What If? So What?

 In this episode of “What If? So What?” Jim sits down with Keith Tomatore, a seasoned automotive industry veteran and leader of Perficient’s automotive practice. Together, they embark on a journey into the electrifying future of the automotive industry. 

Keith shares his unique journey from his start at Swiss Army Brands to spearheading digital transformation in the automotive industry, emphasizing the importance of customer connection and innovative thinking. The conversation covers the driving forces behind automotive electrification, the state of the industry, and the significant impacts on OEMs, suppliers, dealers, and consumers alike. 

With a special focus on Perficient’s comprehensive study around electrification, Keith unveils startling geographic disparities, evolving consumer behaviors, and strategic insights for stakeholders navigating this shift.   

For more insights on automotive electrification visit: Automotive Electrification / Perficient 

Connect with Keith “KT” Tomatore
Connect with Jim Hertzfeld, Area Vice President of Strategy

In the latest episode of "What If, So What?" host Jim Hertzfeld invites Eisaiah Engel, author of "Innovation Casino," to dive deep into the essence of innovation in today's business landscape. Engel shares his unique perspective on tackling innovation challenges across the spectrum as he and Jim explore the critical role of innovation in achieving differentiated, premium branding and generating alpha returns. 

This episode is a must-listen for digital leaders seeking actionable strategies to harness innovation for enduring growth.

Connect with Eisaiah Engel

Connect with Jim Hertzfeld, Area Vice President of Strategy, Perficient 

In this episode, Jim talks with Kristine Swan, VP, Global Head of Digital Transformation & IT at Bayer Crop Science, to dive into the revolutionary role of digital innovation in agriculture. They unpack the challenges of modern farming, from climate change to food security, and explore cutting-edge solutions like carbon sequestration and regenerative agriculture. Kristine shares her journey from a farming background to leading digital strategies that bolster sustainable practices and enhance productivity. The episode highlights how digital tools empower farmers, influence sustainable outcomes, and open new markets like carbon credits. Kristine's insights offer a blueprint for integrating digital approaches in traditional sectors to drive meaningful change.

Connect with Kristine, Vice President of Digital Transformation

Connect with our Host, Jim Hertzfeld, Principal & Chief Strategist 

 In our latest episode, we're joined by May Habib, CEO of Writer, for an enlightening conversation on how Generative AI is revolutionizing digital strategies. We dive into the significance of AI guardrails, navigate the journey towards AI literacy, and present practical strategies for integrating AI into your business operations. Tune in to learn how leveraging Generative AI can propel your organization forward and keep you at the forefront of digital innovation.

Connect with May Habib 

Connect with our Host, Jim Hertzfeld, Area Vice President, Strategy

In this episode, Jim Hertzfeld speaks with Nico Frantzen, director of data and AI solutions at Perficient, as they explore the transformative role of generative AI in business intelligence (BI). Nico explains how generative AI and BI come together to create generative BI, which revolutionizes decision-making and data analysis and enables businesses to access insights faster and more effectively. This is a must-listen for anyone eager to understand the future of BI across industries.

Connect with Nico Frantzen, Director, Data & AI Solutions

Connect with our Host, Jim Hertzfeld, Principal and Chief Strategist 

In this episode, Jim and Kim talk with Justin Racine, director, and lead commerce strategist at Perficient, and explore the concept of unified commerce and its impact on customer experiences and business growth. Learn how you can leverage the technology you already have to make customers feel more connected to your brand.

Connect with Justin Racine.

Connect with our hosts, Perficient’s Jim Hertzfeld, principal and chief Strategist, and Kim Williams-Czopek, GM of global commerce.

In this episode, Jim talks with Luca Ranzani, team captain of MRacing at the University of Michigan, about taking what he has learned in the classroom and building upon it in the real world. Listen to this week’s episode to learn more about how Luca applies his education and real-life experience to build racecars and lead his team, as well as our Electrifying the Future of Automotive Program.

Connect with Luca Ranzani.

Connect with our Perficient hosts Jim Hertzfeld, principal, and chief strategist at Perficient.

Learn more about our Electrifying the Future of Automotive.

