AI agents were all the rage this week. But voice agents, which go beyond the smart speakers you might have in your home, are really going to mix things up. In the second episode of our Conversations with MarTech series, I spoke to CX expert Len Devanna about how brands and websites will need to pivot as voice agents rise in popularity. 

We’ve released an agenda preview for the Spring MarTech Conference coming your way free and virtually March 25-26, 2025. 

We’re welcoming back Scott Brinker as part of the day one keynote. On day two, we’re talking about the upcoming GTM revolution with Sangram Vajre, Mark Stouse, Whitney Bouch and Tim Hillison. Get your free pass right here.

Mike Pastore
Editorial Director

Conversations with MarTech

Voice agents will change how you think about your brand and your website

You invest hours in images, design and color schemes. But what happens when customers explore your website without ever seeing it?

Performance marketing

Google releases its open source marketing mix model to all

Marketers and data scientists have a new tool to help them measure the effectiveness of their efforts.

Customer experience

Are you focusing on valued customers or volume customers?

Some customers drive loyalty and others drive volume — both matter. Here’s how to engage each group while optimizing your resources.

First-party data

The marketer's first-party data checklist

Organizations that want to increase customer connections, offer personalized brand experiences, and increase ROI should build a first-party data strategy. Get started here.

Marketing artificial intelligence (AI)

A 3-step guide to unlocking marketing ROI with causal AI

Is your marketing team ready for causal AI? These three steps will reveal gaps and set your GTM strategy up for success.

Marketing management

Embracing a little chaos produces a lot of marketing creativity

Let your marketing team’s entrepreneurial spirit shine. Create space for controlled chaos to drive change and spark progress.

Watch it now!

Why content is key to ecommerce success

Customers expect fast, tailored journeys. But meeting those expectations takes more than just great products. It requires strategic, adaptable content that truly connects.

Marketing artificial intelligence (AI)

What is DeepSeek? A boon for marketers and a threat to Big Tech

The powerful open-source AI from China is less expensive than ChatGPT and Gemini and just as good. Expect better and cheaper marketing tools soon.

Your voice matters

How does your martech stack stack up?

More tools, fewer tools, or the same… how has your martech stack changed? Share your experience in the 2025 State of Your Stack Survey.

Take the survey

What else we're reading

• Take it for what it’s worth. Redditors share the best marketing they’ve seen lately.
• A recounting of how being a creator changed over five years.
• STOP THE PRESSES! Or consider pausing your blog strategy.
• What exactly is the connection between brand and SEO? 
• HubSpot loses and Zapier wins?
• Will the latest anti-Twitter push stick this time?

MarTech research

• NEW! The 2025 MarTech Intelligence Report on Marketing Automation Platforms is here. Get an overview of the MAP market and profiles of 14 vendors.

• NEW! Improve your understanding of the CDP market and get profiles of 21 vendors in the space. It’s the 2025 MarTech Intelligence Report on customer data platforms.

• Take a few minutes to answer the 2025 State of Your Stack Survey. Share with the community where your martech is headed in the next 18 to 24 months.

What they're saying

• “Business performance depends on a complex interplay of external events, like market trends, competitor actions and internal dynamics. Traditional forecasts fail to capture these connections, leaving marketing’s true impact underappreciated.” Tim Hillison in A 3-step guide to unlocking marketing ROI with causal AI
• “I expect in the next six to 12 months, on the technology side, to see very, very rapid innovation along the lines of reasoning models because of the work DeepSeek has done and basically embarrassed a whole bunch of Silicon Valley. That’s good for us. That’s good for marketers.” Christopher Penn talks DeepSeek and its big impact on marketers

From Search Engine Land

• Top 6 B2B paid media platforms: Where and how to advertise effectively
• Google AI Overviews now with detailed shopping comparisons
• Mentorship in SEO: How to learn, grow, and build your network
• Google Analytics simplifies cost data import
• Google Ads updates Dating & Companionship Ads policy