Valtech Café

In today's competitive landscape, a brand isn't just a logo; it's a dynamic force that, when nurtured, not only propels business growth but also safeguards against adversity. And while an increasing number of brands embark on their own transformative journeys, a pivotal question lingers: does brand transformation arise from a position of strength or weakness? In today's 37-minute podcast, Rosie Kropp, VP Global Head of Brand Marketing at Ericsson, discusses the power of business transformation for any organization. In a world of enduring brands and disruptive newcomers, we debunk the mysteries and provide insights into how brands can transform themselves to remain relevant and stand out. From championing creativity to crafting a holistic approach, discover the importance of the “why” behind every transformation journey and how to avoid "putting lipstick on a gorilla." Listen now.

Envision a future where patients effortlessly access detailed electronic health records, using AI for precise diagnoses and personalized treatment plans—no need for physical visits. Seem impossible? Not for the experts in Field Engagement at Novartis. They employ strategic foresight, a process that transforms current facts into plausible, thought-provoking and logical future scenarios. Foresight practices involve creative thinking about potential futures and systematically analyzing patterns influencing change, integrating data and findings. Join us for an enlightening conversation with Ywan Karlen, Global Director of Future Engagement Model/ Field Engagement at Novartis, a pioneering life science pharmaceutical company committed to reimagining medicine to improve and extend people’s lives. Ywan and his team navigate the challenges and opportunities that the future pharma field force, the customers they serve and patients may face, ensuring Novartis remains at the forefront of innovation. In this episode, we explore the impact of design thinking, the practicality of translating insights into actionable strategies and identifying emerging industry trends with significant future potential. From integrating internal, customer and patient feedback for a comprehensive understanding of future scenarios, to envisioning a technology-light future, we delve into these topics and more. Tune in now.

Creativity is often viewed as a key driver of innovation and success in businesses. However, it is often also an underutilized asset. While creative thinking has the potential to revolutionize industries, solve complex problems and improve customer experiences, many organizations struggle to tap into it effectively. There are multiple reasons behind this paradox, ranging from a lack of understanding creativity's commercial impact to rigid structures that prioritize predictability over novelty. While discussions on creativity have become increasingly common, the pivotal question of how more brands can acknowledge its significance continues to be paramount. In today's 25-minute episode, we’re joined by Ylva Lindberg, Managing Director of Valtech Radon to explore the exciting opportunity for brands to infuse creativity into every aspect of their customer experience. We'll discuss why this creative approach isn't as prevalent as it should be and why companies can no longer afford to treat it as an afterthought. Buckle up as we embark on a four-step quest to understand, embrace and harness the full power of creativity in the business world.

Over the past few years, we've explored everything from subscription services to tech integration, connected cars to smart cities and beyond. The pace of change in this sector is exhilarating, giving us a unique opportunity to reassess the automotive industry's primary drivers and how legacy brands navigate brand challenges in the face of evolving customer expectations. Today’s 30-minute podcast explores the transformative trends, innovative business models and emerging opportunities reshaping the automotive industry. We'll hear insights from Denny Pezic, Global Vertical Lead for mobility, Matt Redman, SVP Strategy Europe at Valtech and David DeCheser, Chief Creative Officer North America at Valtech, for a deep dive into the impact of subscription services and tech integration on customer-brand interactions in the context of electric vehicles. Join us on this insightful journey as we discuss navigating the challenges faced by legacy brands and new entrants in the automotive industry, all while striving to provide customers with the experiences they crave in an ever-changing landscape.

In our contemporary landscape, brands must offer personalized experiences to meet consumer expectations. To achieve this, connectivity is vital, serving as a beacon amidst the vast sea of information and allowing brands to differentiate themselves while fostering lasting relationships with their customers. Previously, a singular monolithic system was relied upon to consolidate all customer data, content, and contextual information. However, in modern times, these components are separated into composable systems, connecting to create seamless experiences. The "three Cs" - customer, content, and context - are crucial to achieving this, but the challenge lies in harmonizing them from their diverse origins. In today's 33-minute podcast, we sit down with Sana Remekie, CEO of Conscia.ai and Karen Light, Director of Platform Strategy in the Composable Practice at Valtech. Together, we delve into the intricate landscape of composable architectures and shed light on the complexities, challenges, changes, and many other Cs facing brands today. Tune in now to gain a fresh perspective on the challenges and opportunities in composable architecture.

