Jeff Geheb at Web Summit Rio: Marketing in 2025

And hey everybody, I'm Jeff. I'm the Global Chief Experience Officer at VML. I look after the way data, technology, and innovation all come together to build experiences for brands and customers. I'm excited about our conversation.

Yeah, I mean, I think AI is on everybody's mind at the moment. Our clients – some of the biggest companies in the world – are all trying to figure out what is it, what does AI mean to a marketer? Right now, thanks to Sam Altman, everybody's worried it's about taking jobs away. When I think of AI, I think about the people I work around. They're the first to complain how long their days get by typing too many emails or pumping out banner ads. These tasks get in the way of why they came to the industry – to be creative and innovating. So a lot of the conversation is how to be more efficient so we can be more creative. The shift is moving towards not just fewer jobs, but more abundance. We're looking at how AI can drive a better day inside our workforce and better marketing outcomes for clients. I think it's exciting, not terrifying.

Yeah, I mean, I would just build and say I'm not a creative. I didn't go to design school. I was an engineer, and now I work in a creative agency. I've always wanted to be part of the creative product, and now I can collaborate with my computer. I can generate images, tell stories. All of a sudden I feel unlocked. Not like something's being taken away – I have a creative partner. I can create a persona and communicate with it, ask how somebody might feel. This doesn't replace collaborating with real people, but it's nice to have a creative partner on my desktop. It's an exciting time.

Yeah, I think on the conversation of data, especially with cookies going away, the norms we've had around identifying somebody to communicate with are changing. We've lost a bit of creativity about how to personalize or engage with less visibility. But I see companies getting smart with new ways to engage consumers and collect data. Importantly, an experience isn't just about personalization. It's not about knowing who Jeff is because Jeff changes throughout the day. If I'm thirsty and hot, I'll grab a drink – my demographic history will never tell you that. Circumstance matters. There are so many new signals: QR codes on cans, connected cars. If all you focus on is what you lost with cookies, you miss new opportunities. It's about first-party data, but also rethinking how to collect data that helps understand circumstance and environment. There's a creative renaissance around what data is needed and how to activate data we don't have.

Well, what's happening is customer data is becoming paramount. Companies that operate around first-party data have the keys to the kingdom because they can enrich that. But you're also not limited by that. We work with companies embarrassed about the size of their CRM database. There are innovative ways to build new customer relationships and get creative with that. So yeah, CRM companies are at the forefront of experience, but you're not limited by that either.

Yeah, I mean, I think storytelling has never had a wider palette and never been more misunderstood. You have to think about how to tell your story in many forms. Social requires being quick, standing out, authentic. But I'm also fascinated by spatial design. I don't know how many of you have used an Apple Vision Pro. The hardware isn't quite there yet, but the experience when you put it on, considering how quickly processing speed and connectivity are accelerating, that bulky headset will quickly become something wearable. That opens up your mind about what storytelling could look like. It's a different experience to be augmented with reality. That massively opens up storytelling. Right now we're so used to content on a phone that we might be skipping the beat about where content is going. I think it's an exciting time.

Yeah, I think marketing gets quickly paired with the medium. A lot of people think marketing is creative or commerce, but marketing is about growth. If you strip it back and think about what ways can this brand grow, how creative can I be with new channels – that's what the moment calls for. If you pair it too tight, you chase trends. Just doing AI to follow AI, spatial, or collecting data because the industry told you. Marketing is a creative growth exercise. Decouple marketing from advertising or digital. Marketing is growth. You sell products. So, yep.

I mean, I think what people want is an authentic connection. Between the pandemic, staring at phones, people self-diagnosing 'I'm staring at my phone too much,' everybody's looking for a better connection. Personalization or brand community building is knowing what you stand for and what the person you're serving stands for, and building experience around that. It's dangerous to just try to personalize. Personalization is a relationship. Figure out your voice, the right time and place. I don't need my toothpaste to play a prominent role in my life. Right-size it. Brands need to understand what people need, embrace it, and be authentic. That's a better pathway to experiences in your life and community. We have a lack of relationships nowadays. The new generation – I have a 17-year-old son who spent his teenage years at home during the pandemic. There are side effects; he's more addicted to his phone. Screens are making us isolated. We'll have to find a way to reconnect. Brands can help unlock emotions and interaction. I believe in human touch. I'm a hugger – I met these guys today and hugged them. Brands have a role to support humanity, to help us through these dark ages.

Yeah, I mean, maybe to pull themes together: it's never been better to be online. I'm the one who said I spend too much time on my phone, but my trip to Rio has been better because of it. Where this goes is not thinking of social or CRM as just communities, but shared experiences. We can build experiences in a city, augment them with devices, put your brand in them in a not-too-strong way. That builds connection. It requires cross-channel thinking and talking to startups. There's magic in connecting dots. That's what's ahead. It's exciting.

Thanks Colin. Yeah, appreciate it.