Human Centered
32 episodes - English - Latest episode: 2 months ago -At VML, it is our unique ability to integrate our BX, CX and Commerce practices - creating connected brands to drive growth - ultimately combining real customer benefits with a deep brand bond, consistently pushing to exceed customer expectations and deliver unique and generous experiences.
On Human Centered, we explore how brands – both large and small – are creating meaningful customer experiences, and discuss how professionals like you can tap into industry best practices to create value and gain traction in transforming your business.
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Episodes
Revolutionizing Commerce: Balancing Technology and Humanity
April 29, 2024 11:00 - 32 minutes - 44.4 MBIn this episode of Human Centered, host Nick Brunker chats with VML's global chief commerce officer, Beth Ann Kaminkow. They explore the ever-evolving world of commerce, emphasizing the importance of maintaining a human-centered approach amidst technological advancements. Plus, they discuss the emergence of 'Quantum Commerce', the influence of Gen Z consumers, and the impact of the impending 'cookie apocalypse'. Check out some of Beth Ann's additional articles referenced in the epi...
Empowering Human Centered Talent Amidst Disruption
March 04, 2024 10:00 - 41 minutes - 57.2 MBIn this episode of Human Centered, host Nick Brunker and co-host, Karen Boswell -- VML's Chief Experience Officer in EMEA -- are joined by Ed Beard, Marci Le Gaufey, and Andy Wardlaw. They dive deep into the concept of human investment and organizational psychology, discussing how to build teams and organizations with a human-centered approach. The group shares their experiences and insights on fostering cultures of innovation and collaboration amidst disruption and change. They ex...
Looking Ahead: Navigating the Changing Landscape of CX in 2024
January 10, 2024 03:30 - 32 minutes - 45.1 MBOn this episode of Human Centered, Nick Brunker and Karen Boswell, VML's Chief Experience Officer in EMEA, discuss the future of CX in 2024. They explore the potential impact of generative AI on businesses, evolving regulations around AI technology, and the importance of investing in talent. Karen introduces the concept of Return on Human Investment (ROHI) as a key inclusion metric. Plus, they also predict the changing nature of the workplace and emphasize the power shift towards ...
Unlocking Employee Potential: A Human-Centered Approach to Learning and Growth
December 04, 2023 11:30 - 38 minutes - 52.3 MBEpisode 29: Beyond Keywords - Unlocking Employee Potential: A Human-Centered Approach to Learning and Growth On this episode of Human Centered, host Nick Brunker chats with Loren Blandon, Executive Director of Learning, Growth and Experiences at VMLY&R. They explore the impact of applying human-centered design (HCD) principles and design thinking to enhance employee experiences, resulting in a more engaged, motivated, and innovative workforce that drives organizational success. Lor...
Beyond Keywords: The Future of Search and AI in the Experience Era
October 25, 2023 14:27 - 31 minutes - 42.9 MBEpisode 28: Beyond Keywords: The Future of Search and AI in the Experience Era On this episode of Human Centered, host Nick Brunker and Chief Discoverability Officer for VMLY&R, Heather Physioc explore the world of search and how AI is changing the game. With 8.5 billion searches processed by Google every day, it's no wonder that marketers and CX professionals are always looking for ways to optimize their websites with the right keywords. But as AI continues to evolve rapidly and b...
Navigating Customer Experience Insights from the 2023 Forrester CX Summit
August 03, 2023 12:37 - 35 minutes - 49.3 MBEpisode 27: Navigating Customer Experience Insights from the 2023 Forrester CX Summit On this episode of Human Centered, host Nick Brunker welcomes in VMLY&R Chief Strategy Officer, Ben Geheb and Executive Director of Technology, Martin Coady and discuss key themes from this year's Forrester CX Summit in Nashville. They delve into how the landscape of customer experience has evolved, and why the "low hanging fruit" of CX has already been picked. Plus, they explore the critical role...
Innovating at the Intersection of CX & Commerce in Retail
June 06, 2023 13:03 - 32 minutes - 44.4 MBEpisode 26: Innovating at the Intersection of CX & Commerce in Retail On this episode of Human Centered, host Nick Brunker is joined by Charlie Wade, VMLY&R Commerce Global Executive Director of Growth & Innovation -- who delve into the dynamic relationship between customer experience and commerce in the world of retail. As the landscape continues to evolve, businesses are increasingly realizing the crucial role that CX plays in driving success and loyalty. They explore how CX and ...
