Marketing Beyond with Alan B. Hart

How can you deploy an end-to-end CRM strategy that keeps pace with complex, evolving customer journeys?  

In this episode, Ford Motor Company Consumer CRM Lead Kim Reedy explains why she views CRM as an end-to-end capability that connects a businesses' strategy, creative, execution, analytics and internal stakeholders. Kim reflects on her path from marketing to agency work and then to the client side, and how those experiences shaped her strategic approach to automotive CRM transformation: Start by tackling smaller, specific opportunities to improve dynamic elements of the customer journey, rather than trying to overhaul everything at once.  

Kim discusses her view of AI as a practical assistant for targeting, timing and creative scale, while emphasizing the need for ongoing human oversight and talent upskilling. Her key insight for marketers: When teams align the right data, process, technology and operating model around a clear business objective, they can create more relevant, impactful customer experiences, even in a market where loyalty is under pressure. 
 
In this episode, you'll hear: 
How deeply intentional, collaborative, end-to-end CRM transformation can have a big impact 


Why customer engagement journeys are no longer linear, and how marketing can adapt  

Ways AI can help marketing teams target better, move faster and scale personalized content, but only when the right people and processes are in place 
 
Key highlights: 

[00:00] Introduction 

[01:15] Being a dance mom 

[02:45] Kim's path to Ford 

[04:10] Moving from agency side to client side 

[05:00] What CRM at Ford looks like 

[07:00] Automotive CRM transformations over the years 

[11:00] The evolving impact of AI 

[13:25] Keeping humans at the helm 

[16:50] A shift in the loyalty paradigm 

[22:00] Advice to your younger self: Do things that are uncomfortable  

[22:50] A topic you're trying to learn more about: Automating daily tasks 

[24:45] Latest curiosities: AI and creativity 

[28:20] Largest potential opportunity: Rethinking organizational processes 

 
Resources mentioned:   


Ford 

 

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Kim on LinkedIn 

Ford Motor Company on LinkedIn 

 
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How can you balance urgency, relevance and restraint in omnichannel customer messaging?

In this episode, Trish Magnetico, customer communications lead at GFiber, a high-speed broadband internet service provider, shares how her team infused marketing into their new customer relationship management (CRM) approach through SMS and push notifications. She discusses how her team uses data, testing and consent-aware channel choices to focus on quality over quantity, to increase engagement across formats. Major platform migrations, she says, can also activate necessary transformation for delivery strategy, message design and data hygiene infrastructure across new and existing customer communication channels. 

GFiber's Trish Magnetico shares how to scale customer communications without creating noise, using testing, data, and channel-specific choices to prioritize quality over volume.  Trish says omnichannel CRM at scale depends on marketing and engineering working closely together. She explains that this joint effort joint effort is particularly important when using sensitive customer information to deliver targeted, personalized experiences that stand out among the dozens of daily marketing communications customers receive across SMS, email and more.

Noting how one signal can create multiple customer touchpoints, Trish encourages leaders to stay disciplined with scope, not to get hung up on volume and pay close attention to what customers communicate in support feedback, as this can reveal the right messages to send via the right channel, at the right time and for the right reasons.

That's how CRM marketing can create impact.
 
In this episode, you'll hear:
Why smarter channel choices can matter more than message volume 


Practical steps to rethink your CRM at scale in the face of major platform changes 

How marketing and engineering can work as one team to protect trust and increase engagement for memorable customer experiences
 
Key highlights: 

[00:00] Introduction 

[01:20] Raising competitive athletes 

[02:45] Trish's path from biological anthropology to CRM 

[05:55] The importance of a strong digital footprint 

[07:15] What makes SMS and push notification marketing different 

[10:05] Data retention during platform migration 

[13:05] Rebuilding a CRM program 

[15:05] Lessons from scaling omnichannel growth 

[17:30] An experience you learned from: Meeting a life partner 

[19:35] Advice to your younger self: Everything is not a fire drill  

[21:00] A topic you're trying to learn more about: Crafting and jewelry making 

[22:10] Latest curiosities: Rethinking the future of marketing 

[23:45] Largest potential threat: Not spending enough time with the data 

 
Resources mentioned:   


GFiber 

 

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GFiber on LinkedIn 

 
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What if the biggest shift in marketing isn't about chasing the next AI tool, but about making the systems and data that marketers already use work together more intelligently? 

