What Actually Drives Marketing Performance?

Power your business with BDEX! Set up a time to talk with one of our experts: https://www.bdex.com/talk-to-an-expert/In this episode of Deconstructing Data, host Jessie Lizak is joined by David Welborn, CTO at BDEX, filling in for David Finkelstein, as they sit down with Emily Goh, Founder of Gohvio, to explore why many organizations don't actually have a data problem, but an accountability problem. Drawing from her experience in B2B SaaS, sales, marketing, and business operations, Emily explains why companies need to establish clear data definitions, assign ownership to key metrics, and build transparency into their reporting processes before investing in more dashboards and technology. She also shares how AI and intelligent agents can help organizations improve accountability, streamline workflows, and make more confident business decisions.The conversation explores why defining data before building more tools is essential, how assigning clear ownership to business metrics can eliminate confusion between departments, and why tracing the what, who, and why behind data is critical for organizational transparency. Emily also discusses how she approaches AI agents as members of a team, emphasizing the importance of clear roles, responsibilities, and human oversight. Whether you're a business leader, data professional, marketer, or technology executive, this episode offers valuable insights into building a more accountable, transparent, and data-driven organization.Main Topics CoveredDefining Data Before Building MoreAssigning Accountability to Every MetricTracing the What, Who, and WhyTech StackConnect with Emily GohWebsite: https://gohvio.ioLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gemily/Gohvio LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/gohvio/Follow BDEX to stay updated on upcoming episodesWebsite: https://www.bdex.comLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/bdex/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9J5k2SM3PNT6FVnX3N022AConnect with David WelbornLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidpwelborn/Connect with Jessie LizakLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessie-lizak/

Power your business with BDEX! Set up a time to talk with one of our experts: https://www.bdex.com/talk-to-an-expert/In this episode of Deconstructing Data, hosts David Finkelstein and Jessie Lizak sit down with Aviv Canaani, CRO and CMO at Datarails, to explore how better marketing data can drive predictable revenue growth. Drawing on his experience helping Datarails grow from an early-stage startup into a rapidly scaling AI-powered finance company, Aviv shares how connecting marketing and sales around a unified revenue strategy can help businesses attract the right customers, measure performance more effectively, and make smarter investment decisions.The conversation explores how audience data and highly targeted content can generate qualified pipeline, why marketers need to measure paid media beyond leads, and how aligning marketing and sales around shared revenue goals can eliminate silos and improve business performance. Aviv also explains how AI tools like Claude are transforming data analysis, sales forecasting, and CRM automation, allowing teams to spend less time on administrative work and more time driving revenue. He also shares insights into the tools Datarails uses to connect data, streamline workflows, and better understand customer feedback.Main Topics CoveredConnecting Audience Data to Qualified PipelineMeasuring Paid Media Beyond LeadsAligning Marketing and Sales Around RevenueTech StackConnect with Aviv CanaaniLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/avivcanaani/Datarails LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/datarails/home/Website: https://www.datarails.comFollow BDEX to stay updated on upcoming episodesWebsite: https://www.bdex.comLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/bdex/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9J5k2SM3PNT6FVnX3N022AConnect with David FinkelsteinLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/finkelsteindavid/Connect with Jessie LizakLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessie-lizak/

Power your business with BDEX! Set up a time to talk with one of our experts: https://www.bdex.com/talk-to-an-expert/In this episode of Deconstructing Data, hosts David Finkelstein and Jessie Lizak sit down with Tim Ringel, Founder and Global CEO of Meet The People, to explore how customer data, marketing measurement, and AI can work together to drive meaningful business growth. Drawing on more than 28 years of entrepreneurial experience in the advertising industry, Tim shares how connecting fragmented data, understanding customer behavior, and breaking down organizational silos can help brands make smarter marketing decisions. He also explains why businesses need to look beyond last-click attribution and short-term performance metrics to understand the full customer journey and build sustainable growth.The conversation explores how brands can connect behavioral and transactional data to better understand customer intent, measure the factors that truly influence growth, and balance lower-funnel efficiency with long-term brand investment. Tim also discusses how AI is transforming agency operations, why organizations should use AI to expand their teams' capabilities rather than simply reduce headcount, and how proprietary AI tools can accelerate analysis and strategic decision-making. Whether you're a marketer, data strategist, agency leader, or business executive, this episode offers valuable insights into turning customer data and emerging technologies into a competitive advantage.Main Topics CoveredConnecting Customer Data to Marketing PerformanceMeasuring What Actually Drives GrowthPutting AI to Work Across the Modern AgencyTech StackConnect with Tim RingelWebsite: https://meet-the-people.comLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tim-ringel/?isSelfProfile=falseMeet The People LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/meetthepeople/home/Follow BDEX to stay updated on upcoming episodesWebsite: https://www.bdex.comLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/bdex/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9J5k2SM3PNT6FVnX3N022AConnect with David FinkelsteinLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/finkelsteindavid/Connect with Jessie LizakLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessie-lizak/

