The Changing Customer Journey in an AI-First World - Insights from Adobe Enterprise's CMO

In this episode of The Digital Marketing Podcast, host Daniel interviews Rachel Thornton, CMO of Adobe Enterprise, ahead of Adobe Summit 2026. Thornton discusses the fundamental transformation of the customer journey in an AI-first world, emphasizing the shift from traditional SEO to 'agentic search'—where AI models like ChatGPT and Gemini pull information from sources like Reddit, YouTube, and Wikipedia. She argues that CMOs must now prioritize community strategy and earned content as much as owned content, since customer conversations in these spaces now influence AI-generated responses. The conversation explores how AI enables hyper-personalization at scale through audience agents and real-time content orchestration across channels, replacing linear funnel models with dynamic, conversational experiences. Thornton highlights the importance of brand fidelity in AI-generated content, the need for agile measurement frameworks, and the evolving role of marketers as strategic judgment providers in AI-augmented workflows. She concludes by framing AI not as a threat but as a powerful amplifier of creativity, enabling faster experimentation, deeper personalization, and more authentic brand experiences. Key takeaways include: 1) CMOs must now optimize for agentic search by nurturing community-driven content; 2) The customer journey is no longer linear but conversational and multi-surface, requiring orchestration over campaigns; 3) AI enables micro-segment personalization and rapid iteration, making marketers more agile and creative; 4) Brand consistency must be embedded into AI workflows to prevent drift; 5) Measurement should focus on incrementality and impact, not just output; 6) Marketers’ value lies in high-judgment creative direction, not content production; 7) Real-time insights from platforms like Reddit can fuel responsive, data-driven campaigns; 8) Adobe’s upcoming announcements will focus on AI-powered brand fidelity, content supply chains, and customer-centric orchestration.