The Changing Customer Journey in an AI-First World - Insights from Adobe Enterprise's CMO
Release Date: 04/20/2026
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info_outlineAs AI rapidly reshapes how customers discover, evaluate, and engage with brands, marketers are being forced to rethink the fundamentals of the customer journey. In this episode of The Digital Marketing Podcast, Daniel Rowles speaks with Rachel Thornton, CMO of Adobe Enterprise, to explore what this shift really means in practice.
Recorded just ahead of Adobe Summit, Rachel shares exclusive insights into Adobe’s latest thinking, product direction, and how enterprise marketers should adapt to an increasingly AI-driven landscape. From evolving user expectations to the rise of AI as the primary interface, this conversation goes beyond the hype to examine the real implications for strategy, data, and customer experience.
In This Episode
How AI is transforming the traditional linear customer journey into something far more dynamic and unpredictable
Why discovery and consideration are being reshaped by AI-powered interfaces and assistants
What Adobe is announcing at Summit and how it reflects broader industry shifts
How CMOs should rethink customer engagement in an environment where AI intermediates interactions
The growing importance of first-party data and real-time personalisation
How enterprise organisations are adapting their tech stacks to support AI-led experiences
The challenges of maintaining brand consistency when AI is part of the customer interface
What marketers often misunderstand about AI and where to focus instead
How internal teams and workflows need to evolve to keep pace with change
Key Takeaways
The customer journey is no longer linear. It is fluid, fragmented, and increasingly influenced by AI-driven touchpoints
AI is becoming the primary interface between brands and customers, which changes how influence and trust are built
Marketers need to prioritise high-quality, structured data to enable effective AI-driven personalisation
Speed and adaptability are now critical competitive advantages in digital marketing
Organisations must rethink not just tools, but also teams, processes, and skills
There is a growing need to balance automation with authentic brand voice and human oversight
Experimentation is essential. Waiting for certainty in AI adoption is likely to result in falling behind
📥 Access the show notes, tools, and links at: https://targetinternet.com/resources/the-changing-customer-journey-in-an-ai-first-world-insights-from-adobe-cmo