Podcast Summary: The Agile Brand with Greg Kihlström®
Episode #623: Is Your Brand Ready for Its Own AI Agent? Featuring Gil Rosen of Amdocs
Release Date: January 10, 2025

In episode #623 of The Agile Brand with Greg Kihlström®, host Greg Kihlström engages in an enlightening conversation with Gil Rosen, the Chief Marketing Officer at Amdocs. The episode delves deep into the emerging trend of agentic AI and its profound implications for brand identity and customer experience. Drawing from Gil's extensive experience and recent research, the discussion offers valuable insights for marketing leaders navigating the rapidly evolving landscape of artificial intelligence in branding.

1. Introduction to Agentic AI

Greg opens the episode by framing the central question: "Is your brand ready to thrive in a world where AI-driven agents become the primary point of contact for your customers?" He introduces Gil Rosen, highlighting his role at Amdocs and his recent collaboration with McCann Tech and Coleman Parks on a global survey exploring AI agents' impact on brand identity.

2. Guest Introduction and Background

Gil Rosen provides a comprehensive overview of his role at Amdocs, a global leader in reshaping connectivity and customer experiences through cutting-edge technology. With responsibility for marketing across a vast product portfolio and diverse international markets, Gil emphasizes his dual focus on internal strategy and external thought leadership.

Gil Rosen [02:43]: "I have a global responsibility for the go-to-market for all the different products and services that we do... It’s an encompassing role that covers all marketing activities globally."

3. Understanding Agentic AI

Greg seeks to clarify the concept of agentic AI for listeners less familiar with the term. Gil explains that agentic AI represents a more personalized and humanized evolution of traditional AI technologies like ChatGPT.

Gil Rosen [05:55]: "This is the chatGPT that talks on behalf of a brand... It’s a Persona dedicated to serving the specific brand, capable of conversations, providing information, assistance, and direction."

He highlights the shift from impersonal digital interfaces to seamless, natural language interactions, reducing the cognitive load on users and enhancing the overall customer experience.

4. The Evolution from Bots to Agents

Gil elaborates on the transition from traditional bots to sophisticated AI agents. He underscores the necessity for brands to imbue their AI agents with distinct behavioral traits that reflect their unique brand personas.

Gil Rosen [12:25]: "One is the brand persona, another is the context of the interaction, and the third is the individual customer’s preferences. These elements must align to create a cohesive agentic experience."

5. Research Insights: Customer and Executive Expectations

Drawing from Amdocs' recent research, Gil shares surprising findings regarding customer preferences and executive expectations for AI agents.

• Voice Preferences: A significant majority of women (67%) prefer a female voice agent, while men show a preference for male voices (30%).
• Cultural Nuances: In regions like Asia, there’s a distinct preference for agents that appear older, reflecting cultural respect for elders.
• Empathy vs. Conciseness: Customers highly value empathy in interactions, desiring more than just concise responses.

Gil Rosen [13:19]: "Most people prefer a woman’s voice; women want empathy in their interactions, which varies across geographies."

6. Best Practices for Implementing AI Agents in Branding

Gil emphasizes the critical role of marketing teams in shaping the deployment of AI agents. He warns against treating AI agents purely as technological upgrades without considering brand identity.

Gil Rosen [17:59]: "Marketing people are not in the conversation right now. That's a mistake because the agent needs to embody the brand’s unique persona and behavior."

He advises brands to:

• Define the agent’s personality in line with the brand.
• Customize agent interactions based on context and customer demographics.
• Avoid associating AI agents with disliked bots to prevent negative perceptions.

7. Steps for Brands to Prepare for AI Agents

Gil outlines actionable steps for brands to ready themselves for the integration of AI agents:

1. Integrate Marketing in AI Strategy: Ensure marketing teams lead the definition of the agent’s persona and behavior.
2. Customize the Option Space: Decide on the level of personalization, balancing between unique customer preferences and consistent brand identity.
3. Respect Cultural Preferences: Tailor agents to align with regional and cultural nuances to enhance relatability and trust.

Gil Rosen [27:53]: "Storm into the room where these decisions are being made and claim the territory that this is not just a technical improvement... It’s a fundamental change in the customer experience."

8. Challenges and Considerations

Gil discusses potential challenges associated with deploying AI agents:

• Uncanny Valley: The discomfort users may feel when interacting with agents that are too human-like.
• Personalization vs. Consistency: Striking the right balance between offering personalized interactions and maintaining a consistent brand voice.
• Avoiding Negative Associations: Steering clear of branding AI agents as mere bot evolutions to prevent existing negative perceptions.

Gil Rosen [22:29]: "Avoid associating your agents with bots, as people currently loathe bots and may react negatively to such associations."

9. Final Thoughts and Staying Agile

As the conversation concludes, Greg asks Gil about maintaining agility in his role. Gil shares his philosophy centered on curiosity, humility, and continuous learning—crucial traits for adapting to the ever-changing technological landscape.

Gil Rosen [30:56]: "Remain amazingly curious... Investigate the impact of everything that is happening and be humble enough to recognize and correct mistakes."

Conclusion

Episode #623 of The Agile Brand offers a comprehensive exploration of agentic AI and its transformative potential for brands. Through Gil Rosen’s expert insights and Amdocs' groundbreaking research, listeners gain a nuanced understanding of how to effectively integrate AI agents into their brand strategies, ensuring enhanced customer experiences and sustained business growth in an AI-driven future.

For more episodes and insights, visit The Agile Brand. To learn more about consulting or advisory services with Greg Kihlström, or to book him as a speaker, visit www.gregkilstrom.com.