In an industry where more than half of consumers are skeptical about brand experiences and struggle to differentiate between brands, nearly 50% of marketing decision-makers state that they are overwhelmed with a mass of data. Additionally, they report not knowing how to leverage the maturity of data points they already have, and so, the question that comes to mind first is where retail brands are going wrong when it comes to delivering experiences that really count. How can they focus on the things that truly make a difference for consumers in both the short and the long term? In today’s 27-minute conversation, we are delighted to be joined by Christian Herold, Director of Consumer Experience and Engagement at Cosnova, to hear their insights on delivering emotion-driven customer experiences with the power of data experimentation.

In today's economic climate, the success of a brand is primarily measured by how quickly they achieve exponential growth. But what if sustainable business practices and a positive lasting impact became the new marker of achievement? In the face of fierce competition for customers' attention, how can brands continue to grow and innovate while maintaining their core brand identity? In today’s 44-minute podcast, we sit down with Cyrus Schenck, CEO of Renoun Skis — the world’s first ski company to offset their carbon footprint _ and Marc Maleh, SVP of Emerging Technology and Connected Experiences at Valtech, to discuss the importance of purpose in achieving business success in today’s age of acceleration. Listen now for a deep dive into the role of building brand authenticity and long-term customer value.

Mars brand M&M'S have been working with Valtech to define and build their long-term D2C srategy and make it scalable to all Mars brands globally. They are able to pivot successfully because they recognize the vitality of being an ecosystem. Their strategy's leading North Star is to become omnichannel in the truest sense of the word. The crucial differentiator is how they allow customers to start, pause and resume their buying journey at any point. In today's 30-minute podcast, we sit down with Kyle Barz, Director of Global Retail & Ecommerce Technology at Mars Wrigley, and Casper Rasmussen, SVP Technology at Valtech and President of the MACH Alliance, to talk about the complexities of Mars' own D2C transformation, as well as the common challenges and pitfalls brands should seek to avoid as they embark on their own journey.

Businesses today are faced with lots of restrictive challenges, from team and talent shortages, to creating organizational structures that can scale, to the frustrations of legacy technologies. In today's podcast, we sit down with Juan Sadurni, Practice Lead of Valtech_Inside, to discuss the large-scale complexities that companies face and how you can find the right solution, with scalable, efficient strategies. From tailor-made engagement models to building and integrating solutions specific to your business needs, Valtech_Inside allows institutions to transition from traditional players to leaders in the digital ecosystem. Listen to learn more.

In the last few years, new digital technologies have been revolutionizing the finance sector, allowing businesses to zero in on potential new revenue sources. As a result, innovative fintech trends are accelerating digital innovation in banking while challenging traditional banks to remain competitive at the same time. With the war in Ukraine and the possibility of global recession, the future of banking depends on finding a way to adapt to the new normal.  In today’s podcast, we are pleased to have Bertrand Marsault, Head of Client Strategy and Customer Experience at The National Bank of Canada, and Catherine Gauthier, Lead Customer Experience at Valtech, to discuss why delivering enhanced customer experience in banking will help enterprises stay ahead of the digital curve as the industry moves forward.

Live from Lisbon, today’s 26-minute conversation discusses how digital transformation can benefit distribution businesses in building personalized relationships with their customer base. We share industry experts’ insights on the matter and take a closer look at why creating a data-first culture is crucial for the success of any digital transformation. Listen to learn more.

