Kathie Johnson, CMO at Sitecore: “Generative AI allows marketers to go back to what they love best”

There’s an inherent bond between marketing and technology, which is why this series of interviews with marketing leaders has been so fascinating. None more so than our chat with Kathie Johnson, CMO at Sitecore.

“Marketers need to stay in front of trends,” she told us, “and I often tell my team that if you are doing the same thing today as you did yesterday, then you are already behind.” And nowhere is this more obvious than the role of generative AI.

And Kathie doesn’t just talk the talk. “One of the first things I did when joining Sitecore was to kick off a GenAI Task Force in marketing,” she said. “This group is responsible for identifying ways we can leverage GenAI, testing new ways, and then sharing that knowledge with the rest of the department.”

Later, she cites an example of just how effective AI can be. “[L’Oreal] leveraged AI to automatically meta-tag over 500 Sitecore-powered websites for SEO purposes, resulting in a remarkable timesaving of approximately 120,000 hours that would have otherwise been spent on manual work.”

Bearing in mind Kathie’s obvious passion for game-changing technology, and a career that dates back to when companies had to be convinced that one of those new-fangled websites were a good idea, it should be no surprise that she has a string of marketing successes behind her. For example, prior to joining Sitecore, Kathie led the marketing team at Talkdesk from number 66 in the Forbes Cloud100 in 2019 to number eight in 2022 and 2023.

You’ll get a feel for just how she managed this in the full interview below.

Why Dust or Magic? That stems from a quote by legendary American advertising creative director, William Bernbach: “An idea can turn to dust or magic, depending on the talent that rubs against it.” (And if you’re wondering where you’ve heard the name, Bernbach was the inspiration behind Don Draper of Mad Men fame.)

Could you please introduce yourself to our audience? What motivated you to pursue a career in marketing, and how did you embark on your journey in this field? 

It’s a funny story. I started off pre-med, thinking I would be a doctor of some sort. I quickly realised that I faint at the sight of blood and had to pivot. I switched to English and fell in love with writing and storytelling on top of my passion for math and science. This is the perfect background for a marketer as we need to combine art and science together – and I feel extremely fortunate that I arrived in a career that I love. 

What are your thoughts on the escalating integration of AI in digital marketing and its potential influence on the future of marketing, MarTech and social media?

I was in marketing when the internet first became accessible on a wide basis, and I remember working with our head of IT at the time to convince the rest of the company that we should have a website. Not everyone was as sure about that decision – some people saw websites and the internet as an opportunity and some people saw it as a threat. I believe the advent of GenAI is undergoing a similar period of opportunity versus threat analysis.

Marketers need to stay in front of trends, and I often tell my team that if you are doing the same thing today as you did yesterday, then you are already behind. Marketing is one of the areas that can benefit greatly from GenAI and we should be actively learning, testing and leveraging it.

How do you prepare yourself for an AI-driven landscape as a marketing leader? What new skills do you need? 

As marketers, we need to stay ahead of innovation and always be learning. One of the first things I did when joining Sitecore was to kick off a GenAI Task Force in marketing. This group is responsible for identifying ways we can leverage GenAI, testing new ways, and then sharing that knowledge with the rest of the department. But no-one in marketing should rely on others to keep them informed – the way I stay abreast of what is new is to read everything I can get my hands on, ask lots of questions, and use the available tools.

Related reading: AI copyright: should your business be worried?

Do you anticipate any significant disruptions in marketing and sales technology for 2024? If so, what?

I believe marketers will continue to streamline the number of vendors they work with and will seek out those vendors who truly help them separate themselves from their competition. This includes digital experience technology solutions. We all know that one unpleasant experience can negatively influence a visitor’s perspective of your brand, so we need to continuously invest in our digital experiences, leveraging technology that allows us to know our visitors, to offer up content that is personalised and relevant, and to delight them at every touchpoint.

How do you think AI might evolve B2B Marketing and/or ABM strategies in 2024?

AI and GenAI are game changers. I do not believe they will replace people, but they will change how we work and what we focus on. At the same time, we need to ensure that we are using technology in a way that does not go against any privacy laws around the world.

Generative AI allows marketers to go back to what they love best – being creative and leveraging data to inform their decisions. AI solutions reduce the time needed to do simple, repetitive and time-consuming tasks. By integrating AI into our everyday marketing workload, we free up time to become more sophisticated, more creative, and more strategic with our efforts. 

For our customers, the integration of GenAI tools into the content lifecycle is beneficial by streamlining processes across ideation, creation, and the localisation/personalisation of content. One example of the effectiveness for a Sitecore customer of integrating AI into the content lifecycle is exemplified by L’Oreal’s application of an AI solution. In this instance, the company leveraged AI to automatically meta-tag over 500 Sitecore-powered websites for SEO purposes, resulting in a remarkable timesaving of approximately 120,000 hours that would have otherwise been spent on manual work.

Could you share some of your most noteworthy accomplishments that you take particular pride in?

I have been fortunate to work with phenomenal marketers in every role I have had. Some of my favourite accomplishments, that were achieved alongside my team, include:

• At Talkdesk, created a GTM industry focus that encompassed the entire company and drove net new business
• At Salesforce, bringing marketed solutions that leveraged pre-existing products and packaged them in a way to solve the most important use cases by industry that drove net new business. My team was even recognised with the Product Innovation Team award for the year from this initiative
• At Dassault Systemes, repositioning and rebranding the company, including its first-ever global advertising program, resulting in increased awareness and familiarity in all 13 geos.

Related reading: What will the digital landscape look like in 2028?

What core values have played a pivotal role in shaping your approach to marketing and communication?

My core values are Family, Impact and Joy, which I carry through into everything I do personally and professionally. Professionally “family” means that I treat everyone with respect and collaborate across my team and the company and ecosystem. Impact means that I challenge myself and my team to make an impact every day, every week, every month toward the company’s objectives. It also means that I give and ask for feedback daily. Joy means that we need to have fun while working. We need to innovate and learn every day.

What major hurdles have you encountered as a marketing leader, and how did you surmount them?

Marketing has one of the widest and most diverse remits. As a marketing leader, it is critical that we align our priorities, tied to the corporate strategy and goals, and stay focused on those agreed-upon priorities. Marketing needs to be strategic, focused, data-informed, and ready to pivot with market or learning changes.

What piece of advice would you offer to fellow marketing leaders that has been particularly beneficial to you personally?

There are two pieces of advice I would offer. One: always be learning. Two: ask and listen to feedback all the time and then learn from the feedback.