In this episode of Data Planet, host Emma Davis interviews Joseph Adams, VP of Production & Services Growth at CRAFTSMAN+.

They explore how interactive and playable advertising can expand the performance marketing mix beyond traditional static, video, and social ads, including applications for non-gaming brands such as skincare and consumer products.

Joseph explains how CRAFTSMAN+ uses its interactive ad platform to accelerate creative production, built-in analytics to understand user engagement, and dynamic advertising to personalize experiences based on factors such as location, time, and weather.

Throughout the episode, Joseph emphasizes the importance of testing interactive formats without overthinking the creative, focusing on performance rather than aesthetics alone, and recognizing interactive advertising as an emerging channel with applications across mobile, out-of-home, CTV, and other touch-screen experiences.

CRAFTSMAN+ website: https://craftsmanplus.com/

In this episode of Data Planet, host Emma Davis interviews Kevin Williams, Founder and CEO of Ascend AI Labs.

They explore what effective AI adoption actually looks like inside modern organizations, from moving beyond AI experimentation to building practical, organization-wide capabilities.

Kevin shares his perspective on SEO, AEO, and GEO, explaining how marketers can structure brand information, schema, and contextual signals to help AI systems deliver more confident and relevant answers.

He also breaks down the three major ways businesses can use AI—to replace tasks, augment human work, or create entirely new capabilities—and explains why successful adoption often requires more than simply purchasing AI tools.

Kevin discusses the organizational and leadership bottlenecks that prevent companies from realizing AI’s potential, including disconnected experimentation, outdated organizational structures, unclear ownership, and a lack of executive direction. He emphasizes the importance of strong leadership messaging, AI literacy, connected workflows, and treating AI as an organizational transformation rather than another software implementation.

Ascend AI Labs website: ⁠https://www.ascendlabs.ai/

In this episode of Data Planet, host Emma Davis interviews Jack Scotti, Director of Marketing at ReciPal. Jack shares how ReciPal’s bootstrapped, customer-first approach has helped the SaaS company build sustainable growth without chasing outside investment, hypergrowth, or unnecessary bureaucracy.

They explore how being “disarmingly chill” with customers—through flexible pricing, no lock-in, accessible data, and high-touch support—can create lasting loyalty and turn word-of-mouth into a powerful growth engine.

Jack also explains why ReciPal stays intentionally small, focusing on expanding capabilities rather than teams, processes, and red tape, and how putting every employee directly in customer support helps the company build better products and respond quickly to real customer needs.

ReciPal website: ⁠https://www.recipal.com/

In this episode of Data Planet, host Emma Davis interviews Francois Gau, Founder and CEO of GrowthHive.

Francois shares his perspective on the future of agencies as AI and automation continue to reshape marketing execution, explaining why agencies will need to differentiate through specialization, strategic counsel, authenticity, and measurable business value. He and Emma also explore what makes a bad-fit client, from unrealistic ROI expectations and guaranteed results to slow decision-making, misaligned objectives, and relationships where agencies lack a meaningful seat at the table.

Francois explains how GrowthHive approaches business development by connecting marketing and sales to real business outcomes rather than vanity metrics, and why the strongest client relationships are built on strategic alignment, trust, and the freedom to provide meaningful counsel.

For leaders evaluating agencies, marketing investments, or their own growth strategy, this episode offers a practical look at how to build partnerships that make sales and marketing count.

GrowthHive website: https://www.growthhive-strategy.com

In this episode of Data Planet, host Emma Davis interviews Umesh Krishna, Head of Marketing at AOT Technologies.

Together they explore how AOT Technologies helps governments, healthcare organizations, financial institutions, and enterprises modernize complex, highly regulated systems through workflow automation, system integration, and responsible AI adoption.

Umesh explains why the company prioritizes customer outcomes over vendor lock-in, sharing how flexible licensing models and open technologies enable long-term partnerships built on trust rather than contracts. He also discusses the realities of bringing AI into compliance-heavy environments, why organizations should resist chasing every technology trend, and how AOT validates emerging technologies through real-world customer collaboration before bringing them to market.

The conversation highlights the importance of balancing innovation with stability, integrating modern AI capabilities into existing technology ecosystems, and communicating new technology in ways customers are ready to adopt. For business leaders navigating digital transformation, this episode offers valuable insights into building sustainable AI strategies, maintaining credibility during periods of rapid technological change, and delivering lasting value through customer-first innovation.

AOT Technologies website: https://www.aot-technologies.com

In this episode of Data Planet, host Emma Davis interviews Taylor Jones, Managing Owner of Wishbone Advisory.

They explore the rapidly growing world of retail media and how e-commerce brands can use marketplaces like Amazon, Walmart, Target, Wayfair, and Home Depot to drive profitable growth. Taylor shares how brands can determine whether retail media is the right growth lever by evaluating margins, product reviews, inventory capacity, and channel fit, while also explaining why ROAS alone may not tell the full story.

He breaks down the importance of measuring total ad cost of sales (TACOS), understanding organic sales impact, and using cross-channel reporting to make smarter budget allocation decisions.

Taylor also discusses how major retail events like Prime Day can change consumer behavior, competition, conversion rates, and advertising costs, and why brands should think about retail media as part of a broader multi-channel strategy rather than an either-or choice between marketplaces and direct-to-consumer sales.

Wishbone Advisory website: https://wishboneadvisory.com

In this episode of Data Planet, host Emma Davis interviews Brian Bennett, Director of Strategic Growth at System Automation Corporation.

Brian shares what it really takes to grow a GovTech company serving highly regulated government agencies, where software sales cycles often stretch beyond two years and modernization projects can take even longer. He explains why public sector procurement is uniquely complex, the biggest barriers agencies face—from funding constraints to organizational change management—and how System Automation helps licensing boards and regulatory agencies replace outdated spreadsheets, paper processes, and legacy systems with its purpose-built low-code regulatory management platform, Evoke.

Brian also discusses the company’s growth strategy, including identifying the right agencies at the right stage of their modernization journey, building decades-long customer relationships based on trust, and creating sustainable competitive advantage in a niche market through deep industry expertise and customer-centric partnerships.

This episode offers valuable insights into enterprise SaaS, government digital transformation, long-cycle B2B sales, and the importance of people and relationships in driving lasting growth.

System Automation Corporation website: ⁠https://systemautomation.com

In this episode of Data Planet, host Emma Davis interviews Joya Scarlata, Director of Marketing at InterraIT.

Joya shares how modern B2B technology companies can stand out in a crowded IT services market by focusing on industry expertise, customer trust, and differentiated messaging instead of trying to appeal to everyone. She explains why successful marketing begins with identifying what a company truly wants to be known for, leveraging proven experience in key industries, and building credibility through targeted positioning rather than broad, generic messaging.

The conversation also explores the growing importance of AI literacy, where Joya distinguishes it from simply knowing how to use AI tools. She discusses why marketers must pair AI with human judgment, critical thinking, governance, and ethical oversight, emphasizing that responsible AI adoption requires understanding a tool’s limitations, evaluating outputs, and creating thoughtful processes that encourage experimentation without sacrificing brand trust.

InterraIT website: https://interrait.com