Like many other startups, MonkeySports, a small Californian hockey equipment store, saw an excellent opportunity to expand their business into the ecommerce world. But they soon realized they were no longer connecting with their customers like they had done before. In today’s 30-minute podcast, we sit down with Ki Song, Director of E-commerce at MonkeySports, to discuss the advantages and opportunities of implementing a PXM (Product Experience Management) strategy to deliver winning experiences to customers and build customer loyalty. From seamless data modeling to offering omnichannel customer experiences, PXM helped MonkeySports bring real value to their customers, and ultimately helped them become the largest hockey retailer in the world. Listen to learn more.

In today’s 38-minute conversation, we hear from Peter Manniche Riber, Head of Digital Learning & Analytics at Novo Nordisk and Christian Haahr Sigsgaard, Global Learning & Development Director at Valtech. They share their perspectives on the challenges and opportunities of integrating learning & development strategies across organizations, and why applying a data-driven approach is the key to success. Interested to learn more about what we do? Visit our website: https://www.valtech.com/

Could it be the case that the more senior leadership are involved, the less people experiment….? Could there a misconception that the highest paid person’s opinion counts the most…..? And does that in turn mean that to really feel free to experiment, we need to totally rethink our approach to it? In this podcast, we're joined by Hazjier Pourkhalkhali, Global Vice President Strategy & Value at Optimizely. In his 8 years at Optimizely, Hazjier has conducted more than 300 experiments and has led research into the effects of hierarchy, the science of running the perfect experiment, and ultimately the behaviours that truly trigger change. Wondering how to take the practical first steps to help you get value from digital experimentation after listening to this episode? Download our Digital Experimentation Playbook: https://www.valtech.com/whitepapers/the-digital-experimentation-playbook/

This 31-minute podcast delves into the challenges of revolutionizing mobile banking without any formal marketing campaigns. From anti-money laundering initiatives to relying on the overarching support from Danske Bank, we discuss what it takes to provide true value for customers by purely focusing on delivering extreme simplicity. Interested to learn more about what we do? Visit our website: https://www.valtech.com/

In today’s 33-minute podcast, we are joined by Benoit Rungeard, Global Digital and Multichannel Lead at Sanofi, to discuss how digital acts as a value creator for healthcare and pharmaceutical brands. From using data to inform ways of working, to transforming the patient experience, Benoit reflects on his own learnings and insights to help inform others embarking on a similar transformation journey. Listen to learn more.

When global logistics firm PostNord started releasing their annual Commerce Reports on the state of e-commerce across sectors in the Nordics, they noticed a shift in the trends defining the industry moving forward. In this 25-minute podcast, we’re joined by Solidad Gonzalez, e-commerce advisor at PostNord Sweden, to discuss PostNord’s four major trends defining the fast growth of commerce (The 4 Es). Want to know about what we do? Visit our website: https://www.valtech.com/

In the face of shrinking budgets and economic downturns, the question of how Retailers can show up for their customers remains a key. In this podcast, we are joined by Martin Newman, better known as the Consumer Champion, to discuss in the great detail the importance of customer centricity in today’s digital age and how can brands achieve that with the power of emotional marketing. Listen to learn more and watch our on-demand webinar on the topic: https://bit.ly/3X4pxJE

Neobanks, the new generation of cutting-edge, fully digital banking services, are aiming to be more accessible than traditional banks while transforming the Financial Services industry. But how can banking services continue to work towards consumer-centric business models that meet their customers' needs? We are joined by Anne Marie Kindberg, Chief Officer at Lunar, a fintech market starter focused on challenging traditional bank models, to discuss in great detail the challenges of turning a cutting-edge product into something profitable. Want to know about what we do? Visit our website: www.valtech.com

86% of customers are unlikely to buy products from a brand after an experience with incomplete or inaccurate product information. So, how much information do customers need about a product before they feel comfortable placing an online order? In today's podcast, we sit down with Raphael Iscar, Valtech’s Head of PXM, to discuss the ins and outs of Product Experience Management (PXM), what brands need to consider to deliver a winning product experience to their customers, and how strong PXM benefits your bottom line as well as builds customer loyalty. Want to know about what we do? Visit our website: www.valtech.com