This episode takes a slightly different angle on marketing transformation. Instead of talking with a brand marketer about how their team utilizes AI, we hear from Salesforce's Chief Customer Officer for Agentforce Marketing Kevin Siminski about how the technology provider is working to reduce complexity, connect data and make AI more practical for everyday marketing work. 

Kevin starts by busting two myths that shape how many teams think about Salesforce: Marketing Cloud Engagement is not going away, and marketers do not have to face a challenging migration or choose between B2B and B2C capabilities to move forward.  

He explains how Salesforce is instead bringing those capabilities together in the same platform, so customers can adopt what they need without starting from scratch. 

Then Kevin discusses the data foundation underneath that experience—how a shared foundation can make agentic AI more useful in practice and enable organizations to customize how those tools work together.
Kevin also explores how connectivity and AI can reshape marketers' day-to-day work. Rather than suggesting a vague transformation, he points to a more practical future: developing campaigns efficiently, streamlining delivery and giving teams more control over where human judgment still matters. 
 
In this episode, you'll hear about: 
The top two myths about Salesforce marketing solutions, busted 

How Salesforce is bringing B2B and B2C capabilities together in the same platform 


Why a shared data foundation can make agentic AI more useful in marketing 

Ways AI could help automate campaign brief and orchestration tasks, shortening timelines without removing human judgment 
 
Key highlights: 

[00:00] Introduction 

[01:30] The value of taking a gap year 

[04:05] Kevin's path back to Salesforce 

[05:35] Agentforce Marketing's impact 

[06:40] Driving product adoption in a changing world 

[09:10] Connecting MarTech platforms with strong data 

[11:50] Embracing the future of headless CMS 

[13:10] Combining AI agents into a "super agent" 

[15:30] The autopilot metaphor 

[18:10] Early career moments: Engineering in the telecom world 

[20:45] Advice to your younger self: Listen more intentionally  

[22:05] A topic you're trying to learn more about: Agentic AI's rapid growth 

[23:10] Latest curiosities: The evolution of the trades and hands-on work 

[26:25] Largest potential threat: Accelerating AI adoption without governance 
 
Resources mentioned:   

Salesforce Agentforce Marketing 

Salesforce Data 360 

 

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Connect with Kevin and Salesforce: 

Kevin on LinkedIn 

Salesforce on LinkedIn 

 
Connect with Alan Hart and Deloitte Digital:    

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Marketers are being pushed to do more than run campaigns. They are being asked to build relevance, personalize at scale and make every interaction feel more relevant to the individual. That shift requires a different kind of leadership, one grounded in adaptability and curiosity. 

In this episode, Visa Senior Vice President of Marketing Kevin Skirde reflects on a career shaped by experimentation. He said that taking roles he did not initially see himself in helped build a strong foundation for leadership, including learning how to be comfortable in the uncomfortable and turning complex information into clear strategy for executives. That mindset carries into how he thinks about teams. Skirde points to culture, high-performing teams and relationships as core drivers of effectiveness, saying strong outcomes depend not just on ideas but on the people and environment that bring them to life.  

On marketing and artificial intelligence (AI), Skirde says the technology can automate repetitive tasks and help smaller companies compete more effectively. At the same time, it raises the premium on human judgment, strategy and relevance. As marketing shifts toward more continuous, one-to-one journeys, the real advantage comes from understanding what matters to each individual, and creating connections that feel personal rather than interruptive. 
 