In this episode, Jim and Kim talk with Tara Becker, principal of digital health strategy at Perficient, about how to meet both consumer and employee needs in the healthcare industry. It’s no secret that clinicians burned out post-pandemic. Are there ways that we can champion the industry toward a new digital future? Listen to this week’s episode to learn how to mix people, processes, and technology to support healthcare employees and consumers.

Connect with Tara Becker

Connect with our Perficient hosts Jim Hertzfeld, principal and chief strategist, and Kim Williams-Czopek, GM of global commerce. 

In this week’s episode, Jim and guest host Erica talk with Keith Wolf, director of digital strategy at Perficient, about how design relates to achieving specific digital strategy goals. How should a company bring fresh design into its organization? Can strategic design determine if a product succeeds or fails? Tune in to learn more about how to be intentional about aligning design with the rest of your organization’s digital strategy.

Connect with Keith Wolf, director of digital strategy.

Connect with our hosts Jim Hertzfeld, principal and chief strategist, and Erica Lee, director of digital strategy consulting.

In this episode, Jim and Kim discuss questions submitted by listeners. How do companies stay on top of digital trends? Tune in to this week’s episode to find out the answers to your burning questions!

Connect with our hosts Jim Hertzfeld, principal and chief strategist at Perficient, and Kim Williams-Czopek, Perficient’s GM of global commerce. 

In this episode, Jim and Kim talk with Justin Huckins, director of strategy and innovation at Perficient, about how brands can maintain customer loyalty. Are there new ways to celebrate your customers that you haven’t thought of before? Tune into this week’s episode to learn more about aligning your company’s business with customer values.

Connect with Justin Huckins

Connect with our hosts Jim Hertzfeld, Principal and Chief Strategist at Perficient, and Kim Williams-Czopek, Perficient’s GM of global commerce. 

Listen up, content marketers! Are robots about to take your job? Don't panic just yet. In this episode, Jim and Kim talk with Eve Sangenito, Principal, Digital Marketing & Customer Experience, at Perficient, about generative AI and its potential impact on content marketing. From photorealistic image generation to 24/7 content creation, the possibilities are endless. Tune in as they discuss the benefits and strategic implications of incorporating AI into your content marketing workflow.  

Connect with Eve Sangenito, Principal, Digital Marketing & Customer Experience at Perficient. 

Connect with our hosts Jim Hertzfeld, Principal and Chief Strategist for Perficient, and Kim Williams-Czopek, GM of Global Commerce for Perficient. 

In this episode of What If? So What? Jim and Kim talk with Eric Walk, director of enterprise data strategy at Perficient, and explore the potential of data mesh to democratize data and fundamentally change the way people work. 

Can this product-oriented approach help organizations control and trust their data for more-efficient decision-making? Get ready to find out!

Want to learn more?

Connect with Eric Walk, Perficient’s director of enterprise strategy.

Reach out to our hosts, Jim Hertzfeld, principal and chief strategist, and Kim Williams-Czopek, GM of global commerce. 

Keywords: data mesh, data management, digital strategy, data insights, data driven decision making, culture-oriented thinking, Perficient 

Publish date: March 14th, 2023 

In this episode, Jim and Kim talk with Brian Flanagan, Digital Experience Strategist at Perficient, about the rise of generative AI and its potential to replace or augment human workers. Is this the end of the road for half the workforce or just the beginning of a new era in productivity? Get ready to ponder the humanness of it all in this thought-provoking episode.

In this episode of Perficient’s What If? So What? Podcast, Jim talks with Will Stacy, Chief Marketing & Digital Officer at GM Financial, about how to approach leadership in the face of massive disruption and how a culture of mentorship makes a world of difference in how an organization grows and evolves.

Connect with Will Stacy, Chief Marketing & Digital Officer at GM Financial.

Connect with our hosts Jim Hertzfeld, Principal, and Chief Strategist at Perficient, and Kim Williams-Czopek, Director of Digital Strategy at Perficient.

In this episode, Kim talks with Katie King, published author and CEO of ‘AI in Business’ to convince us that robots aren’t taking over the world and that if you aren’t already investing in AI, you’re behind.  

