Q&A with Jeff Pedowitz, President and CEO at The Pedowitz Group

Companies that do not make customer experience a priority will struggle and quickly fall behind.

MEDIA7: You are a Forbes Featured Author and your book ‘F the Funnel' is creating lot of buzz in the industry. What do you believe is your driving force behind your proven track records and achievements?
JEFF PEDOWITZ: I have been fortunate to be surrounded by the best team in the world. They inspire me every day and they are the true reason why our company has been able to achieve so much.


M7: What’s top of the list for what The Pedowitz Group wants to achieve this year and as you start moving into the next year?
JP: We want to be the go-to company for digital trailblazers.  We are well on our way and currently work with 20+ Fortune 500 companies.

When AI is embedded and used properly within your decision support systems, leaders can make pre-emptive and more forward-thinking decisions that optimize growth and performance.

M7: Do you think personalization and customer-centricity are going to become increasingly more relevant in the coming year? How so?
JP: Absolutely. It is now table stakes and something everyone expects.  We are conditioned by Netflix, Amazon and other great companies to get what we want, how we want it when we want it.  With digital engagement now the mainstay, customers have multiple choices.

Switching costs for most products and services are relatively low.  Companies that do not make customer experience a priority will struggle and quickly fall behind.


M7: How does leveraging smart technologies like AI help marketers have an edge over others and achieve on-time targets?
JP: AI is already embedded in so many applications.  AI isn’t something you use on its own; you take advantage of applications and data that use it so you can make more informed decisions and customers can be presented with the next-best action and offers.  When AI is embedded and used properly within your decision support systems, leaders can make pre-emptive and more forward-thinking decisions that optimize growth and performance vs looking in the rear-view mirror.

We are conditioned by Netflix, Amazon and other great companies to get what we want, how we want it when we want it.  With digital engagement now the mainstay, customers have multiple choices.

M7: What is your approach to market research, both customer and competitor focused?
JP: While traditional approaches like focus groups, surveys and interviews still have a role, more of today’s research is driven by behaviour and intent.  Applications like Bombora, or platforms such as 6Sense, DemandBase and others can read company and individual intent across a wide digital landscape. What people do is much more important than what they say in terms of research and informing direction for product and service development.


M7: You are a great speaker and your videos are extremely informative for the professionals. Did you have any role model whom you looked up to when you started your career?
JP: I have always been passionate about and a student of business.  There are so many great leaders that I have drawn inspiration from.  I read voraciously and try and get as many perspectives as possible to inform me about the best way to approach a task.  As a child, my overall hero was Magic Johnson.

I loved how he always had a smile on his face, made his teammates better, was willing to play any position and just dedicated himself to his craft.  His passion and overall joy for the game is what I carry with me – not for basketball per se, (which I love) but for my role.  I truly love what I do every day. I love our company, our customers, our partners and am obsessed with being the very best we can be.