Mobile Strategy, Marketing Automation & Sustainability in Digital Tech | DisrupTV Ep. 50

In DisrupTV Episode 50, hosts R “Ray” Wang and Vala Afshar are joined by:

  • Sameer Patel — CEO at Kahuna, a marketing automation platform focused on mobile engagement. 
  • Brian Katz — Director of EUC (End-User Computing) Mobile Strategy at VMware. 
  • Heather Clancy — Contributor to Fortune and GreenBiz, writing about sustainability, business trends, and the intersection of ecology & technology. 

Together, they explore how companies can harness mobile strategy and marketing automation while also integrating sustainability and ethical considerations into technology adoption.

Key Takeaways

Mobile Marketing Automation as a Strategic Imperative
Sameer Patel derided mobile as not just a channel but a core part of customer engagement. Automation tools that respond intelligently (based on customer behavior, location, timing) can significantly improve retention and conversion. 

Role of Device Strategy & User Experience in Mobile
Brian Katz emphasizes that investing in mobile strategy includes understanding end-user computing (EUC): ensuring devices, apps, and interfaces deliver seamless experiences. Organizations must think about performance, latency, and how mobile use varies by user context. 

Sustainability & Ethical Dimensions in Tech & Marketing
Heather Clancy reminds us that marketing and mobile tech don’t operate in a vacuum. Consumers are increasingly aware (and judging) how companies handle data, privacy, environmental impact, and social responsibility. Sustainability is no longer optional—it’s part of brand trust. 

Automation Without Losing the Human Touch
While automation (especially in mobile) can scale reach and efficiency, all speakers imply that automation must preserve personalization, context, and authenticity. Without the human-centric component, automation can feel cold or alienating. 

Cross-Disciplinary Collaboration
Success in mobile/automation + sustainability requires collaboration between marketing, technology (device strategy, app dev), policy/privacy teams, and sustainability or CSR groups. Reducing silos is a recurring theme.

Final Thoughts

Episode 50 highlights how modern digital strategy is multi-dimensional: it’s no longer enough to just optimize for growth or efficiency. Organizations must also think about trust, sustainability, user experience, and how automation and mobile tech can support—not undermine—those values.

If you’re developing or revising your mobile strategy, key areas to examine include: how your automation tools respect user context and privacy; how your mobile UX holds up across devices; and how your brand message aligns with sustainability and ethics as perceived by the customer.

Related Episodes

Here are some other DisrupTV episodes that explore overlapping or complementary themes:

 

Business Research Themes

Future of Work, Marketing Transformation, Tech Optimization

Roles

Chief Digital Officer, Chief Executive Officer, Chief Marketing Officer, Chief Sustainability Officer, Chief Technology Officer