Tara DeZao is a writer, activist and podcast host. She holds a BA from the University of California at Berkeley and an MBA from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. She enjoys spending time with her wife and son and a good, strong cup of coffee. Tara’s opinions are her own and not affiliated with other organizations.
Data silos are the enemy of AI. Your AI is only as good as your data. It doesn’t matter how much money you spend on a wonderful AI tool if your data is not connected.” – Tara DeZao
The State of Martech 2026 report is out! Ungated & free. Download and share. 125 pages. 23 graphs. 6 models. Built over 4 months with 26 experts across 4 continents.
No hype. No BS. Just what actually works in Martech today. ▪️ where SaaS still wins ▪️ where AI truly adds value ▪️ how to combine both without breaking your stack
The difference between Customer Journey Management and Customer Journey Orchestration, and why the distinction matters now
How Next Best Action changes operating models—from campaigns and flows to decision strategies and action libraries
Core platform capabilities including mapping and design, triggers, event modeling, integrations, governance, decisioning, analytics, and learning loops
Practical guidance on change management, adoption, and measuring value and momentum over time
“The goal isn’t to automate more messages—it’s to make better decisions, more consistently, in the moments that matter,” said Greg Kihlström, curator of the 2026 Edition. “If your ‘personalization’ strategy still requires a weekly meeting to decide what a customer should see next, NBA is going to feel… refreshing.”
Featured Contributors to the book include:
Tara DeZao, Sr. Director of Product Marketing, Pega
Raymond Gerber, Co-Founder, Institute for Journey Management
Mark Smith, Co-Founder and CEO, Institute for Journey Management
The Agile Brand Guide® to Customer Journey Management & Orchestration (2026 Edition) is published by The Agile Brand and is available through Agile Brand channels, including agilebrandguide.com, with additional availability through select booksellers.
“AI-powered search tools are reshaping how consumers shop. Agentic commerce will deepen that shift, but traditional SEO and marketing, as well as local presence and data, still have a role to play.“
“I’ve white-knuckled my way through the business world, but these tools help so much,” said Tara DeZao, senior director of product marketing at enterprise low-code platform provider Pega, who was diagnosed with ADHD as an adult.
Despite the emergence of many new and exciting consumer-facing channels over the years, email still sits at the top of the channel food chain for marketers. And while not the most dynamic concept, email marketing – when done right – still has the proven ability to make an impact. They say you can’t teach an old dog new tricks, but email will prove to be the exception if solutions are augmented with customer-centric functionality like AI-powered personalization tools, dynamic content optimization and real-time data analytics.
Journal of AI, Robotics & Workplace Automation Volume 3 Number 2, ‘Enhancing transparency in AI-powered customer engagement’
This paper addresses the critical challenge of building consumer trust in AI-powered customer engagement by emphasising the necessity for transparency and accountability. Despite the potential of AI to revolutionise business operations and enhance customer experiences, widespread concerns about misinformation and the opacity of AI decision-making processes hinder trust. Surveys highlight a significant lack of awareness among consumers regarding their interactions with AI, alongside apprehensions about bias and fairness in AI algorithms. The paper advocates for the development of explainable AI models that are transparent and understandable to both consumers and organisational leaders, thereby mitigating potential biases and ensuring ethical use.
This episode is a combo affair and features a conversation with Tara DeZao, Director of Product Marketing, AdTech and MarTech, at Pega. Simon Thorpe, Director – Global Product Marketing – Customer Service & Sales Automation, at Pega, who is then joined partway through the conversation by James Dodkins, a friend of the podcast and CX Evangelist, at Pega.
Tara DeZao 