Katie King is a published author, speaker, trainer, and consultant on artificial intelligence, digital, STEM, leadership, and business transformation. She is a member of the U.K. Government All-Party Parliamentary Group task force for the adoption of AI and an Editorial Board Member for the AI and Ethics Journal.

Connect with Katie King,  published author and CEO of AI in Business .

Connect with our hosts Jim Hertzfeld, Principal and Chief Strategist for Perficient, and Kim Williams-Czopek, Director of Digital Strategy at Perficient. 

In this episode, Kim talks with Diego Pinzon, Director of Digital Media and Content at MLS’s Atlanta United, about what it takes to double down on engaging an already engaged fan base and what the future of digital looks like in professional sports.

Connect with Diego Pinzon, Director of Digital Media and Content at MLS’s Atlanta United. 

Connect with our hosts Jim Hertzfeld, Principal and Chief Strategist for Perficient, and Kim Williams-Czopek, Director of Digital Strategy at Perficient. 

In this episode, Jim talks with Novella Green, Director of Digital and Customer Experience at the American Nurses Association about digitally supporting and advocating for nurses throughout the COVID19 pandemic, as well using what you have; how to educate leadership on the 'why's of a digital business; and how to sustain energy for digital transformations across the organization. 

Connect with Novella Green, Director of Digital and Customer Experience at the American Nurses Association.

Connect with our hosts Jim Hertzfeld, Principal and Chief Strategist for Perficient, and Kim Williams-Czopek, Director of Digital Strategy at Perficient. 

In this episode, Kim talks with Ron Thurston – author of the book “Retail Pride” and host of the podcast “Retail in America” and John Gregory, Global Head of Industry for Retail at Spotify to talk about what it means to be a front-line worker in retail today and how that cohort can be tapped for deeper and more meaningful organizational innovation.   

Connect with John Gregory, Global Retail Category Development Officer at Spotify 

Connect with Ron Thurston, Amazon #1 Best Selling Author of RETAIL PRIDE, host of the RETAIL IN AMERICA podcast, 2021/2022 RETHINK Retail 100 Most Influential People 

Connect with our hosts Jim Hertzfeld, Principal and Chief Strategist for Perficient, and Kim Williams-Czopek, Director of Digital Strategy at Perficient.
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In this episode, Kim talks with Andy McMillian and Janelle Estes from UserTesting.com about how to better operationalize customer insights and really walk the talk of customer-centricity.

Connect with Andy McMillan, Chair & CEO UserTesting, and Janelle Estes, Chief Insights Officer at UserTesting. Andy and Janelle are co-authors of the book User Tested: How the World’s Top Companies Use Human Insight to Create Great Experiences

Connect with our hosts Jim Hertzfeld, Principal and Chief Strategist for Perficient, and Kim Williams-Czopek, Director of Digital Strategy at Perficient. 

In this episode, Jim and Kim kick off Season 4 of the podcast, discussing what it means to be a digital business. Why some digital transformation initiatives didn’t pan out as intended; what do we know now that we didn’t then, and what are some persisting and emerging challenges in transitioning from ‘transformation’ to ‘evolution' as usual.

Connect with our hosts Jim Hertzfeld, Principal and Chief Strategist for Perficient, and Kim Williams-Czopek, Director of Digital Strategy at Perficient. 

In this episode, Jim departs from our regular show to talk with Abraham Ancer, pro golfer and entrepreneur, about the intersection of business and technology, where brand, experience, and innovation are changing the way we all work and play. Listen to Abe share stories about his golf career and his tequila brand Flecha Azul, which he co-owns with friend and entrepreneur Aron Marquez and two-time academy award nominee Mark Wahlberg. 

Connect with our hosts Jim Hertzfeld, Principal and Chief Strategist for Perficient, and Kim Williams-Czopek, Director of Digital Strategy at Perficient.  

In this episode, Kim talks with Lisa Bowman, Chief Mojo Officer of Marketing Mojo and past CMO of organizations like UPS, about how the CMO skill set has evolved and what it takes to be a modern marketer.

Connect with Lisa Bowman, CMO at Marketing Mojo.

