OnBase: Smashing Sales and Marketing Misalignments Ep. 553 | Future-proofing brands in the age of AI
In this episode of OnBase, host Chris Moody talks with Myla Pilao about how brands can remain relevant and resilient in the age of AI. Myla shares her unconventional path into the ICT and cybersecurity industry, and why translating technical narratives into relatable, actionable stories is key to influencing behavior.
The conversation explores AI’s role in shifting from transactional to relationship-driven customer experiences, the importance of high-quality data, and strategies for hyper-personalization without crossing privacy boundaries. Myla explains how her team balances automation with creativity, integrates AI responsibly, and aligns global teams around AI-driven processes.
Key Takeaways
- AI as a Relationship Builder: Moving beyond generic automation to personalized, context-aware customer interactions.
- Data Quality First: “Garbage in, garbage out” still applies—AI’s success depends on the integrity of your input data.
- Hyper-Personalization in Action: Tailoring responses and recommendations to specific, high-priority customer pain points.
- Balancing AI with Human Creativity: Establishing multi-layer editorial reviews to preserve authenticity and accuracy.
- Adoption Through Proof of Concept: Testing AI on low-risk content before applying it to mission-critical materials.
- Three AI-Era Imperatives: Address bias with transparency, embed privacy and compliance, and iterate relentlessly.
Quotes
“Garbage in, garbage out still holds true. The quality of your data will make or break your AI outcomes.”
“The foundation can be AI-driven, but the final touch has to be human.”
Best Moments
- 01:09 – Myla shares her unconventional journey into ICT and cybersecurity.
- (03:30) – How AI is changing the nature of customer relationships.
- (05:29) – Data quality as the biggest challenge in AI adoption.
- (07:39) – Using hyper-personalization to address specific threats like ransomware.
- (09:18) – Balancing efficiency gains with authenticity in content creation.
- (12:07) – Aligning global teams through cautious, proof-of-concept AI rollouts.
- (15:21) – Myla’s three operational imperatives for mid-stage AI adoption.
- (17:57) – Aligning teams around bold visions and measurable results.
- (20:39) – The challenge of cutting through “too much information” in B2B marketing.
Resource recommendations
- Pragmatic Institute - For product and market strategies.
- Duarte - For storytelling and visual communication techniques for complex topics.
About the Guest
Myla V. Pilao is a seasoned cybersecurity marketing leader with extensive experience at the intersection of technology, marketing, and public relations. As Director of Technology Marketing at Trend Micro, she drives thought leadership initiatives that translate complex security concepts into actionable insights for audiences from C-suite executives to everyday tech users.
With a career spanning leadership roles in technical support, customer relationship management, and marketing, Myla has built a strong record of guiding teams through the evolving digital landscape with a focus on trust, privacy, and innovation. Prior to Trend Micro, she held customer engagement and support roles in the gaming technology and telecommunications industries.
She holds a Master’s Degree from National University and a Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Santo Tomas.