and make impactful decisions faster.

So, make sure to add this session to your Dreamforce agenda to hear from real users. You’ll discover best practices to elevate your personalization efforts and maximize lifetime customer value using Salesforce.

Join Us at Dreamforce

Join us to explore the future of personalized marketing and more at Dreamforce. Our team will be onsite, ready to guide you through all the latest innovations.

Visit #PerficientDreamforce2024 to learn more.

Can’t Make it to Dreamforce?

Don’t worry! Schedule some time with us and let our experts fill you in. And stay tuned to our Salesforce blog for all our post-conference insights.

Today, Perficient is thrilled to announce that four of our colleagues have been named in the 2024 CRN Women of the Channel program. Each year, CRN, a brand of The Channel Company, honors influential women in technology for their thought leadership, strategic contributions, and commitment to fostering growth in the industry. 

We want to extend our congratulations to Liza Sisler, Angie Clark, Juliette Collins, and Kyla Faust for this prestigious award. These colleagues are true champions of the channel and within Perficient, making a difference for our partners, clients, and business. Each of these women has demonstrated unwavering commitment to building successful partnerships, and we couldn’t be prouder to see them recognized for this incredible achievement. 

Meet the Four Women Who Have Earned the 2024 CRN Women of the Channel Distinction 

Liza Sisler, Global Director of Partner Marketing, Alliances & Programs

With more than 25 years of experience in the technology consulting industry, and 15 years in leadership roles, Liza drives innovative business solutions that propel our clients and our business forward. She leads a team focused on alliance management, partner marketing, and partner programs support, working closely with our partners to deliver solutions that help clients accelerate time to market, enhance customer experience, access new markets, and outshine their competition. 

“Maintaining mutually beneficial relationships with our partners is a critical component of Perficient’s business, and I take pride in leading this team of exceptional colleagues tasked with executing this challenge,” said Liza. “Partner relationships, coupled with Perficient’s strategy of execution and global support services, can drive compelling business solutions for our clients and help them navigate in an era of rapid digital change.” 

Liza’s strong leadership capabilities effectively move the needle for our business. She created the alliances program and built a high-performing team founded on collaboration. Liza enables her team members with the tools necessary to be successful and flourish in this environment. 

“I embrace and support team members’ growth goals with the understanding that as Perficient’s business grows, more opportunities will present themselves for team member career growth,” said Liza. 

In addition, Liza has also been named to the 2024 Power 100 Solution Provider list. This special distinction signifies an unwavering dedication to building strategies that accelerate success for customers, technology partners, and the channel ecosystem as a whole. 

READ MORE: Liza Sisler Recognized in the 2024 CRN Women of the Channel Program 

Angie Clark, Alliance Manager

As Perficient’s alliance manager for Microsoft, Angie is developing a global, award-winning, top-tier partnership that delivers transformative solutions to clients. Angie leads a team of marketing, programs, and sales support that has been instrumental in positioning Perficient as a top five Microsoft services partner. 

“I’m proud of the expansion I’ve driven with my partner this year through strategic business planning and aligning marketing programs to core partner focus areas,” said Angie. “This resulted in double-digit growth, Perficient being recognized as a top five channel partner, and our recognition as a Microsoft Partner of the Year Finalist.” 

Angie defined a roadmap to create go-to-market strategies and offers that would differentiate Perficient within a competitive partner ecosystem. Uncovering new opportunities to grow has created tighter alignment between Microsoft and Perficient. Angie’s marketing background and channel experience helps her build and leverage strong relationships and strategize challenges, outcomes, and solutions. 

“With a career spanning B2B and B2C marketing, partner and channel development, and sales, I enjoy building and executing go-to-market strategies and campaigns that create new revenue streams and drive growth,” said Angie. “I use my experiences to differentiate myself and be successful in the channel.” 

READ MORE: Angie Clark Recognized in the 2024 CRN Women of the Channel Program 

Juliette Collins, Alliance Manager

First-time recipient of the CRN Women of the Channel award, Juliette brings an unwavering commitment to initiating impactful channel relationships. She fosters trust and collaboration with key partners and nurtures a culture of shared success. 