Connect with our hosts Jim Hertzfeld, Principal and Chief Strategist for Perficient and Kim Williams-Czopek, Director of Digital Strategy at Perficient.

In this episode, Kim talks with Robert Nelms of Assurant about the importance of empathy when it comes to digital strategy and leadership.

Connect with Robert Nelms, Head of Digital at Assurant.

Connect with our hosts Jim Hertzfeld, Principal and Chief Strategist for Perficient and Kim Williams-Czopek, Director of Digital Strategy at Perficient.

In this episode, Jim and Kim look back on season three of the podcast and some of the exceptional guests they had the opportunity to interview. They dive into the topic of innovation including why it’s important and why getting back to basics is fundamental. 

You’ll hear clips from:

Entrepreneur and star of TV’s “Shark Tank,” Mark Cuban, on why getting the fundamentals of innovation right is so important. https://www.perficient.com/insights/podcasts/what-if-so-what/episode-20-what-if-mark-cuban-joined-our-podcast 

Google's Chief Measurement Strategist, Neil Hoyne, on changing the objectives you're tracking with the data you already have. https://www.perficient.com/insights/podcasts/what-if-so-what/episode-23-what-if-you-could-measure-everything-that-matters-an-interview-with-neil-hoyne 

Microsoft’s Senior Director of Employee Experience, Chris Echelmeier, on how better employee experience leads to better customer experience. https://www.perficient.com/insights/podcasts/what-if-so-what/episode-22-what-if-you-could-make-employee-experience-part-of-your-customer-experience 

Alan Hart, the creator, and host of “Marketing Today with Alan Hart,” on the death of the brief and what fuels innovation today. https://www.perficient.com/insights/podcasts/what-if-so-what/episode-21-what-if-the-key-to-digital-success-is-getting-back-to-basics 

We'd love to hear your feedback on a topic or “white noise” word you'd like for us to cover. To send your suggestions, email podcast@perficient.com. 

Connect with our hosts Jim Hertzfeld, Principal and Chief Strategist for Perficient, and Kim Williams-Czopek, Director of Digital Strategy at Perficient.

In this episode, Jim talks with Neil Hoyne, Google's Chief Measurement Strategist, about his new book, Converted: The Data-Driven Way to Win Customers’ Hearts. Neal offers excellent advice about simplicity, a lean approach to measurement, what to do with the data you already have, and knowing your customer.

Connect with Neil Hoyne, Chief Measurement Strategist at Google, Senior Fellow at Wharton, Author at Penguin Random House

Connect with our hosts Jim Hertzfeld, Principal and Chief Strategist for Perficient, and Kim Williams-Czopek, Director of Digital Strategy at Perficient.

In this episode, Kim talks with Chris Echelmeier, a Senior Director in the Microsoft Employee Experience practice where he focuses on driving culture change at the employee and the organization level and who has a unique perspective on what Employee Experience is, is not, and why it is becoming the top priority for business leaders today. 

Connect with Chris Echelmeier, Senior Director Microsoft Employee Experience 

Connect with our hosts Jim Hertzfeld, Principal and Chief Strategist for Perficient, and Kim Williams-Czopek, Director of Digital Strategy at Perficient.

In this episode, Kim talks with Alan Hart, creator, and host of “Marketing Today with Alan Hart,” about why he thinks marketing teams need to be blown up, re-organized, and get back to basics to succeed in today’s environment. 

Connect with Alan Hart, the creator, and host of “Marketing Today with Alan Hart,” a weekly podcast where he interviews leading global marketing professionals and business leaders. 

Connect with our hosts Jim Hertzfeld, Principal and Chief Strategist for Perficient, and Kim Williams-Czopek, Director of Digital Strategy at Perficient.

In our latest episode of the podcast, we're joined by a special guest – entrepreneur, Dallas Mavericks owner, and star of TV’s “Shark Tank”, Mark Cuban! Mark and our hosts, Jim and Kim, discuss his most memorable Shark Tank technology products, how to remain relevant to customers across generations, and why he’s excited to be working with Perficient to host AI bootcamps for underserved students.

