MarTech Interview with Roman Gun, Vice President, Product @ Zeta Global

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Roman Gun, Vice President of Product at Zeta Global chats about Zeta Global’s latest AI enhancements and how AI-powered martech is redefining end to end martech processes and marketing cycles:

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Tell us about yourself and a little about Zeta’s martech journey so far…

I started my career creating a propaganda poster, which evolved into a brand and go-to-market strategy for a social media startup. Through a winding path, I ended up at Zeta Global. I initially focused on forecasting and goal setting, enhancing our predictive capabilities.

Over time, I advanced to head the intelligence layer, overseeing Generative AI, ML Ops, Forecasting, Analytics, Attribution, and Recommendations. Zeta Global, an AI-Powered Marketing Cloud, has transformed the ad tech landscape over 15 years through innovation, numerous acquisitions, and integrations. Essentially, any digital ad you see that isn’t from Meta or Google might be powered by Zeta. We hold the largest repository of identity data next to these giants, enabling highly personalized marketing experiences. Our advanced tech, like agent chaining for custom workflows, is pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in marketing.

How are you seeing AI-powered marketing clouds and AI-powered martech change the game for modern marketers?

Automation is truly the name of the game. AI-powered marketing clouds are revolutionizing how marketers operate by enabling more automated decision-making processes. We’re seeing sophisticated customer clustering into LTV and churn categories based on intent and propensity signals. Marketers are now building custom AI agents to tackle specific tasks, making it possible to achieve more with less effort. This shift allows for real-time adaptability and precision in campaigns, fundamentally changing how marketing strategies are developed and executed.

Can you talk about some of the most interesting AI developments from around the world that have grabbed your attention and why? More so those that influence marketing and sales processes?

One of the most fascinating AI developments is around agentic workflows. These workflows enable the chaining of reasoning, action, and intelligence to perform complex tasks autonomously. For instance, in marketing, this means creating intelligent agents that can manage everything from campaign planning to execution and real-time adjustments. This capability is set to transform marketing operations by making processes more efficient and highly responsive to changing market dynamics.

We’d like to hear more from you about Zeta’s recent AI enhancements and how they enable end users.

We’re excited to roll out a feature that allows users to build their own Intelligence Agents. This means users can create AI solutions tailored to their specific needs directly within our platform, using plain English or any other language. No more waiting on PMs, engineers, or data scientists. This democratization of AI empowers users to take immediate action and innovate on the fly, making our platform incredibly flexible and user-centric.

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How will Zeta’s recent tech collaboration with AWS lead to better capabilities and processes?

Our collaboration with AWS enhances our platform’s capabilities, particularly with our upcoming AI Workflow tool, moving into beta. This tool enables users to string together multiple agents to perform complex workflows, such as campaign creation, data mapping, and custom reporting. By leveraging AWS Bedrock to build Claude-backed agents, we ensure these workflows are scalable and secure. This integration significantly boosts our platform’s reliability and robustness, offering users state-of-the-art tools for their marketing needs.

What in your view are some of the biggest myths around AI and modern martech?

One of the biggest myths is that AI is going to take your job. The reality is, AI is a tool that, when leveraged correctly, can enhance your role and open up new opportunities. The key is to learn how to use AI effectively. Another misconception is that AI tools are one-trick ponies based on initial interactions. Many AI capabilities require a bit of tinkering to unlock their full potential. Don’t expect a magic bullet on your first try, but don’t underestimate the potential for creating one with persistence and innovation.

If you had to share five predictions on the future of AI and martech before we wrap up, what would they be?

1. Rediscovery of Brand Voice: Brands will find new ways to express their identities with rapid advancements in video and creative generation, allowing for quicker, cost-effective, and targeted campaign launches.
2. Evolution of Workflows: Traditional workflows will evolve. Those who embrace and adapt to new AI-driven processes will shift from being tacticians to strategists, leveraging AI to focus on high-level strategy while the AI handles the execution. This will enable meaningful outcomes with less hands-on involvement. Think of it as going from being a writer to being an editor.
3. Shift in Conversion Funnels: We’ll see a shift from traditional search-to-website funnels to LLM-to-website conversions, and eventually, to in-conversation conversions, driven by increasingly sophisticated LLM interfaces and user specific memory.
4. Mixed Reality Boom: Mixed reality hardware will become mainstream, fundamentally shifting how we interact with digital content. Advances in battery life and distributed computing will make mixed reality a default mode of interaction for many.
5. AI Becomes Ubiquitous: AI will become so commonplace that we’ll stop talking about it as a separate entity. Much like web strategies have become a given, AI will become table stakes. The focus will shift from who has AI to how it is being integrated and utilized to achieve novel jobs and outcomes.

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