“Quickly securing trust in the channel has been instrumental in fostering strong relationships,” said Juliette. “My unique blend of relationship-building finesse, commitment to data-driven insights, and collective dedication to hitting KPIs not only propelled our team but positioned Perficient as an industry standout. The continuous pursuit of excellence solidifies our reputation, making a lasting mark in the competitive landscape.” 

Juliette is focused on driving sustainable growth, unlocking new opportunities, and positioning our organization as a trusted and indispensable partner in the channel. She uncovers win-win solutions and strives to understand diverse perspectives, proving herself to be a valuable team player and problem solver. 

“This year, I took on the role of a guide, offering mentorship to our alliance team,” said Juliette. “Focused on shared objectives and transparency, my leadership fostered collaboration, innovation, and mutual growth, elevating both individual partnerships and overall team success.” 

READ MORE: Juliette Collins Recognized in the 2024 CRN Women of the Channel Program 

Kyla Faust, Alliance Manager

Another first-time Women of the Channel honoree, Kyla cultivates impactful partnerships within the channel. In her role as alliance manager, she has driven substantial executive alignment and bolstered sales initiatives at Perficient.  

“I strive to ensure that key partners know Perficient’s differentiators and how both sides of the channel can work better together,” said Kyla. “I nurture and create strong relationships while ensuring that they receive outstanding support and guidance. I aim to strengthen these alliances, amplify marketing visibility, and drive increased sales and revenue for both parties across the channel.” 

Kyla also serves as a co-lead in Perficient’s Women in Technology (WIT) Employee Resource Group (ERG). This leadership position provides an opportunity to learn from women and allies across Perficient and contribute to building a community dedicated to supporting fellow colleagues. 

“Through my active leadership role in this group, I have the privilege of collaborating with colleagues to share inspiration, insight, and experiences that drive impact,” said Kyla. “As an advocate for diversity and inclusion, I am deeply passionate about empowering women in technology and fostering an environment where everyone has an opportunity to succeed.” 

READ MORE: Kyla Faust Recognized in the 2024 CRN Women of the Channel Program 

For the complete 2024 Women of the Channel list, and to see Liza, Angie, Juliette, and Kyla featured, click here. Congratulations again to our esteemed leaders! 

READY TO GROW YOUR CAREER? 

At Perficient, we continually look for ways to champion and challenge our talented workforce with interesting projects for high-profile clients, encourage personal and professional growth through training and mentoring, and celebrate our people-oriented culture and the innovative ways they serve Perficient and the community. 

Visit our Careers page to see career opportunities and more! 

Go inside Life at Perficient and connect with us on LinkedIn, YouTube, Twitter, and Instagram. 

As we celebrate International Women’s Day, it’s fitting to shine a spotlight on women who exemplify resilience, leadership, and empowerment in their professional journeys. Susan Welton, a seasoned marketing manager at Perficient, embodies these qualities and more, leaving an indelible mark on the technology and marketing landscape, and stands as a shining example of Women In Technology at Perficient.

Innovation Starts Within

Susan’s tenure at Perficient has been defined by her steadfast commitment to refining established processes and introducing new ones, when necessary, especially in the rapidly evolving landscape of the tech industry.

Beyond traditional marketing roles, Susan’s influence resonates throughout the organization. As a passionate advocate for process refinement and innovation, she has spearheaded initiatives focused on elevating communication and collaboration.

One notable contribution is Susan’s role in crafting go-live and win announcements to be shared with partners. Taking the initiative to learn Eloqua, she utilized the platform for these announcements, later transitioning the process to Salesforce. Collaborating with the creative team, she developed a template for sharing these stories via LinkedIn, expanding the reach beyond partners to a wider audience. This innovative approach has now become a company-wide practice.

The ripple effect of Susan’s initiatives extends beyond individual projects, laying the groundwork for broader adoption of similar strategies across Perficient. Through her proactive stance on process optimization and effective communication, Susan has not only driven meaningful change, but has also established a precedent for fostering a culture of excellence at Perficient. Her leadership and innovative spirit continue to inspire positive transformations across the organization.

Forging the Path: The Essence of Leadership

As a leader, Susan actively pursues personal growth and development, embracing opportunities such as Perficient’s “Leading with Impact” program to hone her leadership skills and adapt to industry changes. Through this transformative journey, Susan emphasizes the importance of relationship building, communication, and continuous learning as essential pillars of leadership excellence.

