Feature
The Gist
- Generative AI reshapes DCX. 2024 saw businesses experimenting with AI to enhance customer experiences while navigating governance and ethical challenges.
- CMS remains essential. Modern CMS tools with AI integration enable scalable and personalized experiences, reinforcing their role as a cornerstone of digital strategy.
- DXPs drive omnichannel success. Organizations leverage composable DXPs for personalized and engagement across touchpoints, despite integration hurdles.
As 2024 draws to a close, the digital experience landscape has seen a year defined by generative AI, the evolution of content management systems (CMS) and the increasing importance of digital experience platforms (DXPs).
We heard the tales from our contributors. We uncovered data in our research efforts. And, perhaps most importantly, we heard the digital experience tales from practitioners doing the work on the ground floor at many technology showcases through the US.
Through a collection of in-depth articles on CMSWire, we’ve explored these shifts and their implications for businesses aiming to stay competitive with one shared vision — capture the attention (and hopefully conversions) of prospects and customers.
This recap brings together the most impactful insights from the year.
Generative AI and the State of Digital Customer Experience
From Experimentation to Real-World Impact
In “5 Findings From the 2024 'State of Digital Customer Experience' Report” by moi, generative AI emerged as both a disruptor and an enabler in digital customer experience (DCX). While 77% of businesses actively explore AI’s potential, challenges like siloed data and limited cross-department collaboration remain. The report emphasized that 81% of organizations consider DCX a top priority, with advanced tools like customer data platforms (CDPs) driving measurable outcomes. You can access the 2024 DCX report, and, by the way, we've got a 2025 update coming early next year.
As CMSWire CEO Brice Dunwoodie noted in the report, “The next DCX chapter is going to be bold, exciting and involve some unexpected twists." We expect that in 2025, too.
Overcoming Challenges in AI Adoption
Generative AI also brought risks, as highlighted by CMSWire Contributor Mark Demeny in “Is Your AI Content Management Strategy Ready for the New Era?”
Missteps, such as improper governance and hallucinated outputs, showcased the need for organizations to refine their AI strategies. Demeny stressed the importance of aligning AI integration with robust content operations to avoid pitfalls like data leaks or reputational damage.
Content Management Systems: The Foundation of Digital Success
Modern CMS Features and the AI Advantage
In “What Is a Content Management System (CMS)?” by Michelle Hawley and Scott Clark, CMS platforms still serve as critical tools in unifying content, data and experiences. In fact, it's arguable the CMS is still the backbone of all digital customer experiences. Some may say customer data platforms. Some even say customer relationship management systems. Others say digital experience platforms (DXP). More on them in a bit.
Modern CMS capabilities, from AI integration to omnichannel delivery, allow organizations to streamline operations while creating cohesive, personalized user experiences. They benefit from structured workflows and modular content for scalability and adaptability.
The WYSIWYG Debate: Scaling Beyond Simplicity
CMSWire Contributor Michael Andrews, in "WYSIWYG Challenges: The Downfall of 'What You See' Web Design,” revisited the limitations of WYSIWYG editors in scalable environments. As businesses demand more robust tools to manage modular content and maintain consistency across platforms, structured authoring tools and training for employees became essential themes for brands aiming to future-proof their digital strategies.
Digital Experience Platforms: Navigating the Evolving Landscape
Core Technologies Driving Omnichannel Excellence
In “Digital Experience Platforms (DXPs): What to Know in 2024” by yours truly, DXPs were positioned as the centerpiece of modern digital experience strategies. Offering centralized content management, personalization and omnichannel delivery, DXPs help brands engage customers across diverse touchpoints, from websites to mobile apps and beyond.
The article also highlighted the rise of composable DXPs, with flexibility and modularity becoming key considerations for businesses. As Gartner’s Irina Guseva put it, “A composable DXP entails more than just product modularity and API-based integrations; it’s about delivering contextualized digital experiences at scale.”
Investment Trends and Integration Challenges
Despite their potential, DXPs come with significant costs, particularly in integration. We noted the Gartner finding that 85% of DXP program efforts focus on system integrations. Yet, the market for DXPs continues to grow, projected to reach $15.8 billion by 2025. This reflects the increasing reliance on DXPs for delivering personalized and seamless customer experiences.
Related Article: Has Generative AI Changed Digital Experience Platforms?
On the Ground at 2024 Digital Experience Conferences
In 2024, our travels to digital experience conferences — from Optimizely’s Opticon in San Antonio to Adobe Summit in Las Vegas and Acquia Engage in New York — offered a unique perspective into the buzz surrounding artificial intelligence (AI). Beyond the keynote stages and marketing hype, we had the privilege of engaging with practitioners who are working on the ground floor to make sense of AI’s potential and challenges.