In this episode, you'll hear about how: 
The strongest marketing feels personal, relevant and built around real consumer interests 

Complexity becomes an advantage when teams simplify it into clear, actionable value 

AI is raising the premium on human judgment and leaders who can build effective strategies, shifting from execution to direction and better outcomes 
 
Key highlights: 

[01:15] Introduction and a fear of flying 

[05:11] Kevin Skirde's path to Visa 

[05:45] Learning through career experiments 

[06:45] American Express lessons: Precision, loyalty and operating mindset 


[07:35] Startup lessons 

[08:20] Leadership, culture and high-performing teams 

[18:00] Making sense of marketing complexity 

[23:05] From interruption to relevance  

[26:25] An experience that defines you: Missing one path and finding the right one  

[31:05] Advice to your younger self: Have fun, be patient, keep learning 

[32:35 A topic you're trying to learn more about: Retirement and purpose 

[35:45] Latest curiosities: The future workforce for the next generation 

[41:50] Largest opportunity or threat: AI and the rising value of human judgment 

 
Resources mentioned:   

Visa 

 

Follow the podcast:   

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Connect with Laura and GM: 

Kevin Skirde on LinkedIn 


Visa on LinkedIn 

 
Connect with Alan Hart and Deloitte Digital:    

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RERELEASE: From the archives — originally released in July 2025.
Are your ads landing with consumers?  
According to iHeartMedia's "The New American Consumer 2.0" study, 44% of Americans feel ignored by most advertisers.
In today's episode, Alan chats with Gayle Troberman, executive advisor at iHeartMedia, about bridging the gap between marketers and consumers, and the marketing principles that stay consistent despite technological advancements.  
Gayle emphasizes the importance of balancing new technology with classic marketing approaches and cautions against neglecting potential customers by focusing too narrowly on the target audience.  She highlights the power of evoking memories in advertising, primarily through audio, with examples of iconic jingles. She also describes why radio and podcasting are effective tools for mass reach and emotional engagement.  
Gayle Troberman is a highly respected marketing industry veteran. She spent 16 years as chief creative officer at Microsoft, then as chief marketing and ideas officer at IPG Mediabrands. She then became chief marketing officer at iHeartMedia for over a decade before moving into her current role as executive advisor. Today, Gayle works across all iHeartMedia businesses to help them connect with consumers in a deeper, more meaningful way. Her "human first, outcome second" approach to life and marketing has kept her consistently in tune with consumers throughout her career. 
 
In this episode, you'll hear about:
The inspiration behind "The New American Consumer 2.0" study and insights from the research   

How marketers can better understand their audience   

Approaches to using AI and targeting to add value from a consumer perspective 

 
Key highlights: 

[00:00] Rerelease note  
[00:20] Introduction

[01:50] A "muppalucky" life  

[02:55] Gayle's career path  

[05:55] The secret to a long CMO tenure  

[07:50] Enduring truths in marketing  

[13:45] "The New American Consumer Report 2.0" 

[18:30] How marketers can reconnect with everyday consumers 

[22:45] Who has influence?  

[24:20] Using AI in a mindful way 

[28:35] An experience that defines you: Developing a human-first philosophy 

[31:35] Advice to your younger self: A little more patience and empathy 

[33:05] A topic marketers need to learn more about: Balancing the new with the classics 

[34:20] Subcultures and trends to follow: Young people taking strong stances 

[35:40] Largest opportunity and threat to marketers today: Fake performance indicators 

 
Resources mentioned:   

Gayle Troberman 

iHeartMedia 

The New American Consumer 2.0 study 

 
Follow the podcast:   

Listen on Apple Podcasts   

Listen on Amazon Music  

Listen on Audible  

Listen on iHeart Radio 

Listen on Spotify   

 
Connect with Gayle Troberman and iHeartMedia: 

Gayle Troberman on LinkedIn  

iHeartMedia on LinkedIn 

iHeartMedia on Instagram 

iHeartMedia on YouTube 

 

Connect with Alan Hart and Deloitte Digital:    

Alan Hart on X 

Alan Hart on LinkedIn  

Deloitte Digital on LinkedIn  

Deloitte Digital on Instagram  

Deloitte Digital on YouTube  

Deloitte Digital on Threads