Power your business with BDEX! Set up a time to talk with one of our experts: https://www.bdex.com/talk-to-an-expert/In this episode of Deconstructing Data, host Jessie Lizak and guest co-host David Welborn, CTO at BDEX, sit down with Andrea Lechner-Becker, Chief Strategy Officer at GNW Consulting, to explore how AI is transforming marketing measurement, attribution, and customer discovery. Drawing on her experience in marketing technology and strategic marketing operations, Andrea explains how generative engine optimization (GEO) and answer engine optimization (AEO) are changing how brands reach potential customers. She shares why marketers need to rethink traditional attribution models, embrace transparency, and focus on delivering accurate, actionable data to make better marketing and revenue decisions.The conversation explores how AI search is reshaping the buyer journey, why identity resolution and data enrichment are becoming more complex as customer interactions spread across multiple platforms, and how marketers can turn quality data into meaningful action. Andrea also discusses practical ways to measure AI visibility, understand how large language models represent a brand, and prioritize experimentation over perfect attribution. To wrap up, she shares her favorite marketing and AI tools, including Marketo, Salesforce, SEMrush, Profound, AirOps, Claude, and GitHub, offering a look at the technology and data practices that support her work.Main Topics CoveredHow AI Search Is Changing Marketing Measurement and AttributionWhere Identity Resolution and Data Enrichment Fit Into Fragmented Customer JourneysTurning Quality Data Into Confident Marketing and Revenue DecisionsTech StackConnect with Andrea Lechner-BeckerWebsite: https://gnwconsulting.comLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andreaelbee/?isSelfProfile=falseGNW Consulting LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/gnw-consulting/home/Follow BDEX to stay updated on upcoming episodesWebsite: https://www.bdex.comLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/bdex/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9J5k2SM3PNT6FVnX3N022AConnect with David FinkelsteinLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/finkelsteindavid/Connect with Jessie LizakLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessie-lizak/Connect with David WelbornLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidpwelborn/?isSelfProfile=false

Power your business with BDEX! Set up a time to talk with one of our experts: https://www.bdex.com/talk-to-an-expert/In this episode of Deconstructing Data, hosts David Finkelstein and Jessie Lizak sit down with Jean Perez, Director of Data, Analytics and AI at Valuedynamx, to explore how organizations can turn AI pilots into production-ready solutions, test recommendations beyond human intuition, and balance customer loyalty with business budgets. Drawing from nearly a decade of experience managing the end-to-end data journey at Valuedynamx, Jean shares how data governance, experimentation, and AI can help businesses deliver more relevant customer experiences while driving measurable commercial value.The conversation explores what it takes to move AI from experimentation into production, including the importance of governance, regulatory requirements, data quality, and clearly defined success metrics. Jean explains how Valuedynamx combines collaborative filtering and content-based filtering to create personalized recommendations, while testing those recommendations against real-world customer behavior rather than relying solely on what looks intuitive to human testers. He also discusses the growing importance of loyalty programs, how brands can maximize the value of their budgets, and how AI-powered and agentic commerce could reshape loyalty and shopping in the future.Jean also provides a look inside the technology powering Valuedynamx's data and AI capabilities, including AWS, Amazon Bedrock, Databricks, and Tableau. Whether you're a data leader, marketer, loyalty professional, AI practitioner, or business executive, this episode offers practical insights into using data and AI to create better customer experiences while generating measurable business value.Main Topics CoveredMoving AI Pilots Into ProductionTesting Recommendations Beyond Human IntuitionBalancing Loyalty Value and BudgetsTech StackConnect with Jean PerezWebsite: https://www.valuedynamx.comLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jean-perez-dataai/?isSelfProfile=falseValuedynamx LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/valuedynamx/Follow BDEX to stay updated on upcoming episodesWebsite: https://www.bdex.comLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/bdex/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9J5k2SM3PNT6FVnX3N022AConnect with David FinkelsteinLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/finkelsteindavid/Connect with Jessie LizakLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessie-lizak/

