In a recent Economic Times Podcast conversation moderated by Vasanthi Hariprakash, Myron Sojka, Chief Technology Officer at Epsilon, and Pratik Nath, Managing Director, unpack how AI is changing marketing from broad reach to precise, real-time relevance.
At the heart of the discussion is a simple shift. Marketing is no longer about reaching the most people. It is about reaching the right person at the right moment. As Myron explains, the constant has always been brands trying to connect with people. What has changed is speed, context, and expectation. Consumers now move across phones, laptops, and platforms without pause. Miss the moment, and the opportunity is gone.

Epsilon’s response to this shift is built on depth of data and strong identity resolution. Pratik shares that Epsilon analyses more than 7,000 attributes per individual and processes hundreds of billions of signals every day. This allows brands to move beyond generic messaging. If someone is browsing travel options, the system understands timing, intent, and constraints, such as whether the person is travelling with pets, and shapes communication that actually fits the moment. Without that context, even a good message becomes noise.

This thinking powers the Epsilon People Cloud platform. The goal, as both leaders emphasise, is to reduce effort for marketers. Generative and agent-led AI help automate tasks like segment creation, offer design, and loyalty recommendations. Marketers stay in control, but they spend less time doing manual work and more time shaping experiences that matter.

What sets Epsilon apart, according to Myron, is how data and identity come together across channels. Many brands struggle with fragmented systems and disconnected customer views. Epsilon helps unify these quickly, often across multiple brands and regions, so activation does not get stuck in complexity.

The conversation also touches on how Epsilon itself is changing. The company is moving away from isolated tools toward a shared platform approach that works across channels and teams. India’s Global Capability Centre plays a central role here, owning global products, implementations, and client work across time zones. It is no longer a support layer but part of the core engine.

Pratik outlines how internal readiness is being built through Epsilon’s AI Centre of Excellence. The focus is practical. Everyday AI tools for all employees, communities that cut across teams, shared internal marketplaces for APIs and agents, and clear guardrails around trust, compliance, and governance. Learning partnerships and company-wide learning weeks reinforce the idea that AI adoption is as much about people as it is about technology.

Looking ahead, Pratik frames Epsilon’s approach through OPEX: ownership of outcomes, strong partnerships across the ecosystem, depth through centres of excellence, and continuous transformation. The message is direct. Companies that keep questioning themselves and improving will move forward. Those that settle for average will fall behind.

The discussion makes one thing clear. AI can simplify marketing, but it also raises the bar. Turning data into timely, meaningful action is now the real work.