Susan stands as a beacon of leadership, mentorship, and inspiration within her professional community. She is also recognized for her exceptional contributions in the realm of marketing and her journey epitomizes resilience, determination, and an unwavering commitment to excellence.

When reflecting on her role in inspiring and empowering other women, Susan highlights the significance of recognition and representation. As a recipient of the 2023 “Excellence Award” from Perficient, Susan acknowledges the importance of celebrating women’s contributions in traditionally male-dominated industries. When asked how she sees her role inspiring and empowering other women, both within your professional sphere and in your personal life, Susan says,

“In 2023, I was honored to be recognized by Perficient as a 2023 Excellence Award winner just one of 35 from more than 7,500 colleagues across the globe. This award recognizes individuals who embrace Perficient’s six core values – Integrity, Innovation, Clients, Collaboration, People, and Pride – and make a true difference in our global organization. Many other women across Perficient were award winners as well. In what is traditionally a male-dominated industry, when women are recognized for their contributions, it raises us all. I hope my professional success encourages my daughter and my nieces to take risks and try new things. They are only limited by the constraints they put on themselves.”

For those aspiring to follow in her footsteps, Susan offers invaluable advice rooted in her own experiences. She encourages individuals to embrace growth opportunities, challenge the status quo, and prioritize relationship-building in their professional endeavors. Susan’s unwavering commitment to personal and professional growth serves as a guiding beacon for aspiring leaders navigating their own career paths.

Celebrating Women’s Excellence: Susan Welton’s Inspiring Path in Technology

As we celebrate International Women’s Day on March 8th, Susan Welton’s journey serves as a testament to the transformative power of resilience, determination, and commitment to excellence. Her unwavering dedication to empowering women in technology paves the way for a future where aspirations know no bounds.

This article is part of an ongoing series dedicated to highlighting exceptional women in technology at Perficient.

Join us in celebrating their achievements and inspiring the next generation of trailblazers. Explore more about Perficient’s Women in Technology here.

When Andrea Milano shares her proudest Perficient moments, she begins with people she leads and solutions provided to clients. She’s a shining example of Women In Technology at Perficient who successfully merge project management excellence with championing growth for everyone.

Innovation Starts Inside

The scope of Andrea Milano’s work is expansive and is powered by her innovative mind along with both leading and learning from colleagues. The same level of innovation she employs to galvanize clients is unilaterally applied to sparking innovation internally. In addition to her client-focused approach, Andrea is regarded as a thought leader, mentor and coach to colleagues. She recognizes the value of sharing her knowledge and expertise with others and takes the time to help team members grow, develop skills, and gain exposure to large projects.

Andrea’s approach to leadership empowers Perficient team members to consistently perform at a higher level, deliver outstanding work and exceed client expectations.

When asked how she measures success, Andrea thinks about it on a case-by-case basis but mentioned that two factors to success never change: “For individuals, [success is] providing growth opportunities for people to do what they’re passionate about” and for the client, she continued that, “helping them to meet whatever objective it was that they laid out and maybe we don’t get there on the path they would normally take, but to make sure we get there.”

Reimagining What’s Possible

Internally, Andrea is synonymous with going the extra mile to ensure clients are wowed. She ensures this by keeping clients informed of project status and reimagining solutions that replace previously held ideas of what’s possible. More often than not, what this looks like is ensuring that clients receive not only what they explicitly ask for but also what they didn’t even know they needed.

Andrea works to quickly identify areas of opportunity within a project to deliver more than what was asked. This attention to detail and intuitive project management lens have earned the trust and respect of her clients, who often become long-term partners and even refer business to us.

Risks for Wins

Andrea’s career is not void of big risks. Many of those risks have provided opportunities for either growth or introspection and in rare cases, both. One risk Andrea Milano took was carving out two career breaks relatively early in her career to recalibrate and redefine her goals. Career breaks are inherently risky. Sometimes time away can adversely impact future employment opportunities. However, she was able to find employment after both breaks and returned to work with renewed passion.