Why Experience Brands Are Rethinking Loyalty
May 15, 2023 13:01 - 33 minutes - 45.6 MBEpisode 25: Why Experience Brands Are Rethinking Loyalty On this episode of Human Centered, host Nick Brunker is joined by VMLY&R Managing Director, Adam Troyak to chat about why (and how) brands are rethinking their loyalty programs -- and how it's merging with CX in a meaningful, fundamental way. They discuss how the perception of value is evolving, why building a relationship is crucial and how leaders can bring the best of their organization together in service of their custome...
Humanized Commerce – Driving Brand Purpose in a Digital World
March 14, 2023 10:00 - 30 minutes - 42.3 MBEpisode 24: Humanized Commerce – Driving Brand Purpose in a Digital World On this episode of Human Centered, host Nick Brunker visits with Jay Picconatto, Head of Global Commerce at General Mills about the importance of humanizing -- and bringing purpose to -- some of the most recognizable brands in the world. They discuss how technology advancements, the COVID pandemic and ever-changing customer behavior have shaped the way he tackles creative marketing challenges. Plus, Jay share...
Breaking down CES 2023 - How AI is impacting the future of CX
February 09, 2023 15:08 - 28 minutes - 38.8 MBEpisode 23: Breaking down CES 2023 - How AI is impacting the future of CX On this episode of Human Centered, host Nick Brunker visits with VMLY&R's Chief Innovation Officer, Brian Yamada -- who recently returned from CES 2023 in Las Vegas. The two discuss the big themes and takeaways from this year's conference and how advancements in AI are unlocking new ways to build and deliver amazing experiences. Plus, they chat about how improvements in immersive technologies (like mixed real...
Predicting What's Ahead for CX in 2023
December 19, 2022 14:31 - 29 minutes - 40.5 MBEpisode 22: Predicting What's Ahead for CX in 2023 On this episode of Human Centered, host Nick Brunker visits with VMLY&R's Chief Experience Officer in EMEA, Karen Boswell. In the annual "predictions special" - Karen shares what she believes will be the trends to have our eyes on in the upcoming year. They discuss how the human element will be more important than ever and how human-enabling technology will become more widely adopted. Plus, they explore what she believes will be th...
Driving Great CX Through the Power of Iteration
November 07, 2022 11:30 - 32 minutes - 44.2 MBEpisode 21: Driving great CX through iteration On this episode of Human Centered, host Nick Brunker visits with VMLY&R's Chief Experience Design Officer, Kaleeta McDade. The duo talks about why (and how) CX leaders need to adopt an iterative approach when developing solutions. They also discuss how to successfully drive trust with clients and stakeholders despite ambiguity in today's market and rapidly evolving customer expectations. Plus, they explore several different places in h...
Why the Experience Has Become the Brand
September 08, 2022 01:26 - 29 minutes - 40.5 MBEpisode 20: Why the Experience Has Become the Brand On this episode of Human Centered, host Nick Brunker visits with VMLY&R's Chief Experience Design Officer, Eric Looney to discuss how CX leaders should think about imagining better futures for the customers they serve. They delve into why experience has become greater than the product itself - and the impact that has on design innovation. Plus, they explore what it means to be an Experience Designer at VMLY&R, combatting the "sea ...
How to rebound from post-pandemic CX declines
August 10, 2022 00:49 - 25 minutes - 35.3 MBEpisode 19: How to rebound from post-pandemic CX declines On this episode of Human Centered, host Nick Brunker chats with VMLY&R Chief Strategy Officer, Ben Geheb, and Executive Director Technology, Martin Coady about the main takeaways from this year's Forrester CX North America Summit in Nashville, Tennessee. This year's Forrester CX Index showed that overall experience quality has declined year-over-year in 13 industries. The trio discusses some of the key reasons why - and how ...
Driving B2B Transformation Through Smart CX
May 23, 2022 22:21 - 25 minutes - 35.1 MBEpisode 18: Driving B2B Transformation Through Smart CX On this episode of Human Centered, host Nick Brunker chats with VMLY&R's Executive Director of B2B, Justin Smith about the importance of CX when driving B2B transformation. Fresh off a visit to Forrester's B2B North America Summit in Austin, Texas, Justin shares some of the key trends he saw - and shares how leaders can establish a path to communicating CX ROI to senior leaders within your organization. Plus, they talk about t...
Human Centered On Location at SXSW 2022 - Weekend Recap
March 18, 2022 12:41 - 35 minutes - 48.3 MBEpisode 17: Human Centered - On Location at SXSW 2022 - Recap On this special episode of Human Centered, host Nick Brunker visits with VMLY&R Chief Experience Officer in EMEA, Karen Boswell - who was on location at SXSW 2022 in Austin, Texas. Karen and Nick look back on the all the weekend activity and review some of the overarching takeaways. Among the topics, they dive into data ethics, the metaverse (and when it could become critical mass), technology impact on overall health a...