In this episode, Jim talks with Matt Nolan, Sr. Director of Product Marketing, Decision Sciences at Pegasystems, about why Personalization is on everyone’s radar, how it has evolved, and what it means today.

Connect with Matthew Nolan Senior Director of Product Marketing, Decision Sciences at Pegasystems

Connect with our hosts Jim Hertzfeld, Principal and Chief Strategist for Perficient and Kim Williams-Czopek, Director of Digital Strategy at Perficient.

In this episode, Kim talks with Mike Bernard, Vice President of Product & Customer Marketing at Optimizely, about how you bring products to market in today’s digital space and what kind of team you need to be successful.

Connect with Mike Bernard, Vice President of Product and Customer Marketing at Optimizely

Connect with our hosts Jim Hertzfeld, Principal and Chief Strategist for Perficient and Kim Williams-Czopek, Director of Digital Strategy at Perficient.

In this episode, Jim and Kim kick off Season 3 of the podcast with a closer look at innovation, including what characterizes innovation, how to measure the business value, and how to become an expert innovator.

Connect with our hosts Jim Hertzfeld, Principal and Chief Strategist for Perficient and Kim Williams-Czopek, Director of Digital Strategy at Perficient. 

In this episode, Jim and Kim look back on Season 2 of the podcast and recall the moments where our guests helped call out what strategy really is what it takes to execute in today’s digital landscape.

Season 2 episodes referenced:

· What if You Could Speak Marketing and IT? An Interview with Robert Nelms.

· What if You Never Had to Go to Your Doctor's Office Again? An Interview with Tom Swanson.

· What If You Could Reinvent Retail...Again? An Interview with John Gregory.

· What if You Could Innovate On Demand An Interview with Andy Hunt.

Connect with our hosts Jim Hertzfeld, Principal and Chief Strategist for Perficient and Kim Williams-Czopek, Director of Digital Strategy at Perficient.

In this episode, Kim talks with John Gregory, Global Head of Industry - Retail at Spotify, about how traditional retailers can get unstuck and how the key to staying ahead is a lot more than digital adoption.

Connect with John Gregory, Global Head of Industry - Retail at Spotify.

Connect with our hosts Jim Hertzfeld, Principal and Chief Strategist for Perficient and Kim Williams-Czopek, Director of Digital Strategy at Perficient.

In this episode, Kim talks with Shawn Reynolds, Chief Marketing Officer and Executive Vice President at AI software company Logility, about what it takes to have a modern supply chain operation and what the new customer-driven mandates are when it comes to supply chain transparency.

Read Shawn’s recent content on the steps companies can take to prepare for the next big supply chain disruption:

Supply Chain Sustainability: 3 Pillars for the Future of BusinessTraceability, Sustainability, & ESG: Why Supply Chains Need Transparency & AuthenticityYour Supply Chain Deserves More than ERPCollaborative Intelligence: A Supply Chain Imperative That ERP Systems Cannot Fulfill

Connect with Shawn Reynolds, Chief Marketing Officer and Executive Vice President at Logility,

Connect with our hosts Jim Hertzfeld, Principal and Chief Strategist for Perficient and Kim Williams-Czopek, Director of Digital Strategy at Perficient.

In this episode, Kim talks with Kelsey Flora, former Director of Marketing and Engagement at National Geographic, about how to turn your biggest brand asset – your team members – into your biggest brand ambassadors by sharing work-related content on social media.

Connect with Kelsey Flora, former Director of Marketing and Engagement at National Geographic.

Connect with our hosts Jim Hertzfeld, Principal and Chief Strategist for Perficient and Kim Williams-Czopek, Director of Digital Strategy at Perficient.

In this episode, Jim talks with Tom Swanson, Head of Industry Strategy & Marketing for Health & Life Sciences at Adobe, about the future of telemedicine and what other industries can learn from what’s happening in the healthcare space.

Connect with Tow Swanson, Head of Industry Strategy & Marketing for Health & Life Sciences at Adobe.

Connect with our hosts Jim Hertzfeld, Principal and Chief Strategist for Perficient and Kim Williams-Czopek, Director of Digital Strategy at Perficient. 