Here’s what we learned from these professionals and the articles that captured their stories:
Experimentation, Caution and the Reality of AI Integration
At Opticon in November in the Lone Star State ("AI at the Crossroads: Creativity, Ethics, and Integration Challenges"), leaders shared stories of experimentation and incremental AI adoption. Marketers like Izabela Misiorny, CMO at Siteimprove, emphasized the value of balancing AI-driven efficiency with human creativity. Misiorny urged marketers not to rely solely on AI-generated content but to “show where you add value — with your creativity and humanity.”
Similarly, at Acquia Engage in the Big Apple in October ("NYC Spotlight: Can Artificial Intelligence Really Make It Anywhere?"), Kristen Bednar from Mars echoed the sentiment that we are in the early stages of AI integration. She highlighted the need for training and experimentation to fully unlock AI's potential, particularly in areas like content creation and user experience design.
Governance and Ethical AI Adoption
Governance emerged as a central theme across conferences. At Sitecore Symposium in Nashville in October ("For Marketers, AI Ambitions Clash With Real-World Concerns"), practitioners like Heather Hartkopp from Corbion discussed the importance of creating robust policies to manage AI use responsibly.
Concerns about data security and compliance were recurring, particularly for industries like financial services, as noted at Adobe Summit in Vegas in March by Elisandra Singh of AIG Retirement Services ("Beyond Hype: Practical Applications and Limits of Generative AI in Marketing").
Ingredion’s cautious integration of AI tools, as described by Idania Borrero-Knight at Opticon, showcased a commitment to ethical practices. Her team’s digital council ensures that AI adoption aligns with organizational values and prioritizes the protection of creative outputs and sensitive data.
Related Article: Transforming Your Digital Customer Experience With AI
The AI Roadmap: Practical Applications and Challenges
From Silicon Valley Bank’s AI transformation ("How AI Is Powering Silicon Valley Bank's Comeback Story") to YETI’s data integration struggles ("AI at the Crossroads: Creativity, Ethics and Integration Challenges"), organizations are learning that successful AI adoption requires clear roadmaps. Silicon Valley Bank is leveraging AI for content creation and analytics, aiming for a 50% reduction in production costs. However, they stress the importance of careful pilot programs to ensure security and scalability.
Meanwhile, YETI is focused on overcoming data silos to enable AI-driven personalization. Their experience highlights the complexity of integrating fragmented systems into a unified platform — a challenge echoed by many practitioners.
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The Human Element: Augmenting Creativity and Personalization
Despite AI's potential, practitioners repeatedly stressed the irreplaceable role of human oversight. Misiorny’s call to amplify human creativity through AI resonated with marketers like Crystal Flores from Gigamon ("Beyond Hype: Practical Applications and Limits of Generative AI in Marketing"), who balances AI-driven content creation with the need to meet quality and ethical standards. Similarly, Erin Mahan of the American Red Cross emphasized AI’s role in personalizing donor communications while recognizing budget constraints.
Lessons for the Future: AI's No Magic Solution for Digital Experience
Across conferences, the message was clear: AI is not a magic solution but a tool that requires careful governance, collaboration, and a human-centered approach. Paul Roetzer, CEO of the Marketing AI Institute, urged organizations at Acquia Engage to prepare for the rapid evolution of AI by creating roadmaps and AI councils. The goal? To ensure that AI adoption enhances both business efficiency and customer experience while mitigating risks.
As practitioners experiment with AI in areas like content creation, personalization and analytics, their stories remind us that the journey to full-scale adoption is as much about managing challenges as it is about embracing opportunities.
Key Takeaways From 2024 Digital Experience Conferences
- AI adoption requires balance. Organizations are learning to integrate AI thoughtfully, prioritizing ethical practices and human creativity.
- Governance and security are paramount. Clear policies are needed to address compliance, data protection and risk management.
- Experimentation drives progress. Incremental adoption and real-world testing are crucial for identifying effective AI use cases.
By listening to these ground-level perspectives, we gained a richer understanding of how AI is reshaping the digital experience landscape — and how much work lies ahead.
Related Article: For Marketers, AI Ambitions Clash With Real-World Concerns
Digital Experience Product Innovation
2024 saw plenty of innovation from digital experience software providers. Let's review some:
Sitecore: AI-Driven Marketing Orchestration
Sitecore’s latest offering focuses on aligning marketing workflows with brand values through generative AI, automating repetitive tasks and enhancing collaboration. Their “Intelligent DXP” vision, demonstrated through Nestlé's adoption, showcases real-world use cases in global brand management.
- AI-Powered Stream Unveiled. Sitecore introduced Sitecore Stream, leveraging AI to enhance marketing orchestration and brand alignment.
- Composable Architecture Integration. Stream’s integration across Sitecore solutions like XM Cloud, Content Hub, and XP enhances composability for marketers.