Power your business with BDEX! Set up a time to talk with one of our experts: https://www.bdex.com/talk-to-an-expert/In this episode of Deconstructing Data, hosts David Finkelstein and Jessie Lizak sit down with Fern Halper, Founder of AI Foundations Group and VP of Research at TDWI, to explore what it really takes to make AI work inside an organization. Drawing on decades of experience in data analytics and AI, Fern explains why successful AI initiatives depend on much more than the model itself. From building a strong data foundation to understanding the business meaning behind data, she shares why organizations need to think about data as a living, continuously changing asset that requires ongoing attention.The conversation explores how companies can bring together structured and unstructured data to unlock more valuable AI use cases, while also validating the signals being extracted from documents, emails, call center notes, images, and other sources. Fern explains why semantics, data freshness, ownership, provenance, and lineage are becoming increasingly important as organizations adopt generative and agentic AI. She also breaks down the difference between data governance and AI governance, why governance should be treated as an enabler rather than a compliance exercise, and how organizations can build a culture of collaboration around their data. Fern also shares insights into her technology stack, including how she uses AI tools for application development and data analysis.Main Topics CoveredBuilding a Strong Data Foundation for AIManaging and Validating Unstructured Data SignalsGoverning Data for Accurate AI PerformanceTech StackConnect with Fern HalperLinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/fbhalper/⁠AI Foundations Group Website: https://www.aifoundationsgroup.comAI Foundations Group LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ai-foundations-group/TDWI LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/tdwi/TDWI Website: https://tdwi.org/home.aspxFollow BDEX to stay updated on upcoming episodesWebsite: https://www.bdex.comLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/bdex/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9J5k2SM3PNT6FVnX3N022AConnect with David FinkelsteinLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/finkelsteindavid/Connect with Jessie LizakLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessie-lizak/

Power your business with BDEX! Set up a time to talk with one of our experts: https://www.bdex.com/talk-to-an-expert/In this episode of Deconstructing Data, hosts David Finkelstein and Jessie Lizak sit down with Daniel Burrus, CEO of Burrus Research, global technology futurist, AI strategy expert, and New York Times bestselling author, to explore how businesses can use data and emerging technology to anticipate customer needs, create deeper personalization, and turn AI insights into meaningful action. Daniel shares his Hard Trend methodology for separating predictable future facts from assumptions, giving organizations a framework for identifying opportunities and solving problems before they become disruptions.The conversation explores how fragmented and outdated data can limit the value of AI, why organizations need to audit their data before putting it to work, and how combining data from multiple sources can enable hyper-personalization. Daniel also explains why AI should augment human thinking rather than replace it, and how businesses can move from an overwhelming number of possibilities to the vital few actions that can create measurable results. He also shares the AI tools and technology he uses, including multiple frontier AI models and his own technology resources, along with a free AI strategy report featuring tools and use cases.Main Topics CoveredUsing Hard Trends to Anticipate NeedsConnecting Fragmented Data for PersonalizationTurning AI Insights into Strategic ActionTech StackConnect with Daniel BurrusWebsite: https://www.burrus.comLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danielburrus/?isSelfProfile=falseBurrus Research LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/burrus-research-inc-/Follow BDEX to stay updated on upcoming episodesWebsite: https://www.bdex.comLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/bdex/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9J5k2SM3PNT6FVnX3N022AConnect with David FinkelsteinLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/finkelsteindavid/Connect with Jessie LizakLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessie-lizak/

