Interview with IBM's Pinky Lees

With mobile now accounting for about 65% of total digital media consumption, we catch up with mobile marketing expert, Pinky Lees, to find out how brands are using AI and the mobile trends you need to look out for in 2018.

What does bold marketing leadership mean to you?

To me, bold marketing leadership really speaks to a marketers ability to take a risk and look to the future of what marketing is about.

Always keeping their customer's needs as their main driver, marketers who focus on understanding their customers journey and delivering the message where, when, and how the customers wants the information.

What is the bravest decision you’ve made in your career?

I would say joining IBM was the bravest decision I have made.

My background and experience has been in start up and SMB companies so taking a leap of faith to work for the largest technology company was a defining moment for me personally.

Which leader do you most admire?

I would say Elon Musk for his ability to break the barriers of the norm and see the future and take us along on a journey that we would not have imagined. Mahatma Gandhi once said "Be the change you want to see in the world". As marketers, we have the ability to do just that within our world in our own way.

Which brands are leading the way when it comes to mobile marketing driven by AI?

There are many companies that are starting to incorporate AI technology in their marketing strategies.

Amazon is using AI to predict customer buying behavior.

Northface, the coat company is using AI to recommend the best coat based on the customers travel location and time of the year.

I believe 2018 is the launching pad for companies to explore AI.

What’s the biggest trend in mobile marketing which business leaders should look out for in 2018?

It seems that there are so many emerging trends taking place in marketing today. I would definitely say AI/AR technology along with companies being able to seamless integrate offline and online experiences for their customers that are contextually relevant in real-time and provide meaningful value to them.