- Brand-Aware Efficiency. Nestlé is already utilizing Sitecore Stream to manage and maintain brand consistency across thousands of strategic documents.
Adobe: Generative AI for Content Creation
Adobe’s generative AI offerings focus on simplifying content creation processes and integrating across their ecosystem for marketing workflows. The platform’s innovations aim to empower marketers while addressing integration challenges in its DXP suite.
- Adobe GenStudio Launch. A comprehensive platform to streamline content workflows, from ideation to measurement.
- Generative AI Integration. Expanded capabilities across Adobe Experience Cloud, including Firefly’s Structure Reference and Adobe Journey Optimizer for personalized customer interactions.
- Focus on Accessibility and Scale. GenStudio enables efficient, scalable content delivery for diverse audiences.
Acquia: AI Enhancements in Digital Asset Management
Acquia's enhancements position irs DAM solution as a pivotal tool for content-rich industries, combining efficiency with brand governance. The integration of video creation and transcription reflects a pragmatic approach to leveraging AI for scalable content workflows.
- AI-Powered DAM Updates. Acquia announced video creation, transcription and automated color filtering tools for its DAM solution.
- Focus on Efficiency. Tools like Acquia Video Creator enable faster content production and localization.
- Brand Alignment and Accessibility. AI tools ensure compliance with brand guidelines while improving content accessibility through automated subtitles and translations.
Optimizely: AI-Driven Personalization and SaaS CMS
Optimizely’s advancements highlight its commitment to streamlining marketing processes through AI and SaaS-based solutions. Part of its focus is on vertical markets and integrated personalization tools.
- AI Assistant Opal Enhancements. New features include campaign brief ideation, asset generation and personalized segmentation.
- SaaS Headless CMS. Optimizely’s latest offering combines composability with marketer-friendly tools like Visual Builder.
- Industry-Specific Solutions. Vertical-focused innovations for manufacturing and healthcare demonstrate Optimizely’s strategic direction.
Ibexa DXP v4.6 LTS: Addressing Marketing Complexity Into Quality Customer Experiences
Ibexa in January had a major release, Ibexa DXP v4.6 LTS, at its Global Partner Conference in Mallorca. They tout making complex marketing operations easier through advanced digital transformation solutions tailored for B2B environments.
- Headless Content Management and Integrated Tools. At the core of Ibexa DXP v4.6 LTS are headless CMS capabilities, integrated with digital asset management, product information management (PIM) and advanced commerce functionalities.
- Focus Mode for Marketers: Focus Mode is designed specifically for marketers operating in complex scenarios. It promises to simplify user experiences, enabling quick navigation and efficient orchestration of extensive marketing campaigns.
- Industry-Specific Innovations: Ibexa continues to innovate with vertical-focused solutions, especially for the manufacturing and healthcare sectors. Watch for how its December acquisition of Quable, a PIM provider, plays out.
Magnolia 6.3: Enhancing Usability, Composability and Performance at Scale
Magnolia announced this year the release of Magnolia 6.3, focusing on enhancing usability, improving composability and optimizing performance for enterprise-scale digital experiences.
- Enhanced Usability: This release introduces a slew of usability improvements including a revamped search experience in the Pages and Assets apps, a more powerful visual editor upgraded to CKEditor 5 and authoring enhancements for multi-language projects.
- Advanced Composability: Magnolia 6.3 delivers a composable DXP by providing new low-code integration frameworks, connectors and fully supported extensions designed to streamline the integration and customization of technology components.
- Optimized Performance: Underlying performance enhancements support better scalability and reliability. New performance metrics and a tuning guide provide insights for optimizing large-scale setups.
Navigating the Road Ahead in Digital Experience
2024 was a year of rapid evolution in digital experience, with businesses embracing advanced tools while navigating challenges in collaboration, scalability and integration. As we look toward 2025, these key takeaways stand out:
- Generative AI is still experimental for many. Organizations must adopt thoughtful AI strategies to unlock its potential while mitigating risks.
- CMS platforms remain foundational. Modern systems equipped with AI and composable architectures enable businesses to scale efficiently and engage users effectively.
- DXPs support omnichannel success. Investing in flexible, composable platforms will help organizations meet the demands of increasingly tech-savvy consumers.
As businesses adapt to these changes, staying informed and agile will be crucial.
Next steps? Continue to push for training, education and adaptation on how to effectively use AI tools. Where teams have already seen the potential of AI to enhance marketing and content creation processes, they plan to continue exploring AI's capabilities and integrating it into their workflows.
“One of the key things is as you experience [AI] in real time, you start to understand that doing a 30- or 60-day pilot is not enough time,” Gaita Marie Mompoint, director of marketing technology at Silicon Valley Bank, said. “Because it has to learn about you to start to deliver value.”
