From being a private investigator to a successful VP of Marketing at D-ID and a G-CMO member, Tomer Zuker reveals his biggest tips for senior marketers and which AI tool is his best buddy
We recently talked to Tomer Zuker, the VP of Marketing at D-ID startup and a member of the G-CMO. We discussed his extensive experience in the tech and marketing industry and the innovative work being done at D-ID. With over 23 years in the tech industry, Tomer's journey has included roles at major corporations such as Microsoft, Amazon, and IBM and various startups. His diverse background in sales, marketing, business development, and partnerships management has given him a broad perspective on go-to-market strategies and execution, both locally and globally.
D-ID was recently chosen as one of the most promising startups in the “Calcalist” newspaper. Established in 2017, D-ID was initially a cybersecurity company focused on leveraging unique algorithms to prevent AI tools from stealing identities from still photos. Expanding on this foundation, D-ID has ventured into generative AI, utilizing the same technology to transform still photos into dynamic, talking avatars.
Tomer highlighted the significance of D-ID's AI avatars, which can speak 120 languages and be utilized for various purposes such as product marketing, training, email marketing, and creating interactive experiences. “This allows us to converse with technology rather than a mouse or keyboard,” Tomer explains. “We prefer to converse with other human beings because this conversation can build trust. From a marketing perspective, trust can lead to better engagement and better conversions.
D-ID has grown remarkably, with over 180 million digital people, or avatars, created using its platform. It has a rapid pace of sign-ups, averaging 10K new people daily, and a global presence, with teams across the United States, Europe, and APAC.
How did you start your path in the marketing world? I noticed that you were a private investigator once.
“This is the dark side of my history,” Tomer laughs. The main lessons I learned from these years are mainly about people. Marketing is all about people and their motivations and interests, how to influence them, how to interact with them, and how to interpret them, so this experience gave me a lot of tools as a marketing professional.
How did you get from there to senior marketing roles?
“My journey began in technical positions at startups, leveraging my B.A. in business management and information systems and an MBA in marketing. Initially working in QA and professional services, I realized my true passion lay elsewhere. Transitioning to enterprise sales allowed me to discover my love for marketing. This shift I made at Microsoft was pivotal and less common, but it was crucial for my career development.”
“I then took on roles as a Field Product Marketing Manager, eventually moving into management, where I led one of Microsoft's largest businesses. I managed a diverse team of Product Marketing Managers, Community Managers, and others in this role. My career has involved several switches between sales and marketing, which I love. As a marketing executive, especially in the B2B domain, having a strong background in sales is a significant advantage. It enhances professional growth and helps bridge the often weak integration between sales and marketing in B2B organizations”.
What are your core principles in marketing?
My core principle in marketing is to always start with strategy. Thanks to Gen-AI tools, creating digital content is easy today, and there's a flood of campaigns, making it crucial to stand out. Strategy begins with defining your journey, target market, and unique selling proposition, as well as understanding market trends and competitors. Strategy is the foundation; regularly checking and adapting your strategy is essential in a dynamic and intense market landscape.
What does your marketing department look like?
“I view the marketing department as a well-integrated machine, with seamless coordination between product marketing, content, and demand generation. One of my key investments is setting strong foundations for the department, including clearly defined roles, responsibilities, workflows, and processes. Efficiency is crucial; without clear structure and organization, you risk wasting time and money”.
What is your employee profile? What do you look for in a candidate?
“We’ve tripled our team size since 2023 and continue to hire, which is a privilege in today’s market. Relevant experience, especially with generative AI tools, is essential. It's about understanding and maximizing AI tools while maintaining a human touch. Additionally, strong interpersonal skills are crucial. In our complex marketing department, teamwork is mandatory”.
How is your membership at the G-CMO forum?
“It’s great being a member of the G-CMO and all the new communities introduced lately. It's a good mixture of people and knowledge. Networking and connecting with other CMOs and marketing VPs is a real bonus. The G-CMO Forum invests a lot in sharing professional knowledge with us through webinars, training, lectures, and events. There are a lot of marketing talents in Israel, so I'm super proud to be part of the Forum and the Israeli marketing industry. I'm happy to give back to the Forum through mentoring and training sessions that I deliver.”
Tomer recently delivered a very insightful and practical lecture about Generative AI for marketers in a PMM Mastery Program by the G-CMO: “We had an excellent opportunity to discuss the biggest revolution in the technological world in the last 100 years: the Gen-AI revolution. We presented market trends, key tools, and use cases for marketing managers and PMMs. We enjoyed the meeting with the students, all experienced marketing professionals, and their smart and practical questions on implementation, usability, ethics, efficiency, and more”.
You do so many things—VP Marketing at D-ID, managing the successful Linkers group, mentoring, owning a website and blog, and actively posting all the time—How do you do it?
“Once the strategy and direction are clear, the execution becomes manageable. The most challenging part is agreeing on the strategy. I have great partners, team members, and products, which make the process smooth. I love writing and sharing my knowledge, which fuels my mentoring and leadership roles.
“Though I founded Linkers and was heavily involved initially, my partners Gil Kochavi and Efrat Shochot-Reich now handle day-to-day management. I stay involved behind the scenes but don't have the capacity for daily management. Linkers remains a highly engaged community, collaborating with LinkedIn's global team. Balancing my energy and priorities is key in managing my various roles.”
What is the top AI tool you recommend using for PMMs and marketers?
“I highly recommend ChatGPT. The paid version stands out for its versatility and effectiveness and continues to improve. The core responsibilities of a PMM—such as messaging, value proposition, and market research—are text-centric. Therefore, tools like ChatGPT are more useful than creative tools like MidJourney. To be efficient, understand your pain points and needs, then choose the right tools to address them. I encourage experimenting with various tools to find what works best.”
What is your biggest tip for a PMM and a CMO/ VP of Marketing?
“My tip for PMMs is to understand your products and spend time with product managers deeply. As the organizational bridge, you should be the product ambassador from a business and a marketing perspective. You should understand market dynamics, relevant analysts, and industry influencers. Ensure your value propositions and messaging resonate with reality to avoid irrelevant marketing assets”.
“Marketing is leading in adopting AI, transforming the industry. My advice to marketing managers: Learn AI tools to stay relevant. Without this skill set, you risk becoming outdated, like lacking basic social media or Google skills. While AI won't replace us soon, those who grasp AI will replace those who don't.”
Tomer is part of the teaching team of G-CMO Academy's new and innovative program, Gen-AI Marketing Transformation Leader. In this role, he will share his knowledge and experience in generative AI for marketing, including real-life best practices, methods, and examples.