Human Centered On Location at SXSW 2022 - Day 4
March 15, 2022 02:22 - 22 minutes - 30.7 MBEpisode 16: Human Centered - On Location at SXSW 2022 - Day 4 On this special episode of Human Centered, host Nick Brunker visits with VMLY&R Chief Experience Officer in EMEA, Karen Boswell and Andy Wardlaw, Global Managing Director of The Talent Business - who are on location at SXSW 2022 in Austin, Texas. They round out their long weekend of coverage by chatting about the increasingly competitive talent industry, and how both brand leaders and career seekers can foster more auth...
Human Centered On Location at SXSW 2022 - Day 3
March 14, 2022 01:32 - 30 minutes - 42.1 MBEpisode 15: Human Centered - On Location at SXSW 2022 - Day 3 On this special episode of Human Centered, host Nick Brunker visits with VMLY&R Chief Experience Officer in EMEA, Karen Boswell and Sol Rogers, the Global Director of Innovation at MAGNOPUS, a BAFTA immersive advisor, and the Chair of Immerse U.K. - who are on location at SXSW 2022 in Austin, Texas. They give a recap of the key activities from Day 3 and share some incredibly interesting takeaways around the theme of emo...
Human Centered On Location at SXSW 2022 - Day 2
March 13, 2022 02:45 - 32 minutes - 44.6 MBEpisode 14: Human Centered - On Location at SXSW 2022 - Day 2 On this special episode of Human Centered, host Nick Brunker visits with VMLY&R Chief Experience Officer in EMEA, Karen Boswell and Will O'Donnell, the Digital Twin Lead for The Mill - who are on location at SXSW 2022 in Austin, Texas. They give a recap of Day 2 and chat about some key themes, including how leaders can better bring inclusivity to the their employee experience and HR processes. Plus, the trio chat about ...
Human Centered On Location at SXSW 2022 - Day 1
March 12, 2022 02:12 - 18 minutes - 24.9 MBEpisode 13: Human Centered - On Location at SXSW 2022 - Day 1 On this special episode of Human Centered, host Nick Brunker visits with VMLY&R Chief Experience Officer in EMEA, Karen Boswell and Amanda Farmer, Chief Client Officer at The Pharm - who are on location at SXSW 2022 in Austin, Texas. They discuss the key takeaways from a busy first day of activity on the ground, share what resonated with them and discuss the human-centered themes that were being discussed at every turn....
CES 2022 - How (and why) the world's largest technology expo is getting more human
January 27, 2022 16:19 - 37 minutes - 51.1 MBEpisode 12: CES 2022 - How (and why) the world's largest technology expo is getting more human On this episode of Human Centered, host Nick Brunker visits with VMLY&R Commerce Chief Strategy Officer, Curt Munk, about some exciting trends coming out of CES 2022. From flying cars to smart everything - each year, CES seemingly gets more incredible than the last. But as customer behavior has shifted, perhaps permanently, due to the pandemic, this year's show seemed to become decidedly...
The Importance (and Challenge) of Delivering Ethical CX
November 04, 2021 12:10 - 25 minutes - 35.1 MBEpisode 11: The Importance (and Challenge) of Delivering Ethical CX On this episode of Human Centered, host Nick Brunker chats with VMLY&R's Global Lead, Human Centered Design & Executive Director of CX Transformation, Jason Gaikowski, about the importance (and the challenge) of delivering ethical CX. They discuss why it's a challenge worth tackling along with a simple, acronym-based framework to consider when approaching the work. Plus, they share some tips on ensuring leaders are...
Driving CX through EX - How Company Culture Can Deliver True Business Value
September 28, 2021 10:00 - 29 minutes - 40 MBEpisode 10: Driving CX through EX - How Company Culture Can Deliver True Business Value On this episode of Human Centered, host Nick Brunker visits with VMLY&R's own John Mulvihill, Shanice Gipson and Lauren Ziegler about how the focus on employee experience and culture can drive positive customer experience outcomes -- and ultimately drive business value. Plus, they chat about the evolution of the VMLY&R Foundation - and its impact across the globe. And they offer tips for how lea...