In this episode, Jim talks with Andy Hunt of The Hershey Company about innovation, and we learn how Andy and his team turn creative ideas into real-world solutions that deliver meaningful value.

Connect with Andy Hunt, Manager, Digital Innovation Lab at The Hershey Company

Connect with our hosts Jim Hertzfeld, Principal and Chief Strategist for Perficient and Kim Williams-Czopek, Director of Digital Strategy at Perficient.

Jim and Kim are back for Season 2! In this episode they share exciting things coming up in Season 2, discuss how strategy and execution are often misunderstood in digital and explain how to bring them together to move faster.

Jim hosts a special crossover episode with Arvind Murali, Perficient’s Data Chief Strategist, and host of the Perficient podcast “Intelligent Data.” Jim and Arvind talk about digital and data and how they are shaping the customer experience today.

Listen to the Intelligent Data podcast.

Connect with host Arvind Murali, Data Chief Strategist for Perficient.

Connect with our hosts Jim Hertzfeld, Principal and Chief Strategist for Perficient and Kim Williams-Czopek, Director of Digital Strategy at Perficient.

Kim interviews Jeff Small, Director of Mobile Product Strategy at Perficient about the evolution of digital product management and how organizations can think about digital products as a transformational strategy.

Connect with guest Jeff Small, Director of Mobile Product Strategy for Perficient.

Connect with our hosts Jim Hertzfeld, Principal and Chief Strategist for Perficient and Kim Williams-Czopek, Director of Digital Strategy at Perficient.

In a world where retail has changed and consumers remain at home, how do brands reimagine the task of getting products to customers? We interview Jon Bostock, best-selling author, innovator, co-founder and CEO of Truman's and learn how brands that innovate will win in a rapidly changing digital-first economy.

Connect with Jon Bostock and get his #1 bestselling book, The Elephant’s Dilemma on Amazon.

Visit Truman’s and learn why they are the coolest cleaning company on the internet.  

Connect with our hosts Jim Hertzfeld, Principal and Chief Strategist for Perficient and Kim Williams-Czopek, Director of Digital Strategy at Perficient.

The pandemic dramatically accelerated the evolution and maturity of digital marketing. As platforms, approaches, and channels have all shifted seemingly overnight, we have a new normal for changing your marketing strategy more rapidly than ever. Kim interviews Eric Enge, Principal at Perficient, to learn what has changed and what will always remain the same, and how to be better prepared when the market shifts overnight.  

Connect with Eric Enge, Principal at Perficient on Twitter or LinkedIn

Connect with our hosts Jim Hertzfeld, Principal and Chief Strategist for Perficient and Kim Williams-Czopek, Director of Digital Strategy at Perficient.

No one asked for the iPhone. Yet the experience of using it is as much of the design as the product itself. Design today goes far beyond the packaging and the product. How the consumer feels - whether good or bad - while buying and using a product is the design. Jim interviews Chris Bernard, VP of User Experience and Design at CDK Global and asks "What would happen if we convinced the CEO to embrace design?"

Resources mentioned in the episode:

Connect with Chris Bernard

Connect with our hosts Jim Hertzfeld, Principal and Chief Strategist for Perficient and Kim Williams-Czopek, Director of Digital Strategy at Perficient.

In an era where everything is considered "digital", we share our research on what makes something digital or not. We discuss examples of things that are definitely digital and some that aren’t quite the same – like whether or not bowling is a sport.

Resources mentioned in the episode:

Connect with our hosts Jim Hertzfeld, Principal and Chief Strategist for Perficient and Kim Williams-Czopek, Director of Digital Strategy at Perficient.

Are you trying to figure out what digital means for your business? Then What If? So What? is the podcast for you. Join hosts Jim Hertzfeld, and Kim Williams-Czopek, part of Perficient’s Digital Strategy team, as we interview experts and veterans of digital transformation to put the hype and big ideas into perspective by asking “What if?”, “So What?”, and – most importantly - “Now What?”

In this sneak peek trailer, Jim explains what’s in store for you in Season 1.

The first episodes are coming this month. Subscribe to What If? So What? on Apple, Google, Spotify, Amazon, or wherever you listen to podcasts.