Power your business with BDEX! Set up a time to talk with one of our experts: https://www.bdex.com/talk-to-an-expert/In this episode of Deconstructing Data, host Jessie Lizak is joined by David Welborn, Chief Technology Officer at BDEX, who fills in for David Finkelstein, for a conversation with Nick Cooper, Global Vice President of Strategy and Innovation at Landor. Nick explains why brand performance requires a different approach to measurement than traditional performance marketing, and why businesses need to look beyond easily measured metrics to understand the true financial impact of brand.The conversation explores how brand equity can be quantified and connected to incremental revenue, why data can give creative teams the confidence to make bolder decisions, and how future-facing financial models can help businesses evaluate brand investments. Nick also explains how data enrichment can reveal persuadable audiences by combining different perspectives, from demographics and attitudes to brand equity and emotional demand spaces. He shares how AI is changing brand measurement and strategy, including the growing importance of understanding how brands are perceived by large language models and how tools like WPP Open and Claude are becoming part of the modern marketing technology landscape.Main Topics CoveredWhy Measurement Undervalues True Brand PerformanceUsing Data to Support Smarter Creative DecisionsIdentifying Persuadable Audiences Through Data EnrichmentTech StackConnect with Nick CooperWebsite: https://landor.comLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nick-cooper-14b22324/?isSelfProfile=falseLandor LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/landorglobal/Follow BDEX to stay updated on upcoming episodesWebsite: https://www.bdex.comLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/bdex/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9J5k2SM3PNT6FVnX3N022AConnect with David WelbornLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidpwelborn/?isSelfProfile=falseConnect with David FinkelsteinLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/finkelsteindavid/Connect with Jessie LizakLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessie-lizak/

Power your business with BDEX! Set up a time to talk with one of our experts: https://www.bdex.com/talk-to-an-expert/In this episode of Deconstructing Data, hosts David Finkelstein and Jessie Lizak sit down with Kristin Wozniak, Chief Data and Growth Officer of Cosmo5, to explore the limitations of data-driven decision-making and why businesses need to look beyond dashboards and KPIs to understand what is really happening. Drawing from her experience in audience research, advertising, measurement, and strategy, Kristin explains why data can help organizations learn and understand their customers but cannot determine whether a decision is ultimately the right one. She also explores the importance of intuition, experience, experimentation, and human judgment in a world increasingly focused on data and AI.The conversation examines why performance metrics often fail to capture the full complexity of human behavior, how optimizing for clicks and ROAS can distract from the customer experience, and why qualitative research still has an important role in modern marketing. Kristin also explains how an obsession with measurable outcomes can turn data into a liability by limiting curiosity, creativity, experimentation, and innovation. Finally, she shares her perspective on building an effective technology stack, arguing that even the best tools and data are only as valuable as the team using them.Main Topics CoveredWhat Your Data Is Not Telling YouData Does Not Capture Human BehaviorWhen Data Becomes a LiabilityTech StackConnect with Kristin WozniakWebsite: https://cosmo5.comLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristin-wozniak-5b64602a/Cosmo5 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/cosmo5/Follow BDEX to stay updated on upcoming episodesWebsite: https://www.bdex.comLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/bdex/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9J5k2SM3PNT6FVnX3N022AConnect with David FinkelsteinLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/finkelsteindavid/Connect with Jessie LizakLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessie-lizak/

Power your business with BDEX! Set up a time to talk with one of our experts: Talk to an ExpertIn this episode of Deconstructing Data, hosts David Finkelstein and Jessie Lizak sit down with Eric Williamson, CMO of CallMiner, to explore how businesses can turn the massive volume of customer conversations they collect into actionable intelligence. Eric explains why analyzing every customer interaction—not just a small sample—can uncover insights that improve customer experience, product development, marketing, and business performance. The conversation also explores how AI and agentic technology are helping enterprises make sense of overwhelming amounts of customer data while making those insights accessible to people beyond traditional data analysts.Eric also discusses the importance of connecting customer experience and marketing data, combining solicited feedback like surveys with unsolicited insights from real customer interactions. He shares why businesses should start small when activating their data, the importance of human oversight when deploying AI agents, and the risks of trying to build complex AI solutions without considering security, scalability, integrations, and total cost of ownership. The episode wraps up with a look at the technology stack Eric and his team use to support marketing, sales, customer engagement, and data-driven decision-making.Main Topics CoveredTurning Customer Conversations into Actionable IntelligenceUsing AI to Overcome Customer-Data OverloadConnecting Marketing and CX for Enterprise AlignmentBuilding a Technology Stack That Supports ActionConnect with Eric WilliamsonWebsite: CallMinerLinkedIn: Eric Williamson on LinkedInCallMiner LinkedIn: CallMiner on LinkedInFollow BDEX to stay updated on upcoming episodesWebsite: BDEXLinkedIn: BDEX on LinkedInYouTube: BDEX on YouTubeConnect with David FinkelsteinLinkedIn: David Finkelstein on LinkedInConnect with Jessie LizakLinkedIn: Jessie Lizak on LinkedIn