Another risk involves intentionally taking on projects that involve complex problem solving. When you take on tough projects and return to the client with solutions that make them happy, it allows for trust building, relationship growth, and increase in business. One example she gave involved taking on a small, but challenging project. That project that began with a 2-person team has ballooned into a lasting partnership with more than 10 dedicated solutions architects and a $5 million a year deal.

The Andrea Effect

Andrea Milano’s impact is not limited to her own success; she elevates the entire team and sets a standard for professionalism and commitment that others strive to achieve. Her presence at Perficient is a testament to the difference one individual can make when they go above and beyond to ensure client satisfaction and inspire their colleagues to be better. 

This is part of an ongoing series intended to highlight exceptional Women In Technology of Perficient.

We invite you to learn more about Perficient’s Women in Technology: click here.

Have you ever been to a dealer to buy a car? Deciding on which features, trims, engines, or colors are right for you can be overwhelming. And selecting a marketing automation platform isn’t that different as there are a lot of things to consider as well.

For example, in a car you may want a lot of horsepower to propel your vehicle forward quickly. Comparatively, in marketing automation tools you might want higher throughput to pass large amounts of data or send high-volume emails quickly. In a car, you may need more seating, but in marketing automation tools you need a bigger database. In both instances, price is a big sticking point. Marketo will bill you on the number of records you have in the database, while HubSpot will only bill you for the records in the system which are marketable.

Therefore, when you are comparing marketing automation tools you can think of it like weighing the purchase of a car. It’s important to understand that each platform has its own bells and whistles, but any of them can get you from point A to point B. Consider what you want to do with your marketing automation platform – what are your business goals, and what near-term and future-state use cases you need to accommodate. That will help you decide on your product, and any add-on features you really need.

In this blog, I’ll walk through the primary features and functions of marketing automation platforms. Specifically, a comparison between Marketo and HubSpot, but there are many other platforms to explore before deciding.

6 Primary Marketing Automation Features and Functions

The main features and functions of marketing automation include the following.

1. Lead Generation: The process of attracting and capturing potential customer information, such as names and contact information.
2. Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Integration: This allows a business to connect both its sales and marketing efforts. Marketo has a native integration with Salesforce and Microsoft Dynamics. HubSpot has its own native CRM as a package add-on and the ability to connect to other CRMs through its App Marketplace.
3. Email Marketing: These are targeted emails to a specific audience. Marketo requires a coded HTML template before you can use its drag-and-drop editor, while HubSpot has an out-of-the-box powerful, and user-friendly editor. Both systems support full custom and responsive HTML emails.
4. Lead Scoring / Lead Journey: A method used to prioritize and rank records based on demographic and/or behavior data. A person’s score can help qualify people for sales follow-up, interest-based nurtures, and more.
5. Landing Pages & Forms: A standalone page designed to have a clear CTA (call to action) that will encourage visitors to convert and provide their information. This data can then go directly into a CRM if connected.
6. Analytics and Reporting: Enable the marketer to be able to measure the effectiveness of the different campaigns, develop personas for the audience, create segmentation, and help make data-driven decisions for upcoming campaigns. Marketing automation platforms have first-party cookies and can follow both known and anonymous users across external sites. This functionality combined with the behavioral data is what sets marketing automation tools apart from standard tracking tools.

Understanding Marketing Automation Terminology

There are different tools to accomplish the features and functions listed above, but as you start to look at each feature, notice the different level of sophistication each has, and the terminology used.

For example, both Marketo and HubSpot can fulfill the goal of marketing automation, but each tool has different levels of sophistication in each and even the names of these common features slightly differ.

Understanding the different terminology within each marketing automation platform is key to your success. You need to be able to communicate effectively and efficiently with other marketers or technical architects to ensure the campaigns are built as desired.

I am not going to say whether HubSpot or Marketo is better than the other marketing automation tools. Ultimately, it comes down to the different use cases a company has, and which platform will fit their model the best

Find the right platform in six weeks.

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The Driving Decision on Where to Invest

Remember, each marketing automation platform can get you from point A to point B just like a car, but the inside will work slightly differently depending on which brand you use. Overall, no matter which marketing automation platform you choose, understanding the full breadth of what marketing automation encompasses will guide your use cases and drive the decision on the tool sets to invest in.