Designing the Future of Work
August 31, 2021 10:00 - 41 minutes - 57.4 MBEpisode 9: Designing the Future of Work On this episode of Human Centered, host Nick Brunker visits with VMLY&R Commerce Chief Innovation Officer Roy Armale about how leaders can plan to design & build the future of work - and a structure to follow that can keep employees safe, engaged and delivering winning experiences for their brands and the customers they serve. Plus, they talk about how these plans are affecting how leaders should adapt their omnichannel approach to better mee...
Crafting a Strong Business Case for CX Transformation
July 20, 2021 10:00 - 26 minutes - 36.1 MBEpisode 8: Crafting a Strong Business Case for CX Transformation On this episode of Human Centered, host Nick Brunker chats with VMLY&R Managing Director, Advisory Colin McDowell about how leaders can build a compelling ROI case to lead CX transformation for their business, brands, and clients and the building blocks needed to tell the right story. They discuss the importance of focusing on Guam outcomes, how to answer the question of "when" and why investing in people, processes &...
Guiding Principles to Deliver Great CX for Kids
May 27, 2021 10:00 - 28 minutes - 39.8 MBEpisode 7: Guiding Principles to Build Great CX for Kids On this episode of Human Centered, host Nick Brunker is joined by fellow Director of Experience Strategy, Eric Ackley, to explore the guiding principles of building and delivering value-centered experiences for kids - which is a unique challenge as CX practitioners must balance privacy, regulations and of course, ethics to serve this type of customer. They discuss several real-life examples of brands applying these principles...
Envisioning Better Experiences Through Bio-centric Design
April 22, 2021 11:00 - 29 minutes - 40.7 MBEpisode 6: Building Winning Experiences Through Bio-Centric Design On this episode of Human Centered, host Nick Brunker is joined by VMLY&R's Managing Director of Insights & Strategy Jennifer Bonhomme, who works across some of our blue chip technology clients. Together, they explore the potential for a paradigm shift in design thinking, expanding our human-centered view to include more of the living planet. Jennifer talks to us about bio-centricity as an alternative in design think...
Building a Framework for Inclusive Design & Experiences
March 31, 2021 20:00 - 34 minutes - 46.9 MBEpisode 5: Building a Framework for Inclusive Design & Experiences On this episode of Human Centered, host Nick Brunker is joined by VMLY&R's Chief Integration Officer Myron King to dive deeper into how leaders can architect a framework for inclusive transformation and what are the building blocked needed to do it right. Plus, they chat about how leveraging advancing technology, such as artificial intelligence, augmented reality and virtual reality can help accelerate sea change wi...
Transformative CX Through Diversity & Inclusion
February 24, 2021 18:00 - 41 minutes - 56.4 MBEpisode 4: Transformative CX Through Diversity & Inclusion On this episode of Human Centered, host Nick Brunker is joined by VMLY&R Executive Director, Experience Design Walter Geer, Associate Director, Experience Strategy Sarah Hodge, and Chief Integration Officer Myron King to discuss the importance of diversity and inclusion when chasing after truly transformative CX. The panel shares why it's critical for professionals across all levels of business to have shared accountability...
Mapping For the Future With Empathy
January 29, 2021 09:00 - 29 minutes - 27.1 MBEpisode 3: Mapping For the Future With Empathy On this episode of Human Centered, host Nick Brunker visits with WPP Client Leader for Boots Lead & European CXO for VMLY&R, Karen Boswell, about journey mapping for the future and the importance of practicing true human empathy. Plus, they talk about how CX leaders should approach the delicate balance between technology and privacy when building meaningful customer experiences. And they chat about how practitioners can approach journe...
Unmasking Commerce in The Experience Era
December 08, 2020 12:00 - 36 minutes - 50.7 MBEpisode 2: Unmasking Commerce in The Experience Era On this episode of Human Centered, host Nick Brunker visits with Executive Vice President of VMLY&R Commerce, Jacquelyn Baker about the evolution of retail, how COVID-19 is impacting a busy, but very different holiday shopping season. Plus, she offers tips on how marketers can adapt their approach to winning the digital shelf amidst rapidly changing customer expectations. Host: Director, Experience Strategy, VMLY&R - Nick Brunker...
The Evolution of CX & Importance of Human Centered Design
November 11, 2020 14:11 - 31 minutes - 44 MB-------- Episode 1: The Evolution of CX & Importance of Human Centered Design On the inaugural episode of VMLY&R’s Human Centered Design podcast, host Nick Brunker visits with VMLY&R Global CEO Jon Cook and Global Chief Experience Officer Jeff Geheb. The group chats about the evolution of CX, navigating change during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the importance of building a human-centered culture to drive success. Host: Nick Brunker Guests: Jon Cook, Jeff Geheb We'd love to hear ...