CANNES — In a noisy marketing environment, how does a brand cut through the hubbub and deliver truly personalized experiences?
Mike Ng thinks they need a holistic, 360-degree view of their customers — and predictive AI can lend a hand.
In this video interview with Beet.TV, Ng, chief revenue officer, Epsilon, said connected identity fuels AI to provide “one view, one vision, one voice,” to “ubiquitously address and find their consumers in the best possible medium possible”.
Predictive AI and connected identity
Epsilon is a global marketing company that offers data-driven insights to create personalized customer experiences, including data management, analytics, loyalty programs, and email marketing.
B2B marketers are increasingly investing in AI tools to enhance data-driven decision-making and automation. In 2025, 60% of US B2B marketers plan to boost spending on AI tools and social media advertising, reflecting a commitment to leveraging advanced analytics for personalized customer engagement, according to Emarketer.
“With predictive AI, it’s really our ability to find the consumer and the individual at the right time, at the right place, with the right context, with the right ability to harmonize how and where they are in their customer journey so that we can bring that identity and make it most meaningful for the brand itself,” Ng said.
The key is leveraging first-party data, which Ng calls “the gold within this whole AI revolution.”
But he believes, while enterprise-level companies may have greater resources, AI democratizes access to sophisticated targeting and measurement capabilities, allowing small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) to compete more effectively.
“As long as someone has some first party data, they’re able to leverage AI and have the right ideas and the right concepts to really punch above their weight class with some of the enterprise sized companies,” Ng said.
The rise of commerce media
Ng sees democratization also coming to commerce media.
US commerce media spending is projected to reach $83 billion by 2026, accounting for 21.6% of total digital ad spending, according to forecasts.
Epsilon’s Ng said: “In the next five years … t will shift some of the budgets away from some of the more inertia-based platforms. (That will) democratize brand budgets, retailers’ ability to monetize and, frankly, even go beyond the retail sector.”
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